College World Series

The SEC is guaranteed of a seventh College World Series winner since 2009.

The reigning champion Vanderbilt Commodores will face off with the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the best-of-three championship series that begins Monday in Omaha, Nebraska.

Vanderbilt went 3-1 in its part of the eight-team bracket and progressed to the final after the NC State Wolfpack were taken out of the competition because of COVID-19 protocols.

Mississippi State also produced a 3-1 mark, with two of its wins coming over the Texas Longhorns.

Vanderbilt carries a slight edge into Monday's Game 1 since it had the opportunity to rest its pitching staff with no game Saturday. Mississippi State will not have ace Will Bednar until Game 3 because he pitched in Saturday's win over Texas.

                 

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)

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

            

Preview

Vanderbilt appears to be in a better situation than Mississippi State entering the championship series.

The Commodores carry more experience from winning the 2019 College World Series over three games against the Michigan Wolverines and also had an extra day of rest for its pitching staff.

Tim Corbin's side won the head-to-head battle during SEC play with two wins in a three-game set from April 23-25.

Corbin will likely give the ball to Jack Leiter for Game 1. Kumar Rocker started Friday against NC State, so he could be available for a Game 3 showdown of aces versus Bednar.

Leiter took a loss in Game 2 of the three-game set from April. He allowed four earned runs on six hits over five frames. Bednar outmatched Leiter in that contest.

Christian MacLeod may be Leiter's opponent in the Game 1 pitching matchup. MacLeod started in Tuesday's victory over the Virginia Cavaliers and has not pitched since. He gave up four earned runs on five hits in 1.1 innings versus Virginia, and he lasted 3.2 frames in his regular-season start opposite Rocker on April 23.

The experience held by both sets of hitters against the two pitching staffs could lend itself to more runs over the three-game series. Vanderbilt scored 16 runs in its three CWS victories, while Mississippi State plated 12 runs in its trio of triumphs inside TD Ameritrade Park.

Mississippi State's batters could be more aggressive against Leiter in Game 1 with the motivation of sweeping the series in their minds.

If Mississippi State splits the first two games, it will likely have to face Rocker, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2019 College World Series. The same strategy could apply to Vanderbilt if it wants to avoid Bednar in an elimination game.

Vanderbilt lost the opener in 2019 but rallied back to hold Michigan to three runs over the final 18 innings of that series.

In fact, four of the past five CWS champions lost the first contest in the best-of-three series and went on to win. The 2017 Florida Gators were the only side to complete a sweep in that span.

                  

Statistics obtained from D1Baseball.com.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs are heading to the College World Series Final where they'll face the Vanderbilt Commodores. 

Defensive replacement Tanner Leggett lined a walk-off RBI to left, topping the Texas Longhorns, 4-3, by driving in pinch-runner Brayland Skinner after he stole second earlier in Leggett's at-bat.

Tanner Leggett IS A LEGIT CWS HERO!!#CWS x @HailStateBB pic.twitter.com/DA5YiBoU9V

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 27, 2021

It's Mississippi State's first appearance in the final since 2013. The Bulldogs will face off against SEC rival Vanderbilt, which took two of three games against State in conference play this season.

Vanderbilt advanced to its second straight CWS Final earlier on Saturday after the NCAA declared a winner-take-all matchup with NC State a no-contest due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Wolfpack's program. 

NCAA Statement from Division I Baseball Committee:

The NCAA Division I Baseball Committee has declared the Vanderbilt-NC State Men’s College World Series game scheduled for Saturday, June 26 at 1 p.m. Central time a no-contest because of COVID-19 protocols. #CWS pic.twitter.com/amxdQwkQ6l

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 26, 2021

Now the defending champions will look to lock up their third national title in seven years against a Bulldogs club seeking its first championship in school history in its second-ever CWS Final.

Here's a look at the day's action at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska. 

Scores

Mississippi State def. Texas, 4-3

Recap

Leggett's game-winning single ruined what had been a masterful performance by Texas' Cole Quintanilla in relief of starter Tristan Stevens.

Despite Longhorns' third baseman Cam Williams launching a two-run homer in the second inning and center fielder Mike Antico doubling in a third run in the fifth inning, the Bulldogs continued to get runners on base, tagging Stevens for three runs on nine hits and one walk over five innings. 

