College World Series

The eight-team field that advanced to the College World Series has already been trimmed to six. Better luck next time, Arizona and Tennessee.

By Wednesday night, either Vanderbilt or Stanford will be sent packing, too.

This is the win-or-go-fishing portion of the double-elimination tournament, and Thursday's one-game slate again offers no margin for error. Texas and Virginia will tussle, with the winner advancing to face the strikeout kings from Mississippi State and the loser heading into a summer of what-if questions.

What will happen when the Longhorns and Cavaliers square off? Let's break out the old, reliable crystal ball to find out.

                 

Thursday's CWS Schedule

Who: Virginia vs. Texas

When: 7 p.m. ET

Where: TD Ameritrade Park Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska

TV: ESPN2

Live Stream: WatchESPN

               

Virginia vs. Texas Preview

Both the Cavaliers and Longhorns have learned how narrow the gap between triumph and defeat can be in Omaha.

Either one could be sitting in their bracket's driver's seat with a 2-0 record, but each felt the sting of a one-run loss to Mississippi State.

Texas was burned first despite getting a 10-strikeout, two-run outing out of MLB draft prospect Ty Madden. Normally, that would be enough to win, but the Longhorns were baffled in almost every at-bat of their 2-1 loss to the Bulldogs, managing just four hits and a walk against a staggering 21 strikeouts.

"I know how emotional the game was, and they're frustrated and feel like they let their teammates down," Texas skipper David Pierce told reporters. "My message: We'll continue to go to battle with guys that are preparing right, and we have to get better tomorrow."

Texas made good on that challenge and ousted Tennessee with an 8-4 win Tuesday night. The Longhorns still had more strikeouts (nine) than hits (eight), but they usually delivered in big spots, none bigger than a three-run shot from outfielder Eric Kennedy in the second inning.

Virginia took the opposite route to this point.

The Cavaliers started with a triumph over the Volunteers, opening their CWS run with a 6-0 shutout. Andrew Abbott threw six blanks with 10 strikeouts, and Matt Wyatt punched out three more across his three innings in relief.

Virginia seemed en route to another lights-out pitching performance when it took a 4-0 lead into the eighth inning against Mississippi State on Tuesday. But the floodgates suddenly burst open in the frame, and six hits, two homers and six runs later, the Bulldogs had a 6-4 advantage they'd protect in a come-from-behind 6-5 win.

Texas is the higher-ranked team in this matchup, but Virginia has played the better tournament—outside of that unfortunate half-inning, at least. This should be a fun one.

                 

Bracket Predictions

On paper, Texas is the better team, but this tournament isn't played on paper. If it was, No. 1-ranked Arkansas would be chasing the crown in Omaha right now instead of sitting at home and wondering where it all went wrong in the super regional.

There's something special with this Cavaliers club. They had an 11-14 record through 25 games and opened ACC play with a 4-12 mark. Six of their eight games in the regional and super regional were elimination contests, and they survived every one.

It's always possible this team turns back into a pumpkin, but our prediction machine wagers that it won't. As they've done so often in recent weeks, the Cavaliers survive and advance with a narrow victory over the Longhorns.

That would give Virginia the chance to right its eighth-inning wrongs against Mississippi State. That could happen.

There's just one problem: The Cavaliers need to topple the Bulldogs twice to bounce them out of Omaha. That's harder to predict.

Mississippi State can score and keep runs off the board—usually by way of the punchout. Virginia can set up the rematch, but Mississippi State won't lose back-to-back games.

For the second day in a row at the 2021 College World Series, two seeded teams will face off in an elimination game at TD Ameritrade Park. 

The Vanderbilt Commodores, the No. 4 seed and reigning champion, take on the ninth-seeded Stanford Cardinal, who already staved off elimination once in Omaha, Nebraska. 

Stanford comes into Wednesday's game with an offensive edge since it produced 14 runs off the Arizona Wildcats on Monday, and it has the luxury of not facing Kumar Rocker or Jack Leiter, who threw in Vanderbilt's opening two games. 

The winner of the elimination matchup will face the NC State Wolfpack on Friday in one of two semifinal showdowns. 

         

Wednesday College World Series Info

No. 4 Vanderbilt vs. No. 9 Stanford (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

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

        

Preview

Vanderbilt does not have Rocker or Leiter at its disposal, but it should have the rest of the pitching staff available. 

The Commodores can turn to Patrick Reilly, Christian Little, or use their bullpen to get past Stanford. Reilly started the third game of the Nashville Super Regional, and Little was the third starter used at the SEC tournament. 

Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin did not commit to a third starter after his team's loss to NC State on Monday, per Adam Sparks of The Tennessean. 

"No one is the obvious choice right now," he said. "And I'm not looking ahead right now. We've got a day to do that."

Vanderbilt used three relievers behind Rocker in the opener, and all of them should be fresh for Wednesday since Leiter was the only hurler utilized on Monday. 

Stanford should have an abundance of fresh arms as well. Jacob Palisch was the lone pitcher used after Alex Williams in the win over Arizona. 

The Cardinal had less pressure on their pitching staff since they posted 10 runs in the first three frames versus their Pac-12 rival. 

When Stanford played in its third regional game, it employed a bullpen strategy starting with Drew Dowd. The Pac-12 side used eight hurlers to get past the UC Irvine Anteaters. 

With the pitching matchup even on paper, Stanford might gain the advantage at the plate. It has 18 runs in Omaha compared to seven from Vanderbilt. 

It used a fast start in the first three innings to get past Arizona. The top five hitters in its order all had multi-hit games, with Brock Jones leading the club with five RBI. 

Jones has a knack for coming up big in clutch situations. He had three home runs to eliminate the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the final game of the Lubbock Super Regional. 

Vanderbilt's offense may not keep up with Stanford's red-hot pace. The Commodores plated 13 runs in their last four NCAA tournament games, while the Cardinal scored 14 alone on Monday. 

If Vanderbilt does enjoy an abundance of runs, Dominic Keegan and Troy LaNeve should be responsible for kick-starting the rallies. They had two hits each against Arizona on Saturday.

In both of Vanderbilt's double-digit run outings in the regional round, Keegan and LaNeve recorded multiple hits each.

If Vandy's bats remain fairly quiet, that could be its downfall in its bid to repeat in Omaha.

         

Statistics obtained from D1Baseball.com.

The College Baseball World Series rolled on in Omaha on Tuesday, with two games on the docket in Bracket 2. 

Below, we'll review the scores and key moments from the day's action. For the updated bracket, be sure to check out NCAA.com.

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Scores

Texas def. Tennessee, 8-4

Mississippi State def. Virginia, 6-5

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Recap

The Longhorns aren't heading home yet.

Texas survived its first game in the elimination bracket, defeating Tennessee 8-4 on Tuesday. 

Eric Kennedy had a big game for the Longhorns, blasting a three-run homer in the bottom of the second that set the tone for Texas. 

3-RUN 💣@TexasBaseball takes the lead, 3-2.#CWS x 🎥 ESPNU pic.twitter.com/B9gXPtJJ5J

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 22, 2021

Cam Williams and Silas Ardoin added two RBI apiece. 

While starter Tristan Witts had a tough go of it (four earned runs on six hits in just 3.1 innings), Tanner Witt came on in relief and shut the door on Tennessee, throwing 5.2 innings of scoreless ball while giving up just three hits, earning the win. 

The Longhorns also flashed some serious leather in the victory:

That’s a 5-2-3 and a beaut!@TSteve35 escapes a bases loaded, nobody out jam thanks to his defense!

Horns lead, 3-2! #HookEm pic.twitter.com/Oxu9KlN3OW

— Texas Baseball (@TexasBaseball) June 22, 2021

𝒮𝒾𝓁𝓀𝓎 𝒮𝓂𝑜𝑜𝓉𝒽

📺 ESPNU#CWS x 🎥 @TexasBaseball pic.twitter.com/XXanagxX1j

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 22, 2021

Tennessee starter Blade Tidwell struggled (four runs, three earned, two hits and two walks in three innings), while Sean Hunley (three earned runs in 0.2 innings) took the loss. 

Tennessee's season is over. Texas awaits Virginia. 

That's because Mississippi State pulled off a massive comeback against the Cavaliers in Tuesday's second game, scoring eight runs in the top of the eighth inning to win, 6-5. 

After trailing 4-0, Kellum Clark hit a two-run homer, Tanner Allen followed it up with a three-run shot and Scotty Dubrulle added an RBI single. 

Mississippi State starter Christian MacLeod had a tough outing, giving up four runs in 1.1 innings of work, but the bullpen came to the rescue, allowing just seven hits and one run the rest of the way. Cade Smith took the win. 

Virginia's Griff McGarry was cruising until Clark's two-run dinger. In 7.1 innings he gave up just one hit and two runs, striking out eight. But while Mississippi State's bullpen thrived, Virginia's reinforcements couldn't secure the win, with Stephen Schoch taking the loss after giving up two runs in 0.1 innings of work. 

