How the College World Series bracket works — and what NC State needs to do to win it all
N.C. State’s wins in its first two College World Series games has the Wolfpack closer to winning a national championship in the sport than the program has been since 1968.
So what does the Wolfpack have to do now? Still win three more games.
Determining college baseball’s national champion is far different than how the postseason plays out in football or basketball.
By the time N.C. State plays again on Saturday, the Pack will be in the national semifinals, among the sport’s final four teams, just as it was in 1968.
But unlike 1968, when N.C. State lost 2-0 to Southern California in the semifinals, the College World Series champion is decided by a best-of-three series between the two remaining teams following double-elimination bracket play.
Confused? Perhaps. So here’s a breakdown:
College World Series brackets
The eight teams that survived regional and Super Regional play earlier this month advanced to Omaha for the College World Series. The eight teams were divided into two four-team brackets.
Bracket one includes N.C. State, Vanderbilt, Stanford and Arizona.
Bracket two has Virginia, Tennessee, Texas and Mississippi State.
Bracket play began last Saturday at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha. A double-elimination format is used to determine the two bracket champions who will meet in next week’s best-of-three championship series.
What’s happened in NC State’s bracket so far?
In bracket one on June 19, N.C. State beat Stanford, 10-4, while Vanderbilt edged Arizona, 7-6, in 12 innings.
That set up Monday’s games where the two losing teams from Saturday, Stanford and Arizona, met in an elimination game while Saturday’s winner’s played later that night.
On Monday afternoon, Stanford beat Arizona 14-5 to eliminate Arizona. On Monday night, N.C. State beat Vanderbilt, 1-0.
On Wednesday night, Vanderbilt stayed alive with a stirring rally. Down to their last strike with two outs and no one on in the ninth inning, the Commodores scored two runs to beat Stanford, 6-5. That result ended the Cardinal’s season.
Vanderbilt, the No. 4 national seed and the CWS champion the last time the tournament was played in 2019, beat N.C. State Friday, 3-1. The game was delayed by more than an hour after several Wolfpack’s players were placed in COVID-19 protocol before the game. N.C. State played with nine position players and four pitchers.
The Wolfpack and the Commodores play again Saturday at 2 p.m. in a winner-take-all game. The team that wins will advance to the College World Series finals round. The loser will be done for the season.
What about the other bracket?
Bracket two started play on Sunday so they are a day behind N.C. State’s bracket.
On Sunday, Virginia beat Tennessee, 6-0, while Mississippi State handled Texas, 2-1.
Texas beat Tennessee, 8-4, in an elimination game Tuesday, knocking the No. 3 national seed Vols out of the tournament. Texas survived to play another elimination game on Thursday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
Mississippi State rallied to beat Virginia, 6-5, Tuesday night, so the No. 7 seeded Bulldogs are in the same position as unseeded N.C. State -- a semifinalist that’s one win away from the national championship series.
No. 2 national seed Texas eliminated Virginia, 6-2, Thursday night. The Longhorns play Mississippi State Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
A Saturday game would be played in this bracket if Mississippi State loses Friday.
How can the Pack advance to the championship series?
Vanderbilt and N.C. State play Saturday at 2 p.m. The winner goes to the championship series and the loser is eliminated.
What’s the schedule for the championship series?
The best-of-three series starts Monday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2, with game two scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
If a third game is needed, it will be played Wednesday night at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
What about tickets?
Tickets are available for all remaining College World Series games at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha. Full capacity is allowed. The only change, due to COVID-19, is no tickets are for general admission. All seats are reserved.