College World Series predictions: Expert picks for NCAA baseball championship in Omaha
The College World Series gets underway Friday at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.
Eight teams – including SEC members Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss and Texas A&M – will play a double-elimination tournament to determine two finalists, who will play a best-of-three series to determine the NCAA champion.
Experts from the USA TODAY Sports Network have predicted how the bracket will play out and who will win it all. Here are their picks.
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Aria Gerson, The Tennessean
Friday
Game 1: Texas A&M 6, Oklahoma 5
Game 2: Texas 9, Notre Dame 2
Saturday
Game 3: Stanford 11, Arkansas 5
Game 4: Auburn 3, Ole Miss 2
Sunday
Game 5: Oklahoma 8, Notre Dame 3
Game 6: Texas A&M 10, Texas 8
Monday
Game 7: Arkansas 4, Ole Miss 1
Game 8: Stanford 12, Auburn 4
Tuesday
Game 9: Oklahoma 5, Texas 3
Game 10: Arkansas 6, Auburn 2
Wednesday
Game 11: Texas A&M 13, Oklahoma 5
Game 12: Arkansas 13, Stanford 9
Thursday
Game 13: Stanford 6, Arkansas 3
Championship series
Game 1: Texas A&M 7, Stanford 6
Game 2: Stanford 11, Texas A&M 7
Game 3: Texas A&M 5, Stanford 2
Why Texas A&M wins: Texas A&M is an incredibly experienced team that went through the gauntlet that is the SEC. The Aggies are really peaking at the right time, and that leads them to the title.
Christina Long, Southwest Times Record
Friday
Game 1: Texas A&M 6, Oklahoma 2
Game 2: Notre Dame 4, Texas 3
Saturday
Game 3: Stanford 5, Arkansas 3
Game 4: Ole Miss 9, Auburn 5
Sunday
Game 5: Texas 6, Oklahoma 1
Game 6: Texas A&M 7, Notre Dame 2
Monday
Game 7: Arkansas 8, Auburn 5
Game 8: Ole Miss 6, Stanford 4
Tuesday
Game 9: Texas 10, Notre Dame 5
Game 10: Arkansas 9, Stanford 7
Wednesday
Game 11: Texas A&M 12, Texas 4
Game 12: Arkansas 8, Ole Miss 5
Thursday
Game 13: Arkansas 4, Ole Miss 2
Championship series
Game 14: Texas A&M 6, Arkansas 5
Game 15: Texas A&M 8, Arkansas 7
Why Texas A&M wins: If Arkansas advances to the championship, it will have played five games to get there vs. A&M’s projected three. The Aggies would have a significant pitching advantage to take the title in two games.
Nick Suss, Jackson (Miss.) Clarion Ledger
Friday
Game 1: Texas A&M 6, Oklahoma 3
Game 2: Texas 7, Notre Dame 5
Saturday
Game 3: Stanford 4, Arkansas 3
Game 4: Ole Miss 6, Auburn 2
Sunday
Game 5: Oklahoma 8, Notre Dame 5
Game 6: Texas 9, Texas A&M 7
Monday
Game 7: Arkansas 8, Auburn 7
Game 8: Stanford 3, Ole Miss 1
Tuesday
Game 9: Texas A&M 12, Oklahoma 8
Game 10: Ole Miss 9, Arkansas 7
Wednesday
Game 11: Texas 10, Oklahoma 6
Game 12: Stanford 10, Ole Miss 6
Championship series
Game 13: Stanford 4, Texas 3
Game 14: Texas 6, Stanford 4
Game 15: Texas 8, Stanford 5
Why Texas wins: The Longhorns were preseason No. 1 for a reason. If anyone's going to make a run this year, it's the squad that leads all remaining teams in batting average, slugging percentage, doubles and home runs – all while carrying two dominant starters and one of the deeper bullpens in the field.
Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
Friday
Game 1: Texas A&M 9, Oklahoma 3
Game 2: Texas 6, Notre Dame 0
Saturday
Game 3: Stanford 8, Arkansas 4
Game 4: Auburn 7, Ole Miss 2
Sunday
Game 5: Oklahoma 5, Notre Dame 3
Game 6: Texas A&M 10, Texas 8
Monday
Game 7: Arkansas 6, Ole Miss 0
Game 8: Auburn 5, Stanford 3
Tuesday
Game 9: Texas 8, Oklahoma 7
Game 10: Stanford 7, Arkansas 3
Wednesday
Game 11: Texas A&M 13, Texas 6
Game 12: Stanford 6, Auburn 4
Thursday
Game 13: Stanford 3, Auburn 1
Championship series
Game 1: Texas A&M 6, Stanford 3
Game 3: Texas A&M 4, Stanford 2
Why Texas A&M wins: This is Texas A&M went out and got Jim Schlossnagle last offseason. The Aggies are hot and have the balance to give the SEC another College World Series titles.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: College World Series predictions: NCAA baseball championship in Omaha