And so Virginia will face Texas on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2), with the loser's season coming to an end. 

The action never stops in Omaha.

The College World Series is back with a bang in Nebraska after losing last year's event to the COVID-19 pandemic. Arizona and its high-powered offense has already been bounced from the tournament. One of Texas and Tennessee will be sent packing on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, NC State continues giving off serious "team of destiny" vibes. The Wolfpack, who opened the season 4-9 overall and 1-8 in the ACC, have toppled some of college baseball's best their last few times out. Their three most recent wins—one to escape their super regional, two in Omaha—came against SEC Pitcher of the Year Kevin Kopps of Arkansas, Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year Brendan Beck of Stanford and potential top-five MLB draft pick Jack Leiter of Vanderbilt.

"I'm really at a loss for words, honestly," Terrell Tatum, who hit a fifth-inning home run off Leiter in Monday's 1-0 win, told reporters. "From the start that we had and where we've been, I would say, like, this is—we're really on top of the world right now."

With an elimination game on the docket Wednesday, this thrill ride should continue.

               

Wednesday's CWS Schedule

Who: No. 9 Stanford vs. No. 4 Vanderbilt

When: 7 p.m. ET

Where: TD Ameritrade Park Omaha in Omaha, Neb.

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: WatchESPN

                

Stanford vs. Vanderbilt Preview

It's win-or-go-home time for the Cardinal and Commodores, who were both pushed to the brink of elimination by NC State.

Stanford at least could see its fate early. The Cardinal trailed 2-0 after the first inning and 6-0 midway through the fourth of their 10-4 loss on Saturday.

Vandy, on the other hand, probably spent the duration of Monday's 1-0 defeat on pins and needles. Putting any kind of crooked number on the scoreboard would've been enough, but ultimately they couldn't capitalize on a 15-strikeout gem by Leiter.

The Commodores have already played their aces in Leiter and Kumar Rocker, so the most special aspect of this team won't matter on Wednesday. What might is that, Monday's showing aside, this offense packs a punch up and down the lineup. Vanderbilt sits 33rd nationally with a .294 batting average, 48th with a .385 on-base percentage and 11th with a .496 slugging percentage.

Speaking of lineup punch, Stanford has flashed its power throughout its first two contests.

While the Cardinal dropped their opener, they still had eight hits, four runs and three homers in the outing. That was nothing compared to what they did to the Wildcats, as they pounded out 20 hits, 14 runs and two more round-trippers. That included the 17th home run of the season for sophomore outfielder Brock Jones, who has four in his last three games.

Stanford won't go down without a fight and has enough offense to hit its way to victory. But Vanderbilt, the CWS champs in 2014 and 2019, has a history of rising to the occasion in Omaha.

            

Bracket Predictions

Wednesday's game has instant-classic potential, but our crystal ball likes Vanderbilt to advance.

That would set up a Friday rematch with NC State, who will be well rested and fueled by the knowledge that one more victory would propel it to the CWS final.

But if Vandy gets to the first game, it could set up the Rocker-Leiter duo for two must-win tilts. It's a tricky situation to be in, but if you have to be there, you want pitchers of this ilk.

That may well not be enough to topple NC State. No one is flying higher than the Wolfpack, who just keep finding ways to beat great teams with great pitchers.

Objectively, they should be the pick to escape this side of the bracket just because the two other teams already have a loss in this double-elimination tournament.

Subjectively, though, it's hard not to remember what Rocker and Leiter have done so far and what they could do over the weekend. If Vandy gets there, we'll boldly predict this club goes beyond there, too.

Monday was a huge day for the top bracket at the NCAA tournament, with an elimination game and a matchup between teams trying to avoid dropping down into elimination territory.

Below, we'll preview the day's results and bracket implications. For the up-to-date bracket, be sure to check out NCAA.com.

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Results

Stanford def. Arizona, 14-5

NC State def. Vanderbilt, 1-0

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Recap

Stanford def. Arizona, 14-5

Stanford is still alive. Arizona's season is over.

An offensive explosion helped the Cardinal continue on in the elimination bracket, battering Arizona 14-5. Brock Jones led the onslaught with a home run, three hits, five RBI and two runs, while Tommy Troy homered and had two RBI.

In #CWS Game 5 the @StanfordBSB offense showed up in a BIG WAY! pic.twitter.com/ScBstGFxRG

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 21, 2021

Alex Williams earned the win, going 5.1 innings and giving up four hits and four runs, while Arizona's Garrett Irving (2.1 innings, seven hits, five runs) took the loss.

