1 day ago
10
ESPN
Jun 5, 2025, 08:15 AM ET
The opening play of the NCAA shot tourney is successful the books, and it was an full room of them, from thrillers and superheroes to bizzarro mysteries.
Now, a Sweet 16 of teams rotation into the ace regionals with their eye-blacked faces pointed toward becoming a subordinate of the latest octet to person an invitation to Omaha, successful what volition beryllium the 75th radical to play successful a Men's College World Series connected the banks of the Missouri River.
So, what should we each beryllium looking for, looking to, looking astatine arsenic the games statesman Friday greeting successful Louisville? Read ahead. Because arsenic my woman ignores maine and watches "10 Things I Hate About You," I americium inspired to compile this database of 10 Things I Love About The 2025 Super Regionals, positive we person our MLB friends Kiley McDaniel and David Schoenfield to springiness america their apical prospects and champion existent large leaguers for each team. -- Ryan McGee
Jump to:
Top storylines
MIA-LOU | FSU-ORST
ARIZ-UNC | CCU-AUB
UTSA-UCLA | MUR-DUKE
WVU-LSU | TENN-ARK
10 Things I Love About The 2025 Super Regionals
1. See the stars of the MLB draught today!
The 2025 MLB first-year players draught takes spot successful a small much than a month, July 13-14, and according to McDaniel's latest MLB mock draft, determination are nary less than 8 first-rounders successful enactment this weekend. What's more, that radical includes 3 of the apical four, 4 of the apical six, and 7 of the apical 17. That's a lot. The radical is led by Tennessee ace Liam Doyle, who not lone earned the Vols' archetypal triumph of the Knoxville Regional, helium besides came retired of the bullpen throwing heaters to scorch their way to the supers. Tennessee's ace determination unsocial volition diagnostic a gaggle of imaginable big-time large leaguers, arsenic Doyle volition look disconnected against Arkansas right-hander and All-Name Team subordinate Gage Wood, projected by McDaniel arsenic the No. 7 pick, and SEC Player of the Year, shortstop Wehiwa Aloy, whom McDaniel presently has arsenic the No. 13 pick.
2. Defenders of the West
In the Omaha Baseball Village, the energized metropolis of souvenir tents and brew gardens located adjacent to Charles Schwab field, determination is ever a immense representation of the United States showing the locations of each 8 MCWS schools and their region from Omaha. There is nary clearer illustration of however assemblage shot has go southeasterly dominated, seeing each of those SEC and ACC logos tipping the standard to 1 broadside portion successful caller seasons determination has been a striking deficiency of teams westbound of Texas. That drought has rightfully go a root of soreness for a clip portion that ruled the postseason for decades, powered by USC, Arizona State, Arizona, Cal State Fullerton, Stanford and rotating visits from seemingly each schoolhouse successful the authorities of California. This play 3 programs are the defenders of the West, arsenic No. 8 Oregon State hosts No. 9 Florida State and Arizona travels to No. 5 North Carolina connected Friday, and past No. 15 UCLA hosts UTSA opening Saturday.
3. Roadrunners successful solid slippers
Part of the charm of the MCWS is that nary substance however top-loaded it has been implicit the years, determination is ever a Cinderella that crashes the ball, from Harvard to Maine to an alphabet crockery of UC schools to the legendary 2008 Fresno State Underdogs to Wonderdogs. It is possibly my favourite portion of covering the event, watching a programme marque it to Omaha for the archetypal time. And determination is simply a bucket afloat of candidates successful the tract this weekend. UTSA stunned Texas successful Austin and present travels to Westwood seeking its archetypal MCWS berth. Same for West Virginia, making its 2nd supers quality (its archetypal was past year), arsenic it heads into the Cajun unit cooker of Alex Box Stadium. Meanwhile, Murray State volition beryllium playing its inaugural supers against Duke, which has been to Omaha before, but the astir caller of the Blue Devils' 3 visits was successful 1961.
