This has not been a great week for me, so naturally I am late on my College World Series preview. There are some familiar names and some not so familiar to this year’s list of 8.
1st round games:
- Arizona (44-19) vs Coastal Carolina (53-11)
- Oregon State (47-14-1) vs Louisville (40-22)
- UCLA (47-16) vs Murray State (43-14)
- LSU (48-15) vs Arkansas (48-13)
None of the eight teams in this year’s WS was in 2024 WS. LSU is in their 2nd WS in last 3 years and Arkansas 2 in last 4 years.
Three teams in this year’s mix were previously in the now defunct Pac 12 (UCLA, Arizona, Oregon State).
13 SEC teams made the Regionals. Nine were eliminated in the Regionals, and two more in the Super Regionals. The two left standing are LSU and Arkansas, and they face each other in their 1st game of the College World Series.
- Coastal Carolina – 1 previous trip to WS – 1 National Championship (2016)
- Arizona – 5 previous trips to WS – 4 National Championships (last 2012)
- Oregon State – 7 previous trips to WS – 3 National Championships (last 2018)
- Louisville – 5 previous trips to WS – 0 National Championships
- UCLA – 5 previous trips to WS – 1 National Championship (2013)
- Murray State – 1st trip to WS
- LSU – 19 previous trips to WS – 7 National Championships (last 2023)
- Arkansas – 11 previous appearances to WS – 0 Championships
Coastal Carolina came into the game with a 23 game win streak.
The first game is a rematch of the 2016 National Championship between Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and Arizona Wildcats. The Chanticleers won the game 4-3.
Coastal Carolina came into the game with a 23 game win streak.
Players to Watch:
Arizona –
Brendan Summerhill, OF (BA rank: 21)
Summerhill missed a month with a fractured hand this year, but he’s been quite productive when healthy. The outfielder slashed .358/.477/.585 with 36 walks to just 21 strikeouts over 42 games. He may be the best pure hitter in the college class this year.
Other Wildcats to watch – SS Mason White, OF Aaron Walton
Coastal Carolina –
Caden Bodine, C (BA rank: 29)
Bodine’s Super Regional power surge helped the Chants take down Auburn
Bodine is a pest to pitchers. He rarely chases outside the strike zone, and Sun Belt pitchers found it almost impossible to beat him in the zone. Of the more than 200 pitches Bodine swung at in the strike zone this year, he swung and missed just eight times through the end of the regular season, according to Synergy Sports data. Bodine was hitting .326/.470/.451 at the end of the regular season with a 16% walk rate and a 6.8% strikeout rate.
Bodine is everything you want in a catcher. He’s exceptional behind the plate, committing only one error all season, and he leads the offense with a .335 batting average. Bodine showed impressive power by cranking two home runs in the Game 1 victory of the super regionals against Auburn.
BO-TIME! #ChantsUp I #Selfless pic.twitter.com/bXF7nuupbH
— Coastal Carolina Baseball (@CoastalBaseball) June 7, 2025
Oregon State
Aiva Arquette, SS, Oregon State (BA rank: 4)
Like LSU’s Kade Anderson, Aiva Arquette is at least in the conversation to potentially go 1/1 next month to the Nationals. At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, he’s a striking figure at shortstop and has been on a steady upward trajectory since he emerged as the top prospect on the Cape last summer. That only continued once he transferred to Oregon State, where he hit .354/.466/.658 with 18 homers through 62 games this year. I know of one MLB 6’5” SS, Elly De La Cruz. Maybe Arquette will make it two.
Dax Whitney, is the scheduled starter for OSU’s first game on Friday. He was also included as a First-Team Freshman All-American. Whitney leads the team in strikeouts with 111 over the course of 71.1 innings.
The Beavers’ offense will go as far as Arquette and Gavin Turley can take them.
Louisville –
Patrick Forbes, RHP (BA rank: 46)
Many have mocked Forbes to the Dodgers at pick #40. He probably will not be available if he pitches well in this tournament. He surged up draft boards early this spring after showing enhanced stuff and bat-missing capabilities. Forbes has 107 strikeouts through 66 innings, but he cooled off in ACC play and can struggle to pitch deeper into games because he isn’t particularly efficient with his strikes.
