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College Baseball Super Regionals 2022: Results, Highlights and Bracket from Monday

Jun 14, 2022
STANFORD, CA - MARCH 26: An enthusiastic Stanford Cardinal team await Stanford Cardinal catcher Kody Huff (25) return to the dugout after hitting a 2-run home run during the game between the Washington State Cougars and the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday, March 26, 2022 at Klein Field in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
STANFORD, CA - MARCH 26: An enthusiastic Stanford Cardinal team await Stanford Cardinal catcher Kody Huff (25) return to the dugout after hitting a 2-run home run during the game between the Washington State Cougars and the Stanford Cardinal on Saturday, March 26, 2022 at Klein Field in Palo Alto, California. (Photo by Douglas Stringer/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The final two tickets to the 2022 College World Series were punched Monday.

The super regionals ended with a pair of win-or-go-home games that determined which teams headed to Omaha, Nebraska. Stanford recorded a dominant win over UConn, and Auburn followed with a nail-biter over Oregon State.

Here's a look at the College World Series schedule as well as a recap of the action Monday.

Monday's Results

No. 2 Stanford 10, UConn 5

No. 14 Auburn 4, No. 3 Oregon State 3

College World Series Schedule

Bracket 1

No. 5 Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma, 2 p.m. ET Friday

No. 9 Texas vs. Notre Dame, 7 p.m. ET Friday

Bracket 2

No. 2 Stanford vs. Arkansas, 2 p.m. ET Saturday

No. 14 Auburn vs. Ole Miss, 7 p.m. ET Saturday

Full bracket available at NCAA.com.

Stanford, Auburn Advance

UConn started the day with a bang when Ben Huber hit a bases-clearing double in the first inning that knocked Stanford starter Joey Dixon out of the game. But the Cardinal scratched across two runs in the bottom of the frame.

In the fourth inning, Stanford blew the game open with six runs. Adam Crampton got things started with a two-run single, and Kody Huff provided the fireworks with a mammoth grand slam for his 13th homer of the year.

Tommy Troy added a solo blast in the fifth inning. It marked his fifth of the tournament after he hit just two in the regular season.

The Cardinal continued an impressive run that put them in distinguished company.

After Dixon was pulled without recording an out, Drew Dowd, Ryan Bruno and Quinn Mathews pitched three innings apiece, combining for eight strikeouts and allowing just two more runs as Stanford clinched its second straight berth in the College World Series.

The loss ended an impressive season for UConn, which set a program record with 50 wins. The Huskies were attempting to advance to the College World Series for the first time since 1979.

There was much more drama in the second game.

Auburn opened the scoring in the third inning with a two-run homer by Sonny DiChiara, but Oregon State answered with a run in the bottom of the frame.

The Tigers plated two runs in the sixth inning. DiChiara scored on an error by Beavers second baseman Travis Bazzana, and Brody Moore followed with a bunt to bring home Bobby Peirce for a 4-1 lead.

Oregon State's Justin Boyd launched a two-run home run in the seventh inning to make it a one-run game.

But Auburn reliever Blake Burkhalter entered the game with two on and one out and pitched the final 2.2 innings, striking out five without allowing a hit and earning his 15th save of the season.

Now that the final eight is set, all eyes will turn to Omaha. The College World Series hasn't featured a repeat winner since South Carolina in 2011, and that trend will continue. The quest for a new champion to be crowned will begin Friday.

College Baseball Super Regionals 2022: Results, Highlights and Bracket from Friday

Jun 11, 2022
East Carolina pitcher Zach Agnos celebrates their win against Texas during an NCAA college super regional baseball game Friday, June 10, 2022, in Greenville, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
East Carolina pitcher Zach Agnos celebrates their win against Texas during an NCAA college super regional baseball game Friday, June 10, 2022, in Greenville, N.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

The NCAA Division I Men's College World Series' super regional round kicked off Friday with a quartet of games. Here's a look at the day's action and how it all went down.

Friday's Scores

Oklahoma 5, (4) Virginia Tech 4

(8) East Carolina 13, (9) Texas 7

Notre Dame 8, (1) Tennessee 6

(5) Texas A&M 5, (12) Louisville 4

Oklahoma 5, Virginia Tech 4

The bottom of the order propelled Oklahoma against Virginia Tech.

Jackson Nicklaus, Brett Squires and Kendall Pettis each racked up two hits, while Nicklaus and Squires scored four of the Sooners' five runs. Pettis had two RBI.