Miss. State's Tanner Allen kicked things off with an RBI single in the first inning while Lane Forsythe and Logan Tanner each added RBI doubles to knot things at three. It was Tanner's double in the sixth inning that ended Stevens' day as Quintanilla took over with runners on second and third with no outs. 

Quintanilla's first batter faced drew a walk to load the bases, but Texas' reliever quickly got out of it with a groundball force-out at home followed by two strikeouts. 

KILLER Q. ICE COLE. ❄️

Bases loaded, nobody out and @ColeQuintanilla gets a force and back-to-back Ks to escape the jam!

Filth. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/BMF3E0yFoG

— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) June 27, 2021

Mississippi State's bullpen was equally up to the task as Landon Sims earned the win, tossing 2.2 innings with four strikeouts in relief of Will Bednar, who went 6.1 innings with seven strikeouts, four hits, three earned runs and two walks. 

Despite Quintanilla striking out Brad Cumbest to begin the bottom of the ninth, he couldn't avoid hitting the foot of Kellum Clark on a 1-2 count, putting the winning run on first. That led to Skinner taking over on the basepaths, where he quickly stole second before Leggett caught a slider and dropped it into left field. 

Maroon!
White!
Maroon!
White!
Maroon!
White!
Maroon!
White!#CWS FINALS 🏆 pic.twitter.com/3AoQeHPmRk

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 27, 2021

The Bulldogs poured out of their dugout and rushed to home plate as Skinner rounded third, giving the pinch runner a mob to jump into as he scored the winning run. 

What's Next?

The best-of-three College World Series Finals begins Monday, June 28 at 6 p.m. ET from TD Ameritrade Park live on ESPN2. Game 2 is slated for Tuesday, June 29 with Game 3—if necessary—on Wednesday, June 30. All games begin at 6 p.m. ET and will be shown live on ESPN2. 

The NCAA's Division I Baseball Committee announced Saturday that North Carolina State wouldn't be able to compete against Vanderbilt because of COVID-19 protocols, which eliminates the Wolfpack from the 2021 College World Series.

NCAA Statement from Division I Baseball Committee:

The NCAA Division I Baseball Committee has declared the Vanderbilt-NC State Men’s College World Series game scheduled for Saturday, June 26 at 1 p.m. Central time a no-contest because of COVID-19 protocols. #CWS pic.twitter.com/amxdQwkQ6l

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 26, 2021

ESPN's Elizabeth Merrill reported NC State's roster had just 13 active players for Friday's first game against the Commodores, a 3-1 loss. A rematch was set for Saturday with a berth in the national championship series on the line before the committee's decision.

Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent said after Friday's loss, which saw the team use 12 of its 13 available players, he was frustrated with the lack of communication throughout the process.

"I don't want to discuss anything that happened today because quite frankly I have no understanding of what happened today," Avent told reporters. "I have no idea what's going on. Zero. You know as much as I do. OK? It just hasn't been communicated."

Avent, in his 25th year with the program, also declined to discuss COVID-19 vaccines, including whether players were encouraged to get vaccinated before the tournament.

"If you want to talk baseball, we can talk baseball," Avent said. "If you want to talk politics or stuff like that, you can go talk to my head of sports medicine, Rob Murphy."

NC State was making its third College World Series appearance and its first since 2013.

The Wolfpack advanced to the semifinals with victories over Stanford and Vanderbilt to open the double-elimination tournament. In turn, they were in line to have two chances to register another victory over the Commodores, who beat the Cardinal in the losers' bracket to keep their own title hopes alive.

They actually outhit Vandy in Friday's game, 8-6, but were only able to push one run across the plate. The decision to declare Saturday's rematch a no-contest didn't come until hours after that loss.

Meanwhile, Texas beat Mississippi State on Friday night to force another meeting in the other semifinal matchup.

The Longhorns and Bulldogs will play a win-or-go-home game Saturday night with the winner advancing to take on Vanderbilt in the best-of-three championship series starting Monday.

The Texas Longhorns and Mississippi State Bulldogs will play for a spot in the College World Series championship round on Saturday night. 

Texas won the second battle between the two programs in Omaha, Nebraska, on Friday to force a winner-takes-all showdown at TD Ameritrade Park.

Saturday's winner will go head-to-head with the Vanderbilt Commodores, who advanced to the championship series through a no contest that was declared late on Friday night because of COVID-19 issues within the NC State Wolfpack program. 

         

Saturday College World Series Schedule

No. 2 Texas vs. No. 7 Mississippi State (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

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

       

Preview

The likely pitching matchup for Saturday night will pit Mississippi State's Will Bednar against Tristan Stevens of Texas. 

