NO. 1 FLORIDA (47-18)

Bid: At-large

League (record): SEC (18-12)

Coach (history): Kevin O'Sullivan (Virginia '91)

Road to Omaha: Beat Bethune-Cookman 4-0; beat Georgia Tech 6-2; beat Georgia Tech 15-3; beat NC State 7-1; beat NC State 9-8 (10)

College World Series appearances (record): Eight (11-15)

National championships (years): None

Top hitters: C Mike Zunino (.322, 19 HR, 64 RBIs); CF Daniel Pigott (.323, 8 HR, 41 RBIs); DH Brian Johnson (.314, 6 HR, 41 RBIs); RF Preston Tucker (.319, 16 HR, 48 RBIs)

Top pitchers: RHP Hudson Randall (9-2, 2.61 ERA, 61 SO); RHP Jonathan Crawford (6-2, 3.13 ERA, 70 SO); LHP Brian Johnson (8-4, 3.56 ERA, 68 SO); RHP Austin Maddox (3-3, 2.50 ERA, 57 SO, 12 saves)

Against the 2012 CWS field: 3-1 vs. South Carolina; 3-0 vs. Florida State; 1-2 vs. Arkansas

All-time record against USC: 32-41

Last played USC: May 25, 2012 (7-2 Florida, SEC tournament)

Common opponents with USC (USC record against): 3-2 vs. Vanderbilt (USC 2-2); 1-2 vs. LSU (USC 1-2); 2-1 vs. Tennessee (USC 2-1); 2-1 vs. Georgia (USC 1-1); 1-2 vs. Arkansas (USC 2-1); 2-1 vs. Kentucky (USC 0-3); 2-1 vs. Mississippi State (USC 3-0); 3-1 vs. Auburn (USC 4-0)

The skinny: The Gators are back for the third straight year, a season's worth of expectations culminating here. But it's never been about getting back for Florida this season - it's about winning the whole thing and letting a three-year run of excellence be completed. The pressure to win and the knowledge that that is the only way the year will not be judged a failure is immense, even though the notion is ridiculous; nonetheless, the Gators have risen to it. They did not win their division, their conference or their conference tournament, but are in position to win the only title that matters. Again, Florida boasts probably the most raw talent of any team in the tournament, but it did that last year as well - and didn't win. Perhaps the best No. 1 team that could be considered lying in the weeds throughout the year.

NO. 2 UCLA (47-14)

Bid: Automatic

League (record): Pac-12 (20-10)

Coach (history): John Savage (Nevada '91; former coach at UC-Irvine)

Road to Omaha: Beat Creighton 3-0; beat New Mexico 7-1; beat Creighton 13-5; beat TCU 6-2; beat TCU 4-1

College World Series appearances (record): Four (3-7)

National championships (years): None

Top hitters: RF Jeff Gelalich (.365, 11 HR, 46 RBIs); C Tyler Heineman (.343, 1 HR, 27 RBIs); LF Cody Keefer (.339, 0 HR, 36 RBIs); 2B Trevor Brown (.328, 3 HR, 51 RBIs)

Top pitchers: RHP Adam Plutko (11-3, 2.56 ERA, 92 SO); RHP Zack Weiss (3-2, 4.04 ERA, 44 SO); RHP Nick Vander Tuig (10-3, 4.35 ERA, 69 SO); RHP Scott Griggs (3-1, 2.70 ERA, 64 SO, 15 saves)

Against the 2012 CWS field: 2-1 vs. Arizona

All-time record against USC: 1-2

Last played USC: June 29, 2010 (USC 2-1 (11), second game of national championship series)

Common opponents with USC (USC record against): 3-0 vs. Georgia (USC 1-1)

The skinny: The Pac-12 champion, UCLA is back in Omaha for the second time in three years. The last time the Bruins were there (2010), they won their first CWS game in program history and kept on winning, advancing to the national championship series before falling to USC. They return a few members of that team, and are a much more battle-tested bunch. UCLA played an extremely tough schedule, taking on Baylor, Southern Cal, Arizona State, Oregon, Cal State Fullerton, Arizona, Stanford and Purdue, and only lost a handful of games. Led by their pitching, the Bruins have four top-line starters and a mix of talented arms in the bullpen - top setup man Ryan Deeter has thrown 28 2-3 innings in 35 appearances, with a miniscule 0.94 ERA. UCLA has the most cumulative national championships of any school in Division I, but has nothing for baseball. It wants to change that.

