Eight for Omaha - LSU on the Rise in Week 2 College World Series Outlook

We’re one week closer to the College World Series. We had some internal movement in our Eight for Omaha and learned a bit more about the nation’s elite teams.

Each weekend gives a bit more color to the national landscape of college baseball. The undefeated teams will slowly take their first losses, but the way they respond means more than any single defeat.

D1 Baseball released their latest rankings on February 27. Here’s their current top 10.

TCU
Florida
Florida State
LSU
South Carolina
NC State
Oregon State
North Carolina
Louisville
Texas Tech

Eight for Omaha – Week 2 Edition

1. Texas Christian (No. 1, 6-1, This Week: 3-1)

The Horned Frogs suffered their first defeat on Friday night at the hands of Arizona State over the weekend. Even in defeat, TCU looked incredibly impressive. Trailing by eight entering the ninth inning, TCU blasted three home runs to cut the deficit in half. TCU would win the series by taking the final two games. The Frogs aren’t perfect anymore, but I wouldn’t bet against them. They’ll face their toughest competition yet at Shriners’ College Classic in Houston this weekend.

2. LSU (No. 5, 7-1)

What’s better than one no-hitter? Two no hitters. Unfortunately for Jared Poche, and baseball fans, the LSU hurler came a few outs shy of the remarkable feat. With Poche being almost un-hitable and the Tiger offense pummeling all opponents, the Tigers look to be in midseason form.

3. North Carolina (No. 9, 7-0)

Undefeated is undefeated. Vanderbilt dropped from a series from Illinois-Chicago this past weekend. The Tar Heels took care of business, sweeping Radford. After dispatching SEC opponent Kentucky last weekend, North Carolina is continuing to play complete baseball.

4. Florida (No. 2, 3-1)

The Gators had one of the more intriguing series of the weekend, and they did not disappoint. Florida swept rival Miami over the weekend, but they didn’t have much help from their bats. While LSU was beating teams 14-0, 8-1, and 9-5, the Gators snuck by the Hurricanes by final scores of 1-0, 2-0, and 6-2.

5. Oregon State (No. 8, 7-1)

The Beavers took on a few Big Ten opponents this week and played well. In their first eight games, Oregon State has allowed 16 total runs. After dropping a contest to Ohio State thy rebounded with a 5-1 victory. Dominant pitching and a long lineup make the Beavers a threat not only to the West, but to the rest of the country.

6. NC State (No. 6)

The Wolfpack are led by starters Sean Adler (2-0, 0.87 ERA) and Tommy DeJuneas (1-0, 2.35 ERA). Many teams have proved all you need to win the College World Series is two good arms and timely hitting. NC State is still hunting for a Sunday starter, but they’re still capable of winning any series.

7. Florida State (No. 3)

Florida State has bounced back from an opening day loss, but they’re still working through the kinks. We won’t really see this team tested again until a pair of midweek games against UCF. FSU has plenty of time to tuneup their offense against some lighter competition.

8. Texas Tech (No. 11, 4-1)

The California Golden Bears aren’t expected to be as good as they have been in years past, but beating anyone four times in a weekend is a tough ask. That’s what the Red Raiders did over the weekend. They’ll face the Aggies, Horned Frogs, and Ole Miss at the Shriners’ College Classic. We’ll know a lot more about Texas Tech after that tournament.

Next: Aggies Climb in Week 2 D1 Baseball Ranks

Where are the Aggies?

If Texas A&M wants to crack the top 10, here’s there chance. The Aggies climbed into the top 15 this week, but they’ll face two of the teams in our Eight for Omaha in Houston. Texas A&M will be happy with a split, but their talented freshman will be out to show the belong in the national conversation.

***Ranks and Stats from D1 Baseball and Individual team pages***

Eight for Omaha – LSU on the Rise in Week 2 College World Series Outlook

By Matthew Bartlett | Mar 3, 2017