Things were even until the top of the third, when Stanford exploded for seven runs, including Troy's homer.

They all but ended the proceedings one inning later, putting across another three runs, while a four-run top of the seven was just piling on.

Stanford will now face Vanderbilt after the Commodores fell 1-0 to NC State in one of the best pitchers duels of the postseason.

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NC State 1, Vanderbilt 0

Wolfpack designated hitter Terrell Tatum accounted for the only run of the game, breaking up Jack Leiter's perfect game in the fifth inning with a towering home run to right field. Leiter, the son of former MLB star Al Leiter and a potential No. 1 overall draft pick next month, was seemingly untouchable until Tatum’s blast.

Wolfpack POWER!

Terrell Tatum totally tattooed that baseball!#CWS x 🎥 ESPN pic.twitter.com/2ez0w1sVrn

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 22, 2021

Before then, Leiter had struck out nine—striking out the side twice—while tossing a first-pitch strike to 11 of the first 12 batters he faced. The 21-year-old was the only pitcher Vanderbilt used all game, going eight innings with a school CWS record 15 strikeouts on 123 pitches.

Strikeout No. 1️⃣5️⃣ for @jackleiter22. ⛽️ #VandyBoys | #CWS pic.twitter.com/NINdg2cKlW

— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) June 22, 2021

Leiter kept the Commodores alive all game, picking up two of his biggest strikeouts with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh.

Yet Vanderbilt’s offense couldn't return the favor. The Commodores recorded just two hits on three walks and didn't put a runner in scoring position until the top of the eighth inning when Enrique Bradfield Jr. struck out looking with the tying run on third.

NC State would finish the game having struck out nine.

The Wolfpack advance to the Bracket 1 finals where they'll face the winner of Stanford-Vanderbilt for a trip to the CWS finals.

The top two seeded teams that qualified for the men's College World Series will be fighting to stay alive in Omaha, Nebraska, on Tuesday afternoon.

The second-seeded Texas Longhorns and No. 3 seed Tennessee Volunteers are aligned in the losers' bracket in the bottom section of four teams playing at TD Ameritrade Park.

Both teams were beaten by terrific pitching performances in their respective openers in Omaha.

On the other end of the bracket, the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Virginia Cavaliers square off for a spot in the semifinal round.

It will be hard for the pitchers on either staff to replicate the masterful outings put together by Will Bednar and Andrew Abbott.

With the aces off the mound, we could see more runs in Tuesday's nightcap with elimination not facing either ballclub.

        

College World Series Tuesday Schedule

No. 2 Texas vs. No. 3 Tennessee (2 p.m. ET, ESPNU)

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

        

Bracket Picks

No. 2 Texas 3, No. 3 Tennessee 2

Texas and Tennessee could play in another low-scoring affair Tuesday.

The Longhorns will send Tristan Stevens to the mound. Stevens opened the NCAA baseball tournament with six strikeouts and four hits allowed over seven innings. He gave up four earned runs over 5.2 innings in his super-regional start.

Stevens' concession against the South Florida Bulls in the super regional did not cost the Longhorns since they chased their opponent's starter in the second inning.

Blade Tidwell was in a similar position in his super-regional start for Tennessee, as his offense plastered the LSU Tigers pitching for 15 runs.

Tidwell did not allow an earned run in 5.2 innings of work against the Liberty Flames in the regional round. Liberty scored three unearned runs during his time on the mound.

Stevens and Tidwell may not be at the level of Bednar and Abbott, but they are certainly capable of limiting the production of both lineups.

Texas carries a slightly fresher bullpen into Tuesday since it used one reliever behind Ty Madden on Sunday, while the Vols called on three hurlers to back up Chad Dallas.

Tennessee's bullpen allowed two earned runs Sunday. One or two concessions from the relievers could be the difference-maker in a tight game.

Texas' bats carried more pop in the five games prior to the College World Series. It should have enough power to get past Tennessee.

The Longhorns eclipsed the 10-run mark in four of their first five postseason games. Tennessee was held below five runs twice.

The Texas offense was the better one in the first two rounds, and that could prove to make the difference in the Longhorns' attempt to stay alive in Omaha.

            

No. 7 Mississippi State 6, Virginia 3

Tuesday's nightcap could be a race to the seventh inning.

Mississippi State's Landon Sims and Virginia's Stephen Schoch are capable of coming in around the seventh inning to close out games.

The Bulldogs have done a solid job of grabbing the advantage after two-thirds of a game. They scored both runs against Texas in the fourth inning Tuesday and produced all 11 of their runs in the Starkville super-regional finale against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first six frames.

Mississippi State can get off to a fast start behind its top four hitters. They produced four of the team's five hits in Sunday's win over Texas.

Virginia's top three batters combined for six hits against Tennessee, but the Cavaliers waited until the seventh inning to gain separation from the Vols.

Look for Rowdey Jordan, Tanner Allen and Kamren James to jump on Virginia's pitching early to create an edge for whoever toes the rubber for the Bulldogs.

If Mississippi State gains the lead and bridges the gap to Sims, it could become the commanding presence in the bottom half of the bracket and move one win away from the championship series.

      

Statistics obtained from D1Baseball.com.

The first team to be eliminated from the College World Series will come from the Pac-12.

The Arizona Wildcats and Stanford Cardinal kick off Monday's two-game slate in Omaha, Nebraska, with a matchup in the losers' bracket.

Arizona fell to the Vanderbilt Commodores in Saturday's first-round action, while Stanford came up short against the NC State Wolfpack.

NC State and Vanderbilt square off in Monday's nightcap. All of the focus in that game will be on Jack Leiter, who could be a top-10 pick in the 2021 MLB draft.

              

College World Series Monday Schedule

No. 5 Arizona vs. No. 9 Stanford (2 p.m. ET, ESPNU)

No. 4 Vanderbilt vs. NC State (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

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

             

Previews

No. 5 Arizona vs. No. 9 Stanford

Arizona and Stanford are scheduled to meet for the fourth time this season Monday.

Stanford won the three-game series between the two sides in the regular season, but Arizona plated more runs.

The Wildcats took the second game of that set by a 20-2 scoreline. They scored six runs in the two losses to the Cardinal.

Garrett Irvin started in that Wildcats victory, and he could be headed to the hill on Monday in Omaha. Irvin conceded two earned runs on five hits over seven innings on May 8 in Palo Alto, California.

Irvin needs to be much better on the bump than his last outing, when he let up seven earned runs in 1.1  innings in the Tucson super regional to the Ole Miss Rebels.

The good news for Irvin is he should receive more run support since the Wildcats do not have to face the Vanderbilt pitching staff for the second straight game.

After getting three runs off Kumar Rocker on Saturday, Arizona proceeded to score three more times over 11 innings.

Stanford was not efficient at the plate either in its loss to NC State, as it scored three runs in the seventh and one in the other eight frames.

The Cardinal entered Omaha with some of the hottest bats in the country, but if they can't beat Irvin for the second time this season, they could be headed home.

              

No. 4 Vanderbilt vs. NC State

Vanderbilt and NC State have some cushion to work with.

With one win already in the bag, the Commodores and Wolfpack do not have to worry about being eliminated Monday.

That could lead to both sides being a bit looser with a spot in the semifinals on the line.

Vanderbilt will have the edge on the mound with Leiter, who leads Division I in strikeouts. His teammate Kumar Rocker is second.

Leiter needs to avoid a slow start on the mound, Rocker was tagged for three runs in the first inning against Arizona before he settled down.

The top three batters in NC State's order combined to go 7-for-14 against Stanford with five runs and six RBI.

If Leiter wins the battles with Austin Murr, Tyler McDonough and Jonny Butler, he should propel Vanderbilt into the semifinals without a loss.

If NC State's bats are silenced, it would be forced to play the Arizona-Stanford loser in an elimination game. The winner of that contest would face the Vanderbilt-NC State victor for a spot in the championship series.

Vanderbilt has the edge in experience over the other sides in its bracket, and that showed in the extra-innings win over Arizona.

If Leiter turns in a strong start, the Commodores may need just one or two relievers to finish off NC State instead of maxing out the bullpen, like they did Saturday.

Vanderbilt is used to winning low-scoring games. Three of its NCAA tournament victories came in games with seven runs or fewer. That should help the Commodores finish off the game once Leiter leaves.

                  

Statistics obtained from D1Baseball.com.

The second bracket of the 2021 College World Series opened play Sunday.

After NC State and Vanderbilt made progress toward the championship by defeating Stanford and Arizona, respectfully, the other four teams hit the field in Omaha, Nebraska, to determine who could end up on the other side of the title games next weekend.

