There were plenty of upsets in just the Sunshine State during the first weekend of play in the 64 team field of the NCAA baseball playoffs. A look around the nation also unveiled many more shockers that will surely make an impact on who will win it all in Omaha. Double-elimination host sites of four teams each gave us 16 winners that will advance to this weekend's best-of-three Super-Regionals. Parity is the name of the game of today's college baseball. If you weren't watching this roller coaster of action, here's what you missed.
Number two Florida and number five Florida State were the first powerhouses to be sent home for the summer. Both schools didn't even get a win at their home sites. The Gators entered the field with the toughest schedule in the country. All that seasoning was for naughy, as the UF squad failed to score more than two runs in losses to North Carolina and the College of Charleston. Against Charleston, the Gators even pulled off the hidden ball trick to get out of a jam. UF coach Kevin O'Sullivan will definitely have questions to answer as this was Florida's best chance to get to win their first College World Series.
Mike Martin, head coach of Florida State, once again fell short. 35 years, 23 conference tourney championships and a .741 winning percentage has resulted in one National Title game appearance and zero titles for the Seminoles' skipper. Florida State will go back to the drawing board next year. The Miami Hurricanes, who were also up for a national seed, also were knocked out of the field with a loss to Texas Tech on Monday.
The underdog stories are more than plentiful as we head to the Super Regionals. Stanford, Kennesaw State, Houston, UC Irvine and College of Charleston all broke through and made sure that five of the eight national seeds would go home and create a ball that even Cinderella would envy. Virginia (3), UL Lafayette (6) and TCU (7) are the only favorites that remain. Virginia is the only perrenial power, of those three, of the bunch. So, where do we look next weekend when the first pitches are thrown?
Traditional powers are few and far between in this chase for the title. The SEC put a record 10 teams in. Only two ( Ole Miss and Vandy ) remain. The ACC has a battle of Virginia vs. Maryland that will leave them with one team in the College World Series. The Big 12 has three contenders ( Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State ) heading into the next round. There are a few others too, as well as a Louisville team that heads to the ACC next season.
Every team can't be the favorite, so the field must be handicapped. When there are 16 teams left, it's only fair to lean on a quarter of the field. These four teams will be the ones to beat. There are probably about 10-12 teams that can make a run, but these are the four that have the inside track to winning it all in Omaha.
The Virginia Cavaliers have the best chance to win a national title for the ACC since all the way back in 1955. They will face conference rival Maryland, before the Terrapins head to the Big 10 next baseball season. UVA has a very deep pitching staff and a solid offense. Assuming they make it to the next round in Omaha, they are the team to beat in the CWS.
The Louisville Cardinals are in prime position to punch their ticket to the CWS after Florida State tanked in the first round. Traveling to a great home site, Kennesaw State (and Max Pentecost) is the only team in the way of stopping Louisville to advance to the next round. The Cardinals are a very fast and athletic team that will be a tough out in Omaha.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys are the one team west of the Mississippi River that seems to have what it takes. A huge bullet was dodged when UC Irvine knocked off number one Oregon State. That upset let the Cowboys stay home and host the Anteaters. Two wins versus UC Irvine will allow OSU to stay in the region and make a short trip with their fans to Nebraska for championship week.
Lastly, Vanderbilt hosts Stanford in Nashville, Tennessee. Indiana's loss to Stanford opened a door for the SEC's recent baseball power to host a best-of-three series versus a very beatable Cardinal club. Pressure in the past to excel in Omaha by the Commodores has been lifted by the fact that they were not a national seed this year. The irony would be that the last time five top seeds took a dive in the first round, Vanderbilt was the number one overall. Maybe a backseat role this time might lead to another Music City Miracle.