4. Some caput coach's coaching caput is going to travel to a caput and explode
Anyone seeking grounds of the unit that these caput coaches are nether request to look nary further than Florida's Kevin O'Sullivan's multilocation meltdown astatine Coastal Carolina implicit a one-hour scheduling change, oregon notoriously mild-mannered Wake Forest caput manager Tom Walter having to contented an apology for letting escaped a slur arsenic the Demon Deacons were successful the process of having their play ended successful Knoxville. Walter says helium says helium doesn't adjacent retrieve saying it successful the vigor of the moment. So, who's going to suffer it next? There would look to beryllium immoderate casual candidates to prime (no offense, Tony Vitello), but if we learned thing implicit the opening weekend, it's that we person nary thought what volcano has been idling without america knowing.
5. 'Ease his Woo Pig pain'
Omaha isn't successful Iowa, but you tin spot it from there. So, it is intolerable not to deliberation of "Field of Dreams" erstwhile each of that shot is being played adjacent to each of that corn. Especially erstwhile the dependable says to Ray, "Ease his pain," and it instantly makes maine deliberation of Dave Van Horn, caput manager of the Arkansas Razorbacks. He has coached 9 teams to the MCWS, the archetypal 2 being Nebraska Cornhuskers teams successful 2001-02 that turned Rosenblatt Stadium a shadiness of Big Red arsenic tens of thousands of shot jersey-wearing Huskers fans lined up for day-of wide admittance tickets. His adjacent six visits person travel with Arkansas, the second-best assemblage programme ne'er to triumph a natty, punctuated by its 2018 runner-up effort that is inactive excessively achy to watch. But earlier DVH and WPS tin deliberation astir Omaha, they person to woody with Tennessee, aka the defending nationalist champs, aka different programme that was connected that "How person they ne'er won it all?" database until yet getting it done 1 twelvemonth ago.
6. So, who is No. 1 that list?
If the Hogs are the second-best programme to ne'er triumph it all, who is first? That would beryllium the Florida State Seminoles, who fertile 3rd each clip successful MCWS appearances with 24 but are the lone squad among the apical 11 successful Omaha visits to not person won astatine slightest 1 title. This year, the Seminoles are led by pitcher Jamie Arnold, who ranks No. 1 connected McDaniel's apical 150 MLB prospects list. That's thing caller for a programme that has brought america much than 100 All-Americans and 50-plus large leaguers, from Buster Posey to J.D. Drew to Deion Sanders. But nary of those guys person a ring. Perhaps this is the squad that tin alteration that.
7. ACC vs. SEC
Slightly much than fractional of the teams remaining -- 9 of 16 -- are from 2 conferences, the SEC and ACC. It's nary concealed that the SEC has ruled the athletics successful caller years -- six of the past 7 champions and astatine slightest 1 squad successful 14 of the past 15 title series. But the ACC believes that it has been closing that confederate hardball spread and it mightiness beryllium right. A twelvemonth ago, the full MCWS tract comprised teams from those adjacent conferences, though the ACC was sent packing quickly. After the SEC stumbled done the determination round, it pushed lone 4 of 13 teams into supers portion the ACC graduated five. A brace of bid are familial, arsenic Tennessee faces Arkansas and Miami travels to Louisville, truthful each league is guaranteed to person astatine slightest 1 squad successful Omaha. Grab immoderate SPF and enactment tuned.
8. The Triangle becomes The Diamond
The authorities of North Carolina has ever been shot obsessed, from the seashore to the Appalachians. But nary of those teams person ever brought a MCWS rubric backmost to Tobacco Road, though much than a fewer times person travel painfully close. See: UNC losing back-to-back to Oregon State 2006-07, NC State being undone by COVID-19 successful 2021. Now 2 campuses that beryllium lone 10 miles apart, UNC and Duke, volition beryllium hosting ace regionals, the Heels against Arizona opening Friday astatine noon ET, the Blue Devils kicking it disconnected against Murray State 13 hours aboriginal successful Durham. I grew up successful Raleigh and went to a ton of games astatine some ballparks arsenic a kid successful the 1980s, and betwixt them and NC State, determination mightiness beryllium a fewer twelve radical there, fundamentally me, my family, a fewer scouts and the families of the players. This is simply a agelong mode from that.
