Coastal Carolina: 20.2%
In 1995 Coastal Carolina hired a baseball coach who played at Coastal by the name of Gary Gillmore. He was the only person in all of baseball that believed he could build a program that could compete with Clemson and South Carolina. By 1997 he had just finished his second season at CCU and no longer believed he could do it. He interviewed to leave coaching and become an elementary PE teacher. With his signed elementary school teacher contract in hand, he drove to accept the job. On the way he found his car pulling into his church parking lot to talk with his friend and preacher. 2 hours later the contract was torn up and Gillmore went to his office (a FEMA trailer you'd see on a construction site) and went to work building the Chanticleers. Decades later he not only competed with his in state rivals, he won a National Championship over the Arizona Wildcats. He's now retired and the torch has been passed to fellow Coastal Alum Kevin Schnall who has CCU back in Omaha in year 1. Kevin Schnall not only played at CCU but has been an assistant there for 15+ years and was a part of that National Championship coaching staff. They say really good leaders win a lot and great leaders build a program that can win after they leave. This season cements Gary Gillmore as a great leader.
Oregon State: 13.3%
Referred to as a "New Blood" the Beavers have had tremendous success in the internet era. I would have died on the hill of Oregon State falling after losing legendary head coach Pat Casey and pitching coach Nate Yeskie but here they are. Anchored by program all time HR and RBI leader LF Gavin Turley (Chandler, AZ), RF Easton Talt (Sunrise Mt, AZ), and 2B AJ Singer (Mt Ridge, AZ) it's not difficult to see how the rise of Oregon State in some ways has coincided with the drop-off in Tempe. Like Gillmore at Coastal, Pat Casey spent 10 years building Oregon State before he became an overnight success winning 3 NCs. Like Gilmore, he has been replaced by an alumnus with a NC ring. Mitch Canham having won 2 as a player in 06' and 07'.
LSU: 13.7%
The clear Blue Blood of the field. With 7 championships and 20 CWS appearances they are elite. Even more impressive, everyone of those appearances have happened after ASU's last championship in 1981. Current head coach Jay Johnson won a national championship with LSU in 2023 riding the arm of Paul Skenes. Some may know that before Skenes went to LSU he was actually committed to Willie Bloomquist and ASU for a short time before his dad stepped in and helped LSU. Many of us remember Gorilla Ball in the late 90s when LSU ignored a traditional lineup and recruited as many clean up hitters as they could find on their way to championships. They start with Arkansas in what might be the most expensive ticket for the week.
Arkansas: 23.4%
There might not be a fan base in college sports that needs a championship more than Arkansas Baseball. In 128 years they've never ended their season with a win in Omaha. 12 CWS appearances, 8 since 2004 the "Omahogs" are hungry. They have one of the best head coaches in Dave Van Horn, a golden spikes finalist, a huge fan base, loads of NIL money, a picturesque ball park, unlimited energy, and momentum from knocking off last year's national champion in Supers. They are a dangerous mix of resource royalty and an underdog role of never having won it. Starting with the best odds in the field, the winner of the Arkansas v LSU game becomes the easy favorite for what that's worth.
Arizona: 3.9%
Does any program in America punch above their weight in the post season more than those pesky Wildcats? With 4 National Championships, 4 runner up, and 19 CWS appearances there is no denying that this program is a blue blood. I wasn't around for those early seasons but in my 40 years I don't think UofA has ever looked like a power in April. Somehow they sure get hot at the right time. This season is a perfect example. I didn't see them as an Omaha team in April. I didn't see them as an Omaha team in the B12 tournament. I didn't see them as an Omaha team after getting dominated on the road in the UNC Super Regional, but here they are. An Omaha team. Like Oregon State and Coastal Carolina, the Wildcats are managed by an alumnus who won a ring with the program before eventually becoming the coach. And like Oregon State and Coastal they are in Omaha after losing a National Championship caliber coach. UofA has the worst odds in the field.
