After a couple of frenetic weeks of tracking CWS play-in games, we’re through the pedestrian-paced group play in Omaha and have reached the final of the 2025 CWS tournament; here’s a recap of group play in Omaha.
Resources/links I use heavily during CWS time:
- Top 25 rankings d1baseball, baseballamerica, and usatoday Coaches poll.
- WarrenNolan’s RPI rankings
- Here’s D1Baseball.com’s Tournament Central, my favorite place to track the tourney.
- Here’s the NCAA.com field of 64 Bracket with some great data points at NCAA.com and an easier-to-read bracket.
In the Top Bracket ( Louisville, Coastal Carolina, Arizona, #8 Oregon State )
- In the opening games, Coastal continued on its current 24-game winning streak, scoring 3 in the 8th to break open a tie-game to top Arizona. They havn’t lost since April 22nd. Meanwhile, Lousville tied it in the top of the 9th only to have Oregon State walk-it off in the bottom, with 1-1 candidate Arquette scoring the winning run, to cap an exciting day for the top bracket.
- In the first elimination game, Louisville blew open a close game with 6 in the eight to make Arizona the first team eliminated.
- In the winner’s bracket game, Coastal’s saturday starter Jacob Morrison spun a gem, shutting down OSU for nearly 8 innings to put CCU in the driver’s seat.
- In the play-in game, OSU’s Arquette did his best to help his team, but Louisville walked it off in a 7-6 back and forth affair to eliminate Oregon State and move into the group final.
- In the group final, Coastal Carolina kept its win streak alive with a beat down of OSU 11-3 to win the group unblemished and return to the National title game.
Final Group standings: Coastal Carolina, Louisville, #8 Oregon State, Arizona
In the Bottom Bracket (#15 UCLA, #3 Arkansas, #6 LSU, Murray State)
- In the opening games, UCLA got to Murray State’s starter in the 5th for enough runs to make it stick to move on. In the night cap, probably the best game we’ll see in CWS featured the two SEC teams and two best ranked teams battle, with LSU’s Kade Anderson putting up the best possible line you could expect in a CWS game: 7ip 3 hits, 1r (on an inside FB that Arkansas’ light-hitting 1B turned on), 7/2 K/BB. Just 100 pitches to get through 7.
- In the first elimination game, Arkansas’ Gage Woods threw probably the greatest game in the history of the CWS, a 9ip no-hitter with 19 Ks (!!) to send Murray State home. He had a perfect game into the top of the 8th and only let five balls even get into fair territory. 119 pitches. Amazing.
- In the winner’s bracket game, LSU bashed their way to a rain-delayed 9-5 win over UCLA to take control of the group.
- In the play-in game, Arkansas scored early and often and were in control throughout, downing UCLA 7-3 to setup an all-SEC group final.
- In the group final, Arkansas certainly made it interesting, with 2 in the 8th and 2 in the ninth to take the lead, but then LSU’s middle of the order came through, with 3 in the 9th to walk it off for a shot at the title. What a game.
Final Group standings: #6 LSU, #3 Arkansas, UCLA, Murray State
Analysis/commentary
I suppose its fitting that this year of regional upsets gives us a national powerhouse back in the title game in LSU, along side a team from a mid-major that probably should have been a National seed had the committee sniffed their noses at Coastal Carolina’s pedigree, and now they ride a massive 26 win game winning streak heading into the final series that they have no doubt they can win.
Projected 1st Rounder Performance:
We’ll throw this into the next 1-1 conversation, since there’s only a couple 1-1 candidates left in CWS play.
CWS Preview and Prediction:
One big plus here for neutrals: neither of the groups went the “extra game,” so none of the star pitchers got burned. This is in contrast to two years ago, when LSU threw its stud Skenes just to get into the final, and then the national spotlight never got to see him (except for an inning at the end).
Here’s the best i can make out for pitching matchups in the final, based on how the pitchers were used in the playoffs to get here so far. Everyone below is basically on full rest, so no usage concerns here.
The CWS national series starts on Saturday 6/21:
- 6/21: CCU’s Cameron Flukey (7-1, 3.29 ERA, 109/22 in 95ip) versus LSU’s Kade Anderson (11-1, 3.44 ERA, 170/30 K/BB in 110 IP)
- 6/22: CCU’s Jacob Morrison (12-0, 2.08 ERA, 102/22 in 104 ip) versus LSU’s Anthony Eyanson (11-2, 2.92 ERA, 143/35 in 101 ip).
- 6/23 CCU’s Riley Eikhoff (7-2, 3.10 ERA, 71/11 K/BB in 90 ip) versus LSU’s Zac Cowan (3-3, 2.94 ERA, 60/12 in 52 ip).
If you recognize the Eikhoff name, its because he is from NoVa, went to Patriot HS, and is the brother of Nate Eikhoff, who starred for UVA just before Covid.
LSU doesn’t really have a reliable 3rd starter; they’ve given starts to six different guys in that #3 spot this year. They have a super reliever Casan Evans (5-1, 2.05 ERA, 71/19 k/BB in 52ip) who could also slot in to that third start, if necessary.
That being said, I don’t think this series is going three. I think Anderson shuts down CCU in game one and wins a close one in game two to take the title. With all due respect to Coastal, they have not seen a starter like Anderson all year and has managed to make it all the way to the title game without facing a top prospect starter who can easily tame their bats.
LSU in two.