College World Series Features Teams From Around The Nation

The field of eight teams in the 2025 College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, is set, representing a geographic mix.

The mix includes a couple of schools, Coastal Carolina and Murray State, with a lower national profile than some of the big names in collegiate athletics. From Conway, South Carolina, Coastal Carolina might not be as familiar to some fans as other teams in the CWS, but the Chanticleers won the national title in 2016. Murray State, from Murray, Kentucky, in the southwestern part of the state, is led by a coach, Dan Skirka, who, according to news reports, cuts the grass at the team’s home ballpark (seating capacity: 800).

The SEC’s representatives, the Arkansas Razorbacks and the LSU Tigers, will also be in the field. An SEC team has won the last five CWS championships and six of the previous seven.

Paul Myerberg of USA Today wrote that Arkansas and LSU are probably the teams to beat this year, but he added that “this looks to be a wide-open CWS that could end with any one of the teams celebrating on Charles Schwab Field."

“The double-elimination World Series format will conclude with the top two teams playing a best-of-three championship series,” he wrote. "The initial matchups will be Arizona against Coastal Carolina, Louisville against Oregon State, UCLA against Murray State and Arkansas against LSU.”

The CWS, beginning this weekend, comes during an action-packed period for fans and bettors, with the NBA and NHL finals underway. 

CWS Opening Odds

Below are the odds for the 2025 College World Series, provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.

• Arkansas +195
• LSU +230
• Coastal Carolina +600
• Oregon State +650
• UCLA +800
• Arizona +1400
• Louisville +1800
• Murray State +5000

Sports betting is legal and live in 38 states and Washington, D.C.