UCLA: 12.9%
John Savage is in his 21st season at UCLA. In his 20th season, some began to wonder if the game had passed him. When UCLA hired him in 2005 from Irvine, the Bruins had been playing baseball since 1920 and been to only 2 CWS. Existing in the shadow of cross town rival USC as well as ASU and UofA the Bruins just didn't break through. By 2010 Savage started a dominant 4 year stretch with 3 CWS, 1 national runner up, and 1 National Championship. Then followed 10 seasons with only 1 Super regional and was capped off last season by missing the post season all together. But, Savage quietly stacked his roster last season with a super freshman class that took their lumps and is now in Omaha as super sophomores. He's still got it and with his entire roster scheduled to return next season including Golden Spikes and #1 overall draft pick favorite Roch Cholowski (Chandler Hamilton, AZ) expectations will be high in Westwood. Their game against Murray State is as close to must win as a game 1 can be in Omaha. If they lose they would face the loser of the Ark v LSU game and need to run the table in a crazy bracket. If they beat Murray State then they would advance in the winners bracket to face a beat up SEC team.
Murray State: 5.6%
A season for the ages. The Racers had not won a single post season game since 1979. They've never been to a Super Regional and they find themselves in Omaha. They've only been to the post season 2 times.... ever. The head coach at Coastal Carolina was clear when he said that his team was not a Cinderella, they are a national power. Well, Murray State doesn't really have a choice. They are the ultimate Cinderella. It would be like NAU Basketball making the Elite 8. Truly a great story. Head Coach Dan Skirka is in season #6 and his arch looks similar to what we are seeing from Bloomquist.
Louisville: 7%
In 98 baseball seasons before hiring head coach Dan McDonnell the Cardinal had been to Omaha exactly 0 times. He's now taken them there 6 times. Before being hired he was an assistant coach for 14 seasons at the Citadel and Ole Miss. He must have interviewed well because there was nothing special about his resume. He's been a home run hire though. In 2 of their first 3 games this season Louisville beat Texas and run ruled UofA. They also took series from North Carolina and Florida State so they are battle tested.
In 1995 Coastal Carolina hired a baseball coach who played at Coastal by the name of Gary Gillmore. He was the only person in all of baseball that believed he could build a program that could compete with Clemson and South Carolina. By 1997 he had just finished his second season at CCU and no longer believed he could do it. He interviewed to leave coaching and become an elementary PE teacher. With his signed elementary school teacher contract in hand, he drove to accept the job. On the way he found his car pulling into his church parking lot to talk with his friend and preacher. 2 hours later the contract was torn up and Gillmore went to his office (a FEMA trailer you'd see on a construction site) and went to work building the Chanticleers. Decades later he not only competed with his in state rivals, he won a National Championship over the Arizona Wildcats. He's now retired and the torch has been passed to fellow Coastal Alum Kevin Schnall who has CCU back in Omaha in year 1. Kevin Schnall not only played at CCU but has been an assistant there for 15+ years and was a part of that National Championship coaching staff. They say really good leaders win a lot and great leaders build a program that can win after they leave. This season cements Gary Gillmore as a great leader.
Oregon State: 13.3%
Referred to as a "New Blood" the Beavers have had tremendous success in the internet era. I would have died on the hill of Oregon State falling after losing legendary head coach Pat Casey and pitching coach Nate Yeskie but here they are. Anchored by program all time HR and RBI leader LF Gavin Turley (Chandler, AZ), RF Easton Talt (Sunrise Mt, AZ), and 2B AJ Singer (Mt Ridge, AZ) it's not difficult to see how the rise of Oregon State in some ways has coincided with the drop-off in Tempe. Like Gillmore at Coastal, Pat Casey spent 10 years building Oregon State before he became an overnight success winning 3 NCs. Like Gilmore, he has been replaced by an alumnus with a NC ring. Mitch Canham having won 2 as a player in 06' and 07'.