Bednar fanned 15 Texas batters on Sunday when the two sides met for the first time in their respective openers in Omaha. 

Texas carries the advantage of having seen Bednar once in the tournament. The Bulldogs have not hit against Stevens. 

The Longhorns also have a fresher bullpen than the SEC side, as they only used two hurlers behind Ty Madden in Friday's 8-5 victory. Texas has to beat Mississippi State twice because it came from the losers' bracket. 

Mississippi State called on six relievers after Houston Harding, but it avoided using Landon Sims, who could be vital on Saturday.

The Bulldogs could opt to use Bednar and Sims to fill a majority of the innings. If Bednar goes five or six frames, Sims could cover the rest since he has a fresh arm. 

The fear for Mississippi State is that Texas' hot bats get to Bednar and it will be forced to use Sims early to get out of a jam or call on some tired relievers to get the job done.

Since scoring once on Sunday, Texas produced 22 runs in three elimination games. It finished off the win on Friday night through a three-run home run off the bat of Ivan Melendez. 

Melendez and Zach Zubia, Texas' two best power hitters, both went yard against the Bulldogs on Friday. Mississippi State had a single extra-base hit in the contest. 

If Texas benefits from its previous matchup with Bednar, it could extend the red-hot run at the plate into Saturday and earn a spot in the finals versus Vanderbilt.

Regardless of which team advances, it will be at a disadvantage when the best-of-three championship series starts on Monday. 

Vanderbilt will have Jack Leiter ready to go on full rest in Game 1, and Kumar Rocker could come back on four days rest if it gets to Game 3. It would be hard for Mississippi State and Texas to bring back Bednar or Stevens on short rest for that series. 

Prediction: Texas 5, Mississippi State 3  

The 2021 College World Series entered Friday with four teams still vying for a national championship. 

The day's schedule got off to a delayed start because of COVID-19 issues with North Carolina State.

Per ESPN's Ryan McGee, Wolfpack second baseman J.T. Jarrett and reliever Evan Justice were ruled out for the game against Vanderbilt because of safety protocols. 

ESPN's Kris Budden reported (h/t Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic) that NC State only had 13 players active, including nine position players and four pitchers, on Friday afternoon.

The Wolfpack lost Friday's contest, and the rematch was declared a no-contest because of the COVID-19 protocols, sending Vanderbilt to the championship series.

Texas won the nightcap to force another meeting with Mississippi State on Saturday with the winner moving on to face the Commodores.

---

2021 College World Series Semifinal Results

Vanderbilt def. North Carolina State, 3-1

Texas def. Mississippi State, 8-5

---

Vanderbilt 3, North Carolina State 1

If this ends up being the final start of his college career, Kumar Rocker went out on a high note. The right-hander allowed one run and struck out 11 over six innings to lead Vanderbilt to a 3-1 victory over North Carolina State. 

Rocker struck out 11 in his outing today.

Watch them all. ⬇️#VandyBoys | #CWS pic.twitter.com/csufQvJkyB

— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) June 25, 2021

The @VandyBoys aces 🔥@KumarRocker and @jackleiter22 are the first teammates to lead the country in strikeouts in at least the last 30 years. pic.twitter.com/hlFcLI4Ct0

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) June 25, 2021

With Rocker taking care of business on the mound, the Commodores offense didn't need to do much to get a win. They were held scoreless through three innings before pushing two unearned runs across in the top of the fourth. 

Dominic Keegan led off the fourth by reaching base thanks to an error by NC State shortstop Vojtech Mensik. Three batters later, C.J. Rodriguez drove him in with an RBI single. Rodriguez came around to score on a wild pitch by Garrett Payne. 

Despite playing with a depleted roster, the Wolfpack put forth a valiant effort in the loss. Payne and Dalton Feeney combined to allow six hits and one earned run. 

Carson Falsken scored NC State's lone run of the game on a sacrifice fly by DeAngelo Giles in the bottom of the fifth. 

The Wolfpack did threaten late in the game by putting two runners on base in the eighth and ninth innings. Vanderbilt closer Luke Murphy escaped both frames without allowing any damage. 

---

Texas 8, Mississippi State 5

The Longhorns carried a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning but the Bulldogs, who won a previous meeting 2-1 earlier in the tournament, fought back with three runs to tie the contest, highlighted by a two-run single by Brad Cumbest.

