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College World Series 2024: Bracket 1 breakdown, full schedule
By Paul Harvey
Published:
The attention of the baseball world turns to Omaha with the nation preparing for the College World Series.
In Omaha, Tennessee will be a part of Bracket 1 with an opening matchup against Florida State. North Carolina and Virginia occupy the other side of the bracket while Kentucky, NC State, Texas A&M and Florida round out the 8 teams.
Entering Omaha, the Vols have the 2nd-best odds to win the title on ESPN Bet at +275 despite being the No. 1 overall seed. Texas A&M is currently the favorite at +225 to win it all. FanDuel does have Tennessee with the best odds +250.
Outside of Tennessee, the team with the best odds to win it all from Bracket one is UNC. The Tar Heels are +600, ahead of Florida State at +900, and fans can use ESPN Bet NC to get in on the action.
Below is a quick breakdown of Bracket 1 including how each team got here and a key player to watch on each team. Let’s get to it!
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Bracket 1 schedule (all times ET)
Friday, June 14
- Game 1: UNC vs. Virginia, 1 pm, ESPN
- Game 2: Tennessee vs. FSU, 6 pm, ESPN
Sunday, June 16
- Game 5: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 1 pm, ESPN
- Game 6: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 6 pm, ESPN2
Tuesday, June 18
- Game 9: Elimination game, 1 pm, ESPN
Wednesday, June 19
- Game 11: 1 pm ESPN
Thursday, June 20
- If necessary, TBD, TBD
How they got here
North Carolina made it into the CWS with a fair amount of drama in each round of the NCAA Tournament. In the regional round, the Tar Heels needed a pair of last at-bat wins to advance, including an extra-innings win in the Game 7 showdown vs. LSU.
In the Chapel Hill Super Regional, UNC needed a 9th-inning rally to win Game 1 against West Virginia. The Tar Heels would sweep the Mountaineers with a 2-1 win in a pitcher’s duel to punch their ticket to Omaha.
Virginia’s path to Omaha has been paved by elite pitching. The Cavaliers made it out of the regional round in 3 games, giving up a total of 8 runs and winning 2 games against Mississippi State to advance.
The Charlottesville Super Regional saw the bats come alive against Kansas State. The Cavs outscored the Wildcats 17-8 on their way to a 2-0 sweep to reach the CWS.
Florida State also breezed through the regional round, finishing 3-0 at home while outscoring opponents 24-8. The Tallahassee Super Regional saw more offensive fireworks with the Seminoles opening the series with a 24-4 win. A 10-8 win against UConn in Game 2 produced a sweep for FSU.
Tennessee’s path to the CWS included a few surprises along the way. The Vols made quick work of the regional round, outscoring 3 opponents 33-12 before hosting surprise underdog Evansville in the Knoxville Super Regional.
In the Super Regional, Tennessee pulled away for a comfortable 11-6 win but found itself in a winner-take-all Game 3 after squandering an early 4-0 lead in Game 2. Fortunately, the big bats showed up with a 12-1 win in Game 3, giving the Vols 31 runs scored across all 3 games.
Key players to watch
UNC: Vance Honeycutt
Vance Honeycutt is one of the top outfield prospects for the 2024 MLB Draft, and he maintains an elite power-speed combination with 63 home runs and 76 steals throughout his career. However, strikeouts have been a problem at times, including during the regional round.
While Honeycutt did have a 2-HR game in the winner’s bracket against LSU, he also struck out 8 times in 4 regional games. Fortunately, he took things to another level in the supers.
He provided the emphatic walk-off home run for the Tar Heels in Game 1, and he added another solo shot and scored both of UNC’s runs in the Game 2 clincher. Honeycutt finished the West Virginia series 4-for-9 with 4 runs scored, 3 RBI, 2 home runs and just 2 strikeouts.
If Honeycutt can keep his hot streak rolling, it will give UNC a great shot at making noise in Omaha. If his strikeouts start to creep up again, it will be tough for the Tar Heels to make it far.
Virginia: Jacob Ference
Jacob Ference has been among Virginia’s most balanced offensive players, finishing tied 2nd for home runs with 17 and also going 11-for-14 in the stolen bases department. His .464 OBP is 2nd among Virginia’s regular, and his .723 slugging percentage leads all qualified hitters for the Cavs.
However, Ference did not have a standout Super Regional showing, even as the Cavs scored 17 runs in 2 games. He finished the round just 1-for-7 with 2 RBI, 2 walks and 2 strikeouts, and the Cavs will need more production from Ference to hang in the CWS.
FSU: James Tibbs III
James Tibbs is another elite outfield prospect for the MLB Draft after a 31-HR season for the Seminoles. With just 31 strikeouts to 54 walks and a .497 OBP, Tibbs heads to Omaha at just the right time.
During the Super Regional, Tibbs was electric by going 7-for-11, including a 5-hit, 3-HR, 6-RBI performance in the clincher. He finished the sweep of UConn with 4 runs, 10 RBI, 3 walks and 3 home runs.
Tennessee: Christian Moore
Billy Amick could get the nod here, but we’ll go with Christian Moore after a lights-out performance in the Super Regional clincher. He had a home run in the Game 1 win over Evansville, and then he jumpstarted Game 3 with a leadoff blast, the first of 2 home runs in the game.
Moore finished the supers 3-for-10 with 3 home runs, 5 runs and 4 RBI as the catalyst at the top of Tennessee’s order. If he can keep delivering as the table-setter and run producer for the Vols, they will be a tough out in Omaha.
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Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
