Latest news with #MLB-level
USA Today
22-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
LSU wins NCAA baseball title: Winners and losers from College World Series
After winning a mesmerizing pitching duel in Saturday night's College World Series opener, LSU took advantage of Coastal Carolina's sloppy start and won, 5-3, on Sunday, June 22 to capture the eighth national championship in program history. The two-game sweep solidifies the Tigers' place among the very upper crust of college baseball. Only one program has won more: Southern California has won an even dozen, though none since 1998. For Coastal Carolina, it's a heartbreaking and disappointing end to what had been a dream run to the doorstep of the Chanticleers' second championship, following the 2016 team that came out of relative anonymity and defeated Arizona in the finals. Coastal Carolina head coach Kevin Schnall and first-base coach Matt Schilling were ejected in the first inning of Sunday's clincher for 'continued arguing about balls and strikes,' the NCAA said in a statement. Given where they started the year, though, and the lower expectations after an offseason coaching change, the appearance in Omaha opposite LSU establishes Coastal as maybe the best program outside the non-major conferences. Looking back at the entire tournament, here are the winners and losers from this year's CWS: WINNERS LSU Talent eventually won out. That was apparent on Saturday night, when LSU sophomore Kade Anderson put together the first complete-game shutout in the CWS finals since 2018 and just the third since the championship series was added into the tournament format in 2003. What the Tigers had was room for error — and more than enough athleticism and MLB-level ability to take advantage of any opportunity provided by the Chanticleers' missteps. Handed that opportunity on Sunday afternoon, LSU plated a run in the third and four in the fourth on a pair of two-run singles. Coastal Carolina The Chanticleers will always have that 23-game winning streak heading into Omaha, Nebraska, which passed the previous record heading into the College World Series set by Oregon State in 2017. They added three more to push that run to 26 games before meeting LSU. That the magic ran out in the best-of-three finals is the biggest source of disappoint from Coastal, which felt like a team of destiny in overcoming several big-name programs in the regional and super regional rounds before breezing through the double-elimination section of the World Series. The SEC LSU gives the SEC five national championships in a row: Vanderbilt in 2019, Mississippi State in 2021, Mississippi in 2022, the Tigers in 2023 and Tennessee last season. It hadn't been a picture-perfect tournament for the conference, which placed a record-setting 13 teams in the tournament but had just four reach the super regionals. The Tigers' win this weekend erases the league's inept run through the first two weekends and cements the SEC as the top baseball conference in the country. Murray State The Racers were the feel-good story of the tournament after making the program's CWS debut. Beyond a distinct lack of national success, Murray State simply wasn't expected to reach that stage even after booking a spot in the 64-team field: Underdogs in the Oxford regional against Mississippi, the Racers beat the Rebels to reach the program's first super regional and then rallied out of another hole with a pair of wins against Duke to become just the fourth regional No. 4 seed to reach Omaha. Gage Wood While Arkansas was unable to mount a winning streak and reach the finals, Wood had the tournament's defining moment with his epic 19-strikeout no-hitter against the Racers. The no-no was the first in Omaha since 1960 and his strikeout total set a new record for a nine-inning game. Before that performance, Wood had gone more than five innings in a start just once all season with just one start with double-digit strikeouts. LOSERS Arkansas The long dry run continues for the Razorbacks. Arkansas has now made 12 CWS appearances with two trips to the finals, tying North Carolina and Clemson for the second-most trips to Omaha without a national championship. This most recent exit stands among the most painful in program history, bested by the 2018 loss to Oregon State defined by a misplayed fly ball in foul ground. After scoring two runs in the top of the ninth to take a 5-3 lead in a must-win game against LSU on Wednesday, June 18, the Razorbacks allowed a two-run double that tied the score and then a walk-off single to loss 6-5. North Carolina The Tar Heels suffered maybe the most brutal loss of the super regionals in giving away the elimination game against Arizona. Ahead 3-1 heading into the eighth inning thanks to a three-run homer from senior Jackson Van De Brake, UNC coughed away the lead with a pair of errors on the infield. The first, on a grounder booted by Van De Brake, cost the Tar Heels a possible double play. After a pitching change, UNC committed a throwing error on the Wildcats' bunt attempt to move runners over, allowing a run to score. Another pitching change resulted in a two-run single that gave Arizona the lead and eventually the World Series berth. Kevin Schnall The former Coastal assistant pushed all the right buttons in piloting the Chanticleers to a record-setting win streak and to the doorstep of another national championship. But his ejection on Sunday threatens to overwrite his deft touch in reaching that point. Was he trying to motivate his team and raise the Chanticleers' energy after a tough-to-swallow defeat in the opener? While that might have been his intent, Coastal continued to play listlessly the rest of the way, especially at the plate. The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments by subscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter.