9. Return of the Chanticleers
One of the top assemblage shot stories ever was erstwhile Coastal Carolina won it each successful 2016, led by 1 of the sport's astir beloved quality beings successful longtime caput manager Gary Gilmore. It was 1 twelvemonth agone that Gilmore stepped down aft a tally to the NCAA regionals, to absorption connected his household and his ongoing crab attraction (read much astir that successful our communicative from outpouring 2024). Now Gilmore's erstwhile catcher and longtime adjunct manager Kevin Schnall, successful his archetypal twelvemonth astatine the helm, has the Chants backmost successful the supers for the archetypal clip since 2016. They question to Auburn, nary casual task, but it's large for the athletics to person the teal squad from South Carolina's Grand Strand backmost successful the nationalist conversation.
10. It's a enactment successful the USA
No substance wherever you live, what schoolhouse you basal for, oregon adjacent if you wage attraction to assemblage shot lone successful June, marque definite to instrumentality the clip this play to genuinely revel successful what the athletics has become. Try to sniff that spicy steam rising from each of those pots cooking up each of that gumbo successful the parking tons astir The Box astatine LSU. Watch the oversea of flags waving from the left-field Hog Pen arsenic 13,000 Arkansas fans chant "Woo Pig Sooie!" Gasp astatine the botanical gardens-like greenery that drapes implicit the walls of UCLA's Jackie Robinson Stadium. Listen to the stomping of the aluminum grandstands of Oregon State's intimate Goss Stadium. The Carolina conifer needles that adorn the Bosh successful Chapel Hill. Bo Jackson hanging retired astatine Auburn's Plainsman Park, inactive looking arsenic if helium could jack 1 retired implicit the 37-foot precocious War Eagle Wall successful near field. Omaha is Omaha. Nothing is better. But this is assemblage baseball's play to amusement disconnected the magic of the on-campus shot experience. Let america rejoice and beryllium gladsome successful it. -- McGee
Louisville Super Regional (Louisville, Kentucky)
Louisville Cardinals
Top prospect: Patrick Forbes, RHP
Forbes has a distinctive delivery, a debased three-quarters limb slot with a heater that sits 94-97 mph (and tin deed 100) and has helped him flummox hitters this twelvemonth to the tune of 98 strikeouts successful 60⅓ innings. -- Kiley McDaniel
Best existent large leaguer: Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers
Louisville has been a catching mill successful caller years, producing Smith; 2021 No. 1 prime Henry Davis; and Dalton Rushing, precocious called up by the Dodgers. Smith, a two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, has been 1 of the apical catchers successful the majors since his debut successful 2019, and helium already ranks arsenic the champion large leaguer Louisville has ever produced. -- David Schoenfield
Miami Hurricanes
Top prospect: Daniel Cuvet, 3B (2026)
Cuvet has been known to scouts for years for his earthy power, but his terms wasn't met retired of precocious schoolhouse owed to concerns connected his interaction complaint and defence astatine 3rd base, which is fundamentally inactive the scouting report. He finished the play beardown and has a coagulated changeable to spell successful the archetypal circular adjacent summer. -- McDaniel
Best existent large leaguer: Romy Gonzalez, Boston Red Sox
Only 5 Miami players person appeared successful the majors successful 2025 -- Gonzalez and 4 pitchers who haven't pitched that much, truthful Gonzalez gets the nod. Keep an oculus connected Adrian Del Castillo, who debuted past play for the Arizona Diamondbacks but dealt with a enarthrosis wounded successful outpouring grooming and is conscionable returning to action. He tin rake, though his champion presumption mightiness beryllium designated hitter. The champion large leaguer successful Hurricanes past is different slugger: 2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun. -- Schoenfield
Corvallis Super Regional (Corvallis, Oregon)
No. 9 Florida State astatine No. 8 Oregon State
1:22
Oregon State breaks crippled unfastened with back-to-back jacks
Oregon State breaks crippled unfastened with back-to-back jacks
No. 9 Florida State Seminoles
Top prospect: Jamie Arnold, LHP
Arnold opened the twelvemonth arsenic the apical imaginable successful the 2025 MLB draught and has been a spot up and down, but helium is simply a fastener for the apical 10 picks due to the fact that of his positive worldly coming from a pugnacious debased three-quarters limb slot. -- McDaniel
Best current major leaguer: Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners
Raleigh, a third-round prime successful 2018, is disconnected to a historical commencement for the Mariners, tied with Shohei Ohtani for the large league pb with 23 location runs portion producing an OPS implicit 1.000 (no catcher has done that since Joe Mauer successful 2009). That puts Raleigh connected gait to acceptable the single-season grounds for location runs by a catcher. Another catcher ranks arsenic the champion large leaguer successful FSU history: aboriginal Hall of Famer Buster Posey. -- Schoenfield
No. 8 Oregon State Beavers
Top prospect: Aiva Arquette, SS
Arquette is securely successful the premix astatine astir each prime successful the apical 10, and helium is the lone assemblage presumption subordinate definite to spell that high. Some scouts deliberation helium moves to 3rd basal eventually, and there's immoderate interest he's conscionable an mean on-base menace who volition person to trust connected his positive power, though he's inactive a bully player. -- McDaniel
Best existent large leaguer: Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians
Kwan and Adley Rutschman led the Beavers to the 2018 Men's College World Series rubric and some debuted successful the majors successful 2022. Rutschman, the No. 1 prime successful 2019, has been the bigger name, but Kwan has the higher vocation WAR, and helium has surely been amended than Rutschman successful 2024 and truthful acold successful 2025. You person to springiness the motion to Kwan. Jacoby Ellsbury is inactive the apical all-time OSU player, but Kwan and Rutschman some person the accidental to yet overtake him. -- Schoenfield
Chapel Hill Super Regional (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
Arizona astatine No. 5 North Carolina
0:38
Maddox Mihalakis cranks a homer
Arizona Wildcats
Top prospect: Brendan Summerhill, OF
Summerhill tin truly deed and has above-average to positive power, velocity and limb strength, which is wherefore helium should spell successful the mediate of the archetypal round. -- McDaniel
Best existent large leaguer: Austin Wells, New York Yankees
Nine erstwhile Arizona players person appeared successful the majors this year, and portion Tylor Megill is pitching precise good for the Mets, catchers are hard to find, and Wells is simply a bully one. He finished 3rd successful the AL Rookie of the Year voting past twelvemonth and is flashing much powerfulness truthful acold successful 2025, though he's hitting conscionable .212. The champion large leaguer ever is simply a pugnacious telephone betwixt Hall of Fame reliever Trevor Hoffman (who was an infielder successful college) and six-time All-Star halfway fielder Kenny Lofton (who besides starred connected the hoops squad successful college). Hard to contradict a Hall of Famer, but Lofton could get determination someday -- arsenic could Terry Francona arsenic a manager. -- Schoenfield
No. 5 North Carolina Tar Heels
Top prospect: Luke Stevenson, C
Stevenson has immoderate issues with bat-to-ball (maybe he's a .240 hitter successful the large leagues?), but he's arguably supra mean to positive astatine everything other connected the field, truthful helium seems apt to spell successful the backmost fractional of the archetypal round.-- McDaniel
Best existent large leaguer: Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks
Gallen is disconnected to a dilatory commencement with Arizona this season, but helium has been a apical starter for respective years now, finishing 3rd successful the 2023 Cy Young voting and 5th successful 2022. He's already 3rd connected the all-time vocation WAR database from UNC, but inactive importantly down Kyle Seager and B.J. Surhoff, who tally a adjacent 1-2. Surhoff was the apical prime successful the 1985 draught -- up of Will Clark, Barry Larkin and immoderate feline named Barry Bonds. -- Schoenfield
Auburn Super Regional (Auburn, Alabama)
No. 13 Coastal Carolina astatine No. 4 Auburn
No. 13 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Top prospect: Caden Bodine, C
Bodine is an precocious framer who's a switch-hitter with an unthinkable consciousness for interaction -- helium swung and missed astatine 4% of pitches faced this play -- who fits determination from the precocious archetypal to aboriginal 2nd round. -- McDaniel
Best existent large leaguer: Anthony Veneziano, Miami Marlins
Veneziano and chap reliever Garrett McDaniels are the lone CC players to look successful the majors successful 2025. Veneziano has pitched more, though he's presently successful the minors aft posting a 4.86 ERA successful 20 appearances with Miami. He does person 1 of the 2 vocation wins by a Coastal Carolina subordinate successful the majors (Keith Hessler has the other). We'll springiness champion all-time large leaguer to longtime catcher Kirt Manwaring, who played 13 seasons from 1987 to 1999. -- Schoenfield
No. 4 Auburn Tigers
Top prospect: Ike Irish, OF
Irish astir apt volition spell backmost to playing catcher erstwhile helium turns pro, but close present he's 1 of the apical axenic hitters successful the country, and helium has positive power, a bundle that astir apt volition onshore him successful the archetypal round. -- McDaniel
Best existent large leaguer: Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers
The erstwhile No. 1 prime is yet surviving up to archetypal expectations aft sitting retired 2023 due to the fact that of Tommy John country and returning past season. He's 6-1 with a 2.82 ERA, portion of a stellar Detroit pitching staff. Bo Jackson is the astir celebrated Auburn shot alum, of course, but helium ranks down Hall of Famer Frank Thomas (not to notation Tim Hudson and erstwhile MVP Josh Donaldson) connected the all-time list. -- Schoenfield
Los Angeles Super Regional (Los Angeles, California)
0:45
Mulivai Levu smashes location tally vs. UC Irvine
UTSA Roadrunners
Top prospect: Robert Orloski, RHP (2026)
UTSA isn't flush with pro prospects similar immoderate different programs successful the supers, but Orloski is simply a pro imaginable successful adjacent year's class. He's the Roadrunners' invaluable multi-inning alleviation ace, up to 96 mph with a top-of-the-zone heater. -- McDaniel
No existent large leaguers
Only 2 UTSA players person reached the majors: John Bormann, who had 1 sheet appearances with the Pirates successful 2016, and pitcher Justin Anderson, who had a 4.39 ERA successful 50 appearances with the White Sox past play but is presently successful the minors. -- Schoenfield
UCLA Bruins
Top prospect: Roch Cholowsky, SS (2026)
Cholowsky was a borderline first-round imaginable retired of precocious schoolhouse for galore teams, but his terms wasn't met. He's present arguably the apical assemblage imaginable for adjacent year's draft, and helium should beryllium successful the premix to spell No. 1 wide for the adjacent 12 months. -- McDaniel
Best existent large leaguer: Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees
Cole is retired for the play pursuing Tommy John surgery, but is the wide standout from a radical that includes 9 Bruins who person played successful the majors this season. Greatest Bruin ever? Cole has an statement with 153 wins and a Cy Young Award, and Chase Utley whitethorn marque the Hall of Fame, but the reply has to beryllium Jackie Robinson. Aside from his humanities importance, helium was 1 of the top 2nd basemen of each time, starring the NL 3 times successful WAR. -- Schoenfield
Durham Super Regional (Durham, North Carolina)
Murray State Racers
Top prospect: Will Vierling, C
I noted that determination isn't a pitcher connected the Murray State unit who averaged 92 mph connected their fastball this season, which helps underline that the Racers aren't flush with pro prospects. Vierling is the relative of Tigers outfielder Matt Vierling and is simply a later-round imaginable for this year's draft. -- McDaniel
No existent large leaguers
The Racers person 5 erstwhile players successful the minors, but their past large leaguer was Kirk Rueter, who won 130 games successful the majors successful a good vocation that lasted from 1993 to 2005 -- not atrocious for a soft-tossing lefty who was an 18th-round draught pick. -- Schoenfield
Duke Blue Devils
Top prospect: A.J. Gracia, OF (2026)
Gracia got disconnected to a dilatory commencement this season, but helium caught occurrence successful April arsenic helium dialed successful his plaything -- helium has a 1.307 OPS successful his past 28 games, each but a fewer against SEC and ACC competition. -- McDaniel
Best existent large leaguer: Marcus Stroman, New York Yankees
It has been a pugnacious twelvemonth for Duke alumni successful the majors arsenic Stroman is presently injured, Griffin Conine is retired for the twelvemonth aft getting disconnected to a bully commencement with the Marlins, and Matt Mervis and Graham Pauley are backmost successful the minors aft starting the play with Miami (the Marlins seemingly emotion their Duke players). The top Blue Devil of each clip is an casual call: Dick Groat, a two-time All-American successful hoops successful 1951 and '52 and the UPI nationalist subordinate of the twelvemonth successful 1952, who went consecutive to the Pittsburgh Pirates retired of assemblage and won NL MVP honors successful 1960. -- Schoenfield
Baton Rogue Super Regional (Baton Rogue, Louisiana)
West Virginia astatine No. 6 LSU
2:13
Highlight: LSU blows past Little Rock with blistery bats, heads to Super Regional
The 6-seed Tigers rack up 4 homers with a brace by Luis Hernandez and 1 by Ethan Frey, who went 4-for-4 connected the day, successful their 10-6 determination finale triumph implicit the Trojans.
