2025 record vs. CWS teams: 0-1.
Last CWS appearance: 2013.
All-time record in CWS: 9-9 in 5 appearances (won 2013 national title).
Meet the Bruins: C Cashel Dugger (.276, 3 HRs, 25 RBIs), 1B Mulivai Levu (.319, 12, 85), 2B Phoenix Call (.258, 3, 31), SS Roch Cholowsky (.367, 23, 73), 3B Roman Martin (.320, 9, 58), LF Dean West (.315, 4, 40), CF Payton Brennan (.304, 6, 39), RF AJ Salgado (.313, 12, 52), DH Blake Balsz (.246, 1, 24). Starting pitchers: RHP Michael Barnett (12-1, 4.09), RHP Landon Stump (6-1, 4.54), RHP Wylan Moss (2-1, 2.47). Relievers: RHP Jack O’Connor (3-0, 1.80), RHP August Souza (0-0, 5.40), RHP Easton Hawk (1-1, 4.84), LHP Chris Grothues (4-1, 4.94), RHP Cal Randall (2-1, 3.09), LHP Ian May (7-3, 5.00).
MLB alumni: Chris Chambliss, Todd Zeile, Jeff Conine, Bobby Grich, Chase Utley, Eric Karros, Brandon Crawford, Troy Glaus, Jackie Robinson, Don Slaught, Eric Byrnes, Shane Mack, Mike Magnante, Matt Young, Gerrit Cole, Trevor Bauer.
Short hops: Bruins were Big Ten regular-season co-champions in their first season in the league. … Their .372 batting average in the NCAA Tournament ranks first. … UCLA more than doubled its win total from 2024, when it went 19-33. … Cholowsky is Big Ten player of the year and defensive player of the year. … Cholowsky’s 23 home runs are the most by a Bruins player since Forrest Johnson in 2000. … Bruins lead the nation with 63 double plays.
Quotable: “We’re the only team that has gotten to play there. We have played in front of a big crowd there, too, which is useful. Just using that is going to help us.” — Cholowsky, on playing in the Big Ten Tournament at Charles Schwab Field last month.
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Coach: Jay Johnson (185-77 in 4 seasons at LSU; 502-249 in 13 seasons overall).
Road to Omaha: Won Baton Rouge Regional: beat Little Rock 7-0, beat Dallas Baptist 12-0, lost to Little Rock 10-4, beat Little Rock 10-6. Won Baton Rouge Super Regional: beat West Virginia 16-9, beat West Virginia 12-5.
2025 record vs. CWS teams: 2-1.
Last CWS appearance: 2023.
All-time record in CWS: 46-29 in 19 appearances (won national titles in 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2009, 2023).
Meet the Tigers: C Luis Hernandez (.272, 9 HRs, 30 RBIs), 1B Jared Jones (.328, 20, 70), 2B Daniel Dickinson (.312, 12, 48), SS Steven Milam (.290, 11, 55), 3B Michael Braswell III (.201, 2, 17) or Tanner Reaves (.266, 3, 12), LF Derek Curiel (.347, 7, 52), CF Chris Stanfield (.309, 1, 28), RF Josh Pearson (.297, 7, 32) or Jake Brown (.315, 8, 44), DH Ethan Frey (.340, 13, 49). Starting pitchers: LHP Kade Anderson (10-1, 3.58 ERA), RHP Anthony Eyanson (11-2, 2.74), RHP Jaden Noot (2-1, 4.26). Relievers: LHP DJ Primeaux (0-0, 3.86), RHP William Schmidt (7-0, 4.73), RHP Maverick Ritzy (0-0, 4.74), LHP Cooper Williams (0-1, 1.83), RHP Chase Shores (5-3, 5.24), RHP Casan Evans (4-1, 1.90), RHP Zac Cowan (3-3, 3.09), LHP Conner Ware (4-1, 5.48).
MLB alumni: Joe Adcock, DJ LeMahieu, Aaron Hill, Albert Belle, Todd Walker, Ben McDonald, Alex Bregman, Brad Hawpe, Ryan Theriot, Russ Springer, Kevin Gausman, Jason Vargas, Warren Morris, Austin Nola, Paul Byrd, Aaron Nola, Mark Guthrie.
Short hops: Tigers went 2-1 this season against Arkansas, their opening opponent. … Tigers have second-highest all-time NCAA Tournament winning percentage (.708, 182-75). … Anderson’s 163 strikeouts are most among CWS pitchers and rank second nationally. Eyanson’s 135 Ks rank third. … Pitching staff is in top 10 nationally in ERA (3.80), hits allowed per nine innings (7.34) and strikeouts per nine innings (11.9).
Quotable: “Everyone just plays for each other. We know we’re a team and if we don’t get the job done, the guys behind us or the guy in front of us is going to protect us and get it done for us. Everyone genuinely cares about each other.” — Eyanson.
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Coach: Dave Van Horn (931-470 in 23 seasons at Arkansas; 1,516-710 in 38 seasons overall).
Road to Omaha: Won Fayetteville Regional: beat North Dakota State 62, beat Creighton 12-1, beat Creighton 8-3. Won Fayetteville Super Regional: beat Tennessee 4-3, beat Tennessee 11-4.
2025 record vs. CWS teams: 1-2.
Last CWS appearance: 2022.
All-time record in CWS: 18-22 in 11 appearances.
Meet the Razorbacks: C Ryder Helfrick (.320, 14 HRs, 36 RBIs), 1B Reese Robinett (.276, 2, 12), 2B Cam Kozeal (.346, 15, 62), SS Wehiwa Aloy (.348, 20, 64), 3B Brent Iredale (.289, 14, 56), LF Charles Davalan (.355, 14, 59), CF Justin Thomas Jr. (.278, 9, 35), RF Logan Maxwell (.360, 13, 35), DH Kuhio Aloy (.330, 13, 70). Starting pitchers: LHP Zach Root (8-5, 3.59 ERA), RHP Aiden Jimenez (4-1, 3.66), RHP Gage Wood (3-1, 5.02). Relievers: RHP Ben Bybee (3-0, 4.38), RHP Steele Eaves (1-0, 1.86), LHP Colin Fisher (3-0, 4.62), RHP Gabe Gaeckle (4-2, 4.76), LHP Parker Coil (3-0, 1.27), LHP Landon Beidelschies (4-0, 4.92), RHP Will McEntire (1-0, 2.59), RHP Dylan Carter (6-0, 2.18).
MLB alumni: Kevin McReynolds, Eric Hinske, Jeff King, Andrew Benintendi, Les Lancaster, Tom Pagnozzi, Ryne Stanek, Blake Parker, Drew Smyly, Cliff Lee, Dallas Keuchel, Colin Poche, Jalen Beeks, Robert Person, Tim Lollar.
Short hops: No. 3 Razorbacks are the highest remaining national seed. … Wehiwa Aloy is the SEC player of the year. His first name means “prized one” in Hawaiian. He leads the team with 20 homers and is among seven Arkansas players with double-digit homers. … Hogs’ 123 homers are program record and fifth in the country. … Arkansas has had at least one player selected in each of the past 50 MLB drafts dating back to 1975.
Quotable: “We want to win a natty bad for him. He deserves it. So yeah, we’ll give it all we got in Omaha for him, for sure,” Davalan, on Van Horn.
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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports
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