Texas, with its season hanging in the balance, responded in the ninth as Ivan Melendez launched a three-run homer just minutes before a rain delay that lasted more than two hours.

Mississippi State was able to bring the tying run to the plate after play resumed thanks to an error and a walk, but Longhorns closer Aaron Nixon was able to induce weak contact from Logan Tanner and Scotty Dubrule to end the Bulldogs' comeback bid.

See y’all tonight. #HookEm pic.twitter.com/W1pVVJLyor

— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) June 26, 2021

Since both teams now have one loss in the CWS, Saturday's rematch will be a win-or-go-home matchup for both sides. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

The winner advances to face Vanderbilt in a three-game series with the national championship on the line beginning Monday night.

What was an eight-team field in the 2021 College World Series has now been sliced in half.

Only four clubs are still standing in Omaha, Nebraska, and by Saturday night (at the latest), that group will be halved again.

Defending champs Vanderbilt have turned this tournament into a tightrope act, playing three one-run games so far and surviving two of them. Texas, the highest-seeded team in the field, has rallied from its opening loss to win back-to-back games, but it needs two more triumphs without another defeat to make the final.

NC State and Mississippi State are positioned in the driver's seat in their respective sides of the bracket. Neither has lost a game yet, so if they need them, they'll get two cracks at claiming the final victory that pushes them into the championship series.

               

2021 CWS Remaining Schedule

Friday, June 25

NC State vs. Vanderbilt, 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2

Mississippi State vs. Texas, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN

            

Saturday, June 26

TBD vs. TBD, 2 p.m. ET on ESPN (if necessary)

TBD vs. TBD, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 (if necessary)

                 

Monday, June 28

CWS Finals Game 1, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2

              

Tuesday, June 29

CWS Finals Game 2, 2 p.m. ET on ESPN

              

Wednesday, June 30

CWS Finals Game 3, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 (if necessary)

                

Championship Predictions

The margin for error in Omaha is so razor-thin that trying to predict what lies ahead is less about making an educated guess than it is throwing a dart.

I wish that was a joke, but the simple fact Vandy is still around shows just how unpredictable this tournament can be.

On Wednesday, the Commodores entered the ninth inning of their elimination game against Stanford trailing 5-4. Their first two hitters were retired, and the third fell behind in the count 2-1. Then, that at-bat suddenly stretched out to a six-pitch walk, the next was an infield single and the one that followed was a single to right that plated the tying run and put the winning run at third base.

Two pitches into the next at-bat, Stanford's Brendan Beck, the Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year, lost grip of a curveball that sailed to the backstop and allowed the winning run to score on a wild pitch.

"That happens in Omaha sometimes," Stanford coach David Esquer told reporters. "You get in those late innings, and you have a magical ending for one team or the other."

All four teams in this field can relate. Of their combined eight victories, five have been decided by a single run.

But since you came here expecting predictions, let's break out the crystal ball and make a few, shall we?

While some prognosticators always seek out the biggest and boldest calls they can deliver, usually it's best to play the percentages. So, the first prediction is that Mississippi State and NC State will lock horns in the finals.

Why? It's pretty simple. They need one win this weekend to advance; their opponents need two. Plus, they're both playing great baseball, with the Bulldogs striking out everyone (27 through two games) and the Wolfpack showing they can win with offense (10 runs, two homers in their opener) or pitching and defense (two hits allowed, nine strikeouts and zero errors committed in their second victory).

Who gets the edge in a series between them? Great question.

The Bulldogs have great pitching and plenty of thump in their lineup. But this Wolfpack team, which started the year 4-9 overall and 1-8 in the ACC, has great pitching, great offense and gobs of momentum behind it.

NC State seemed left for dead when it opened the super regional with a 21-2 loss to the nation's top-ranked team, Arkansas. But the Wolfpack haven't lost since, finding their way past SEC Pitcher of the Year Kevin Kopps, Beck and potential top-five MLB draft pick Jack Leiter in the process.

"From the start that we had and where we've been ... we're really on top of the world right now," Terrell Tatum, who homered off Leiter, told reporters. "This feeling is unmatched."

Look for NC State to ride this wave all the way to a national championship.

Both games on the Friday slate at the 2021 College World Series are rematches from earlier in the tournament.

The NC State Wolfpack sent the Vanderbilt Commodores to the losers' bracket after both sides won their respective openers. NC State won a 1-0 game against Jack Leiter. On Friday, it gets a chance to spoil an outing for Vanderbilt's other ace, Kumar Rocker.

