Louisville (40-22) returns to the College World Series for the sixth time in program history, beating Miami (FL) 3-2 in game three of the Louisville Super Regional.
Last Weekend in Cliff Notes
Louisville started the series with an 8-1 victory over Miami, led by two home runs from Jake Munroe and another from Garret Pike. Munroe led the team with a 2-for-3 showing at the plate, his two home runs also providing five RBIs.
Miami rebounded to take game two in a 9-6 victory, with Miami’s Jake Ogden and Daniel Cuvet each hitting a home run to power the Hurricanes.
Louisville then had a 3-2 victory in game three to secure the series. After trailing 2-0 in the third inning, the Cardinals tied the game in the fourth with an RBI single from Zion Rose, and a RBI on a fielder’s choice from Bayram Hot. Eddie King, Jr., who hit two home runs in game two of the series, delivered a go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning to put Louisville ahead for good.
Read more: Around the Bases: The 2025 College World SeriesRecaps and galleries for all three games can be found on our site as well:
College World Series Format, explained:
We’re going to change the format for this week’s ATB, and focus entirely on a preview of the 2025 College World Series field as well as the format.
Let’s start with the format of the series. Eight teams are now divided into two four-team brackets, both contested in a double-elimination format. Those brackets will play until two teams are left, with those two competing in a best-of-three series to determine the national champion.
College World Series Outlook: Louisville Cardinals
Louisville (40-22) is here after sweeping the Nashville Regional, beating ETSU, #1 Vanderbilt, and Wright State in order to advance to the Super Regional. They then beat Miami in their Super Regional to punch their ticket to the College World Series.
This is Louisville’s sixth College World Series appearance, their first since 2019, and they will be vying for their first ever national championship in baseball.
Louisville is the ACC’s lone representative in the CWS, and they’re led by a high-powered offense that features five qualifying players averaging over .300 batting, and four players with double digit home run totals. Eddie King, Jr. has been Louisville’s hottest batter in the postseason, batting 15-for-25 (.600) with five doubles, four home runs, and 13 RBIs in his last seven games. He also leads the team in batting average, doubles, and is one of two Louisville players with 60+ RBIs entering the CWS.
Louisville has also maintained its reputation as an aggressive team on the base paths, leading the CWS field with 155 stolen bases (the most among Power Four schools and seventh nationally). Lucas Moore (.353/.448/.476) leads the team with 51 stolen bases, and is one of two Louisville players in history with 50+ stolen bases in a single season. Zion Rose (.315/.401/.550) and Alex Alicea (.310/.451/.412) both have 30 stolen bases entering the CWS, with Rose also leading the team in RBIs (63).
Tague Davis (.286 batting, 50 RBIs) leads the team in home runs, also setting a Louisville modern freshman record with 18. Jake Munroe (.345/.457/.597, 13 doubles, 12 HRs, 58 RBIs) has been hitting superb in his last five games, going 8-for-17 (.471) with six RBIs, three home runs, one double and one triple in that stretch.
Louisville’s pitching has had issues with consistency in the regular season, but they have been excellent for most of the postseason. Patrick Forbes (4-2, 4.36 ERA) has 22 strikeouts and three earned runs in 11.2 innings during this postseason, while freshman Ethan Eberle has 14 strikeouts and two earned runs in 11.1 innings, including a career-high 11 against Wright State in the Nashville Regional Final. Jake Schweitzer (4-2, 2.15 ERA, three saves in 22 appearances) and Wyatt Danilowicz (0-1, 2.25 ERA, three saves in 26 appearances) are Louisville’s top right and left-handers in the bullpen, with Tucker Biven (3-0, 4.19 ERA in 21 appearances) rounding out the starting rotation.
College World Series Outlook: #8 Oregon State Beavers
After the Pac-12 saw nearly every member leave for other conferences entering the 2024-2025 season, #8 Oregon State (47-14-1) turned independent for this college baseball season. They became the first independent school since Miami (FL) in 2004 to advance to the College World Series, beating TCU, Saint Mary’s (CA), and USC (twice) in the Regional round, then beating #9 Florida State 2-1 in the Super Regional to advance.
Oregon State makes its eighth appearance in the College World Series (seventh since 2005), and will be going for its fourth national championship.
Aiva Arquette (.354 batting, 17 doubles, 18 home runs, 65 RBIs) carries a ten-game hit streak into the CWS, batting 19-for-45 (.422) with six doubles, six RBIs, and a home run in that stretch. Wilson Weber (.333 batting, 15 doubles, 12 home runs, 57 RBIs) also has a ten-game hit streak currently, with Gavin Turley (.346 batting) leading the team with 19 home runs and 66 RBIs. Jacob Krieg (.251 batting, nine doubles, 13 HRs, 35 RBIs) is 7-for-14 (.500) with a home run, double, and six RBIs in his last four games.