Oklahoma led 5-0 going into the bottom of the sixth, but defensive miscues nearly cost the Sooners. In the sixth, Virginia Tech's Cade Hunter reached on a fielding error, and Carson Jones hit a two-run homer two batters later.

In the seventh, Tanner Schobel reached on a throwing error with two outs, and Jack Hurley hit a two-run bomb.

That's as close as Virginia Tech got, though. Trevin Michael came on in relief of winning pitcher Jake Bennett (7 IP, 1 ER, 8 K) and struck out the first four batters he faced. After Nick Biddison flied out to center, Sooners right fielder John Spikerman made the play of the day with a diving catch to end the game.

Game 2 of the best-of-three series is set for noon ET Saturday in Blacksburg, Virginia.

East Carolina 13, Texas 7

East Carolina and Texas combined for seven home runs and 28 hits in the Pirates' victory.

Bryson Worrell, Jacob Starling and Alec Makarewicz each hit home runs for East Carolina, which scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth to put the game away. Worrell had four hits and four runs, and Jacob Jenkins-Cowart added four RBI.

Murphy Stehly hit two home runs for the Longhorns, and Douglas Hodo III and Ivan Melendez added a homer apiece as well.

ECU led 7-2 after five before Texas mounted a comeback and cut the Pirates' lead to 8-7 in the top of the eighth. Makarewicz ended the threat with a diving stop at third.

After flashing the leather, Makarewicz led off with a solo home run, and Jenkins-Cowart later hit a two-run double.

Game 2 is set for noon ET Saturday in Greenville, North Carolina.

Notre Dame 8, Tennessee 6

Notre Dame hit a home run each of the first four innings en route to an 8-6 upset win over top-seeded Tennessee to start the super regional round.

Carter Putz, Jared Miller, Jack Zyska and Jack Brannigan delivered the big blows for Notre Dame, in that order.

Brannigan delivered the eventual game-winning blast with a three-run shot that gave Notre Dame an 8-1 lead in the top of the fourth.

Tennessee slowly chipped away at the lead, with Trey Lipscomb and Jorel Ortega hitting solo home runs. Lipscomb then followed that up with a two-run double in the seventh.

Jordan Beck made things more interesting in the bottom of the ninth with a one-out solo homer, but Notre Dame shut the door from there for the big win.

Game 2 will occur Saturday at 2 p.m. ET from Knoxville, Tennessee.

Texas A&M 5, Louisville 4

Texas A&M stormed back from an early 3-1 deficit to score a walk-off win over Louisville in Game 1 of the super regionals.

The Aggies trailed 4-2 entered the seventh inning when Jordan Thompson delivered a two-run homer to tie the contest.

Louisville had two runners on base in the eighth and one in the ninth but couldn't recapture the lead, which set the stage for A&M's heroics in the bottom of the final inning.

The Aggies loaded the bases with two outs for Troy Claunch, who ripped a base hit to the opposite field for the game-winning knock.

A&M's relief tandem of Joseph Menefee and Jacob Palisch pitched 4.2 scoreless innings to give the offense the opportunity to complete the comeback.

Game 2 is set for Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

College World Series 2021: CWS Finals Game 3 Time and TV Coverage Info

Jun 30, 2021
Vanderbilt starting pitcher Kumar Rocker throws against Arizona in the first inning during a baseball game in the College World Series, Saturday, June 19, 2021, at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
Vanderbilt starting pitcher Kumar Rocker throws against Arizona in the first inning during a baseball game in the College World Series, Saturday, June 19, 2021, at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

The (college) baseball gods have spoken: Let there be a Game 3.

Both Vanderbilt, the defending champs, and Mississippi State, a program vying for its first title, scored a lopsided win during the first two contests. The Commodores struck first with an 8-2 triumph in Game 1, and the Bulldogs resoundingly responded with a 13-2 rout in Game 2.

The stage is now set for a winner-take-all tilt with a national championship on the line. If fans aren't already at the edge of their seats in Omaha, Nebraska, they'll get there by the opening pitch.

                

Wednesday's CWS Schedule

What: CWS Finals Game 3

Who: Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State

When: 7 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN2

                

Breakdown

Games 1 and 2 were defined by offensive eruptions.

Vandy essentially needed one inning to hit its way to a series-opening triumph, plating seven runs before the first frame was finished. Mississippi State unloaded early and often in Game 2, turning 14 hits (plus 10 walks) into 13 runs.