USA Today
13-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
College World Series: Best bets for Coastal Carolina vs Arizona, Louisville vs Oregon St
College World Series: Best bets for Coastal Carolina vs Arizona, Louisville vs Oregon St The College World Series kicks off in Omaha on Friday. The action begins with Coastal Carolina facing Arizona at 1 p.m. CT. Later, Oregon State takes on Louisville at 6 p.m. CT. Play in Bracket 2 won't start until Saturday, where UCLA faces Murray State and LSU meets Arkansas. Arkansas and LSU are considered the best two teams in the field. Both are stacked with MLB talent. Both squads are battle-tested, too, after playing through the grind of an SEC schedule. It would be a major upset if UCLA or Murray State found a way to win Bracket 2. Coastal Carolina and Oregon State make up the next tier. The Chanticleers and Beavers are seen as serious contenders in Bracket 1, while Arizona and Louisville are long shots. Baseball is a weird game, especially in the postseason. It's a fool's game to make predictions, but that's what we're going to do today. Here are your best bets for Friday's action at the College World Series. Coastal Carolina vs. Arizona U9 -115 Depending on where you look, you might see 8.5 as the total for this one. DraftKings still has it at nine runs with -115 odds. Charles Schwab can be hitter or pitcher friendly depending on the weather. The forecast on Friday isn't calling for a major breeze, so I don't expect the ball to be jumping out of the park. Coastal Carolina's pitching staff is one of the best in the country. It's a bad matchup for an Arizona lineup that ranked near the bottom of the Big 12 in runs per game. However, Arizona has the pitching and defense to compete. I don't see a lot of runs scored in this one. Pick: Under 9, -115 Oregon State -188 vs. Louisville Oregon State's moneyline sits between -185 and -200 as of Friday morning. You can find -188 at DraftKings. The Beavers will start freshman pitcher Dax Whitney. Whitney's stuff is electric with 111 strikeouts in 71.1 innings. He's posted double-digit K's in his last two NCAA Tournament outings. With Whitney on the mound, I like Oregon State's chances vs. Louisville. Pick: Oregon State moneyline, -188 Oregon State -1.5 vs. Louisville Along with Whitney on the mound, I feel good about Oregon State's lineup in this one. I have questions about Louisville's pitching staff, and the Beavers' lineup has MLB-level talent. Even if Louisville starter Patrick Forbes has a strong outing, Oregon State will get to the Louisville bullpen. You can find Oregon State -1.5 for +100 at BetMGM. Pick: Oregon State -1.5, +100 For those unfamiliar with the College World Series, here's a refresher on how the tournament works. How many teams are in the College World Series? Eight teams compete in the College World Series. Before reaching Omaha, teams must win a four-team double-elimination regional and a best-of-three super regional. Is the College World Series single elimination? No. The College World Series has two double-elimination brackets, much like the setup used in the regional round. A single loss is not the end of the world. How is the College World Series champion crowned? The winners of each four-team bracket meet in the College World Series final, which is a best-of-three series. A team could lose twice and still win it all. A loss in the opening bracket doesn't carry over to the final. 2025 College World Series teams Here are the eight teams set to compete in Omaha: Arkansas LSU UCLA Murray State Coastal Carolina Arizona Oregon State Louisville 2025 College World Series bracket Bracket 1 Bracket 1 features Coastal Carolina, Arizona, Oregon State, and Louisville. CCU vs. Arizona and Oregon State vs. Louisville are the first-round games. Bracket 2 Bracket 2 features UCLA, Murray State, Arkansas, and LSU. The first round games are UCLA vs. Murray State and LSU vs. Arkansas. 2025 College World Series Schedule
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cubs Analyst Says Twins' Lopez May Be More ‘Attainable' Than Marlins' Alcantara
If the Chicago Cubs decide to find a replacement in the starting rotation for an injured Justin Steele, there's a strong chance they'll go shopping at the deadline. The biggest name rumored to be moved is Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara, who will be a free agent at the end of the 2027 MLB season. Advertisement When healthy, the righty is one of the better starting pitchers in baseball, winning the National League Cy Young Award in 2022. However, in 2025, Alcantara is struggling, with a 6.56 ERA and 12 walks allowed in 23.1 innings. Another name floating around the rumor mill is Pablo Lopez of the Minnesota Twins, who was reinstated from the 15-day injured list and will start Friday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. On Friday, Bruce Levine of the Marquee Sports Network noted that he believes the Cubs could more easily acquire Lopez from the Twins than trade for Aclantara. Miami Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) pitches in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at loanDepot Rassol-Imagn Images "It would probably take an awful lot, a big package, to get Alcantara," Levine said on "Cubs Live!" a talk show on the Marquee Sports