Handicapping the field.
Another year, another trip to Omaha for the Tennessee Volunteers. This one was by far the most unlikely, with Tony Vitello’s team really struggling through the middle of conference play. However, almost eerily similar to Ole Miss from last year, the Vols hit their stride to close the year.
A massive sweep of Vanderbilt eliminated any doubt that they would make the NCAA Tournament, and even after a disappointing one-and-done in Hoover, Tennessee found a way to churn the momentum forward to start the NCAA Tournament.
The Volunteers went undefeated in the Clemson Regional, then battled back to take down Southern Miss on the road last weekend. Their reward? A trip to the College World Series for the second time in two years.
Tennessee will get things started on Saturday night, set to face SEC foe LSU. The winner of that matchup will take on the winner of Stanford-Wake Forest, while the loser will face an elimination game.
Considering Tennessee didn’t host a regional, the Vols have had pretty decent odds to win the national championship all through the NCAA Tournament. Now with the field set for Omaha, the Volunteers rank fifth overall, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Tennessee is +750 to win it all, trailing top seeds Wake Forest, LSU, Florida and Virginia.
The College World Series will begin on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. ET with TCU-Oral Roberts. Virginia vs. Florida will follow at 7 p.m. ET. Wake Forest-Stanford gets the afternoon slot on Saturday, while Tennessee-LSU will finish things off on Saturday night.
2023 College World Series Odds
Wake Forest +275
LSU +380
Florida +450
Virginia +450
Tennessee +750
TCU +800
Stanford +1200
Oral Roberts +2200