After a whirlwind of the first suitcases, a Cinderella directed by Murray State and LSU capturing its eighth national title, the 75th anniversary of the Men's College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, gave baseball fans a tournament to remember.
With teams of six conferences and an independent who makes the trip to Omaha, the MCW 2025 separated from the acquisition of the SEC/ACC last year and brought a welcome dose of variety to the field.
To conclude the season, our experts gathered for a final round table of MCWs, sharing their favorite tournament moments and offering early predictions by 2026.
Jump to: favorite moments | LSU legacy
2026 possibilities of LSU, coastal
2026 equipment to see | Early Poy Pelocas
1. What was your favorite part of this year MCWs?
Ryan McGee: I love when the whole map enters the series. I think it is better for sport when we have a mixture of salad bar equipment. We had six conferences and an independent represented: both Power 4 and Power 4. We had traditional super powers, super powers of the new era and a classic Crash of the MCWs party in Murray State. The story of this event was written by various fields of eight, so it was appropriate for the 75th anniversary in Omaha to have one.
Mike Rooney: I loved the diversity of the field in Omaha this year. This MCWS also had a feeling of the Renaissance, with programs like UCLA and Louisville that return to the promised land of university baseball. Finally, my heart was complete when he saw Skip Bertman celebrate the eighth national championship of LSU. Bertman's wife, Sandy, died this year after marrying for 63 years. The Bertmans built a program that changed the sport forever. What a legacy.
Chris Burke: Arkansas's Gage Wood -free game was my favorite part of this year's MCWs. The domain (19 ks) and precision (without walks) were something we could never see. In addition, his only comment after the game about his excursion, “should not have hit the boy,” he was legendary and something that I will not forget.
David Dellucci: Gage Wood treated me and the 24,074 fans in Charles Schwab Field to something that had not been achieved in 65 years, a game without hits. The first launch of the Wood game was a 96 mph strike, and 82 attacks in 118 launches later, registered its Ponche 19 of MCWs record in a fast 97 mph ball. The only thing that prevented him from launching a perfect game was a 2-2 curved ball that hit Dom Decker on the tip of his heel. It was 2 hours and 31 minutes of genius of a player whose team faced elimination and needed to keep the arms of the bullpen. When asked what was so special about the excursion, Wood replied: “I just didn't want to go home.”
2. What does this title gain mean for LSU's legacy?
Dellucci: The LSU baseball program has been very successful in the 2000s, winning four of its eight national championships and two in the last three seasons. Fans and players hope to win championships, and there is a big difference between waiting to win and try to win. With the hiring of Jay Johnson in 2021, the winning tradition that began Skip Bertman in 1984 is guaranteed to continue
McGee: The debate on which university baseball program is the best of all time ends. Someone should write a story about that, oh, wait, I did!
Rooney: Although the USC remains the general leader of university baseball in national titles with 12, it cannot be denied that LSU is the best program in the modern era of our sport. Eight national championships since 1991 is an amazing achievement, since the state of Oregon has the next best brand in that period of time with three. LSU baseball has become the New York Yankees of our sport. You could love him. You could despise it. But in one way or another, you will have an opinion about the tigers.
Burke: LSU is the gold standard of university baseball. The Tigers have dominated the sport during the last 40 years, and have won two of the last three titles. Jay Johnson is not slowing down and seems ready for a Bertman race. It will be fascinating to see it because it will have to overcome some other programs in the SEC that are also “everything in”.
3. Can LSU and coastal return to Omaha again next year?
McGee: I think Jay Johnson is just starting at Baton Rouge (he is not even 50 years old). Johnson has been there only four years, and the Tigers have been in the final twice. I was also very impressed by the press conference of the series prior to the title of Kevin Schnall, when he talked about the lessons that Coastal learned after winning the 2016 title, how he spent so much time in what derailed the chanticleers the following year when they did not do the NCAA tournament. Despite constantly preaching on the plans of a game, it clearly also has a long -range plan.
Burke: The way back to Omaha proved to be too much for the eight teams that were in him last year. The Tigers will lose the three pitchers who threw in the finals and Jared Jones, their greatest bat. Those losses will be really difficult to fill, but I don't put anything beyond the staff! Coastal is likely to lose two thirds of its rotation and some veteran bats. Kevin Schnall has just had the greatest amount of victories for a first -year coach, so I would not bet against him to return quickly, but next year it will be a high task!