The Mississippi State Bulldogs whiffed 21 Texas Longhorns on the way to the first of their two victories inside TD Ameritrade Park. Since that loss, Texas has reeled off two wins with 14 runs scored to receive another chance to knock off Mississippi State.

Vanderbilt and Texas need to win Friday to stay alive in Omaha, Nebraska. NC State and Mississippi State can afford to lose once against their respective opponents and need one win each to advance to the best-of-three championship series.

                  

Friday College World Series Info

No. 4 Vanderbilt vs. NC State (2 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

No. 2 Texas vs. No. 7 Mississippi State (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

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

              

Previews

No. 4 Vanderbilt vs. NC State

Vanderbilt has to feel good about its chances to force one more game in Omaha.

Rocker will head to the hill on full rest after he pitched in the opener against the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday.

Leiter gave up a single earned run on four hits and struck out 15 batters in the 1-0 loss to NC State on Monday. He should pass along some tips to his rotation mate on how to slow down a Wolfpack offense that posted 10 runs in their opening win over the Stanford Cardinal.

The ideal pitching matchup would pit Rocker against Reid Johnston, who threw six solid innings Saturday versus Stanford.

NC State has the freshest pitching staff left in the tournament since starters Johnston and Sam Highfill and reliever Evan Justice are the only hurlers to have thrown a pitch in the College World Series. The abundance of rest and need to win just a single game from two matchups with Vanderbilt could push back Johnston to Saturday.

The Wolfpack used the combination of Matt Willadsen and Chris Villaman in the third game of the regional and super regional rounds. If NC State goes with that duo, it has the security of being able to throw Johnston into an elimination game on full rest against Leiter.

The concern with waiting one more game to throw in Johnston is letting Vanderbilt's offense get hot and generate more momentum. The Commodores are coming in off a high after a walk-off victory over Stanford, and they have scored 13 runs in their two victories in Omaha.

NC State may prefer to throw in its top starter Friday to silence Vandy's bats, and if that does not work, Highfill, Willadsen and Villaman would all be available to work Saturday.

No matter which NC State hurlers are on the mound, its offense needs to be better than the one run it got off Leiter on Monday.

The Wolfpack averaged 8.1 runs in their six NCAA baseball tournament wins prior to the 1-0 win over Vanderbilt. If their bats can chip away against Rocker and give their pitchers a lead, the Wolfpack may be able to secure a championship series berth Friday afternoon.

                   

No. 2 Texas vs. No. 7 Mississippi State

The Friday night pitching matchup was not confirmed as of late Thursday night, but there is potential for the two sides to run back the showdown we saw Sunday.

Texas' Ty Madden and Mississippi State's Will Bednar would be pitching on four days rest if the matchup is set up for a second time.

Bednar earned 15 strikeouts in the win, and he was followed by a six-punchout performance from Landon Sims.

Madden struck out 10 Mississippi State hitters, but the two earned runs he gave up were enough for the Bulldogs to move into the winners' bracket.

Texas is coming off a late-night victory over the Virginia Cavaliers on Thursday in a game that was pushed back because of inclement weather. The Longhorns pulled ahead with four runs in the eighth and ninth innings thanks to an Ivan Melendez RBI single and a three-run double off the bat of Zach Zubia.

Zubia and Melendez need to come up with big hits again Friday to give the Longhorns a chance to reach the championship series.

Texas struck out 21 times in the past two games, but it has not allowed a pitcher from Virginia or the Tennessee Volunteers to be as dominant as Bednar.

Even if Bednar does not return Friday, Texas could get another shot at him Saturday through a win Friday. However, getting to that point could be tough for the Longhorns, who have used a ton of energy just to stay alive.

Texas needs to get runs in the first six or seven innings off whomever Mississippi State sends to the mound.

If the Longhorns are stuck chasing late runs, they could have trouble finding them against Sims, who has allowed a single earned run in 4.1 innings in Omaha.

               

Statistics obtained from D1Baseball.com.

The 2021 men's College World Series will be down to four teams after Thursday night.

Texas takes on Virginia at 7 p.m. ET in a matchup that will determine who moves on to face Mississippi State, which already took down both of its potential opponents in a pair of one-run games earlier in the tournament.

NC State and Vanderbilt will have Thursday off after advancing to the other semifinal. The Wildcats and Commodores already played a 1-0 thriller Monday that went to NC State.