UCLA
Roch Cholowsky, SS (2026)
Cholowsky might be the best player in the tournament, but he is a sophomore, and is the overwhelming favorite to be 1/1 in 2026. Chowlowsky was arguably the best player in college baseball this spring. Cholowsky terrorized Big Ten pitching this year and hit .367/.494/.742 with 23 homers over 63 games. Chowlowsky was named Big 10 Player of the Year as a Sophomore.
Murray State
Jonathan Hogart, OF (Unranked)
Murray State doesn’t have a prospect ranked on our BA 500, which is fitting for Omaha’s Cinderella. However, the Racers can rake and Hogart sets the tone. The CF hit 22 homers this season to go along with a 1.162 OPS through 59 games. He leads the nation in leadoff homers and has gone deep eight times over his last 11 games. The righthanded hitter has an aggressive approach and loves to ambush pitchers early in the count.
LSU
Kade Anderson, LSU (BA rank: 6)
He is not Paul Skenes, but LHP Kade Anderson is the top college pitcher in the draft, and is expected to carry the team to the championship. He is one of multiple potential 1/1 picks.
Anderson fronts a Tigers two-headed rotation monster alongside Anthony Eyanson, which will make LSU an extremely tough out this week. Anderson has taken a massive leap forward this year. His 163 strikeouts over 103 innings leads all of college baseball. In our latest mock draft, BA’s Carlos Collazo noted Anderson is increasingly being mentioned by evaluators as the top college pitcher in the class, even drawing comparisons to Max Fried.
Kade Anderson's 14 Strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/hWihZUEe9p
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 4, 2025
Arkansas
Wehiwa Aloy, SS (BA rank: 17)
With Gage Wood (94) and Zach Root (37) pitching well down the stretch, it’s not impossible that Arkansas ends up with multiple first-rounders. Aloy’s the top prospect of the bunch, though, after a powerful 2025 season where he hit 20 homers and slugged .668 against SEC pitching. He’s a dynamic player with the type of exciting tool set to make him a star in Omaha over the next week.
Other top draft eligible Razorbacks – OF Charles Davalan.
There are lots of players with 2025 draft implications, with Bodine, Arizona OF Brendan Summerhill, Arquette, Louisville RHP Patrick Forbes, Aloy and Anderson all projected for the first round next month.
Murray State center fielder Jonathan Hogart and Oregon State third baseman Trent Caraway head to Charles Schwab Field having hit six home runs apiece in this NCAA tournament. Cinderella player for a Cinderella team, Hogart is a self-made star player in his fifth year of college baseball, hitting his way from Wabash Valley College to Louisiana Tech before coming home to Murray State. He has an incredible 49 extra-base hits this season.
My pick? I would love to pick Murray State, but I am going with Kade Anderson and LSU.
UPDATE
Coastal Caroline beat Arizona 7-4 to win the 2016 rematch in Game 1 of the 2025 College World Series
I will add highlights as the tournament continues.
Hope all is well with you, Jeff
I second that.
What ever ails you Jeff, I hope it goes away quickly.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Once again walks and homers by our starting pitching. So sick of this scenario!
Umpire had a lot to do with it. He has been terrible.
He was terrible and a good example of why they need the electronic strike zone. Bad calls make the game hard to watch.
That’s true.
But 2 home runs, and that Slam was really smoked.
CWS? I’ll take the two Big 5, Big 6, Pac 8-10-12-0 teams.
Thanks for the CWS preview, Jeff!
I have been to Omaha twice to watch the CWS and had a great time. I think the whole NCAA tourney is one of the more underrated sporting events in the country. The player’s emotion and love for the game stands out when watching the tournament. Love to see a few underdogs make it to the final 8.
Pathetic performances by our offense and the HPUmp.
