How the CWS teams stack up against each other.

[CardX]

Baseball has so many stats to choose from, but I took a handful of regular season stats and came up with the following:

ERA
Michigan: 3.49
Miss. St: 3.59
UofL: 3.70
Vandy: 3.80
Arkansas: 3.96
Tex. Tech: 4.00
Auburn: 4.53
FSU: 4.67

On Base %
Vandy: .417
Tex. Tech: .406
Miss. St: .399
Arkansas: .398
FSU: .397
UofL: .391
Michigan: .384
Auburn: .353

Batting Avg.
Vandy: .319
Miss. St: .316
Tex. Tech: .301
Arkansas: .299
UofL: .292
Michigan: .283
FSU: .268
Auburn: .260

Fielding %
Vandy: .982
UofL: .978
Tex Tech: .977
Michigan: .974
Auburn: .974
Miss. St: .973
Arkansas: .970
FSU: .963

Stolen Bases
UofL: 97
Michigan: 88
Arkansas: 71
Vandy: 69
Texas Tech: 64
Auburn: 59
Miss. St: 55
FSU: 45

Home Runs
Vandy: 82
Arkansas: 78
FSU: 69
Michigan: 60
Miss. St: 60
Texas Tech: 57
UofL: 48
Auburn: 41

So, what did we learn? Vandy is really freaking good, right? FSU and Auburn, you think, how did they get there? Well, FSU is on a magical run, and UNC gifted Auburn game 3 of the Super Regional in the first inning. I don't give either a legit shot at winning it all. I put home runs last to make a point. Given TD Ameritrade Park's dimensions, power hitting teams are at a disadvantage. It's a pitcher friendly, small ball kind of park. That's UofL in a nutshell right there. It's Michigan's style, too. Elite pitching, pretty good hitting, wreak havoc on the bases, and not a lot of errors. I still think the CWS is Vandy's to lose. Forget their power. They hit for average perhaps better than they hit home runs. They are outstanding defensively with very strong pitching. Very strong might be an understatement. Should the Cards be fortunate enough to win game one, however, watch out. They are well suited to make a run, especially in that ball park.

 

[fredburgcard]

I wish I could find a weakness in Vanderbilt. They are head and shoulders over the rest of the field. With that being said they are not unbeatable. Ask Duke. If the Cards can somehow get a win Sunday. . .

 

[CardHack]

In Omaha there is a premium on pitching, but if there is any one statistically critical stat it might well be clutch hitting or hitting with runner's in scoring position. You aren't going to have an abundance of opportunities against good pitching, but you have to produce when you have runners in scoring position; doing it with two outs all the better.

 

[Louisvillian]

FWIW. Louisville is the 2nd biggest underdog of the opening games at +180. Auburn is the biggest underdog at +190 against Mississippi State.

And of course Vanderbilt is the favorite to win it all. Can’t wait till Sunday.