Network. "The Cy Young Award winner two years ago, and he was out all of last year, and now he's back finding his way." Advertisement Just a few moments later, Levine mentioned Lopez as a possible trade target for the Cubs. "Another pitcher that I think is more attainable is getting Pablo Lopez from the Minnesota Twins," Levine said. "The Twins' situation is really up in the air as far as ownership, and their record is nothing close to where they thought they would be, and Lopez might be the guy for them to get some money back. He has a contract for $21 million a year for the next three years." Before Lopez was placed on the injured list with a right hamstring strain on April 11, he allowed a combined three earned runs in his first three starts and struck out 14 in 16.2 innings. While Alcantara would undoubtedly be a significant upgrade to the Cubs' rotation, the Marlins could ask for a substantial return package involving MLB-level players and top 30 prospects. Related: Cubs' Craig Counsell Provides Ryan Pressly Update
New York Post
25-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Jayden Stroman is starring back home on LI in hopes of following Yankees star brother's footsteps
Jayden Stroman is a hit on Long Island. The younger brother of Yankees right-hander Marcus Stroman is following in the family business as a lights-out pitcher for Patchogue-Medford, where he is batting a cool .500 as he readies to play for Duke University next year. But you wouldn't know Stroman is baseball royalty just by looking at him — and that's exactly how the 12th grader wants it. Advertisement 'We're Raiders baseball, not Jayden Stroman baseball,' he told The Post during a Wednesday practice. 'It's all one team. I feel like there's not any guy that's above another, including myself.' Stroman enrolled in the Suffolk County public school after transferring from the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., where he spent 11th grade, following two years at Stony Brook Prep boarding school on the North Shore. Advertisement The choice to come home was simple. He wanted to 'be back with my own people,' like friends and trainers — plus 'mom's cooking' at home around the corner from school was an added incentive, Stroman said of his mother, Michaela. 4 Jayden Stroman, who can throw in the upper 90s, throws a pitch during a recent practice. Heather Khalifa for New York Post 'It was the best move for my development,' added the 17-year-old, who sees several pro scouts watch his games. 'I think this is the best spot, body-wise, that I've been anywhere so far.' Advertisement And the ball club, which was 7-2 entering Thursday, is stoked to have him. A gem on the diamond 'He's like a coach on the field with the guys,' manager Anthony Frascogna said. 'He brings a lot more than just his talent.' 4 Jayden Stroman is batting .500 as he readies to play for Duke University next year. Heather Khalifa for New York Post Over the winter, Stroman took it upon himself to work with his catcher, Brayden Davis, to acclimate the junior to MLB-level fastball speeds. Advertisement 'The first time I caught 97 from him, it stung a bit,' Davis joked. 'Now I'm pretty comfortable and it's fun working with him. … It's been great learning from him.' Fellow pitcher James Minutillo, a friend of Stroman's from middle school, is also grateful for the pitching advice he's gotten from the star athlete since he joined fall ball in 2024. 'He doesn't let you get down on yourself. He's always being positive,' Minutillo said. 'It was like he never left. It's great to be with him again.' 4 Jayden Stroman is hoping to follow the MLB footsteps of his brother Marcus Stroman. Bill Kostroun Beyond dominating on the field — Stroman struck out 12 in Saturday's 7-1 win over William Floyd — he has goals beyond baseball to complete by June. 'I'm trying to keep up all A's for sure,' said Stroman, who is course loaded with advanced placement classes. 'Make mom and dad proud when I walk across the stage at graduation. … You always got to have a plan B.' Dug out of love Spending time with his mom and dad, Earl Stroman, before college is a massive priority to No. 11. 'I get to work out with him every day, which is always cool because it's my last year being able to do that,' Stroman said. Advertisement 'And being able to see mom and give mom a hug every day after I come home, too, is also really cool.' 4 Jayden Stroman Heather Khalifa for New York Post Marcus is also keeping up with his little brother's varsity tenure as Jayden sends the Yankees pitcher lots of videos of his games. 'He lets me know what he thinks, he always tells me to stay on top of my arm care,' said Jayden. Advertisement 'But I try to keep it brother to brother because baseball takes up so much time. So it's very limited when you get that real family interaction.' Family legacy aside, Stroman is successfully making a name for himself at his new school, where, over the winter, he set Patchogue-Medford's 55-meter dash record as a track sprinter in the offseason to stay in prime condition. 'Everybody wants to get to the big leagues, so you've got to work to get there,' he said. 'Earned, not given, as cliché as it sounds. So you've got to be in there doing what you have to do detail-wise every day in order to be best of the best.'
