Friday, June 17, 2005

College World Series Preview Part 2

A rundown of the teams in bracket 2

Tulane - The overall #1 seed boasts a pitching staff that includes Astros #1 overall draftee Brian Bogusevic and Micah Owens. The batting order is one of the best in the nation. And they beat a recent former national champ in Rice to get here.

Texas - probably the weakest hitting team in this half of the bracket (although their numbers may be as much a product of Disch-Falk Field as anything), they are 4th in the nation in ERA. There's a lot of concern about starting pitching depth, however, and that can kill you in a double-elimination tournament. Plus, they may have to face Baylor twice to get out of the bracket, and the Longhorns have lost all 4 games against the Bears this year. They do, however have the best closer in Brent Cox and one of the best catchers in terms of handling a pitching staff in Taylor Teagarden.

Baylor - Baylor's offense is more about speed and hitting than power. What gets the job done is their pitching staff, led by Mark McCormick and Trey Taylor and features "co-closers" Ryan LaMotta and Abe Woody.

Oregon State - Another team that relies on speed rather than power. Like the other Pac-10 rep, they aren't very impressive and could be a candidate for "2 and barbecue".

The Picks
Bracket 1: Nebraska, probably the best overall team in the tournament
Bracket 2: Tulane, can't deny with the talent they have, even if they haven't been to Omaha before.
National Champ: Nebraska over Tulane 2-1

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