The College World Series gets underway Friday in Omaha, a field dominated by the SEC and ACC, the sport’s two superpowers in the postseason. This tournament marks the first time since 1948 — when the CWS was just a two-team matchup — only two conferences have seats at the table in Omaha.
No. 1 overall seed Tennessee, now at the CWS for the third time in four years, will take one of the most imposing lineups the sport has seen as the nation’s home-run leaders and to try finish it off under Tony Vitello for the program’s first title. One of the leading reasons why the SEC should win its fifth straight national championship this month, the Vols are joined by league titans Kentucky, Texas A&M and Florida at the CWS.
Kentucky is playing in Omaha for the first time, while the Gators are trying to win another title under veteran coach Kevin O’Sullivan despite being one of the final teams invited to the NCAA Tournament last month by the selection committee.
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Here are 10 reasons why one of the four remaining SEC teams will be the last squad standing as national champions in Omaha:
