2016 CWS finals rematch starts things off!
Arizona has waited four years to get back to the College World Series. It won’t have to wait much longer to hit the field in Omaha.
The Wildcats’ opening game in the CWS against Coastal Carolina is set for an 11 a.m. PT start on Friday at Charles Schwab Field Omaha, with the game airing on ESPN. The other matchup on Arizona’s side of the bracket, between Louisville and Oregon State, is scheduled for 4 p.m. PT on Friday.
The other half of the bracket starts play Saturday, with UCLA taking on Murray State—the last team to qualify on Monday—at 11 a.m. PT and Arkansas facing LSU in an all-SEC battle at 4 p.m. PT.
Arizona (44-19) is making its 19th appearance in the CWS, first since 2021, after winning the Chapel Hill Super Regional in three games over the weekend. That came after sweeping through the Eugene Regional on the heels of a Big 12 Tournament title.
Coastal Carolina (53-11) holds the nation’s longest active win streak at 23 games, having won the Sun Belt conference tourney and then sweeping through a home regional and a Super Regional at Auburn. This is the Chanticleers’ first trip to Omaha since 2016 when they beat the UA in three games for the national title.
The College World Series is a double-elimination format during bracket play, with Arizona guaranteed to play Sunday regardless of the first game’s result. Bracket finals are set for June 18-19, with the best-of-3 championship series starting June 21.