re: UCLA wins 2013 CWS (Unsticky Please)

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MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS
RECORD: 48-18

CWS APPEARANCES: Nine

KEY PLAYERS: Mississippi State is one of the more intriguing teams to watch in this CWS for a good reason. The Bulldogs are playing an exceptional brand of baseball and showed very well last weekend against Virginia with some key hits, clutch pitching, and of course, great defense, led by middle infielders Adam Frazier and Brett Pirtle. From an offensive standpoint, it doesn't get much better than outfielder Hunter Renfroe, who's hitting .360 with 16 doubles, three triples, 15 homers and 61 RBIs. Meanwhile, Frazier is an outstanding overall player with a .359 average, while Alex Detz is hitting .323 and Wes Rea is a very intriguing bat to watch. Rea has really progressed well offensively this season, and especially in the past few weeks. Rea has a .288 average, seven homers and 37 RBIs. MSU is most impressive on the mound, where it doesn't necessarily have an elite weekend rotation, but top-to-bottom it doesn't get any better. Right-hander Kendall Graveman and left-hander Luis Pollorena are gritty and good starting pitchers, while in the bullpen, closer Jonathan Holder is outstanding with 18 saves and a 1.31 ERA in 48 innings. Holder seems to change the feeling of the game when he comes in with a hard-nosed and attacking approach. Also keep an eye on other talented arms such as Chad Girodo (1.38 ERA, 45.2 IP), Ross Mitchell (1.35 ERA, 86.2 IP), Ben Bracewell (1.48, 30.1 IP) and Myles Gentry (3.69, 31.2 IP), among others.

THEY CAN WIN THE TITLE IF: State made several outstanding defensive plays last weekend against Virginia, led by second baseman Brett Pirtle. MSU is a solid defensive club, from Frazier and Pirtle up the middle to ultra-athletic Hunter Renfroe in right field. But the Bulldogs will need to keep that level of play going this weekend to take home the program's first national title. Meanwhile, though the Bulldogs have hit the ball well the past few weeks, there have been times this season when the offense has gone into some lulls. Recent trends suggest the Bulldogs will show up to Omaha and continue to perform well at the plate, but it's certainly something to watch. Pitching-wise, this club is setup well with a unique ability to roll out 8-9 high quality arms.

PROSPECT WATCH: OF Hunter Renfroe (1st round, Padres), SS Adam Frazier (6th round, Pittsburgh) -- P Kendall Graveman (8th round, Toronto) -- P Chad Girodo (9th round, Toronto) -- P Evan Mitchell (13th round, Cincinnati) -- P Darryl Norris (22nd round, Detroit) -- P Luis Pollorena (23rd round, Texas)

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LSU TIGERS
RECORD: 57-9

CWS APPEARANCES: 16

KEY PLAYERS: The Tigers enter the CWS with the field's most balanced offensive lineup. LSU enters the weekend with a .308 batting average, with impressive freshman shortstop Alex Bregman and first baseman Mason Katz, both PG All-Americans, leading the charge. Meanwhile, second baseman JaCoby Jones has been on an offensive tear lately and now has a .299 average with six homers and 31 RBIs after having an average around .250 around midseason. Also keep an eye on slick-fielding third baseman Christian Ibarra, who also has some good pop at the plate with six homers, while Mark Laird and Andrew Stevenson, both hitting below .300, can cause a lot of issues for opposing teams because of their speed and versatility. Pitching-wise, the Tigers have one of the best in the business in right-handed pitcher Aaron Nola, while a big key to Omaha is the arm of right-handed pitcher Ryan Eades. Eades has been very good at times this season with a fastball up to 93-94, but he's also had some bad moments, too. Meanwhile, Cody Glenn missed the NCAA Regional because of a suspension and didn't pitch last weekend because the Tigers went 2-0 against Oklahoma, so it'll be interesting to see if he's a bit rusty in Omaha. In the bullpen, left-handed pitcher Chris Cotton is as good as it gets, entering the CWS with an astonishing 16 saves.

THEY CAN WIN THE TITLE IF: LSU is the favorite to win the national title in Omaha, which would be the program's seven overall national title. However, Tigers fans should be warned that often than not the team favorited to take care of business in Omaha doesn't actually win the title. Aaron Nola is a rock in the rotation, but Glenn's time off and Ryan Eades' erratic nature at times are at least two causes for concern. Otherwise, the Tigers look outstanding on paper heading into this CWS.

PROSPECT WATCH: P Ryan Eades (2nd round, Minnesota) -- 2B JaCoby Jones (3rd round, Pittsburgh) -- 1B Mason Katz (4th round, St. Louis) -- P Nick Rumbelow (7th round, New York Yankees) -- P Will LaMarche (9th round, Detroit) -- C Ty Ross (12th round, San Francisco) -- P Chris Cotton (14th round, Houston) -- OF Raph Rhymes (15th round, Detroit) -- 3B Christian Ibarra (32nd round, Pittsburgh)

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