NO. 5 FLORIDA STATE (47-15)

Bid: At-large

League (record): Atlantic Coast (24-6)

Coach (history): Mike Martin (Florida State '66)

Road to Omaha: Beat UAB 2-1; beat Samford 8-1; beat Samford 5-2; beat Stanford 17-1; beat Stanford 18-7

College World Series appearances (record): 21 (26-40)

National championships (years): None

Top hitters: CF James Ramsey (.390, 13 HR, 57 RBIs); 1B Jayce Boyd (.389, 3 HR, 57 RBIs); 2B Devon Travis (.316, 7 HR, 40 RBIs); 3B Sherman Johnson (.268, 3 HR, 30 RBIs)

Top pitchers: LHP Brandon Leibrandt (8-2, 2.58 ERA, 78 SO); RHP Mike Compton (11-2, 2.78 ERA, 57 SO); RHP Scott Sitz (3-3, 3.99 ERA, 42 SO); RHP Robert Benincasa (4-1, 1.29 ERA, 48 SO, 15 saves)

Against the 2012 CWS field: 0-3 vs. Florida

All-time record against USC: 19-10

Last played USC: May 18, 1991 (10-9 (10) Florida State, Metro Conference tournament)

Common opponents with USC (USC record against): 0-3 vs. Florida (USC 1-3); 1-3 vs. Clemson (USC 4-1)

The skinny: Is this the year? Seminoles fans are asking themselves that every season, and for good reason - despite boasting one of the nation's premier programs, Florida State has never gotten over that hump to win a national championship. The Seminoles are back again in the game's final, and are hoping that they can break through - it would snap their personal streak and also give the beleaguered ACC its first baseball title since 1955. FSU has a great chance to get there, boasting much better arms and more depth behind those arms for the first time in a while. It could also help that on its side of the bracket is Arizona, not in the CWS since 2004, and first-time entrant Stony Brook. But UCLA is also there, and Florida is on the other side, so nothing's easy. Rosenblatt Stadium never held the magic for the Seminoles - perhaps TD Ameritrade Stadium does.

NO. 7 SOUTH CAROLINA (45-17)

Bid: At-large

League (record): SEC (18-11)

Coach (history): Ray Tanner (NC State '80; former coach at NC State)

Road to Omaha: Beat Manhattan 7-0; beat Clemson 5-4 (12); beat Clemson 4-3; beat Oklahoma 5-0; beat Oklahoma 5-1

College World Series appearances (record): 11 (28-17)

National championships (years): Two (2010, 2011)

Top hitters: 1B Christian Walker (.315, 11 HR, 54 RBIs); LF Tanner English (.306, 0 HR, 22 RBIs); SS Joey Pankake (.286, 2 HR, 26 RBIs); CF Evan Marzilli (.288, 2 HR, 30 RBIs)

Top pitchers: LHP Michael Roth (7-1, 2.50 ERA, 79 SO); RHP Colby Holmes (7-1, 2.80 ERA, 61 SO); LHP Jordan Montgomery (5-1, 4.05 ERA, 51 SO); RHP Matt Price (4-4, 3.47 ERA, 82 SO, 11 saves)

Against the 2012 CWS field: 1-3 vs. Florida, 2-1 vs. Arkansas

The skinny: There was a bit of pressure for the Gamecocks to get back and try to successfully defend the title for a second straight year, but the reality was that the team was losing a lot of key pieces from the first two title runs and was breaking in a lot of freshmen. After a 1-5 start in the SEC, things looked bleak, but USC caught fire in the middle of the season and streaked to the finish, again cruising through the postseason (including two wins over its archrival) and arriving in Omaha for the third straight year. It is a team of new faces, but the standbys are still present - most notably Roth and Price, who have been the biggest pieces of the two championships. USC will have a tough task in its first game, but it is Omaha - anything can happen, and after winning 11 straight games in the sport's showcase event, it's not wise to bet against the Gamecocks.

