The Men’s College World Series begins today at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska. At 2:00 p.m. ET, the No. 16 West Virginia Mountaineers take on the Troy Trojans to officially open the eight-team championship tournament. Both baseball programs are stepping onto the sport’s biggest stage for the first time in their respective school histories.
West Virginia enters the afternoon as a 1.5-run favorite. The Mountaineers rely on a suffocating pitching staff that holds a collective 3.82 ERA. Ace Chansen Cole gets the starting nod today, and he faces a difficult task against a highly aggressive Troy lineup. The Trojans secured their Cinderella run as the Sun Belt champions by crushing 106 team home runs this season. They are anchored by Sun Belt Player of the Year Jimmy Janicki, who powers the middle of their batting order.
Looking at the broader tournament bracket, North Carolina and Georgia arrive in Omaha as the slight betting favorites. Oddsmakers currently list both SEC and ACC powerhouses with odds ranging from to to win the national championship. The entire eight-team field features premier draft talent heading into the summer.
Scouts are heavily focused on Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson. He just completed a rare 25-home run and 25-stolen base season for the Bulldogs. Other highly evaluated players include Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron and the Ole Miss pitching duo of Cade Townsend and Taylor Rabe. The race for the 2026 national title is officially underway.