College World Series predictions, picks for Day 2: Will Arkansas or LSU start CWS strong?
College World Series predictions, picks for Day 2: Will Arkansas or LSU start CWS strong?
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Which NCAA baseball teams could blow up the bracket
The Montgomery Advertiser's Adam Cole and The Southwest Times Record's Jackson Fuller break down who could wreck the tournament bracket.
OMAHA, NE ― Day 2 of the 2025 Men's College World Series will get underway June 14 with the second half of the bracket beginning play.
In the afternoon game (2 p.m. ET, ESPN), Murray State will take on UCLA. In the nightcap (7 p.m. ET, ESPN), Arkansas will face LSU.
The game between the Tigers and Razorbacks is the only one among the Omaha openers featuring two teams that hosted a regional.
Saturday's two losing teams will play an early game Monday in the losers bracket, while the winning teams will play Wednesday night for a spot in the semifinals.
Here are our predictions:
Murray State vs. UCLA
UCLA 9, Murray State 7
How's this one for intrigue? UCLA hasn't been to Omaha since its national title run in 2013 and Murray State is making its first trip ever. The Racers are the mid-major darlings who have proven near-impossible to put away. Their offense is a perfect fit for Charles Schwab Field, too.
But the Bruins, while lacking a true ace, have a trump card: arguably the best player in Omaha, shortstop Roch Cholowsky. He has the ability to take over any game, and that's a powerful thing.
CWS storylines: Biggest strength, weakness of every team in Omaha
LSU vs. Arkansas
Arkansas 4, LSU 2
This matchup, which features a battle of aces (Zach Root vs. Kade Anderson), is the headliner of the Omaha slate. It's easy to see either team coming away victorious, as LSU has better top-end pitching, but Arkansas has more depth and a better offense. The Tigers won the series when the two teams faced off earlier this season in Baton Rouge, but the bet is that the Razorbacks get a few more big hits.
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.
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Arkansas baseball vs LSU live updates: Start time, channel for College World Series game Show Caption Hide Caption Which NCAA baseball teams could blow up the bracket The Montgomery Advertiser's Adam Cole and The Southwest Times Record's Jackson Fuller break down who could wreck the tournament bracket. The June 14 nightcap of the 2025 College World Series' opening round may mean more to some. The all-SEC matchup between No. 3 Arkansas and No. 6 LSU could determine which team from college baseball's most dominant regular season conference can bring home the sixth straight national championship for the SEC. The Tigers (48-15) took two out of three games from the Razorbacks (48-13) earlier this season in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Arkansas is a perfect 5-0 in the NCAA baseball tournament, including sweeping SEC rival Tennessee in the Fayetteville Super Regional. Meanwhile, LSU is 5-1 in the tournament, with a loss to Little Rock in the Baton Rouge Regional as its only loss. USA TODAY Sports is bringing you live updates, scores and highlights from the CWS matchup between Arkansas and LSU. Follow along here: Watch Arkansas baseball vs. LSU on Fubo (free trial) Arkansas baseball live score vs LSU TEAMS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 F LSU ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― Arkansas ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― ― Here's a look at Arkansas' starting lineup for today's CWS game against LSU: Charles Davalan, LF Wehiwa Aloy, SS Logan Maxwell, RF Ryder Helfrick, C Kuhio Aloy, DH Cam Kozeal, 2B Brent Iredale, 3B Reese Robinett, 1B Justin Thomas Jr., CF Here's a look at LSU's starting lineup for today's CWS game against Arkansas: Josh Pearson, RF Ethan Frey, DH Jared Jones, 1B Steve Milam, SS Luis Hernandez, C Derek Curiel, LF Daniel Dickinson, 2B Chris Stanfield, CF Michael Braswell III, 3B Top MLB prospect Kade Anderson is on the bump for LSU against Arkansas in the Tigers' CWS opener tonight. Anderson has a 10-1 record with a 3.58 ERA this season in 103 innings. He has 163 strikeouts to 28 walks. Arkansas baseball is starting Zach Root against LSU in Game 1 of the CWS. Root has an 8-5 record with a 3.59 ERA in 92 2/3 innings of work. He has struck out 119 hitters and walked 31. What time does Arkansas baseball vs LSU start? Date: Saturday, June 14 Saturday, June 14 Time: 7 p.m. ET 7 p.m. ET Where: Charles Schwab Field Omaha (Omaha, Nebraska) Arkansas and LSU are scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET first pitch at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska, in the opening round of the College World Series. What TV channel is Arkansas baseball vs LSU on today? TV: ESPN ESPN Streaming: ESPN+ ESPN+ How to watch online: Watch ESPN (here's how to stream it live) The CWS opening-round game between Arkansas and LSU will air on ESPN. Mike Monaco (play-by-play), Kyle Peterson (analyst), Chris Burke (analyst) and Kris Budden (sideline reporter) will be on the call for ESPN. Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app (with a TV login), ESPN+ — ESPN's subscription streaming service — and Fubo, the last of which carries ESPN and offers a free trial to potential subscribers. Arkansas vs LSU baseball predictions, picks, odds Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Saturday, June 14 Spread: Arkansas -1.5 Arkansas -1.5 Over/under: 8.5 8.5 Moneyline: Arkansas (-125) | LSU (-105) NCAA baseball schedule The 2025 NCAA baseball tournament began on May 30 with the regional round of play. The tournament has since advanced to the super regionals, which began June 6 and will run no later than June 9. The College World Series is the final step of the postseason and began on June 13. It will run through June 22 or 23, depending on whether the championship series requires two or three games. Here is more detailed look at the latest college baseball schedule and NCAA Tournament bracket update.