"Big bounce-back game from our guys—just a resilient group," Bulldogs coach Chris Lemonis told reporters. "We've had our back against the wall feels like all year long, and they just keep responding."

Game 3 could change the script on this series.

Vandy should have co-ace Kumar Rocker ready to go after he pitched six innings on Friday. Mississippi State can counter Will Bednar, who threw 6.1 innings in Saturday's elimination game against Texas.

Runs will likely come at a premium.

Rocker is 21 years old and already an Omaha legend. As a freshman in 2019, he pitched the Commodores to a national title and himself to the Most Outstanding Player award, going 2-0 with 17 strikeouts and only two earned runs in 12.1 innings.

He wasn't quite as sharp in his first CWS outing this season, although considering the quality of offense he faced in Arizona, his final line was fine: five hits, no walks, seven strikeouts and five runs (three earned) in 5.2 innings. In his second outing, he was a rock star again, holding NC State to one run on five hits with 11 strikeouts in six innings.

Bednar, meanwhile, was electric across two starts against Texas, the highest-ranked team to make the CWS. In the opener, he had 15 strikeouts in six scoreless, one-hit innings. In the game that got Mississippi State to the final round, he allowed four hits and three runs with seven strikeouts across 6.1 innings.

Both pitchers will have baseball futures that go well beyond Wednesday night.

Rocker is MLB.com's sixth-ranked prospect for the 2021 draft; Bednar is 32nd. It's not hyperbolic to say these are two of the best hurlers in all of college baseball.

And just in case they aren't at the top of their games, each is backed by a top-shelf reliever.

Vanderbilt sophomore Nick Maldonado pairs a 2.31 ERA with 59 strikeouts against seven walks in 50.2 innings. Mississippi State sophomore Landon Sims has fared even better with a 1.52 ERA and an absurd 96 strikeouts in 53.1 innings.

Wednesday's forecast, in other words, calls for heavy showers of strikeouts with a chance of some light sprinkling of runs. You won't want to miss it.

College World Series 2021: TV Schedule and Pick for Vandy vs. MS State Game 3

Jun 30, 2021
Vanderbilt starting pitcher Kumar Rocker throws against Arizona in the first inning during a baseball game in the College World Series, Saturday, June 19, 2021, at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
Vanderbilt starting pitcher Kumar Rocker throws against Arizona in the first inning during a baseball game in the College World Series, Saturday, June 19, 2021, at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

The Mississippi State Bulldogs and Vanderbilt Commodores will play a winner-take-all Game 3 on Wednesday for the College World Series title.

Vanderbilt took Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series behind a tremendous pitching performance from Jack Leiter. 

Mississippi State rallied back with its bats in Game 2 to force the series to go the distance inside TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. 

Reigning champion Vanderbilt will put 2019 CWS Most Valuable Player Kumar Rocker on the mound on Wednesday. He could be met by Mississippi State ace Will Bednar. 

Rocker has one more day of rest than Bednar and is more of a lock to toe the rubber in the first inning. 

Bednar could start, but he may have a shorter leash because of the rest. That might lead to Landon Sims piggybacking the ace for an extended stint.

          

Wednesday College World Series Info

Game 3: Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Game can be live-streamed on the ESPN app and ESPN.com.

       

Preview

If we get the Rocker-Bednar showdown we all want, it would be a showdown of potential first-round picks in the MLB draft. 

Rocker is listed as the No. 6 prospect in the 2021 draft class by MLB.com, and Bednar checks in at No. 32. 

Rocker has been a known quantity at the top of the draft board for years after he broke on to the national stage as a freshman and helped Vanderbilt claim the 2019 national championship.

In that series, Vanderbilt lost the first game to the Michigan Wolverines and then won the next two.

In fact, four of the last five College World Series champions fell in the opening contest of three before rallying back to win the last two. 

Mississippi State can follow that trend if its pitchers match the typically high output of Vanderbilt's ace. 

However, that has been a tough task for any of Vanderbilt's opponents to achieve during his three-year collegiate career. 

When the two sides met in the regular season, Rocker gave up three hits and an earned run in nine innings of work.

Mississippi State did not counter with Bednar in that matchup, and its three pitchers on April 23 gave up six earned runs.

Bednar pitched five innings in the second game of that series against Leiter. He gave up one earned run off three hits. 

Bednar may only last five or six innings on Wednesday given his short rest and the volume of high-stress innings he has been asked to pitch in Omaha. 

Mississippi State can call on Sims, its best bullpen arm, to go three or four innings in relief of Bednar to close out the contest. 

Whichever hurlers toe the rubber for the Bulldogs have to be near perfect to compete with Rocker, who has been the best big-game pitcher in college baseball since he arrived at this level. 

Rocker shut down Michigan in his 2019 championship series appearance, and that changed the momentum of the series. 

Rocker is coming off an 11-strikeout outing against the NC State Wolfpack on Friday in which he conceded a single earned run and walked one batter over six innings. 

Bednar is viewed as the closest equivalent to Rocker since he conceded three earned runs in 12.1 innings of work in two outings versus the Texas Longhorns in Omaha. 

Even if Bednar is at his best, it may not be enough to match Rocker, who is a proven commodity at this level of college baseball.

Mississippi State could bank on its familiarity with Rocker to score a few runs, but it is hard to convince anyone that an abundance of runs will come off the starter with more rest.

Pick: Vanderbilt 4, Mississippi State 2

       

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from D1Baseball.com.

College World Series Finals 2021: Mississippi State Crushes Vanderbilt to Even Series

Jun 30, 2021
Mississippi State's Tanner Allen, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring a run during the third inning against Vanderbilt in Game 2 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals, Tuesday, June 29, 2021, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
Mississippi State's Tanner Allen, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring a run during the third inning against Vanderbilt in Game 2 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals, Tuesday, June 29, 2021, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

Mississippi State knotted up the College World Series Finals at one game apiece after defeating Vanderbilt 13-2 on Tuesday at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska.

A two-hour pregame rain delay had zero effect on the Bulldog offense, as Mississippi State smacked 14 hits and drew 10 walks en route to the dominating win. The Bulldogs scored their 13 runs despite only registering two extra-base hits, both of which were doubles.

Every Mississippi State player in the starting lineup got at least one hit, with Lane Forsythe leading the way with three. Tanner Allen scored four runs, and Scotty Dubrule paced the team with four RBI.

The Bulldogs' big innings were the third and fifth frames. Mississippi State scored four in the third, with Dubrule delivering a two-RBI single. 

Dubrule added another RBI single in the eighth en route to five Mississippi State runs, and Forsythe knocked in two more runners with his own single.

Vanderbilt's runs were courtesy of a pair of solo home runs via CJ Rodriguez in the second inning and Maxwell Romero Jr. in the ninth.

Houston Harding started for Mississippi State and threw four innings of one-run ball, striking out four. Preston Johnson tossed the final five frames, allowing one run and punching out seven.

The Bulldogs and Commodores will decide the NCAA Division I baseball champion on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. ESPN2 will carry the game.

College World Series 2021: Vanderbilt vs. Miss. St. Game 2 TV Coverage and Pick

Jun 29, 2021
Vanderbilt's Jayson Gonzalez (99) celebrates with teammates after scoring on a single by Carter Young during the seventh inning against Mississippi State in Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals, Monday, June 28, 2021, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
Vanderbilt's Jayson Gonzalez (99) celebrates with teammates after scoring on a single by Carter Young during the seventh inning against Mississippi State in Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals, Monday, June 28, 2021, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

The last time the College World Series took place, Vanderbilt had the last laugh as champions of the college baseball world.

The Commodores now sit just nine innings away from defending their throne.

With co-ace Jack Leiter on the mound, Vandy didn't figure to need much offensive support to gain a leg up in its best-of-three series with Mississippi State. The Commodores batters delivered anyway.

They plated seven runs in the first inning, giving Leiter more than enough cushion to pitch his team to within one win of a second straight national championship. It was essentially a stress-free night in Omaha, Nebraska, from there, as Leiter allowed just three hits and two runs while striking out eight across his six innings in an 8-2 victory.

"Tough first inning. We just couldn't get out of it," Bulldogs skipper Chris Lemonis told reporters. "We gave them too many freebies there in the first. When you give Jack Leiter seven runs in the first—a great pitcher, which he is—he just took it and ran with it."

With the Bulldogs suddenly backed into a win-or-go-home contest and the Commodores close enough to taste championship victory, the stakes could not be higher for Tuesday's tilt.

             

Tuesday's CWS Schedule

What: CWS Finals Game 2

Who: Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State

When: 7 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

                

Breakdown and Prediction

It's never easy to get a great read on a game that was effectively over after the first inning.

