The eight-team Men's College World Series field is set. Here's a quick summary of each team's season and how they clinched a spot in Omaha, as well as some names to know heading into the MCWS.
BRACKET: See the Men's College World Series field
Florida (50-15)
How the season went: The Gators have been one of the nation's strongest teams all season, consistently towards the top of rankings. They finished 20-10 in SEC play, winning eight of 10 series against conference foes. They bowed out of the SEC Tournament to Vanderbilt but still earned the No. 2 seed.
Florida won four of five in the Gainesville Regional and swept South Carolina in the super, exacting revenge on the Gamecocks for the regular season sweep the Gators suffered in Columbia.
Who stood out: On the mound, Hurston Waldrep and Brandon Sproat have been consistent workhorses as starters, each approaching 100 innings on the season. Waldrep is in great form, going a career-high eight IP to close out South Carolina in the Super Regional. The likes of Phillip Abner and closer Brandon Neely are also rock solid in the bullpen.
The Gators have plenty of talent in the lineup. Wyatt Langford and Josh Rivera are both on-base machines with real power and three other Gators have double-digit home runs.
Among all the stars on this team though, Jac Caglianone is the main event. His two-way play has grabbed headlines with his ability to hit for average and power combined with his electrifying stuff on the mound. There's a reason he's one of three Golden Spikes Award finalist.
🏆: Updates from the 2023 DI baseball championship
LSU (48-15)
How the season went: The Tigers were about as unanimous as any preseason No. 1 in recent memory. They lived up to lofty expectations most of the season, holding the No. 1 ranking for months. A below-par May dropped them down a few pegs.
Entering the NCAA Tournament as the No. 5 seed, LSU has rounded back into form, winning five straight on the road to Omaha.
Who stood out: Where do we start? At the plate, it's Dylan Crews. His slash line jumps off the page: .433 batting average, .570 OBP, 17 HRs and 64 RBIs — stats worthy of a Golden Spikes finalist nomination.
Tommy White leads the team in homers (22) and RBI (97) with an average of .377. It's far from a two-man show, though — six other Tigers have driven in at least 40 runs this season.
In case you were wondering the third Golden Spikes finalist, it's LSU's star ace Paul Skenes. He's truly a spectacle on the mound, overpowering hitters with triple-digit fastballs and then fooling them with his strikeout pitches.
Even when the ball isn't in Skenes' hand, it doesn't get any easier against the LSU bullpen.
Oral Roberts (51-12)
How the season went: The Golden Eagles are possibly the hottest team in baseball. They won their final 15 games of the regular season to win the Summit League regular season title, won three to win the conference tournament, then swept the Stillwater Regional.
Winners of 21 in a row, they took an eight-run lead against Oregon in the Super Regional opener — in the first inning. Then proceeded to blow it, losing on a walk-off.
With their season on the line, the Eagles flipped the script, walking off the Ducks to force a Game 3 they would win 11-6 to become just the third regional 4-seed to ever reach Omaha.
Who stood out: The Eagles may have lost their 21-game win streak, but Jonah Cox's 47-game hitting streak remains. It's the third-longest in DI baseball history, and with one win at the MCWS, could reach the 50-game mark.
Oral Roberts has three spectacular starters with one absolutely unhittable reliever: Cade Denton. The big right-hander can close out any lead as well as he can provide some long relief, all while keeping batters to a .210 average.
Stanford (44-18)
How the season went: The Cardinal has been the class of the Pac-12 all season, taking eight of 10 conference series. Stanford was blitzed out of the conference tournament but still earned the No. 8 seed.
After fighting back from a loss in the regional to move on, the Cardinal met Texas in the Super Regional. A Game 1 loss at home meant another comeback needed to happen — and those two wins will live on forever.
With the season on the line, Quinn Mathews hurled 156 pitches and struck out 16 batters in a complete game win for the ages. Then, in the winner-take-all, an all-time wacky finish.
Who stood out: Mathews is no stranger to marathon outings, even if the 156 smashed his previous career high. He's thrown over 100 pitches in all but two starts this season and racked up 120 innings — nearly double anyone else on the staff.
