College World Series predictions: Expert picks for college baseball championship
While most agree West Virginia fans will win the Rocco’s Jell-O shot leaderboard in Omaha this weekend, there’s also nearly a consensus of who the last two teams standing at this year’s College World Series will be.
We asked USA TODAY Network beat writers of the teams left in the NCAA baseball tournament for their predictions for the CWS championship series, and only one provided a different matchup than the others.
And sorry, WVU fans; A Rocco’s win will have to be enough.
Here’s who they picked:
∎ North Carolina beats Georgia: The Tar Heels pitching staff takes a 3.86 ERA into the College World Series, one of only 11 teams at the D-1 level under 4.00. The Bulldogs’ powerhouse offense is a lot to contend with, as Mississippi State learned in super regionals, but UNC’s arms win out in Omaha. — Chase Goodbread, Tuscaloosa News
∎ North Carolina beats Georgia in 3: The Tar Heels are the only team in Omaha with top-10 marks in runs, ERA and fielding percentage. Twenty years after coming up short in the CWS championship series, UNC will finally get over the hump and win its first national championship after a thrilling three-game series against the Bulldogs. — Rodd Baxley, Fayetteville Observer
∎ Texas beats Ole Miss in 3. Ole Miss rides elite pitching and timely home runs to make it out of the more manageable side of the bracket. Texas survives Georgia and emerges from its side stacked with heavy-hitting teams. Just like in the SEC regular season, Texas takes two out of three from Ole Miss in the national championship series. — Sam Hutchens, The Clarion Ledger
∎ Georgia beats North Carolina in 3. The Bulldogs have the best offense in the field, scoring the most runs per game with the best batting average. Catcher Daniel Jackson is a star, it’ll just come down to if UGA can match UNC pitch-for-pitch. — Colton Sulley, The Oklahoman
∎ Georgia beats North Carolina in 3. We’re going chalk with the two highest seeds in each four-team bracket reaching the finals. No. 3 Georgia beats No. 6 North Carolina as Daniel Jackson and the Bulldogs bats are too much for the arms of Tar Heel pitchers Jason DeCaro and Caden Glauber and company. — Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald
∎ North Carolina beats Georgia in 3. The Tar Heels had to sweat it out to get to Omaha, but once there, they’ll ride the arms of Caden Glauber and Jason DeCaro to advance to the championship series and do enough to subdue a potent Bulldogs lineup. And for the first time 2018, we’ll have a national champion from a league other than the SEC. —Craig Meyer, USA TODAY Network
College World Series schedule
All times Eastern.
Friday, June 12
- Game 1: No. 16 West Virginia vs. Troy | 2 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
- Game 2: No. 5 North Carolina vs. Ole Miss | 7 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
Saturday, June 13
- Game 3: No. 7 Alabama vs. Oklahoma | 3 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
- Game 4: No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 Texas | 8 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
Sunday, June 14
- Game 5: Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser | 2 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
- Game 6: Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner | 7 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
Monday, June 15
- Game 7: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser | 2 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
- Game 8: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner | 7 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
Tuesday, June 16
- Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 loser | 2 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
- Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 loser | 8 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
Wednesday, June 17
- Game 11: Game 6 winner vs. Game 9 winner | 2 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
- Game 12: Game 8 winner vs. Game 10 winner | 7 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
Thursday, June 18
- Game 13: If necessary | TBA
- Game 14: If necessary | TBA
Championship series
- Game 1: 8 p.m. | Saturday, June 20 | ESPN (Fubo)
- Game 2: 2:30 p.m. | Sunday, June 21 | ESPN (Fubo)
- Game 3 (if necessary): 7 p.m. | Monday, June 22 | ESPN (Fubo)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College World Series predictions: Who will win college baseball title?
