Sure, the pros have Game 7. But in the context of college baseball, Game 3 has the same impact. Tonight, the Men’s College World Series comes down to one final showdown between top-seeded Tennessee and No. 3 Texas A&M, wrapping up the final event of the 2023-24 NCAA college sports calendar.
Hopefully you’ve been following the action in Omaha thus far, but in case you need a quick catch-up, here’s where we stand: The Aggies took the opener Saturday of this best-of-three championship series, riding a big early lead to a 9-5 victory. The Volunteers evened the series with a 4-1 triumph on Sunday thanks to a pair of late two-run homers and a lot of timely pitches.
Whichever squad prevails tonight will claim the program’s first national title. Regardless of the winner, however, it will be another trophy for the SEC with its fifth different national champion in as many CWS tournaments dating back to 2019.
As we look ahead to tonight’s decisive game, there are positive cases to be made for both Tennessee and Texas A&M to emerge victorious. The Aggies, despite missing out on the opportunity to clinch, came out of game two with its pitching staff in relatively good shape. A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle was able to keep bullpen ace Evan Aschenbeck in reserve after he successfully closed out game one, and one definitely likes the Aggies’ chances if they can get the ball to him with the lead in the late innings. That could be easier said than done, however, as A&M’s big bats have been largely silent outside of the big second inning on Saturday.
This brings us to the case for Tennessee, which has already gotten one solid start out of Xander Sechrist in Omaha, and coach Tony Vitello will be counting on him to deliver another. The more urgent issue for the Volunteers has been their inability to take advantage of a slew of baserunners, stranding a hefty 19 over the first two games.
One has to think, however, that if the Aggies continue to give the Vols’ big hitters chances, they’ll eventually deliver. While the concept of momentum in sports is nebulous and often fleeting, right now it’s on Tennessee’s side. It will likely be close, but we’ll take the healthier Volunteers to claim the crown. -- Eddie Timanus
The Volunteers are favored take home the title, according to the BetMGM college baseball odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering 2024 sports betting promos.
Odds listed as of Monday.
College World Series championship series rundown
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