College World Series 2018 (June 16-27): Which Eight Teams Are Competing?

The 2018 baseball College World Series is set to start on Saturday in Omaha, Nebraska, and here is what you need to know.

College World Series 2018 Preview

The eight teams competing this year are North Carolina, Mississippi State, Oregon State, Texas, Washington, Texas Tech, Florida and Arkansas. Here are some basic facts about each squad:

North Carolina

The Tar Heels went 48-13 this season and were the ACC regular-season champions as well as the No. 6 seed in the country. This will be their 11th College World Series berth and first appearance in the tournament in five years. The Tar Heels were the CWS runners-up in 2006 and 2007.

Mississippi State

The Bulldogs finished 37-27 to reach the CWS, and were fifth in the SEC West. Mississippi State won the Nashville Super Regional and the Tallahassee Regional. The Bulldogs are also in the CWS for the 11th time. Their best finish was second place in 2013.

Oregon State

The Beavers went 49-10-1 this season. They were the No. 3 seed in the nation and the Pac-12 runners-up. This is their seventh CWS appearance. The Beavers won the tournament in 2006 and 2007.

Texas

The Longhorns finished 41-21 this year and were Big 12 champions. They claimed the Austin Regional and Super Regional. Texas holds the record for the most CWS berths (36), victories (85), and second-place finishes (six). The Longhorns have won the World Series six times, their last title coming in 2005.

Washington

The Huskies went 35-24 this season and were third in the Pac-12. They won the Fullerton Super Regional and the Conway Regional. This is their first CWS berth.

Texas Tech

The Raiders finished 40-17 this year. They finished third in the Big 12, and won Super Regional and Lubbock Regional. This is their third CWS berth, their first of which came in 2014. Texas Tech is 1-4 all-time in the competition.

Florida

The Gators went 47-19 this season and were the SEC champions, as well as the top seed in the country. They won the Super Regional and the Gainesville Regional. This is Florida’s 12th CWS appearance. The Gators won the tournament in 2017.

Arkansas

The Razorbacks finished 44-18 this year to finish in a first-place tie in the SEC West. Arkansas was also the No. 5 seed in the country. They won the Super Regional and the Fayetteville Regional. This is their ninth CWS appearance. Their best finish was second place in 1979.

Article by Pablo Mena