Latest news with #GreatestShowonDirt
Newsweek
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
NCAA College World Series Odds: Arkansas, LSU Open As Betting Favorites
Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn's Razorbacks are one of the College World Series betting favorites after taking down reigning champ Tennessee in the Super Regional. Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn's Razorbacks are one of the College World Series betting favorites after taking down reigning champ Tennessee in the Super Regional. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Starting this Friday, June 13, NCAA College World Series host Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska, will once again take center stage for college baseball fans. Eight teams -- including Coastal Carolina, Arizona, Oregon State and Louisville in Bracket 1 and Arkansas, LSU, UCLA and Murrray State in Bracket 2 -- have a chance to be crowned national champs after surviving Regional and Super Regional play over the last few weeks. This year's edition of the "Greatest Show on Dirt" will run from June 13-23*, with Coastal Carolina vs. Arizona (2 p.m. ET on ESPN) and Oregon State vs. Lousville (7 p.m. ET on ESPN) getting the party started on Friday. *Games 1 and 2 of the best-of-three CWS Championship Series are scheduled for Saturday, June 21, and Sunday, June 22. If a decisive Game 3 is necessary, that will take place Monday, June 23. NCAA College World Series Futures Odds FanDuel DraftKings bet365 Arkansas (Bracket 2) +200 +195 +210 LSU (Bracket 2) +230 +230 +240 Coastal Carolina (Bracket 1) +650 +600 +550 Oregon State (Bracket 1) +650 +650 +600 UCLA (Bracket 2) +850 +900 +800 Arizona (Bracket 1) +1400 +1400 +900 Louisville (Bracket 1) +1600 +1700 +1100 Murray State (Bracket 2) +3500 +4500 +4000 SEC powers Arkansas (the highest remaining seed in the field) and LSU have the shortest odds to win the national championship. Oddsmakers aren't exactly sleeping on Coastal Carolina, Oregon State and UCLA, though. Each of those teams boasts CWS winner odds as short as +800. The longshots entering this year's College World Series are Arizona, Louisville and Murray State. Louisville got to Omaha by taking down conference rival Miami, 3-2, in Game 3 of its home Super Regional. Neither Arizona -- which took down North Carolina in the Chapel Hill Super Regional -- nor Murray State, which upset Duke in the Durham Super Regional, should be written off after both won their super regional matchups as road 'dogs. College World Series Picks, Best Bets Can Arkansas And LSU Maintain SEC's Recent Dominance? The SEC sent four teams to Omaha a year ago, including eventual champ Tennessee and runner-up Texas A&M. The conference's incredible recent CWS track record is a big reason why Arkansas and LSU are this year's betting favorites. In six of the last seven College World Series, the national champ has hailed from the SEC: Tennessee in 2024, LSU in 2023, Ole Miss in 2022, Mississippi State in 2021, Vanderbilt in 2019 and Florida in 2017. Oregon State, in 2018, was the last non-SEC team to win the Men's College World Series. Remarkably, last year marked the fourth all-SEC national title championship series in seven years. The 2023 (LSU over UF), 2021 (Mississippi State over Vanderbilt) and 2017 (Florida over LSU) national titles also were decided by all-SEC affairs in the CWS Championship Series. 2025 College World Series Best Bet: Why LSU Will Win It All With LSU and Arkansas meeting in Bracket 2, we already know that a maximum of one SEC team will reach this year's final. Our money is on LSU, which went 48-15 (19-11 SEC) this year. The Tigers blew out West Virginia 16-9 and 12-5 in two meetings in the Baton Rouge Super Regional last weekend. In six games across Regional and Super Regional Play, the Tigers scored 61 runs total while plating at least seven in all but one of those contests. The biggest reason to fade LSU is probably the fact that it will have to get by familiar foe Arkansas in Bracket 2. These teams will go head-to-head to open play in Omaha on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Tigers took two of three from the Razorbacks when these teams met in Baton Rouge in early May, including a 13-3 mercy rule victory in seven innings on May 10. With that in mind, LSU strikes me as the best bet to make it out of Bracket 2 ahead of not only Arkansas, but also UCLA and Murray State. Another reason to like the Tigers is the strong pitching they've gotten all year from top starters Kade Anderson (11-2, 2.74 ERA) and Anthony Eyanson (10-1, 3.58 ERA). In a hypothetical final against whoever comes out of Bracket 1 -- whether that's Coastal Carolina, Arizona, Oregon State or Louisville -- I like LSU's bats and the dominant pitching duo of Anderson and Eyanson to carry the program to its second natty in the last three years. Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
How long are NCAA softball tournament lightning delays? Weather update protocols
How long are NCAA softball tournament lightning delays? Weather update protocols Show Caption Hide Caption Legally blind pitcher Jenica Matos to play D1 softball The Cheshire High School star in Connecticut can't see home plate but threw three no-hitters last year and will play Division I for the Red Storm. Over the last handful of seasons, the NCAA softball tournament has delivered fireworks as 64 teams compete for one of the coveted eight spots in Oklahoma City and play for the eventual national championship. After all, it is called the "Greatest Show on Dirt" for a reason. But that isn't the only thing the NCAA softball tournament delivers over its near month-long run from regionals, super regionals and the Women's College World Series. As sure as softball will be played in the months of May and June, there also will be weather delays as the humid weather rolls in. REQUIRED READING: Who's in Super Regionals? Updated bracket, schedule for NCAA softball tournament Here's what you need to know about lightning delays and what they mean during the NCAA softball tournament: NCAA Softball lightning delay, explained NCAA rules state that if lightning strikes within at least six miles of the venue of the event, the game must be suspended. In addition, the NCAA uses the "Flash to Bang" method, meaning if lightning is observed, count the seconds until thunder is heard and divide the number of seconds by five to obtain the distance in miles. That means that if thunder is heard 30 seconds after the lightning strike, the storm is six miles away, therefore initiating a delay. "To resume athletics activities, lightning safety experts recommend waiting 30 minutes after both the last sound of thunder and after the last flash of lightning is at least six miles away, and moving away from the venue," the NCAA states. "If lightning is seen without hearing thunder, lightning may be out of range and therefore less likely to be a significant threat. At night, be aware that lightning can be visible at a much greater distance than during the day as clouds are being lit from the inside by lightning. This greater distance may mean that the lightning is no longer a significant threat. At night, use both the sound of thunder and seeing the lightning channel itself to decide on when to reset the 30-minute return-to-play clock before resuming outdoor athletics activities." NCAA Softball lightning delay proximity of strike Closest proximity: Six miles Six miles Farthest proximity: Eight miles The NCAA notes that for a lightning delay to be issued, a lightning strike needs to be seen and heard within at least six miles of the stadium and as far as eight miles. How long is a lightning delay in softball? Lightning delay length: 30 minutes Once lightning is detected in the area and the game goes into a lightning delay, it is either delayed or suspended for approximately 30 minutes. However, that 30-minute clock can be altered. For every lightning strike that follows the initial lightning strike, the 30-minute clock is reset. NCAA softball, WCWS weather policy Knowing the likelihood of a weather delay, especially in the spring/summer, the NCAA has a fully written-out weather policy on what should happen for a WCWS game. Here's a closer look at the NCAA's weather policy for the NCAA softball tournament and the NCAA's other outdoor sports:
