We’re through three days of the 2022 College World Series. So far, Oklahoma is the only team to go 2-0, while the Texas Longhorns were the first team eliminated. We’ll see one more elimination today as four teams from bracket two will do battle.
As a refresher, the format of the 2022 College World series is two separate four-team brackets which are both played at the same location, Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska. Both brackets compete in a double-elimination tournament until the winner of each bracket meet in the Finals.
Here is where we stand as of Monday morning:
How to Watch:
- Monday, June 20th, 2 p.m. on ESPN – Auburn vs Stanford (Elimination Game)
- Monday, June 20th, 7 p.m. on ESPN – Ole Miss vs Arkansas
How to Bet:
For each game, you can bet as you would any normal baseball game: straight up, against the spread, or the over/run on the run total. If you’re not familiar with betting on baseball, you should read our beginner’s guide to baseball betting, which will explain all the bets.
Since this is a tournament, you’re also able to cast bets on who will win each bracket and who will ultimately win the entire tournament.
If you’re new to betting and want to get involved in casting the bets we give you below, Caesar’s has a great risk-free first bet promo for any new users.
Predictions and Players to Watch
#14 Auburn (45-21) vs #2 Stanford (47-16)
- Monday, June 20th, 2 p.m.
- ESPN
Stanford got absolutely steamrolled on Saturday by an Arkansas team that is scorching hot right now. Nothing went well for the Cardinal, giving up 17 runs on 21 hits. However, this is an experienced team that has been here before. They lost the first game of the Regional and Super Regional round and always bounced back in a big way.
This is a Stanford tea that was 12th in the nation in ERA and 20th in WHIP. I think they just ran into a buzzsaw in Arkansas rather than suggesting that Stanford has real concerns with their pitching staff.
Auburn also has concerns on the mound as starter Trace Bright has thrown fewer than three innings in three of his last five games. That’s going to tax the bullpen really early for Auburn, so it’s a good thing the Tigers only needed two pitchers in their opening game loss to Ole Miss.
Prospects to Watch:
- Brock Jones – OF, Stanford: Hit .327 with 20 home runs, 56 RBI, and 20 SBs. Jones is all upside. A former football player, he has tremendous athleticism and power, but he’s also struggled with off-speed pitches this season and might strike out too much to make good on that promise.
- Sonny DiChiara – 1B, Auburn: Hit .392 with 22 home runs and 59 RBI. DiChiara has good plate discipline and actually had 68 walks this season to just 51 strikeouts. His bat will play at the major league level but the body and glove won’t, and he’ll likely just be a DH.
Best Bet: Over 12 runs (-115) and Stanford ML (-155) This is a Stanford team that was 10th in the nation in slugging and 17th in the country in home runs per game, going up against a pitcher who has really been struggling of late. However, Auburn can score runs too and is another battle-tested team that will surely come for a fight. I just think Stanford is too well-rounded and should win, but I think this game should have quite a few big innings.
Ole Miss (41-22) vs Arkansas (47-20)
- Saturday, June 18th, 7 p.m.
- ESPN2
Arkansas is simply rolling right now. They scored 37 runs over their final three games in the Regional round, then beat North Carolina in the Super Regional without dropping a game, and then absolutely destroyed a national title contender in game one of the College World Series. They are one of the best fielding teams left in the tournament and are playing with unmatched confidence.
Also working in Arkansas’ favor is that they won by so much in game one that they didn’t have to use Hagen Smith out of the bullpen. The left-handed freshman has been strong all season but has been especially dynamic since being moved to the pen for the postseason.
However, Ole Miss remains a feisty team that cannot be counted out. Despite being the final team into the field of 64 when the postseason began, they now have the second-best odds to win the 2022 College World Series.
They are a well-balanced team that was 33rd in the country in slugging but also 53rd in ERA. They got a masterful seven-plus innings from Dylan DeLucia in game one and should come into this game with a rested and healthy pitching staff.
Prospects to Watch:
- Tim Elko – IF, Ole Miss: Hit .302 with a team-leading 22 home runs, 71 RBI, and 57 runs scored. Has primarily played 1B and is an average defender but has legitimate pop.
- Cayden Wallace – 3B, Arkansas: Hit .299 with 15 home runs, 57 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. Wallace has some swing-and-miss concerns, which he looked to address this year, but that came with some power sacrifice. He has made some spectacular plays at 3B and could stick there with plus power.
Best Bet: Arkansas ML (-115) It’s just too hard to bet against Arkansas right now. This Ole Miss team is also a strong squad, but Arkansas just appears to be on another level right now, so I’m going to ride the momentum.