Here's a look at what went down when Tennessee, Virginia, Texas and Mississippi State got going at TD Ameritrade Park: 

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2021 College World Series Sunday Scores

Virginia 6, Tennessee 0 

Mississippi State 2, Texas 1

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Virginia 6, Tennessee 0 

The Virginia Cavaliers likely came into their game with a chip on their shoulder, as they lost in the opening games of their regional and super regional series. To even get to the College World Series for the first time since 2015, they had to look to freshman Kyle Teel to belt a two-out grand slam in a winner-take-all game against Dallas Baptist at the Columbia super regional.

Tennessee eased past LSU in the Knoxville super regional after defeating Wright State and ending LIberty's run in a pair of wins in the Knoxville regional. 

A Logan Michaels leadoff homer in the top of the third started the scoring for the Cavaliers, but they couldn't keep it going despite the presence of Zack Gelof on the basepath after he doubled. 

What a time for your first HR of the season!!!

Logan Michaels puts UVA up 1-0! #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/1GyZ8iilwS

— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) June 20, 2021

Logan Michaels' dad, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer three years ago, got to watch his son hit his first home run of the season on #FathersDay 🧡@UVABaseball | #CWS pic.twitter.com/YgcgJavC7M

— ACC Network (@accnetwork) June 20, 2021

https://twitter.com/NCAACWS/status/1406712510930210820

But it was clearly a pitchers' duel for most of the outing. 

Virginia looked to All-American Andrew Abbott on the hill to get things going. He entered with a 3.04 ERA and an 8-6 record, though he's struggled more recently.

He threw 28.1 scoreless innings at the end of the regular season, but his postseason starts haven't been nearly as pretty. He gave up four earned runs and eight hits in a super regional loss to Dallas Baptist—his last start—after allowing four runs and four hits in a regional loss to South Carolina. 

He found his groove Sunday, striking out the side in the fourth inning. 

Abbott showing the poise of a fourth-year guy who’s been in his share of tight spots before. it helps that he has the stuff to get himself out of trouble. The development of that changeup has been very useful for him against righties, threw a couple good ones to Russell. https://t.co/zyMOvpyDQ8

— Aaron Fitt (@aaronfitt) June 20, 2021

Chad "Cheese" Dallas was more successful than Abbott was heading into this matchup, having fanned 12 while giving up two runs and five hits against LSU on June 12. And despite the blip on the radar that was Michaels' first home run of the year, he kept pace with Abbott, matching the effort to send the side down on strikes in the top of the fifth. 

At that point, he had just five total balls. 

https://twitter.com/Madison4Blevins/status/1406692026146504706

But Virginia finally got through to him in the top of the seventh, when Michaels tacked on an RBI single, then scored a run of his own on a Chris Newell single to make it 3-0.

2-0 HOOS!!!

Have. A. Day. Logan Michaels!

📺: https://t.co/QQikP7SZ7q#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/W7D48nAqHn

— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) June 20, 2021

Dallas was yanked for Sean Hunley, finishing the day with eight hits, four earned runs and four strikeouts through 6.1 innings. 

Hunley gave up three hits and another run in his first 0.2 innings, facing four batters. 

With a comfortable lead, the Cavaliers elected to pull Abbott after six innings. He finished the day with 10 strikeouts and two walks, giving up five hits. 

Of course, it was Michaels who scored the final run of the day in the bottom of the ninth to seal the deal for the Cavaliers. 

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Mississippi State 2, Texas 1

The second game was a rematch from the first game of the season, when Mississippi State defeated Texas 8-3 on Feb. 20—led by Will Bednar on the hill.

Both teams had a fairly similar run to this point after that, with the Bulldogs entering the matchup at 45-16 and Texas coming in at 47-15. 

The Longhorns, who have the most CWS appearances in history at 37, rode a perfect 5-0 streak through the NCAA tournament to reach this game, while Mississippi State took the longer road, needing three games to best Notre Dame and earn the trip to Omaha. 

On Sunday, the first two innings were quiet affairs, with Mississippi State's Scotty Dubrule the only base runner as he reached on a throwing error by Texas shortstop Trey Faltine. But there was no two-out rally to be had as a flyout nailed the next batter. 

Again, Bednar was dealing for MSU, striking out five of the six batters he faced through his first two innings on the hill to keep things moving. 

1-2-3 first for @bednar_will 😴

cc: @PitchingNinja pic.twitter.com/0jCwSMUbuQ

— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) June 20, 2021

What a night for Will Bednar 👏

He received a standing ovation after striking out 15 batters in six innings during the #CWS pic.twitter.com/rpAt4vviAJ

— ESPN (@espn) June 21, 2021

The Bulldogs struck first on a two-out single by Rowdey Jordan in the top of the third, but Texas managed to get the out and end the inning, putting Bednar back on the hill for more.