NO. 13 ARIZONA (43-17)

Bid: At-large

League (record): Pac-12 (20-10)

Coach (history): Andy Lopez (UCLA '75; former coach at Cal State-Dominguez Hills, Pepperdine, Florida)

Road to Omaha: Beat Missouri 15-3; beat Louisville 16-4; beat Louisville 16-3; beat St. John's 7-6 (10); beat St. John's 7-4

College World Series appearances (record): 16 (33-27)

National championships (years): Three (1976, 1980, 1986)

Top hitters: LF Johnny Field (.383, 3 HR, 43 RBIs); 3B Seth Mejias-Brean (.366, 1 HR, 57 RBIs); SS Alex Mejia (.361, 3 HR, 52 RBIs); RF Robert Refsnyder (.354, 6 HR, 61 RBIs)

Top pitchers: RHP Kurt Heyer (12-2, 2.28 ERA, 102 SO); RHP James Farris (7-3, 4.18 ERA, 69 SO); RHP Konner Wade (9-3, 4.49 ERA, 25 SO); RHP Mathew Troupe (4-1, 3.90 ERA, 39 SO, six saves)

Against the 2012 CWS field: 1-2 vs. UCLA

All-time record against USC: Never played

Last played USC: Never played

Common opponents with USC (USC record against): 2-1 vs. Auburn (USC 4-0)

The skinny: The first team to clinch a berth, Arizona is enjoying a wave of resurgence in its program. Led by longtime skipper Lopez, who won a national title at Pepperdine in 1992, the Wildcats had their winningest season since 1989 and brought life back to Hi Corbett Field. Tying for the Pac-12 championship with UCLA, Arizona swept through its postseason with a barrage of hitting, but may see some of its production drop in pitcher-friendly TD Ameritrade Park. Arizona hasn't been to Omaha since 2004, but blessed with a team full of talent, the Wildcats are hoping to stay for a while since they're there this time. Arizona isn't a homer-happy team, but one that specializes in slap-hitting - seven regulars bat at least .326, with another at .292. The starting pitching behind Heyer can get knocked around, but the bullpen has been serviceable with the reliable Troupe making 22 appearances this year.

NO. 25 STONY BROOK (52-13)

Bid: Automatic

League (record): America East (21-3)

Coach (history): Matt Senk (Cortland State '80)

Road to Omaha: Beat Miami 10-2; lost to UCF 9-8; beat Missouri State 10-7; beat UCF 12-5; beat UCF 10-6; lost to LSU 5-4 (12); beat LSU 3-1; beat LSU 7-2

College World Series appearances (record): First (0-0)

National championships (years): None

Top hitters: CF Travis Jankowski (.422, 5 HR, 46 RBIs); 3B William Carmona (.399, 12 HR, 72 RBIs); 2B Maxx Tissenbaum (.389, 3 HR, 51 RBIs); LF Steven Goldstein (.344, 4 HR, 34 RBIs)

Top pitchers: RHP Tyler Johnson (12-1, 1.94 ERA, 48 SO); RHP Brandon McNitt (8-3, 2.50 ERA, 61 SO); RHP Evan Stecko-Haley (7-3, 3.47 ERA, 63 SO); RHP Frankie Vanderka (3-3, 2.37 ERA, 47 SO, five saves)

Against the 2012 CWS field: Did not play

All-time record against USC: Never played

Last played USC: Never played

Common opponents with USC (USC record against): 2-1 vs. LSU (USC 1-2)

The skinny: The already declared darling of the tournament, tiny Stony Brook lived up to its "Shock The World" motto by going to LSU and winning a Super Regional, after advancing from the NCAA Miami Regional as a four-seed. A program that has come from Division III to the big-time, the Seawolves are not quite a Cinderella. That would imply that they were a team playing far above their heads, but after storming through their conference for the past two years, this team knew that it could do great things. Now they have their chance. They'll have the support of every other fan in the country, save the groups of the other seven entrants, and once teams start being eliminated, those fans will turn into Stony Brook supporters as well. After going into one of the sport's cathedrals and winning, the Seawolves won't be too flustered at the pageantry or huge crowd at the CWS. They will be enjoying every second of it, though.

