The field is set, bags are being packed, and the final eight teams have one destination left . . . Omaha.
Friday, June 13 marks the start of the 2025 College World Series at Charles Schwab Field, and if you’re looking for storylines, this year’s field delivers.
Get to know the Omaha Eight: Odds via Circa Sports
- LSU Tigers (48–15) — #11 RPI, #39 SOS (+199)
- Arkansas Razorbacks (48–13) — #1 RPI, #11 SOS (+225)
- Oregon State Beavers (47–14) — #5 RPI, #33 SOS (+545)
- Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (53–11) — #3 RPI, #54 SOS (+625)
- UCLA Bruins (47–16) — #9 RPI, #22 SOS (+1000)
- Arizona Wildcats (44–19) — #19 RPI, #40 SOS (+1800)
- Louisville Cardinals (40–22) — #29 RPI, #25 SOS (+2900)
- Murray State Racers (43–15) — #53 RPI, #193 SOS (+4000)
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Bracket One
Over in Bracket One, you’ve got a wild mix of contenders.
Louisville makes their sixth trip to Omaha under Dan McDonnell. Louisville finds themselves in Omaha after running through the Nashville Regional with #1 overall seed, Vanderbilt. The Cardinals are proving that they have the bats with a good mix of pitching depth. The other non-host to make it are the Arizona Wildcats, who showed a ton of resiliency after dropping Game One of the Super Regional against North Carolina 18-2, only to bounce back and win the next two. The Wildcats are red-hot and peaking at the right time.
As for the hosting seeds, you have Oregon State, who is seeking their fourth national title and look to be as dangerous as ever. Mixing a great offense with dependable pitching has the Beavers in Omaha after knocking off Florida State in the Corvallis Super Regional. Last but not least, there’s the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers who find themselves back in Omaha for the first time since their amazing title run in 2016 after knocking off #4 National Seed, Auburn Tigers in a two game sweep.
Bracket Two
Let’s start with the most shocking member of Bracket Two (and the entire field) — the once #4 seed in the Oxford Regional: the Murray State Racers.
The Racers smashed their way through both Oxford and Duke to punch their ticket to Omaha, marking the program’s first appearance in the College World Series. They may not have the tradition or talent depth of others in the field, but based on what we’ve seen over the past two weekends, they should be considered anything but an underdog, but in a tough Bracket Two, we will see if their improbable run through the postseason continues.
Bracket Two also features three college baseball blue bloods who are no strangers to this stage.
LSU and Arkansas will represent the SEC, with LSU looking to recreate the magic of their 2023 national title run, while Arkansas seeks to finally capture a long-awaited championship for Dave Van Horn. The Razorbacks enter Omaha as the most complete team in the field — but LSU is right behind them.
Rounding out Bracket Two is UCLA, a program with rich postseason tradition that hasn’t been back to Omaha since their 2013 championship run. Quiet, experienced, and fundamentally sound — the Bruins are built to hang.
Betting Strategy
As much as we all like to follow trends, 2025 feels wide open.
That said, if you followed my formula from last season that predicted Texas A&M vs Tennessee in the final — Preseason Top 10, Team SIERA under 3.50, Team wRC+ over 100, a road record above .500, and a Top 25 SOS — Only Arkansas checks every box. A close second would be LSU, with a solid résumé outside their slightly weaker SOS (#39).
Here’s the twist: Arkansas and LSU not only share the same bracket — they open against each other. So one of the favorites is dropping into the loser’s bracket right out of the gate. If that team happens to be Arkansas, there’s likely going to be value in grabbing a futures ticket immediately after the loss. The Hogs have the pitching depth to climb back, whereas LSU’s third-game starter remains a question mark.
If you haven’t grabbed a futures ticket yet and are looking to get in now, my advice is simple: Take one or two teams from each side of the bracket.
The issue? In Bracket Two, Arkansas and LSU are short shots for a reason. But there’s a chance the value comes in the loser of that game — especially if the market overreacts.
Personally, I think the national championship series ends up being Arkansas or LSU vs. Oregon State or Arizona. So if I didn’t already have exposure, I’d be looking to back Arizona or Oregon State right now — But watch that LSU / Arkansas game closely to potentially grab a ticket on whoever loses (especially if it’s Arkansas).
Final Thoughts
Get ready for an unforgettable College World Series.
While the field might not include some of the teams we expected to see, it’s loaded with potential. Between proven winners, fresh blood, and deep rosters with something to prove, don’t be surprised if someone goes on a run that we’ll be talking about for years.