In the bottom of the third, he fanned the first two batters before the Longhorns got their first baserunner, when Bednar hit left fielder Eric Kennedy. But it was no matter for Bednar, who struck out his next batter to bring his total to eight after three innings. 

It was after that when the scoring started. A sacrifice fly from Scotty Dubrule scored a run from Kamren James, who reached on a walk, and a two-out triple from Brad Cumbest scored Luke Hancock to make it a two-run lead.

Brad Breakthrough 🙌 pic.twitter.com/4Ef7eY6tRg

— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) June 21, 2021

That was all Mississippi State needed with its pitching.

Mississippi State makes history in Omaha 💥 @SECNetwork pic.twitter.com/UV2nRAtbUA

— ESPN (@espn) June 21, 2021

Bednar was brilliant with 15 strikeouts and one hit allowed during six shutout innings. It took an impressive outing to outdo counterpart Ty Madden, who allowed just the two runs while striking out 10 in seven innings of work.

Texas finally scored off relief pitcher Landon Sims when Mike Antico launched a solo home run in the ninth inning to cut the deficit in half. The rally continued with two singles with two outs, but Sims retired Douglas Hodo III with runners on the corner to preserve the win in dramatic fashion.

The first day of the 2021 College World Series set the benchmark for the rest of the tournament.

The Tennessee Volunteers, Virginia Cavaliers, Texas Longhorns and Mississippi State Bulldogs have to live up to the standard created by the NC State Wolfpack and Vanderbilt Commodores in their respective wins.

NC State blasted the Stanford Cardinal pitching staff for 10 runs, while Vanderbilt advanced into the winners' bracket through a walk-off win in extra innings against the Arizona Wildcats.

Sunday's opener between Tennessee and Virginia could be all about pitching, as Andrew Abbott toes the rubber for the Cavaliers. Abbott drew a tough opening assignment at TD Ameritrade Park, but he has been up to the task in most of his starts this season.

The nightcap between Texas and Mississippi State could produce the most offensive fireworks of the first set of games. The teams produced 10 or more runs on six occasions in the opening two rounds of the NCAA baseball tournament.

                         

Sunday College World Series Schedule

No. 3 Tennessee vs. Virginia (2 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

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

Games can be live-streamed on ESPN.com or ESPN app.

              

Previews

No. 3 Tennessee vs. Virginia

Tennessee puts its perfect NCAA tournament record on the line against Abbott and Virginia on Sunday afternoon.

The Volunteers secured their spot in Omaha, Nebraska, by way of a 15-6 demolition of the LSU Tigers in Game 2 of the Knoxville super regional.

Tennessee's offense put up nine or more runs in three of its five NCAA tournament games. If it gets runs off Abbott and wins its CWS opener, that will be viewed as its best offensive accomplishment of the postseason.

Abbott conceded four earned runs in each of his past two starts, but he has the stuff to overpower any lineup in any mound appearance. He ranks third in strikeouts in Division I behind the Vanderbilt pairing of Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter. The Vanderbilt duo combined to strike out 18 Tennessee batters during their April series in SEC play.

The Virginia ace is the main draw of the pitching matchup against Chad Dallas, but the Vols hurler has been impressive in the postseason.

Dallas whiffed 12 LSU batters over six innings to kick off the Knoxville super regional. That performance was a welcome sight after he did not last five innings against the Wright State Raiders in his team's NCAA tournament opener.

If Abbott and Dallas pitch at their best, Sunday's opener could be a low-scoring affair. Four of Virginia's seven NCAA tournament contests featured seven or fewer runs, so we may have to ease into the scoring excitement in Omaha.

                         

No. 2 Texas vs. No. 7 Mississippi State

It may not matter which pitchers take the mound for the nightcap if the Texas and Mississippi State offenses stay hot.

Texas blew through its regionals with four double-digit run performances and an average margin of victory of 7.4 runs.

Mississippi State's games have been a bit closer, but it still displayed plenty of pop at the dish. The Bulldogs plated 20 runs in their two wins over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Starkville super regional.

The danger in Texas' lineup begins with leadoff man Mike Antico, who went 3-for-7 in the pair of wins over the South Florida Bulls at the Austin super regional. Antico drew three walks and stole a base against South Florida, and if he gets on multiple times Sunday, the Longhorns could start a few rallies.

Rowdey Jordan carries the same impact at the top of Mississippi State's order. He scored five runs in the two wins over Notre Dame and crossed the plate twice in Game 3 despite not recording a hit.