ARKANSAS (44-20)

Bid: At-large

League (record): SEC (16-14)

Coach (history): Dave Van Horn (Arkansas '88; former coach at Texarkana (Texas) Community College, Central Missouri, Northwestern State, Nebraska)

Road to Omaha: Beat Sam Houston State 5-4; beat Rice 1-0; beat Sam Houston State 5-1; lost to Baylor 8-1; beat Baylor 5-4, beat Baylor 1-0 (10)

College World Series appearances (record): Seven (9-12)

National championships (years): None

Top hitters: 3B Matt Reynolds (.338, 7 HR, 43 RBIs); SS Tim Carver (.304, 2 HR, 30 RBIs); 1B Dominic Ficociello (.301, 6 HR, 40 RBIs); 2B Bo Bigham (.261, 1 HR, 18 RBIs)

Top pitchers: RHP Ryne Stanek (7-4, 2.91 ERA, 80 SO); RHP D.J. Baxendale (7-5, 3.18 ERA, 89 SO); LHP Randall Fant (2-2, 3.00 ERA, 39 SO); RHP Barrett Astin (3-5, 2.15 ERA, 59 SO, 10 saves)

Against the 2012 CWS field: 1-2 vs. USC; 2-1 vs. Florida

All-time record against USC: 31-26

Last played USC: May 6, 2012 (10-7 USC)

Common opponents with USC (USC record against): 3-0 vs. Alabama (USC 3-0); 2-2 vs. Mississippi State (USC 3-0); 0-3 vs. LSU (USC 1-2); 2-1 vs. Georgia (USC 1-1); 0-1 vs. Oklahoma (USC 2-0); 1-2 vs. Kentucky (USC 0-3); 2-1 vs. Florida (USC 1-3); 1-2 vs. Auburn (USC 3-0); 3-0 vs. Tennessee (USC 2-1)

The skinny: When they were struggling through the SEC, many pointed at the Razorbacks and said, "They're far too talented to be playing that badly." Arkansas listened, and after an 0-2 stay in the SEC tournament, won the only games it needed to. The Razorbacks are the perfect dark horse candidate to win the CWS, blessed with a trio of sluggers and top arms. They're familiar with USC and Florida in their side of the bracket, and will be counting on of those to cancel the other out, leaving them room to tangle with Kent State and perhaps be the last team standing. Arkansas has the talent to stick around for a while in Omaha, but has to avoid slipping back into the funk that plagued it throughout the regular season - i.e., the talent is there, the want-to was there. The wins weren't.

KENT STATE (46-18)

Bid: Automatic

League (record): Mid-American (24-3)

Coach (history): Scott Stricklin (Kent State '95)

Road to Omaha: Beat Kentucky 7-6 (21); beat Purdue 7-3; beat Kentucky 3-2' beat Oregon7-6; lost to Oregon 3-2; beat Oregon 3-2

College World Series appearances (record): First (0-0)

National championships (years): None

Top hitters: 1B George Roberts(.368, 8 HR, 64 RBIs); SS Jimmy Rider (.364, 5 HR, 56 RBIs); DH Nick Hamilton (.347, 1 HR, 35 RBIs); CF Evan Campbell (.327, 7 HR, 40 RBIs)

Top pitchers: LHP David Starn (11-3, 2.21 ERA, 123 SO); RHP Ryan Bores (9-3, 3.35 ERA, 67 SO); RHP Tyler Skulina (11-2, 3.63 ERA, 97 SO); RHP Casey Wilson (1-0, 3.74 ERA, 26 SO, seven saves)

Against the 2012 CWS field: Did not play

All-time record against USC: 2-5

Last played USC: Feb. 23, 1997 (21-4 USC)

Common opponents with USC (USC record against): 2-0 vs. Kentucky (USC 0-3)

The skinny: Northern schools aren't supposed to be in the College World Series, yet Kent State became the second this year to make it. Stricklin, one of the hottest young coaches in the country, guided the Golden Flashes to the pinnacle after a steady building process. While many look at Kent State and label it a "Cinderella" in the mold of Stony Brook, it's not accurate. The Flashes are talented, dangerous and nasty. They grabbed the country's attention with the marathon 21-inning game against Kentucky to start the NCAA Regionals, then kept going by knocking Oregon off on its home field. They'll be the least-discussed team in their side of the bracket, due to the other three teams being from the SEC, but that makes them no less capable of winning. It's a good thing for them - the three big boys can beat each other up, and tiny Kent State will wait and try to slip through the wreckage to get to the national championship series.

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