College World Series
If you are one of the myriad baseball fanatics, chances are you have already been to the most celebrated College World Series – the culminating event of the NCAA Division 1, where new college world baseball champs are made. It is an annual championship match wherein the world’s best college baseball players showcase their athletic skills. Held every June at the Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska, the College World Series gathers sports fans, media organizations, college students from all walks of life.
The College World Series is based on the Major League Baseball World Series. The rules that apply are those that are written by the National Collegiate Athletic Association or NCAA baseball. The first College World Series games during the years 1947 to 1948 were held in Michigan at the Kalamazoo Hyames Field. In 1949, the world championship moved to Wichita in Kansas. And since 1950, College World Series tournament has been held in Omaha.
The 2007 college world series had the Oregon State as the world champion. It retained its previous championship in the World Series against its chief rival, the North Carolina. The match was a close competition between the two States ending in scores 9-3 and 11-1 in the best of 3 series. The longest holder of the World Series Championship title is the USC team. The 1973 tournament repeated the previous championship finals and had USC defeat the Arizona Team for the second time around. Their reign continued and in the year 1974, USC totaled 5 championship titles in the College World Series.
The 2007 College World Series tournament had 8 teams advancing to the finals. The initial number in the field was sixty four teams. It started with a 16 4-man-team regionals of double elimination. The Oregon State during this stage was only at the number 3 seed. The 16 winners of the double elimination went to the NCAA baseball super regional tournaments. It comprised of eight head to head competitions using the best-of-3 format.
The winners of the super regional tournaments then moved on as the contenders for the College World Series. Among the eight teams who made it to the world finals in 2007 are Wichita State, Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton, Oregon State, North Carolina, Mississippi State, Louisville and Rice.
In the College World Series History, the rule of the game was double elimination, but this was during the tournaments that were held before 1988. On that year, the format of the college world series was revised to address the division of the tournament. The new 4-team bracketing was only adapted in the year 1999. Before that, the NCAA baseball would have to get only 48 teams which were split in eight 6 man-team regional tournaments.
The 4-team bracketing format was based on the results of the regional matchups and super-regional games. Basketball fans will notice that the format closely resembles that of the NCAA basketball.
Apart from the Division 1 College World Series, Division 2 and 3 are also conducting tournaments. Division 2 finals are held at the Montgomery Riverwalk Stadium in Alabama. Unlike the Division 1 College World Series, Division 2 does not adapt the best of 3 formats instead uses the single game event.
Division 3, on the other hand, holds championships at the Marietta College in Ohio. It slated its first finals in the year 1976. Marietta College was the host of the Division 3 tournament from its start to the year 1987. Bristol hosted from 1988 to 1989. Michigan was the site in 1990. And Virginia was host to the last tournament in 1995.
From 1947 until today, the enthusiasm of baseball fans around the world still has not changed. The College World Series for the Division 1 holds many of the best baseball games the spectator sports industry has ever produced. The professionalism and the enthusiasm can even compete with that of the Major League.