May 16, 2007

Kendall Rogers
Rivals.com College Baseball Editor

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It's a long and tiring Road to Omaha, but every two weeks we take a look at which teams have the best shot to make it to the CWS - at least from our eyes.

As the postseason nears, fewer changes will be made. But this week, Virginia dropped out of the field of eight, while Long Beach State entered as the final team in the field.

The Dirtbags are one of the hottest teams in the country and lead the Big West heading into their two final regular season series against UC Riverside and rival Cal State Fullerton.

The West Coast is also represented by Arizona State and San Diego.

The Sun Devils joined the list last week and are coming off an impressive series win over UCLA. San Diego is red-hot with the weekend rotation of Brian Matusz, Josh Romanski and Matt Couch leading the charge.

Vanderbilt is the lone SEC representative, while Florida State and North Carolina headline the ACC. The Lone Star State duo of Rice and Texas remain in the field of eight.

Rivals.com's Omaha Eight

Rice (42-11) The skinny: The Owls continued their successful ways over the weekend and will be a favorite against any opponent they face in the first two rounds of the postseason. Not only has Rice gotten in a groove during the last two months, the pitching staff is performing at an exceptionally high level. Ryne Tacker had an unsuccessful return to the weekend rotation against Tulane, but should be ready to go by postseason play. Freshman Ryan Berry continues to impress, while two-way star Joe Savery is Mr. Consistent for the Owls. Assuming they can stay healthy throughout the postseason, the Owls should make Omaha their June home with a chance to win their second national title.

Vanderbilt (43-10) The skinny: The Commodores are closing in on an SEC title and that feat should be accomplished this weekend against LSU. Vandy will also have a chance to win its first national title in baseball. When it comes to balance, few teams can match the Commodores. Junior left-hander David Price is the top arm in college baseball, while freshman Mike Minor could be the Freshman Pitcher of the Year. Closer Casey Weathers is also considered to be one of the nation's top closers. The Dores pack a punch at the plate with outfielder Dominic de la Osa and third baseman Pedro Alvarez leading the charge. Both players are having productive campaigns at the plate.

Texas (39-14) The skinny: Much like Vanderbilt, the Longhorns present stiff challenges both at the plate and on the mound. While most people think of hard-hitting outfielder Kyle Russell when they think of the Horns, the pitching staff has also performed at a high level with weekend starters James Russell and veteran right-hander Adrian Alaniz leading the charge. Veteran closer Randy Boone has also impressed. While the pitching staff is in good shape, the offense is in even better shape. Kyle Russell is hitting .358 with 26 home runs and 67 RBIs, while third baseman Bradley Suttle leads the team with a .359 batting average. The Longhorns have what it takes to win the title.

North Carolina (42-11) The skinny: Longtime North Carolina coach Mike Fox did an impressive coaching job last season, but that effort has been surpassed this spring. While many thought the Tar Heels would take a small step back, they've continued where they left off last season. Veteran right-hander Robert Woodard continues to impress in the Friday night role, while freshman Alex White has impressed in his first season with the Heels. Additionally, relievers Andrew Carignan, Rob Wooten and Matt Danford have been nails out of the bullpen. The offense is also in great shape with freshman first baseman Dustin Ackley leading the way.

San Diego (41-15) The skinny: The state of San Diego baseball is great and coach Rich Hill has the Toreros thinking about a national title. The Toreros will play host to Gonzaga for the WCC title next weekend, but the long-term prognosis has USD in the College World Series. The Toreros are led on the mound by sophomore left-hander Brian Matusz. Matusz is having a sensational sophomore campaign and is joined in the rotation by fellow weekend starters Josh Romanski and Matt Couch. Relievers Anthony Slama and AJ Griffin have also performed at a high level, while Ricardo Pecina is an arm to rely on in the postseason. USD also has a productive offense, which is led by outfielder Shane Buschini.

Florida State (43-9) The skinny: Sure the Seminoles continue to have major issues with their third starting role, but we feel like they'll get it together by the postseason. While some are down on the Seminoles because of their Saturday and Sunday pitching against Clemson, this team might just have enough offense to take care of business in the postseason. Not only will the focused Seminoles likely spend the entire postseason at home, they have a potent lineup with veteran second baseman Tony Thomas Jr. leading the charge. Catcher Buster Posey and shortstop Mark Hallberg are also tallying impressive numbers, while Jack Rye and Jason Stidham are reliable. If FSU pitches, they can win the title.

Arizona State (37-12) The skinny: Even with a less than stellar bullpen, the Sun Devils still have a chance to win a national title because of their offense. The Devils have a 4.30 pitching staff earned-run average and are led on the mound by Josh Satow and freshman Mike Leake. Both have tallied impressive numbers. But outside of the duo the Devils don't have much in the way of pitching. That still might not be a huge issue. The Devils bring one of the nation's top lineups to the plate. Sophomore first baseman Brett Wallace is a candidate for player of the year, while outfielder Matt Spencer has been a pleasant addition. If they pitch in the postseason, the sky is the limit.

Long Beach State (35-14) The skinny: Long Beach State coach Mike Weathers has had some successful seasons with the Dirtbags, but no season could be as satisfying as this one. Though the Dirtbags still have work to do, they enter the final two weeks of the regular season with something special. Veteran Matt Cline leads the team with a .345 batting average, while sophomore shortstop Danny Espinosa is a leader with a .335 average and seven home runs in 173 at bats. The Dirtbags are hitting .296, while opponents are hitting their pitchers at a .257 clip. The Beach pitching staff has impressed this season with Andrew Liebel, Omar Arif and closer Bryan Shaw leading the charge.

Kendall Rogers is the college baseball editor for Rivals.com. He can be reached at kendall@rivals.com.