To that end, despite the lopsided score, both clubs might have reasons for optimism heading into Game 2.

For Vandy, it's obvious. The Commodores won the game, their offense awakened after some relatively quiet outings between the regionals and Monday night, and they still have co-ace Kumar Rocker in their back pocket after he worked six innings on Friday.

For Mississippi State, it's about everything other than Monday's opening frame.

The Bulldogs were down 7-1 after the game's first six outs were recorded. For the non-math majors in the audience, that means the rest of the contest was a 1-1 draw.

Now, there obviously isn't a prize for tying the final seven-and-a-half innings. But after that disastrous first, Mississippi State's bullpen went five full innings without allowing a hit. From the second inning on, the Bulldogs had four hits, three walks and one hit by pitch, while the Commodores had just two hits (one of them a bunt single) and three walks.

"I'm not a big moral victory guy, but I did tell our kids I was proud of them afterward because after the first inning, we locked in and played great baseball," Lemonis said. "They should feel confident in some ways in the fact when we did go out there and execute pitches and make plays, man, we're right there."

Sometimes, that's just how baseball works.

But maybe Mississippi State simply had trouble with the environment. After all, while the Commodores are angling to win their third national championship since 2014, the Bulldogs are trying to take home their school's first national title—in any team sport.

Mississippi State could convince itself that it took an inning to settle into this stage, but once it got there, it at least equaled the opposition—if not played better ball. It might be right. If the Bulldogs are now comfortable and confident, they might have what it takes to recover from this loss.

However, history likes Vandy. Since the CWS adopted a best-of-three format for its final round in 2003, 11 of the 17 teams that won Game 1 went on to claim the crown.

With momentum behind them, the offense perhaps prepared to keep up the scoring and Rocker sitting there as a literal ace in the hole, the Commodores are the pick to conquer this series.

Prediction: Vanderbilt 7, Mississippi State 4

College World Series 2021: Time and TV Schedule for Vanderbilt vs. Miss. State

Jun 29, 2021
Vanderbilt's Jayson Gonzalez (99) celebrates with teammates after scoring on a single by Carter Young during the seventh inning against Mississippi State in Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals, Monday, June 28, 2021, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
Vanderbilt's Jayson Gonzalez (99) celebrates with teammates after scoring on a single by Carter Young during the seventh inning against Mississippi State in Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals, Monday, June 28, 2021, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

The Vanderbilt Commodores are one win away from their third College World Series title in the last decade. 

Vanderbilt took Game 1 of the best-of-three championship series over the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Monday. 

Tuesday's Game 2 presents an interesting dynamic since neither team is expected to throw their top pitchers. Kumar Rocker and Will Bednar could be saved for Game 3 based off the required rest they both need to be effective on the hill.

Vanderbilt used Jack Leiter to get the Game 1 victory, so it will need to dig deep into its pitching staff to finish off the series in two games. 

         

Tuesday College World Series Info

Game 2: Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Game can be live-streamed on ESPN app and ESPN.com.

        

Preview

Vanderbilt took control of the series by plating seven runs in the first inning on Monday. 

Christian MacLeod did not last a whole frame for Mississippi State, but the team did receive some solid pitching after he departed the diamond. 

The pitching from the second to eighth innings is the only true positive the Bulldogs can take from Game 1. 

Five relievers combined to give up two earned runs on three hits, and they gave their lineup an opportunity to produce a comeback. 

Mississippi State's bats were limited by Leiter's strong six-inning outing and a nice three-inning relief stint from Nick Maldonado. 

Thanks to Leiter and Maldonado, Vanderbilt enters Game 2 with the fresher pitching staff. That could allow head coach Tim Corbin to have a shorter leash with some hurlers if they struggle. 

Vanderbilt can also fall back on Rocker starting in Game 3 if it fails to close out the series on Tuesday.

Rocker won the Most Valuable Player award when the Commodores defeated the Michigan Wolverines in 2019. He may earn that crown again if he is forced into action for Game 3. 

To avoid that possibility, Vanderbilt needs its hitters at the top of the order to continue to be patient and reach base. 

The top four Vandy batters combined for one hit in Game 1, but they drew three walks and scored a trio of runs. 

If those hitters make more contact in Game 2, Vandy could jump on the Bulldogs pitching once again to make the margin of error even slimmer for Monday's losing side. 