Dellucci: The Tigers won the championship with 26 newcomers last autumn. They will lite Big Arms in Cade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson, But Still Return to Vry Talented Crop of Young Players Such As Derek Curiel, Steven Milam and Casan Evans, Making Lsu to favor to repeat in 2026. Coastal's roster might look Major Contributors Such as Caden Bodine and Jacob Morrison to the MLB Draft, But Sub Terrific Pitchers Remain, Such As Dominick Carbone, Hayden Johnson and Cameron Flukey, who should help songs to make another career in Omaha.
Rooney: A return to MCWs in 2026 feels likely for LSU. That is an aggressive statement, but the personnel returning deserves that audacity. The central gardener Derek Curiel, the Steven Milam Campocorto and the Casan Evans law will give Jay Johnson three stars to build. In addition, with 20 appearances in MCW in the last 39 seasons, it often feels annoying when LSU does not qualify for a trip to Omaha. However, there is much to replace with this special coastal team: the Cam Flukey right is a great place to begin. The songs became Sun Belt's second team to appear in the MCWs, but this program and that league continue to increase.
4. What other teams should we expect to see in Omaha in 2026?
Burke: Some teams on my radar for next year: UCLA, TCU, Tennessee, Texas and Mississippi State. It is always difficult to predict so far, but the first two on that list return a ton of premium talent and the last three have been extremely active in the portal, which lands some players that make a difference. Let the bold predictions begin.
McGee: I think it will be very difficult to keep A Tennessee and North Carolina outside the MCWs next year, and for the same reason I gave about coastal. The VOLS chief coach, Tony Vitello, is a self -proclaimed psychologist, and the UNC chief coach, Scott Forbes, has a business administration title: there is a 0% chance that they have not been agitated since their seasons ended with Omaha, trying to discover what went wrong. The team that had to handle the exaggeration after the title and the team that seemed to be the modern selection of everyone's June, since McWs's favorite thought Omaha was a matter of when, but both were upset at home. I also want to include Arkansas in this group, but pigs do not have a self -proclaimed psychologist.
Rooney: UCLA is the obvious answer here. The daily alignment of the Bruins included an amazing seven second -year students. Within that group, the Roch Cholowsky Campocorto, the third base Roman Martin and the first Mulivai Levu base are stars. The launchers staff were also young and talented. Be attentive to Miami and Auburn as two programs that advanced to the super regional round with very talented first year classes.
Dellucci: If it were not for a coastal team of Carolina al Rojo Vivo and some base errors, the national tigers of the national seed Auburn would have hit their ticket to Omaha. This year's team received much of its offensive and launched production of an incredibly talented first year. Chase Fralick, Chris Rembert and Bub Terrell will lead the offensive, while Andreas Álvarez and Christian Chatterton are strong returns in the mound. Except for injuries and a great second year fall, Auburn will be between the eight field next season.
5. Who is your choice too early for 2026 player of the year?
Dellucci: Roch Cholowsky had a wonderful second year season, taking UCLA to the McWs while hitting .353, 23 hours, 74 ranges. He was appointed All-American, the player of the year Big Ten and the defensive player of the year, as well as the Dick Howser trophy finalist. Being eligible in the draft next year, Roch will be motivated more than ever for UCLA to return to Omaha, and that means better personal numbers, which makes him a favorite to win the national player of the year.
McGee: Because suddenly they seem to be living in the era of the university campocort, we go with Westwood's. Roch Cholowsky could be the third MLB Draft selection No. 1 of UCLA (greeting Chris Chambliss and Gerritt Cole). I just hope that Bruins can discover how to make sure you can play at the Jackie Robinson stadium and not have to wander out again.
Rooney: The gardener of the Georgia Technology Center, Drew Burress, will be the national player of the year in 2026. This Dynamo of 5 -foot 9 inches and 182 pounds brings it every day. He is a .357 batter in his first two seasons of university baseball, and his 1,246 PAHO seems like a printing error. Burress enters his junior campaign with 38 doubles and 44 homers, all while generating 123 free passes compared to only 79 blows. His competitive energy is infectious. Burress is a career scorer and a career producer, and will take care of a game if you leave it.
Burke: Roch Cholosky, Campocorto de UCLA, had a legitimate case to be a Golden Spikes finalist this year. The current player of the Big Ten year will be the popular election for the national player of the year and the first selection of the draft next year. But as they say, that's why we play the games. It will be fascinating if it can be up to the high standard that set for itself this year!