The Cardinal's lineup is highlighted by Alberto Rios, the Pac-12 Player of the Year and leader in several statistical categories. He has been the dynamic bat at the center of many of Stanford's offensive showcases this season. Expect him to do the same in Omaha.
TCU (42-22)
How the season went: TCU is a tale of two seasons. Sitting at 23-20 on May 1, the Frogs have won all but two games since and rode their red-hot offense to a Big 12 Tournament title.
TCU has yet to lose in the postseason and come to Omaha on an 11-game winning streak, giving Oral Roberts a run for the title of the hottest team.
Who stood out: The power comes from Brayden Taylor, but the baserunners are by committee. Seven different Frogs sport an on-base percentage over .400. Cole Fontenelle is perhaps the best all-around bat in the lineup.
🔥@ColeFontenelle Super Regional:⁰
— TCU Baseball (@TCU_Baseball) June 12, 2023
.714 (5-for-7) | 2 2B | 2 HR | 3 RBI#FrogballUSA | #GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/1M0piwsQGe
The TCU pitching rotation has seen plenty of adjustments throughout a tumultuous season. The one constant presence has been Kole Klecker, the Frogs' ace. His numbers are strong all around, none more than his .209 opponent batting average.
Tennessee (43-20)
How the season went: These Vols ran hot and cold all season. Long win streaks seemed as common as three or four losses in quick succession. They lasted just one day in the SEC Tournament.
On the road in the regional, Tennessee swept the field, including an all-time wild win over No. 3 Clemson in 14 innings.
On the road again in the next round, the Vols fought back from a Game 1 loss and several weather delays to reach Omaha at the expense of Southern Miss.
Who stood out: In such a well-balanced offense, it's hard to pick just one name, but Christian Moore is well-rounded, hitting for average, power and disciplined at the plate, too. There's plenty of power spread around the lineup, though the brute force of a Blake Burke home run is quite the spectacle.
The Vols have some electric talent in the bullpen, too. Chase Burns has shifted from the rotation to be a stellar reliever with triple-digit heat. Andrew Lindsay has been Tennessee's best starter after stepping in midseason to join a good 1-2 punch in Drew Beam and Chase Dollander.
Virginia (50-13)
How the season went: The Hoos have reached the 50-win mark for the fifth time and the first since 2014. They have been around the top of the ACC all season and won the Coastal Division regular-season title, but bowed out to North Carolina in the ACC Tournament.
After sweeping its home regional, Virginia dropped the first super regional game to ACC foe Duke. But the Hoos' bats turned up to flip the script, winning Games 2 and 3 by 10 runs each to advance.
💣 Things just got 𝐍𝐔𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑 in Charlottesville!
— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) June 11, 2023
EA gets his third homer of the tournament!
📺ESPN 2 | #GoHoos | #RoadToOmaha pic.twitter.com/my7LW5jcas
Who stood out: UVA has six starters who have yet to miss a game this season, a great mark of consistency. The standout of the group is Kyle Teel, the nation's best catcher and one of the best players period. It's saying something to stand out among six other hitters hitting .300.
On the mound, all three UVA starters are money, which means the bullpen must be gold. Jake Berry, Jay Woolfolk, Evan Blanco — all three are dynamite in relief. Most leads are safe in the hands of these three.
Wake Forest (52-10)
How the season went: The nation's No. 1 seed has been playing like it for months now. Wake Forest overtook LSU for top spot late in the season, but the Deacons have been playing like the team to beat for months.
There are too many program records to list here, but this should summarize it well: this team is likely the best in program history and has been on a historic tear. The team's +59 run differential in the NCAA Tournament is the best of all-time entering the MCWS.
Who stood out: The name is Rhett Lowder. Wake Forest's ace on the mound has befuddled batters all season. The Deacons have yet to lose a game he has started, and he's completed six innings in all but two. He's racked up accolades as the leader of an all-around dominant pitching staff.
At the plate, there are two names to mention: Nick Kurtz and Brock Wilken. Both get on base in more than half of their at-bats. The former leads the team in average, the latter in home runs and RBIs.
Alongside them are Pierce Bennett and Justin Johnson, who each have driven in 60+ runs this season.