Here's a look at what to expect from that rematch, along with a look at Mississippi State.

        

NC State vs. Vanderbilt (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Monday's matchup between these two teams featured the best pitching duel of the event. Top prospect Jack Leiter went the distance, striking out 15 and giving up only four hits, but the team fell short when Sam Highfill and Evan Justice surprisingly shut down the Vanderbilt lineup.

Terrell Tatum's fifth-inning solo shot was the only run of the game and kept NC State in the winner's bracket with a 1-0 triumph.

"I hate using the words 'tip your cap' to anyone, but that kid (Highfill) did a nice job," Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin told reporters after the game. "He really did. He just pitched so well. They both did."

Vanderbilt managed to keep its national championship hopes alive with a 6-5 walk-off victory over Stanford on Wednesday. 

The Commodores will once again be handing the ball to a superstar in the making for Friday's win-or-go-home matchup, with Kumar Rocker set to take the mound. Rocker is a borderline lock to be a top-five selection in the 2021 MLB draft alongside Leiter, and he should give Vanderbilt a leg up in the rematch. The junior hurler has only three losses in the 2021 season.

NC State will hope its powerful offense can provide a spark for Reid Johnston, with the Wildcats ace set to take the mound.

Prediction: Vanderbilt 4, NC State 2

      

Mississippi State in Strong Position for Semifinal

There may be no team in the field feeling better about itself than Mississippi State, which will have a two-day rest heading into the semis. The nation's seventh-ranked team rallied in a six-run eighth to shock Virginia on Tuesday and will be headed to the final four with a ton of momentum.

The Bulldogs have built their roster around flamethrowers, striking out more than 12 batters per nine innings as a team. 

With both Texas and Virginia needing two straight wins, it's hard to envision a scenario where Mississippi State isn't in the finals. 

The Virginia Cavaliers will try to win their second game over a top-three seed to stay alive at the 2021 College World Series on Thursday.

The unseeded ACC side opened its run in Omaha, Nebraska, with a fantastic win over the third-seeded Tennessee Volunteers, who were then dumped out of the competition by the Texas Longhorns in one of the first two elimination contests.

Texas' bats woke up in its first losers' bracket game against Tennessee, plating eight runs after the Mississippi State Bulldogs held it to one in the opener.

The Virginia-Texas winner will advance to the semifinal round to play Mississippi State. That team will need to beat the Bulldogs twice to move on to the championship series.

                    

Thursday College World Series Info

No. 2 Texas vs. Virginia (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

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

               

Preview

Virginia are aiming to set up an all ACC-SEC semifinals with a win over Texas.

The NC State Wolfpack won both of their games in the top half of the bracket, and they will face the Vanderbilt Commodores for a spot in the championship series.

For Virginia to get into the position to advance, it needs another strong start from its pitching. Griff McGarry gave up two earned runs on one hit in 7.1 innings of work Tuesday against Mississippi State, but that was ruined by an awful bullpen performance.

Matt Wyatt has been the only effective Virginia reliever inside TD Ameritrade Park, as he threw three scoreless frames in relief of Andrew Abbott in its first game to take down Tennessee.

The normally reliable Stephen Schoch lasted one-third of an inning in the Mississippi State loss, but if he can be more effective behind Mike Vasil, the Cavaliers should be in a good spot to stay alive.

Texas maintained its position in Omaha through an eight-run performance against Tennessee in which it scored on seven occasions in the first four innings. If the Longhorns get off to another fast start, they should feel secure about remaining in Nebraska for another few days.

The Longhorns bullpen should be fresh outside of Tanner Witt, who was marvelous in 5.2 innings of relief behind Tristan Stevens on Tuesday. Pete Hansen is the only other Longhorns reliever to throw in Omaha. He worked two scoreless frames against Mississippi State.

Hansen could go back on the mound to start Thursday's contest. He was Texas' Game 3 starter in the regional round. The Longhorns did not need a third starter in the super regional portion of the NCAA baseball tournament. Hansen conceded a single earned run over 6.2 innings against the Fairfield Stags on June 6.

Whomever Texas throws in will oppose a fresh Vasil, who worked three innings in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. Vasil's only start in the regional round lasted two innings, as he allowed five earned runs to the Jacksonville Dolphins.

