LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The last time Louisville and Oregon State crossed paths on a baseball field, it was on the sport's biggest stage — Omaha, 2013. Oregon State won that College World Series matchup 11-4, and nearly a dozen years later, the two teams will meet there again.
After edging Miami in a tense Super Regional final on Sunday, Louisville (40-22) earned its sixth trip to the College World Series under head coach Dan McDonnell. The reward? A date with one of college baseball's most successful programs in their CWS opener.
Oregon State (47-14-1) slugged its way into Omaha with a 14-10 win over Florida State on Sunday night, launching five home runs and piling up 13 runs in the first three innings of the Corvallis Super Regional finale. In the regional, it outscored its last four opponents 50-4 over the final four games, including a school-record 20 runs in the clincher.
Louisville | Kentucky | Indiana | Bozich & Crawford
The Beavers will be making their eighth CWS appearance — but their first under head coach Mitch Canham, a former OSU star catcher who took over in 2019.
Louisville and Oregon State will play Friday at 7 p.m. in a game broadcast by ESPN. The College World Series opens Friday and runs through June 23. In addition to Oregon State, Louisville is in a pod with No. 13 overall seed Coastal Carolina and Arizona. The teams will play a double-elimination tournament, with the winner to advance to the best-of-three final series. Game 2 for Louisville will be on Sunday.
If recent form means anything, expect fireworks in the opener. Oregon State mashed its way through the postseason, scoring 64 runs in its final five games. Freshman Trent Caraway and Canon Reeder have emerged as offensive weapons — combining for 7 RBIs in the Super Regional clincher — while the OSU staff has pitched just well enough to let the offense lead.
On the season, the Oregon State offensive attack has been led by Aiva Arquette, a 6-5 junior from Hawaii who is hitting .354 with 18 home runs and 65 runs batted in. Gavin Turley, a 6-1 junior, has 19 homers and 66 RBI, while hitting .346.
When it comes to Omaha, the Beavers have been among the sport's most reliable contenders. They've captured three national championships (2006, 2007, 2018), and each of their past four CWS appearances has included at least two wins. Their 2018 title run included a clutch comeback against Arkansas and a two-hit shutout to close it. In 2017, OSU won 56 games and reached the semifinals.
By contrast, Louisville is chasing its first national title, but the Cardinals have been a fixture on the sport's biggest stage. This will mark the program's sixth CWS trip under McDonnell, who has guided U of L to 40-win seasons in 14 of his 19 years at the helm.
Oregon State played an independent schedule this season after most of the rest of the old Pac 12 conference bolted. The Beavers, as a result, played 35 road or neutral games, winning 24 of them, to lock up the No. 8 overall national seed.
Postseason paths:
Louisville: Went 5-1 in the NCAA Tournament, sweeping through the Nashville Regional -- beating the tournament's overall No. 1 seed in the process — and outlasting Miami in three games at the Super Regional.
Oregon State: Lost its opening game in regional play, then reeled off five straight wins before blasting past Florida State.
Oregon State's CWS history at a glance:
Championships: 2006, 2007, 2018
Last appearance: 2018 (champions)
First appearance: 1952
All-time vs. Louisville: 1-0 (2013 CWS)
This will be a contrast in styles. Louisville leaned on pitching and timely hitting to reach Omaha, holding opponents to three runs or fewer in four of six postseason games. Oregon State slugged 12 home runs in their last three games.
Louisville Baseball Coverage:
CRAWFORD | The streak that refocused Dan McDonnell -- and led Louisville back to Omaha
BOZICH | Louisville bound for College World Series after beating Miami, 3-2
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