Mississippi State needs to follow a similar key to be effective at the dish against whomever Vanderbilt sends to the hill. 

Four of the five hits earned in Game 1 came from the first five batters in the order. Catcher Logan Tanner was responsible for two of those base knocks. 

If Rowdey Jordan and Tanner Allen reach base early on in the contest, catcher Tanner and others could deliver runs and open the game in Mississippi State's favor. 

A fast start may be required for the Bulldogs since they can't allow the Vanderbilt pitchers to get into a rhythm and pitch with confidence, like Leiter did on Monday.

      

Statistics obtained from D1Baseball.com.

College World Series Finals 2021: Leiter, Vanderbilt Rout Mississippi State in Game 1

Jun 29, 2021
Vanderbilt pitcher Jack Leiter throws during the first inning against Mississippi State in Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals, Monday, June 28, 2021, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
Vanderbilt pitcher Jack Leiter throws during the first inning against Mississippi State in Game 1 of the NCAA College World Series baseball finals, Monday, June 28, 2021, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

The Vanderbilt Commodores exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the first inning during Game 1 of the College World Series Finals on Monday night. That was more than enough for starting pitcher Jack Leiter. 

The sophomore was excellent for Vanderbilt, holding Mississippi State to three hits and two runs in six innings in the 8-2 win. And just like that, Vanderbilt is one win away from defending its 2019 championship (the 2020 College World Series was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). 

Leiter also walked just three batters and struck out eight, earning the victory. 

His big performance wasn't a surprise—he's been excellent in Omaha. 

Mississippi State's Christian MacLeod (0.2 innings pitched, two hits, two walks, six runs allowed) took the loss. 

Things started well for the Bulldogs after Kamren James blasted a solo home run. 

But it quickly fell apart. Parker Noland was hit by a pitch with the bases loading, pushing across a run, and CJ Rodriguez followed that with a two-run single. Isaiah Thomas added an RBI double before Jayson Gonzalez's three-run blast gave Vanderbilt the 7-1 advantage. 

It was a lead they wouldn't come close to losing. 

It helped that Vandy flashed a bit of leather, too:

Game 2 will be on Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. 

College World Series 2021: TV Schedule, Pick for Vanderbilt vs. Miss. St. Game 1

Jun 28, 2021
Vanderbilt starting pitcher Jack Leiter throws against North Carolina State in the first inning during a baseball game in the College World Series Monday, June 21, 2021, at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
Vanderbilt starting pitcher Jack Leiter throws against North Carolina State in the first inning during a baseball game in the College World Series Monday, June 21, 2021, at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)

In three days or less, one team will be crowned king of college baseball.

It could be the reigning champions from Vanderbilt, who advanced to the title round when their winner-take-all tilt with NC State on Saturday was ruled a no contest because of COVID-19 protocols for the latter.

Or it could be Mississippi State, who secured their first finals appearance since 2013 with a come-from-behind, walk-off win over Texas.

This All-SEC championship showdown looks drool-worthy on paper and could prove even more electric in practice. Let's dig in.

                  

Monday's CWS Schedule

What: CWS Finals Game 1

Who: Vanderbilt vs. Mississippi State

When: 7 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN2

              

Breakdown and Prediction

While these weren't the highest-ranked teams in the field, they were close.

Both were nationally seeded heading into the tournament, with the Commodores tabbed at No. 3 and the Bulldogs close behind at No. 7. Each team has won 48 games this season; Vanderbilt lost 16 and Mississippi State suffered 17 defeats. The pair locked horns three times during a late April series in Nashville, where the Commodores defended their turf with a 2-1 series win.

For as little separation as the conference foes seem to have, though, the programs come from different places.

While Vanderbilt is eyeing its third national title since 2014, Mississippi State is hoping to earn the school's first—not just in baseball, but in any NCAA team sport.

"It would mean everything to us, to the school, to the city," Bulldogs relief pitcher Landon Sims told reporters. "I think it would mean the world."

Mississippi State is too talented to paint this as a David vs. Goliath battle—among other accomplishments, the Bulldogs have recorded an NCAA record 791 strikeouts—but Vandy might command Goliath-like status for its 1-2 pitching punch that hits with the power of a prime Mike Tyson.

Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker are lined up to be top-10 picks in the upcoming MLB draft, but first, they're positioned to perhaps each take the mound in this best-of-three series. Vandy skipper Tim Corbin hasn't committed to a rotation yet, but Leiter hasn't pitched since his 15-strikeout effort against NC State last Monday, and Corbin said he's "confident" Rocker can perform on short rest after throwing Friday.

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, used their best starter Will Bednar in Saturday's win-or-go-home triumph over Texas. He threw six-plus innings for the second consecutive start against the Longhorns, pushing his CWS strikeout total to 22 in 12.1 innings.

If Mississippi State can grab an early lead and protect it, it can hand that over to one of the country's most reliable relievers in Sims. But finding a way past elite talents like Leiter and Rocker is dreadfully difficult.

Maybe the Bulldogs can become the best by beating the best. If this season was a video game, ending it against Leiter and Rocker would certainly fit the final boss mode.

But those bosses are held to the end for a reason. "Save the best for last" and whatnot.

While no CWS outcome is ever truly shocking, given the nature of this tournament (and of baseball in general), our crystal ball likes Leiter and the Commodores to take care of business Monday.

Prediction: Vanderbilt 6, Mississippi State 2

College World Series 2021: Finals Dates, Start Times, Live Stream, TV Schedule

Jun 28, 2021
Mississippi State pitcher Christian MacLeod (28) throws a pitch against Virginia during a baseball game in the College World Series Tuesday, June 22, 2021, at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/John Peterson)
Mississippi State pitcher Christian MacLeod (28) throws a pitch against Virginia during a baseball game in the College World Series Tuesday, June 22, 2021, at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/John Peterson)

For the third time since 2011, two SEC teams will do battle in the College World Series championship round. 

The Vanderbilt Commodores have been a constant fixture in the best-of-three series in Omaha, Nebraska, since 2014. They are the reigning champion of the event and have the most championship round appearances in that span. 

Mississippi State is in the final round for the first time since 2013, when it lost to the UCLA Bruins. It is searching for its first-ever College World Series title in its 12th Omaha appearance. 

Vanderbilt beat Mississippi State twice during their three-game setback in April. That could be a good sign for the Commodores, but Monday's Game 1 comes with much different circumstances than the opener in that set of games. 

         

College World Series Championship Series Info

Game 1: Monday, June 28 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Game 2: Tuesday, June 29 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Game 3 (if necessary): Wednesday, June 30 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Games can be live-streamed on the ESPN app and ESPN.com.

      

Preview

Monday's opener is unlike any other Game 1 the teams have been involved in all season.

Neither side will have their aces at their disposal. Vanderbilt's Kumar Rocker should be ready for Game 3 on full rest, and Will Bednar could come back for Mississippi State on Wednesday as well after he pitched on Saturday. 

Jack Leiter will toe the rubber for Vanderbilt against Christian MacLeod for the Bulldogs. The rest of the pitching rotations have yet to be determined. 

Leiter suffered his first loss of the regular season against Mississippi State on April 24. That was the only game the Commodores lost in the three-game series. 

Mississippi State got four earned runs and six hits off Leiter over five innings and extended the advantage with three runs in the sixth and seventh innings. 

Even if the Bulldogs get off to a fast start, that does not guarantee they will come away with a national championship. 

Vanderbilt is one of four winners in the last five years to lose Game 1 and then come back to win Games 2 and 3. Part of that has to do with better pitching being available in the latter stages of the championship series. 

For this opener, Vanderbilt has its No. 2 starter available because it did not have to play on Saturday because of the no contest handed out by the NCAA after NC State's COVID-19 issues. 

MacLeod started the opening contest versus Vandy on April 23, and he did not get out of the fourth inning. He has not been the team's ace down the stretch. Bednar has been the star of the rotation. 

MacLeod did not last long in his last appearance. He gave up four earned runs in 1.1 innings of work against the Virginia Cavaliers. 

Ideally, the Bulldogs would love to get five or six innings out of MacLeod before turning the ball over to Landon Sims and the bullpen. 

The runs earned off Leiter and MacLeod in the April series and MacLeod's poor outing in Omaha could lead to more runs scored on Monday than in the rest of the championship series. 

When Vanderbilt captured the 2019 title over the Michigan Wolverines, 11 runs were scored in Game 1. In Vandy's 2014 title victory over Virginia, 17 runs were plated in the opener. 

If that trend holds, we could see the bats dictate the direction of the contest before the powerful pitchers enter the fray later in the series. 

        

Statistics obtained from D1Baseball.com.

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