The super regionals are officially over and with eight tickets to Omaha now punched, we saw it as the perfect time to check in on how our earlier picks from before the regionals even began are doing. So, overall, with the exception of Andrew making a biased pick of Oregon State and Ross getting stung by Georgia Tech being swatted, most of our writer’s selections are still alive with the College World Series set to begin in just handful of days.

The Picks

Andrew Provencher: (1) Arkansas Razorbacks, (2) Oregon State Beavers

Joe Londergan: (1) Arkansas Razorbacks, (2) Vanderbilt Commodores

Marcus Russell: (1) Arkansas Razorbacks, (2) Mississippi State Bulldogs

Ross Parker: (1) Mississippi State Bulldogs, (2) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

The_Coach: (1) Louisville Cardinals, (2) Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Good News

If you picked Arkansas (like half our staff did) and you’re a bigger fan of resumes (then the whole team of destiny thing), then you might like the bracket the Razorbacks have found themselves in. The Hogs will be matched with two #3 regional seeds in Florida State and Michigan, both who knocked off #1 regional seeds to end up here, but probably don’t pack the punch that a UCLA or LSU would have. Even Texas Tech, the other #1 seed in the bracket, has looked strong, but some could say their path was a bit easier to this stage in the game. The Razorbacks should be considered the favorite to come out of Bracket 1.

The Bad News

When there’s one bracket that could be considered a bit easier, you know there’s another one waiting that is loaded with potential stars and winning teams. Welcome to Bracket 2. Two early favorites in Vanderbilt and Louisville have both found themselves in Omaha, with the Commodores nearly blowing their chance before (as always) pitching became their saving grace. The Cardinals will probably rely on the same game-plan. However, even Mississippi State has looked a bit more composed and focus than expected and let’s not even discuss Auburn, who tapped into their football roots to beat North Carolina 14-7 to end up here. All four of these squads are legitimate contenders and playing great ball right now.

The Schedule

Things get started in Omaha on Saturday June 15th, with Texas Tech vs. Michigan (2 PM) and Arkansas vs. Florida State (7 PM), followed the next day by Vanderbilt vs. Louisville (2 PM) and Mississippi State vs. Auburn (7:30 PM). From there, the double-elimination format will begin, culminating in the College World Series Finals on Monday, June 24th.