Very disappointing game. That GS given up by Yamamoto was a killer. Offense other than TEo did nothing.
Bright spot: Wrobo. Just that one HR in 4.1 IP with 5 Ks is more than solid.
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Yes, disappointing. But these are our current ’25 Dodgers. Win some, lose some. SF was 3 games back 10 games ago. They’re 8-2, the Dodgers are 5-5. And if they don’t score 7,8 or even 12, this is how it’s going to go until we get the starters back, and back at 100%, which isn’t going to happen anytime soon.
Wrobleski did ok, but his ERA is 6.05.
OK, Clayton. You’re turn. Take your 4.35 ERA and hold these hot giants to 3 in 6.
It’s my birthday, they wouldn’t dare lose!
Trump’s birthday, too!
I know, he is 2 years older than me. American flag’s birthday, and the Army is 250 years old.
Happy Birthday Bear! 🎂🎉
Thanks Sandy
Happy Birthday Bear. Hope you have many more filled with Dodger WS championships.
Appreciate it Ohio
Happy birthday from across the big pond, Bear!
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, have an ale for me.
Firs place SF giants.
Yuck.
Well, this is what can happen when a team has pitching. They rank 22nd in runs scored, but 2nd in pitching. The Dodgers are first in run scored, first in OPS but 23rd in pitching.
I don’t see the giants run lasting a full season. But, what did I know? The Dodgers are definitely vulnerable. Why not SF? Or SD, Or Az. The dbacks are 7-3 and only 5.5 back.
The Dodgers could still run away with it. Well rested starters Snell, Glasnow and Sasaki in the second half will possibly be the difference. In the meantime, .500 ball.
Sasaki isn’t even throwing. I think they will trade for a starting pitcher to eat innings. I expect Sheehan back soon.
No one’s talking about 116 any more. Right now I’ll take 92 and a playoff berth. Starting pitching right now is just a bunch of #5 guys and offense once again is in all or nothing mode.
Happy Birthday Michael Norris!! I have two other friends with BD’s today.
Enjoy your day Bear!
Thanks Ted, I am going to enjoy nature today also.
Happy Birthday Bear!
I see there is a parade scheduled in your honor. How nice.
I was 21 before I realized they were not putting up the flag just because it was my birthday!
Not going to win many games getting just two hits, especially when the same guy has both. Also not winning many games when the 1-4 hitters in your lineup go ofer with all five of the Ks Giants pitching recorded. I shut it off after the grand slam by a .230 hitter. Ohtani slumping again, under .290 for the year now. Today is my 77th birthday, surprised as hell I made it this far. Going up to Denver to meet my son’s fiancé. Will have a new post for y’all by tomorrow.
OKC won last night, 9-6. Sublette got the win. Outman hit his 14th homer and Dean his 4th. Freeland was 1-3 with 2 walks. Funkhouser is starting tonight’s game. Feduccia was 3-4 and is hitting .311. Berroa is hitting .294 after a 4-5 night. Dean was 3-3. Tulsa lost their 7th in a row. Great Lakes lost 6-4. Sirota went 1-4 with 3 Ks. Rancho clinched 1st in the south for the first half with a 6-3 win.
Yamamoto had a rough outing. The HPU squeezed the energy and focus out of YY. I haven’t seen an ump that tight with the strike zone in a long time. It’s normally the other way around where the hitters are getting questionable bad calls.
YY was known for his pin point control. That hasn’t been the case his last 3 outings. He had been the one Dodger starter that they could rely on for 6-7 innings of dominate stuff. Not recently. He looks tired and frustrated with himself. As with any Dodger pitcher I get concerned when a pitcher isn’t as effective as expected.
Looking at the Giants lineup it doesn’t seem that impressive. They are 22 in team OPS and have hit only 68 HR’s. There pitching has been the key for them. Currently they sit at #2 in ERA while the Dodgers are at #23 which one spot below the Chicago White Sox!
There’s tight and there’s obvious blown calls. That guy, following Diaz, is all the reason MLB needs to take the ball and strike calls away from umpires. Get it righ MLB. This has gone on long enough.