LSU: 13.7%
The clear Blue Blood of the field. With 7 championships and 20 CWS appearances they are elite. Even more impressive, everyone of those appearances have happened after ASU's last championship in 1981. Current head coach Jay Johnson won a national championship with LSU in 2023 riding the arm of Paul Skenes. Some may know that before Skenes went to LSU he was actually committed to Willie Bloomquist and ASU for a short time before his dad stepped in and helped LSU. Many of us remember Gorilla Ball in the late 90s when LSU ignored a traditional lineup and recruited as many clean up hitters as they could find on their way to championships. They start with Arkansas in what might be the most expensive ticket for the week.
Arkansas: 23.4%
There might not be a fan base in college sports that needs a championship more than Arkansas Baseball. In 128 years they've never ended their season with a win in Omaha. 12 CWS appearances, 8 since 2004 the "Omahogs" are hungry. They have one of the best head coaches in Dave Van Horn, a golden spikes finalist, a huge fan base, loads of NIL money, a picturesque ball park, unlimited energy, and momentum from knocking off last year's national champion in Supers. They are a dangerous mix of resource royalty and an underdog role of never having won it. Starting with the best odds in the field, the winner of the Arkansas v LSU game becomes the easy favorite for what that's worth.
Arizona: 3.9%
Does any program in America punch above their weight in the post season more than those pesky Wildcats? With 4 National Championships, 4 runner up, and 19 CWS appearances there is no denying that this program is a blue blood. I wasn't around for those early seasons but in my 40 years I don't think UofA has ever looked like a power in April. Somehow they sure get hot at the right time. This season is a perfect example. I didn't see them as an Omaha team in April. I didn't see them as an Omaha team in the B12 tournament. I didn't see them as an Omaha team after getting dominated on the road in the UNC Super Regional, but here they are. An Omaha team. Like Oregon State and Coastal Carolina, the Wildcats are managed by an alumnus who won a ring with the program before eventually becoming the coach. And like Oregon State and Coastal they are in Omaha after losing a National Championship caliber coach. UofA has the worst odds in the field.
UCLA: 12.9%
John Savage is in his 21st season at UCLA. In his 20th season, some began to wonder if the game had passed him. When UCLA hired him in 2005 from Irvine, the Bruins had been playing baseball since 1920 and been to only 2 CWS. Existing in the shadow of cross town rival USC as well as ASU and UofA the Bruins just didn't break through. By 2010 Savage started a dominant 4 year stretch with 3 CWS, 1 national runner up, and 1 National Championship. Then followed 10 seasons with only 1 Super regional and was capped off last season by missing the post season all together. But, Savage quietly stacked his roster last season with a super freshman class that took their lumps and is now in Omaha as super sophomores. He's still got it and with his entire roster scheduled to return next season including Golden Spikes and #1 overall draft pick favorite Roch Cholowski (Chandler Hamilton, AZ) expectations will be high in Westwood. Their game against Murray State is as close to must win as a game 1 can be in Omaha. If they lose they would face the loser of the Ark v LSU game and need to run the table in a crazy bracket. If they beat Murray State then they would advance in the winners bracket to face a beat up SEC team.
Murray State: 5.6%
A season for the ages. The Racers had not won a single post season game since 1979. They've never been to a Super Regional and they find themselves in Omaha. They've only been to the post season 2 times.... ever. The head coach at Coastal Carolina was clear when he said that his team was not a Cinderella, they are a national power. Well, Murray State doesn't really have a choice. They are the ultimate Cinderella. It would be like NAU Basketball making the Elite 8. Truly a great story. Head Coach Dan Skirka is in season #6 and his arch looks similar to what we are seeing from Bloomquist.
Louisville: 7%
In 98 baseball seasons before hiring head coach Dan McDonnell the Cardinal had been to Omaha exactly 0 times. He's now taken them there 6 times. Before being hired he was an assistant coach for 14 seasons at the Citadel and Ole Miss. He must have interviewed well because there was nothing special about his resume. He's been a home run hire though. In 2 of their first 3 games this season Louisville beat Texas and run ruled UofA. They also took series from North Carolina and Florida State so they are battle tested.
