CWS begins today!

In case you haven’t noticed, and honestly it’s likely you have not, the College World Series begins today in Omaha, Nebraska. I love baseball, and especially adore amateur sports; therefore this is truly my favorite sporting event of the year.

Ask those who’ve attended and they’ll tell you, “It’s better than the Final 4 or the Super Bowl.” And having attended the CWS in 2004 and 2007, and enjoying the Final 4 in my city of residence this past April, they’re absolutely correct.

This is Americana at its finest. Unless you’ve been, please hold your laughter.

And while college baseball is a regional game from February through May, the June World Series has national appeal. Not just because ESPN broadcasts it, and fans suddenly remember how great this game is for at least a week (despite the incessant “PING!”), but because the event does in fact draw folks from all around America.

Sit in the bleachers or walk through the souvenir and food vendors adjacent to Rosenblatt Stadium — perfectly perched above the Missouri River with a great view of Iowa — and you’ll see a cross-section of America.

In the half dozen games I attended those two Junes, I spoke with “good ol’ boys” from rural Nebraska and eastern Ohio, college students from Irvine (CA) and Starkville (MS) who drove 20 and 13 hours respectively, as well as a teacher from Denver and a CEO from Chicago — both of whom flew in to take in a session.

PREDICTIONS?

Even for someone like me who follows the sport closer than most, these will be guesses. Unlike the parity and suspense-lacking NBA playoffs just completed, baseball, especially college, especially the World Series, is brutal to prognosticate. Nerves will be high, as will be scores, as will be the temperatures.

Arizona State, the number one national seed, and one of just three (of eight) national seeds to reach Omaha, is the tournament’s overall favorite. With no re-seeding, their side of the bracket is favorable. And since the Sun Devils seems to make it to eastern Nebraska most years, yet have fallen short of the main goal since 1981 – losing in excruciating fashion last June–  I believe they have what it takes to win, especially pitching-wise.

With perennial powers Texas, Fullerton, North Carolina and defending champ LSU conspicuously absent from the 2010 party, it’s really anyone’s tourney to take though.

The Cinderella darlings would be Texas Christian University (more commonly “TCU”), who upset mighty Texas in an incredible Austin Super Regional last weekend. The only school making their Omaha debut, the Horned Frogs are highly-motivated and playing as well as anyone the past month.

UCLA (the #6 national seed, #1 nationally for much of the season after going undefeated into April) makes a rare appearance, their first in 13 seasons. Rounding out the field are #3 national seed Florida, alongside Florida State, South Carolina, Clemson and Oklahoma — the latter three having been to Omaha many times over, yet had to pull mild upsets last round to qualify.

{Reflective of the sport’s growing popularity are the removal of weekday afternoon games in favor of primetime weeknight games. While weekends with still see their usual 2 and 7pm eastern slots, weekday games will be in primetime: 4:30 and 9:00 pm eastern early next week, then mostly 7pm come Wednesday.}

Further breakdowns here, but overall, a lot of history for the final season (of 61) at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Enjoy, please.

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* – LSU photo credit: All Hot News

* – TCU photo credit: Bleacher Report

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