Yes, Dodger pitching is bad and appears to be sinking. There is no relief on the immediate horizon. Pucker up. This is going to continue.
What is the connection to our poor hitting?
Agreed Badger. Dodgers pitching is horrendous. The losing will continue until Glasnow, Snell and the rest of the pitchers return. If they do in time.
Something tells me if the Dodgers start falling too far behind in the standings we’ll hear about Glasnow or Snell magically having some kind of breakthrough and starting a rehab assignment.
Happy Birthday Michael, hope you have a great day.
YY needs a rest, even tho he only pitches once a week!!
Thanks Watford. It has been nice so far, 91 here and just an awesome day
I really like a team with a strong offensive core and I like fresh blood. I’m bored with Muncy and Rojas and don’t like Conforto blocking fresh blood. I was bored with Taylor too.
I notice these things when the Dodgers play .500 ball.
If you like fresh blood you must love the Dodgers. They’re bleeding in the water and giant sharks are circling. (see what I did there)
There’s nobody left in the minors that will help stop the bleeding. They are already here, or have come and gone. Sheehan could possibly help, but he may not be ready for a while. It’s hold your nose or clap when they score 8+.
I prefer to watch Outman flail than watch Conforto flail. I’ll take Freedman over Max assuming Max is so good that he would help get a pitcher back in a trade.
Happy birthday Bear. Hope you have many more enjoy your day
I hope that Jeff’s “Not great week” isn’t serious and possibly just extends to the Dodgers not being aggressive enough with their prospects.
I also would like to wish Michael a happy birthday. I hope it comes with cheer, merriment and a great meal.
I am NOT discounting any of the issues recently raised. I, for one, do not advocate for moving Conforto (despite his better contact of late) to the leadoff spot.
That said, I’d like to just point out how negative, overblown and dire the recent posts are:
“sharks smelling blood”??!?!?!?
“horrendous”????!?!? ”
“pathetic”??!!?!?
“so sick of this”??!?!?!?
The Dodgers are in first place (tied, admittedly)
The Dodgers have a top five farm system.
The Dodgers have the best front office.
The Dodgers have three of the top 20 players for offensive war in all of MLB.
The Dodgers are World Series Champs.
Some of the biggest, non-injury, issues with this team are finding a place in a stacked roster for a top prospect, not rushing prospects to a 40/23 man roster which is stacked, determining how long to stick with the sole weak spot in the batting order.
All this while the Dodgers have the misfortune of a biblical rash of pitching injuries.
Life is amazing. We literally are alive in the time of miracles. Life is even better as a Dodger fan.
Let’s celebrate Bear’s birthday with acknowledging this? Even if just a little.
Thanks Bluto, I am amazed I am still around. Even more so that I am in great health.
One of those top WAR guys on the Dodgers often looks like a pitcher swinging at bad pitches. Oh wait, he is.
I actually think Freddie Freeman is struggling more right now than Shohei.
No. Life sucks and then you die.
But this morning we drove down next to the beach, had mango popcicles and fed koi. Not a bad morning. And now I’m going for acupuncture and cranial massage. Maybe it will all come crashing down later tonight but for now? It’s all good.
I wish I could commission a study on linking Koi and happiness!
Or tranquility.
Frankly I don’t get it. It’s my bro in law’s pond, takes up a third of his backyard, he has 15 fish, a couple of which are worth close to a grand each. For flippin fish.
Yeah, you gotta put the cost aside otherwise it’s a boondoggle.
They’re carp. $1,000.
Other than my right knee (not the knee that was replaced) not wanting to work right, and screaming to be replaced, physically I am fine. My issues this week are depression related. There is a group of five of us who have been friends for over 50 years and we still are as close as we were in College. Of the five, two have lost their first wife, I lost my son, and now a fourth has lost his daughter in law. It just hit me really hard and none of my meds helped. This episode is hanging around longer than usual.