How Vasil starts could decide which way the contest goes. If he begins well, Virginia could look to bridge the gap to Schoch, who came in for multi-inning outings in other NCAA tournament games. However, if Texas follows Jacksonville's lead and gets to Vasil, the Longhorns could be in a good position to set up a rematch with Mississippi State.

               

Statistics obtained from D1Baseball.com.

The Vanderbilt Commodores came as close to seeing their season end as possible and somehow survived, walking off the Stanford Cardinal, 6-5, in an elimination game at the men's College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

Despite committing three errors and subsequently giving up three unearned runs in the first four innings, Vandy strung together four runs over the last four innings to earn a trip to the Bracket 1 finals. Here's how all the madness played out from one of the wilder days of action in Omaha this postseason.

Still Playing
Still Reigning
The @VandyBoys Walk it off to play again in Omaha#CWS pic.twitter.com/mFyNT2sePP

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 24, 2021

     

Scores

Vanderbilt def. Stanford, 6-5

     

WELCOME TO WALK-OFF SEASON!#CWS x @VandyBoys pic.twitter.com/Zarvz4e4mT

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 24, 2021

Recap

Before the Commodores could knock off the Cardinal, Vanderbilt had to figure out how to stop beating itself. The first few frames Wednesday showed that would be rather difficult. With 17-year-old freshman Christian Little on the mound, the Cardinal forced their first of three errors, putting two men on base before an easy double-play ball sailed into left field.

Stanford found itself up 1-0 with one out. The gaffes kept coming as Vandy's first baserunner of the day was picked off first base in the bottom of the first inning. The top of the second inning saw a misplayed ball drop into right field for a double. Little was yanked after three innings (four hits, one earned run, three strikeouts) only for his replacement, Nick Maldonado, to issue a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded.

got heeeeem 😏 pic.twitter.com/TTJZZokVSC

— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) June 23, 2021

Two Stanford batters later, Brock Jones hit a dribbler back to Maldonado, who rushed a throw to first that pulled teammate Dominic Keegan off the bag as another run crossed the plate.

BUH BYE BASEBALL.
💪 @BR0CKJONES
📺 » @espn#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/x5WVTosWpX

— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) June 23, 2021

Down 4-0 with the season on the line, Vanderbilt coach Tim Corbin rallied his team with an apparent expletive-laden speech in the dugout that seemed to get his players' attention. Asked on the ESPN broadcast if he could share what was said, Corbin declined, noting it wasn't fit for TV.

"It's tentative and not aggressive," Corbin said of his team's play. "Not playing to win."

Vanderbilt responded to the peptalk immediately with Keegan launching a two-run homer to left field to cut the Stanford lead in half. The Cardinal would get a run back in the sixth inning on a Jones double, but the Commodores were ready to respond. Another two-run rally in the sixth inning cut Stanford's lead down to 5-4, and it appeared the SEC powerhouse was ready to pounce in the seventh inning when Stanford coach David Esquer decided to bring in his ace, Brenden Beck, with one on and no out.

Here come the @VandyBoys! #CWS x 🎥 ESPN pic.twitter.com/aoxV03px5E

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 24, 2021

Beck entered on three days' rest after tossing 109 pitches in a 10-4 CWS' opening loss to NC State, but none of that wear was noticeable as he proceeded to strike out the side, stranding the tying run on third.

Beck remained in for the rest of the game in a move that may haunt the Cardinal.

After inducing a ground out and fly out to start the bottom of the ninth inning, Beck's control began to waver. After working a 1-2 count on Javier Vaz, Beck threw three straight balls to issue a walk. Three pitches later he gave up an infield single to Spencer Jones that saw Vaz reach third on a throwing error.

Enrique Bradfield Jr. strolled up to the plate with two outs and promptly tied the game on the first pitch he saw with a single to right field that advanced Jones to third.

https://twitter.com/VandyBoys/status/1407890115486158848

Beck remained on the mound, looking to pitch his team to the Bracket 1 finals only to miss low with ball one to Carter Young before his second sailed over his catcher's head. The ball reached the backstop as Jones jogged across home for a wild win.

The Dores do it again!#CWS x @VandyBoys pic.twitter.com/QYKq5tgwkQ

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 24, 2021

     

What's Next?

Vanderbilt will face NC State in the Bracket 1 final Friday at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN 2. The Wolfpack need to win one game before the Commodores win two in order to advance to the CWS Finals. In Bracket 2, Mississippi State awaits the winner of Virginia-Texas for its final, also Friday at 6 p.m. ET.