Who makes College World Series? Experts predict NCAA Baseball Tournament super regional winners
A trip to Omaha, Nebraska, is just two wins away for eight teams in the NCAA Baseball Tournament this week as the event enters super regional play.
Eight schools will host best-of-three series Friday through Monday, with the winners advancing to the College World Series in Omaha to play for the national championship.
Four experts from the USA TODAY Sports Network have picked the super regional winners. Here are their projections:
More: The NCAA Super Regional bracket is set. Here’s how we reseeded the 16 teams still standing
More: Tennessee baseball sends warning shot in taking Knoxville Regional: Lead the Vols at your own risk
Blacksburg Super Regional
Oklahoma: The Sooners become an Omaha surprise after surging at the end of the season. – Aria Gerson, The Tennessean
Virginia Tech: The No. 4 seed Hokies swept a fairly easy draw in their regional. Oklahoma has pitched well this postseason, but Virginia Tech has the offense to change that. – Christina Long, Southwest Times Record
Virginia Tech: Oklahoma is hot, but Virginia Tech can absolutely mash. In their last 14 home games, the Hokies are averaging 8.9 runs per game with a 13-1 record. – Nick Suss, Jackson (Miss.) Clarion Ledger
Virginia Tech: Virginia Tech is the No. 4 national seed but might be the second-best team heading toward Omaha. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
Chapel Hill Super Regional
Arkansas: The Razorbacks’ past Omaha experience comes in handy as they book another trip back. – Aria Gerson, The Tennessean
Arkansas: The Razorbacks lived up to their potential in the Stillwater Regional and proved they have the clutch hitting and bullpen needed to win. – Christina Long, Southwest Times Record
North Carolina: The Tar Heels are playing as well as anyone right now. If the Arkansas offense that exploded in the Stillwater Regional shows up, things should be interesting, but North Carolina is the more consistent team. – Nick Suss, Jackson (Miss.) Clarion Ledger
Arkansas: The Razorbacks finally looked like a juggernaut in dropping Oklahoma State. UNC was not great. Arkansas moves on. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
College Station Super Regional
Texas A&M: The Aggies are one of the few teams that can match Louisville’s offensive prowess, and the Cardinals simply don’t have the pitching to keep up. – Aria Gerson, The Tennessean
Texas A&M: The Aggies swept their regional, and while Louisville will take one game, Texas A&M’s talented lineup and strong bullpen will win out. – Christina Long, Southwest Times Record
Texas A&M: It's hard to pick against the Aggies when they seem to never lose a three-game series. Texas A&M hasn't dropped a series since the first week of April and the Aggies' loaded offense will keep it that way. – Nick Suss, Jackson (Miss.) Clarion Ledger
Texas A&M: Louisville was uninspiring in its regional while dealing with a soft group featuring Oregon and Michigan. Texas A&M will roll. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
Corvallis Super Regional
Oregon State: The deep and talented Beavers will take advantage of the offense-suppressing weather conditions in Oregon to hold down Auburn’s lineup. – Aria Gerson, The Tennessean
Auburn: The Tigers' offense exploded to sweep a solid Auburn regional, while Oregon State had close games against Vanderbilt and New Mexico State. Auburn is swinging the bat too well to be denied. – Christina Long, Southwest Times Record
Oregon State: The Beavers' arms end up being a little too much for Auburn in what could be the most evenly-fought super regional. Auburn proved its dominance in regionals, but Oregon State's deep pitching staff is more than capable of slowing the Tigers down. – Nick Suss, Jackson (Miss.) Clarion Ledger
Auburn: This might be the most intriguing matchup in the super round. Auburn looks like the better team going in and is playing elite baseball. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
Greenville Super Regional
East Carolina: The Pirates hold the record for most tournament appearances without making it to Omaha. But they have looked hungry enough to ensure that streak ends. – Aria Gerson, The Tennessean
East Carolina: The Pirates are one of the hottest teams in college baseball and are hosting their first super regional. Exceptional bats and home-field advantage will get them to Omaha. – Christina Long, Southwest Times Record
Texas: The Longhorns are continuing to justify all the preseason praise. East Carolina isn't going to roll over in a home regional, but Texas has too much talent to end its season anywhere but Omaha. – Nick Suss, Jackson (Miss.) Clarion Ledger
Texas: The Longhorns have a great blend of pitching and hitting, making them a threat not only in supers but in the College World Series. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
Hattiesburg Super Regional
Southern Miss: The Golden Eagles’ exceptional pitching staff will play perfectly in the super regionals. – Aria Gerson, The Tennessean
Ole Miss: The Rebels have beaten Southern Miss once this year and vastly improved in the second half of the season. They swept a tough regional and will make it to Omaha over the Golden Eagles. – Christina Long, Southwest Times Record
Southern Miss: Pitching depth always matters in the postseason, and Southern Miss has as much of it as anyone. The in-state showdown gets both teams amped up, but Southern Miss has the edge because of its options on the mound. – Nick Suss, Jackson (Miss.) Clarion Ledger
Southern Miss: The in-state matchup is fun. Ole Miss is coming on nicely, but Southern Miss has been more consistent all season. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
Knoxville Super Regional
Notre Dame: Why not the Irish? Unseeded teams have proven especially dangerous to No. 1 overall seeds in super regionals, as 12 top seeds in the past 21 tournaments have been eliminated by an unseeded team, four of those in the supers. – Aria Gerson, The Tennessean
Tennessee: The Volunteers proved in their regional that they can both dominate and pull off a comeback. Their elite pitching and hitting will get them past an easy draw in Notre Dame. – Christina Long, Southwest Times Record
Tennessee: This Volunteers team is like a great Alabama football team: pick against it at your own risk. Notre Dame has the talent to keep up, but Tennessee's trip back to the College World Series feels inevitable. – Nick Suss, Jackson (Miss.) Clarion Ledger
Tennessee: The Vols were pushed in the regional by Campbell and Georgia Tech. That will serve them well moving forward toward Omaha. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
Stanford Super Regional
Stanford: The Cardinal faced a scare in its regional, but that will light a fire under Stanford as it makes it back to Omaha. – Aria Gerson, The Tennessean
Stanford: UConn vs. Stanford is a battle of the Huskies’ excellent pitching staff and Stanford’s big bats. The Cardinal’s pitching depth and offense will get it through. – Christina Long, Southwest Times Record
Stanford: UConn is a fun story. Stanford is a powerhouse. The Cardinal's arms are overpowering and the Huskies come up short of their Cinderella run. – Nick Suss, Jackson (Miss.) Clarion Ledger
Stanford: UConn emerged from a tough College Park Regional with Wake Forest and Maryland. But Stanford is better than those teams and is better than a good UConn lineup. – Mike Wilson, Knoxville News Sentinel
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: NCAA Baseball tournament super regional predictions: Who makes CWS?