Happy birthday, Bear. The Dodgers beat San Diego on Monday, which was my birthday, so the Dodgers have to win on yours.
my father, my grandfather, and my aunt all suffered or suffer from depression. It’s quite awful, but it is an area where medication can help, hopefully.
I know it’s not for everyone, and every kind of depression, but when it works, it can be miraculous.
Happy Birthday Bear.
Nice report on the CWS, Jeff.
RC Dodger is dead right. The CWS is a great time and a great place to enjoy baseball.
The opening games on Friday didn’t disappoint especially the nightcap between Houston and Oregon State.
Both teams had exceptional starting pitchers and the hitters battled the shadows early in the game.
Patrick Forbes, the Houston starter looks very much like a future big leaguer who can light up the radar gun. His opponent, Dax Whitney of the Beavers is a hard throwing RHP with an extremely efficient short arm circle who sat at the mid 90’s all day. This 6’5” kid reportedly turned down perhaps $3million plus to play in Corvalis, his lifelong dream. Both kids last 5.1 and had 9 and 10 strikeouts respectively.
Both of these kids are examples of how big college pitchers now turn down big money to play for quality college programs where they develop and get fast tracked to the Big Leagues in a year or two after signing. No more learning your craft in East BF with 500 fans. One look at Paul Skenes and you see a path to the Show with NIL money, in big-time programs.
Now, if their future clubs can figure out how to keep them healthy.
I think Garrett Cole and Trevor Bauer were the first couple of kids who turned down $2 million or so to go to college and still get to the Bigs on schedule. That never happened back in my day.
College baseball looks to be at AA level of competition with the brand name programs and the passion and competition has never been more entertaining.
Adam Beck was awful behind the dish following a 19 miss game from Laz Diaz a couple of nights earlier. Don’t look now but Sunday’s HPU is CD Bucknor.
But once again, we all sit and complain about the umpiring but remember, King Rob and his minions had a chance to fix this bullshit prior to the season; and they failed to do so. Thanks Rob.
Good recap of CWS action yesterday Phil!
As I recall, you predicted big things for Paul Skenes when he was back in college. I think you said he was MLB ready in college. You definitely called that one correctly!
Did you play college ball also or just in pro ball?
RC, I did predict big things for Skenes. He just looked like a generational guy to me, from the git-go. Just a rare talent with size, control, make-up and a reasonably fresh arm having been a two-way guy growing up. Again, he threw a lot but didn’t pitch a lot. It’s not unimaginable to see him in the big leagues as a catcher.
I got drafted a couple of times out of high school (they had a winter draft too, back in those days). Pro ball was my interest so my plan was to go to a JC for a year and hope to sign. If not, then I planned to transfer to a four-year school and play until I was a junior or 21, and hopefully sign.
I had a nice season in JC ball, got drafted again, and signed. Part of my bonus was to get college paid for, which I did take advantage of.
Back in the day, unless you were Rick Monday or Reggie Jackson, your value dropped quickly the longer you were in college. That is no longer the case as MLB wisely uses college programs instead of low minors, for the US kids to develop.
Thanks for the shout out and question.
Yes. Excellent recap. One correction maybe, I believe Forbes pitches for Louisville.
I wonder who in the group of first round talent playing here will fall to the Dodgers.
Geez Badger, my brain remains extremely good for the most part, especially things from way back. But occasionally, I just space on some things that are so obvious. Thank you for pointing out that Forbes pitches for Louisville, not Houston. My bad.
You’re good Phil. Small error. They happen at all ages.
I’m still wondering who might fall to #40.
Forbes had been picked by some to land at #40, but he probably just moved up in the 1st round.
I know. It’s fun to speculate. Those picks as pitchers, usually have a high ceiling and a low floor. A guy with juice but a “history”. That can be why we draft guys who have arm issues. (?)
You can be certain we will do the homework and maybe pick up a sleeper.
For this reason I do not like having guys like Kiké in there trying to lob strikes, and can’t. Just put the last guy on the relief chart in there and end the game.
Outstanding effort from KKKKKershaw. Only 12K to go.