If both leadoff men reach base multiple times, their teammates should drive them in and it could create a shootout to close out the first round.

Whichever pitching staff gets the first batter out could have the edge in the No. 2 vs. No. 7 clash. It seems like a simple strategy, but that is how influential both leadoff men are to their respective squads.

                   

Statistics obtained from D1Baseball.com.

The College World Series kicked off in Omaha, Nebraska, on Sunday, with two games on tap for college baseball fans.

Below, we'll break down the day's results and top moments.

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Scores

NC State def. Stanford, 10-4

Vanderbilt def. Arizona, 7-6 (F/12)

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Recap

NC State is rolling.

The Wolfpack opened their College World Series campaign with a 10-4 win over Stanford, battering the Cardinal after a pair of one-run wins in the Super Regionals.

Jonny Butler had himself a game, with three hits, five RBI and two runs, including a solo home run, while Vojtech Mensik added two RBI and a run.

All gas...no brakes...@NCStateBaseball picking up where they left off!#CWS x 🎥 @espn pic.twitter.com/qlFa52ABfc

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 19, 2021

And Devonte Brown flashed some leather along with power at the plate:

What a WEB GEM by @DevonteBrown03!

📺ESPN | @SportsCenter pic.twitter.com/bkenxeGFf6

— #Pack9 ⚾️ (@NCStateBaseball) June 19, 2021

Devonte Brown is on it today! Solo shot puts @NCStateBaseball up 4-0.#CWS x🎥 ESPN pic.twitter.com/tX6EUWmsIR

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 19, 2021

Reid Johnston earned the win for the Wolfpack, throwing six innings of six-hit, four-run ball while striking out five.

Brendan Beck had a tougher outing for Stanford, taking the loss after giving up six runs (three earned) in 5.2 innings. It was an almost literal hit-or-miss outing for Beck, who also whiffed 10 batters.

Stanford pulled to within 6-4 with a three-run bottom of the seventh and went into the ninth trailing by two. But NC State wasn't interested in any drama, pushing across four in the top of the inning to put the game out of reach.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that NC State is staying in the winners' bracket. The Wolfpack eliminated the top-ranked team in the country, Arkansas, during the Super Regionals. They recovered from a mammoth 21-2 loss in the first game of that three-game set before recovering to win two in a row.

The Wolfpack may be the lowest-ranked team on their side of the bracket, but they are starting to look like the favorites in Omaha. They'll play Vanderbilt.

Stanford heads to the losers' bracket with a win-or-go-home contest against Arizona.

In the nightcap, third baseman Jayson Gonzalez's 12th-inning walk-off RBI single gave Vanderbilt a 7-6 win over Arizona.

WALKS. IT. OFF. #VandyBoys | #CWS pic.twitter.com/2p4je3FojC

— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) June 20, 2021

Shortstop Carter Young appeared to hit the game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to give Vandy a 6-5 lead.

CYa 👋

Dores on top.#VandyBoys | #CWS pic.twitter.com/rGqaukosJI

— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) June 20, 2021

However, Arizona responded in the top of the ninth when Donta Williams' sacrifice fly scored Mac Bingham.

Gonzalez previously added a two-run homer in the fourth for the 46-15 Commodores, who overcame a 3-0 first-inning deficit for the comeback win.

GONE-ZO.#VandyBoys | #CWS pic.twitter.com/SwnSeNa5wn

— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) June 20, 2021

Kumar Rocker got the start for the Commodores. He allowed three runs (two unearned) in the first after a Branden Boissiere two-run double and Daniel Susac RBI single but proceeded to retire 15 straight batters.

Rocker was pulled after allowing a two-run homer to Ryan Holgate in the sixth.

To the moon! 🚀🚀 pic.twitter.com/LLn5f4kWer

— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) June 20, 2021

However, he finished with seven strikeouts over 5.2 frames and ended the game seventh in school history in strikeouts despite making just 40 starts during his collegiate career.

Kumar Rocker (304) passes Mike Minor (303) for the seventh most strikeouts in a Vanderbilt career

— Chad Bishop (@MrChadBishop) June 20, 2021

Vanderbilt's entire pitching staff also landed on a noteworthy list:

Tonight's pitching staff is now cemented in #CWS history by recording 19 strikeouts.#VandyBoys pic.twitter.com/L4ogRpKdrr

— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) June 20, 2021

The Commodores will now play NC State on Monday at 7 p.m. ET. Arizona will play Stanford in an elimination game on Monday at 2 p.m. ET.