The Beavers are 20th nationally in team ERA (4.30), one of four teams in the CWS field that are top-20 nationally in that category (Coastal Carolina, Arkansas, LSU, Oregon State). Dax Whitney (6-3, 3.66 ERA) likely gets the start on Friday against Louisville, he’s coming off back-to-back games against TCU and Florida State where he had 10+ strikeouts and two or fewer earned runs allowed. Ethan Kleinschmit (8-4, 3.58 ERA) is allowing .195 at the plate, both he and Whitney also have 100+ strikeouts individually. Leif Palmer (2-0, 2.12 ERA in 17 appearances) is also allowing under .200 at the plate from the bullpen, holding opponents to a .175 batting average. Wyatt Queen (3-1, 3.35 ERA in 20 appearances) and Kellen Oakes (4-0, 3.60 ERA in 18 appearances) are two of Oregon State’s top relievers, Oakes has had shutouts in each of his last four appearances.
College World Series Outlook: Arizona Wildcats
Arizona (44-19) entered their first season in the Big 12 Conference and won its conference tournament, parlaying that into a 3-0 run in the Eugene Regional (beating Cal Poly twice and Utah Valley), then going on the road to beat #5 North Carolina in their last two games to upset the Tar Heels in the Super Regional (even after losing game one 18-2).
The Wildcats have made the College World Series 19 times, and have made the finals eight times with four national championships.
Mason White was one of two Arizona players named to the All Big-12 Second Team, leading the Wildcats in batting (.332), home runs (19), and RBIs (72), but has struck out 62 times to just 25 walks. He has six home runs and 13 RBIs in the postseason, including three homers on May 31st against Utah Valley. Aaron Walton (.320 batting, 22 doubles, 14 home runs, 49 RBIs) leads the team with 18 stolen bases, and has four home runs, three doubles, and nine RBIs in his last five games, batting 11-for-24 (.458) in that stretch.
Smith Bailey (3-3, 4.01 ERA) and Owen Kramkowski (9-6, 5.48 ERA) are Arizona’s two most notable starters, but their bullpen has been superb. Tony Pluta (3-0, 1.26 ERA, 14 saves in 28 appearances) earned First Team NCBWA All-American honors and will likely collect more All-American honors by the end of the season, allowing .183 batting at the plate and throwing 34 strikeouts to just seven walks. Julian Tonghini (5-2, 4.26 ERA in 22 appearances) and Garrett Hicks (5-0, 5.61 ERA in 32 appearances) have made frequent appearances from the bullpen.
College World Series Outlook: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
The Chanticleers (53-11) are one of two mid-major schools in the College World Series (Murray State is the other), and will be looking to claim their second national championship in as many CWS appearances. Coastal Carolina made their only CWS appearance in 2016 and won the national title, the last time that a mid-major school won the national championship in baseball.
Coastal Carolina rides a 23-game win streak into Omaha, and had a dominant run in both conference and tournament play. The Chanticleers went 26-4 in the Sun Belt and won both the regular season and conference titles, then went 3-0 in their regional beating Fairfield and East Carolina (twice), and just swept #4 Auburn on the road to advance to Omaha.
Coastal is here with arguably the nation’s best pitching staff; they are second nationally in team ERA (3.21), third in WHIP (1.19), eighth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.01), 34th in strikeouts per nine innings, and are holding opponents to .225 batting as a team. All three weekend starters have a sub-3.30 ERA, including Jacob Morrison, who is 11-0 with a 2.15 ERA, .93 WHIP, 95 strikeouts and holding opponents to .195 at the plate. Morrison won Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year honors and was named All-Sun Belt First Team as a pitcher, along with Cameron Flukey (7-1, 3.24 ERA, 106 strikeouts). Riley Elkhoff (6-2, 2.90 ERA) has also been strong as a third starter in the rotation.
Their bullpen has been equally outstanding, with Ryan Lynch (2-1, .59 ERA, eight saves in 26 appearances) leading the group. Dominick Carbone (6-0, 2.61 ERA, five saves in 25 appearances) earned All-Sun Belt Second Team honors and has thrown 48 strikeouts in 38 innings pitched. Matthew Potok (4-1, 2.55 ERA in 20 appearances) and Darin Horn (5-1, 2.96 ERA in 18 appearances) both have shutouts in seven of their last ten appearances, individually.
Caden Bodine (.332 batting, 18 doubles, 41 RBIs) earned All-Sun Belt First Team honors at catcher. Sebastian Alexander (.320 batting, 12 doubles, ten HRs, 53 RBIs, 27 SBs) is batting 10-for-17 (.588) with five RBIs, four doubles, and a home run in his last four games.
How to Watch / Listen:
Below is the entire CWS schedule for Louisville’s bracket, with Louisville’s games highlighted in bold:
- Friday, June 13th:
- Game 1: Coastal Carolina v. Arizona, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 2: Louisville v. Oregon State, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN / 93.9 The Ville
- Sunday, June 15th:
- Game 5: Game 1 v. Game 2 loser (elimination game), 2 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Game 6: Game 1 v. Game 2 winner, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Tuesday, June 17th:
- Game 9: Game 5 winner v. Game 6 loser, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Wednesday, June 18th:
- Game 11: Game 9 winner v. Game 6 winner, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Thursday, June 19th (if necessary):
- Game 11 rematch, TBD