West Virginia Mountaineers
Top prospect: Chase Meyer, RHP (2026)
Meyer is simply a reliever who sits 92-96 and touches 98 mph, but his champion transportation is his 83-87 mph curveball that averages implicit 3000 rpm, and opposing batters are hitting .133 against it.-- McDaniel
Best existent large leaguer: Victor Scott II, St. Louis Cardinals
The speedy Scott struggled erstwhile helium was rushed to the majors past season, but helium has settled successful this play and is holding his ain astatine the sheet portion playing an outstanding halfway field. Leaving speech "Piano Legs" Hickman, who attended WVU successful the 1890s, the champion modern large leaguer comes down to reliever Steve Kline oregon infielder Jedd Gyorko. In different words, Scott has a accidental to surpass some acknowledgment to his large defense. -- Schoenfield
No. 6 LSU Tigers
Top prospect: Kade Anderson, LHP
Anderson has been reddish blistery down the agelong and mightiness person snuck up of Doyle and Arnold arsenic the apical assemblage pitcher successful the draft. All 3 are successful supers and the margins are tight. Anderson seems similar the safest stake to beryllium a bully starting pitcher, but his upside is much second/third starter than ace.-- McDaniel
Best existent large leaguer: Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates
The LSU programme has pumped retired 12 existent large leaguers, and portion Alex Bregman and Aaron Nola person surely had the amended careers truthful far, Skenes is the antheral of the moment, possibly connected his mode to the Cy Young Award successful his archetypal afloat play successful the majors. The champion Tiger ever is simply a bully statement betwixt Bregman, Albert Belle and Nola, with Bregman holding the flimsy borderline implicit Belle successful vocation WAR. Considering helium should person galore bully years inactive ahead, let's spell with him, adjacent though Belle was 1 of the astir feared sluggers of the 1990s. -- Schoenfield
Fayetteville Super Regional (Fayetteville, Arkansas)
No. 14 Tennessee astatine No. 3 Arkansas
No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers
Top prospect: Liam Doyle, LHP
Doyle is simply a fastener to spell determination successful the apical 5 to 7 picks due to the fact that of his positive worldly and otherworldly numbers this season. He mightiness beryllium capable to transportation his mode into the apical 2 picks with a beardown decorativeness to the season. -- McDaniel
Best existent large leaguer: Garrett Crochet, Boston Red Sox
Primarily a reliever for the Vols, the White Sox drafted Crochet No. 11 successful 2020 and promoted him straight to the large leagues that summer. Tommy John country interrupted his career, but the White Sox turned him into a starter past season, and Crochet became 1 of the apical aces successful the majors, continuing to predominate successful 2025 aft a commercialized to the Red Sox. Greatest Vol ever? Easy: Hall of Famer Todd Helton. -- Schoenfield
No. 3 Arkansas Razorbacks
Top prospect: Gage Wood, RHP
I've been saying for astir a period that Wood could beryllium this year's Cade Horton, making a precocious play determination into the archetypal round. He struck retired 13 successful six innings successful regionals, sitting 95-97 and hitting 98 mph. -- McDaniel
Best existent large leaguer: Andrew Benintendi, Chicago White Sox
Benintendi inactive gets the motion here, adjacent though his champion seasons came successful his archetypal 2 afloat seasons with the Red Sox backmost successful 2017 and '18. Best successful Arkansas past goes to Cliff Lee, 1 of the apical starters successful the majors from 2008 done 2013 (including a Cy Young Award successful 2008), earlier injuries shortened his career. -- Schoenfield
English (US) ·