2021 College World Series facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 2021 College World Series |
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| Dates | June 19–30 | |||||||||
| MOP | Will Bednar (Mississippi State) | |||||||||
| Umpires | Ramon Armendariz, Perry Costello, Jeff Henrichs, Travis Katzenmeier, Jeff Macias, Steve Mattingly, Mike Morris, Billy Van Raaphorst | |||||||||
| Broadcast | ||||||||||
| Television | ESPN (United States – English) | |||||||||
| TV announcers | Karl Ravech (play by play), Eduardo Pérez, Kyle Peterson (color), Kris Budden (field reporter) | |||||||||
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The 2021 College World Series was the final championship event for college baseball in 2021. It took place from June 19 to June 30 at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska. This was the 74th time this big baseball event was held. It was also the 71st time it happened in Omaha.
The 2020 tournament was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. So, this 2021 event was a big return for college baseball fans. Eight top teams competed in the series. They played in two groups, using a special "double-elimination" rule. This means a team had to lose two games to be out of the tournament. The two winning teams from these groups then played in a "best-of-three" championship series. This means the first team to win two games became the champion.
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The Return of the Series
The 2021 tournament marked a big comeback. The 2020 tournament had been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This meant a one-year break for the championship.
At first, there were plans to limit how many people could watch the games. Only half the stadium seats would be open. But later, officials decided that full crowds could return. This was great news for baseball fans!
Teams That Played
Eight strong teams earned their spot in the 2021 College World Series. These teams had won their earlier games in the 2021 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament. They came from different conferences across the country.
Here are the teams that competed:
- NC State (from the ACC)
- Stanford (from the Pac-12)
- Arizona (from the Pac-12)
- Vanderbilt (from the SEC)
- Tennessee (from the SEC)
- Virginia (from the ACC)
- Mississippi State (from the SEC)
- Texas (from the Big 12)
Some of these teams had played in the College World Series many times before. For example, Texas had been there 36 times! Vanderbilt and Mississippi State had also been there recently.
Tournament Path
The tournament was split into two brackets, Bracket 1 and Bracket 2. Teams played against each other until only one team from each bracket remained. These two teams then faced off in the Finals.
Bracket 1 Games
In Bracket 1, NC State and Vanderbilt were the top teams. NC State won their first game against Stanford. Vanderbilt won a close game against Arizona in 12 innings.
Later, NC State beat Vanderbilt in a tight 1-0 game. This sent Vanderbilt to the loser's bracket. Vanderbilt then fought their way back, beating Stanford and then NC State to win Bracket 1.
Bracket 2 Games
In Bracket 2, Mississippi State and Texas were strong contenders. Mississippi State won their first game against Texas. Virginia also won their first game against Tennessee.
Mississippi State continued their winning streak, beating Virginia. Texas then won against Tennessee and Virginia. This set up a rematch between Mississippi State and Texas. Mississippi State won this game, becoming the winner of Bracket 2.
The Championship Finals
The Finals were a "best-of-three" series between the two bracket winners: Vanderbilt and Mississippi State.
Game 1: Vanderbilt Wins Big
Vanderbilt started the series strong. They scored 7 runs in the very first inning! They went on to win Game 1 with a score of 8-2. Jack Leiter was the winning pitcher for Vanderbilt.
Game 2: Mississippi State Fights Back
Mississippi State came back strong in Game 2. They scored 13 runs and had 14 hits. They won the game 13-2. This tied the series at one game each.
Game 3: Mississippi State Becomes Champion
The final game decided the champion. Mississippi State played an amazing game. They scored 9 runs and only allowed Vanderbilt to get 1 hit. Mississippi State won Game 3 with a score of 9-0. This meant Mississippi State won the 2021 College World Series!
Will Bednar was the winning pitcher for Mississippi State in this final game. He also won the Most Outstanding Player award for the tournament.
Top Players of the Tournament
After the series, a special "All-Tournament Team" was chosen. These were the best players from all the teams that played.
Here are some of the players who made the team:
- Will Bednar (Mississippi State) - He was named the Most Outstanding Player (MOP) of the whole series.
- Jack Leiter (Vanderbilt) - Another great pitcher.
- Logan Tanner (Mississippi State) - A strong catcher.
- Luke Hancock (Mississippi State) - Played first base.
- Lane Forsythe (Mississippi State) - Played shortstop.
- Tanner Allen (Mississippi State) - An excellent outfielder.
- Rowdey Jordan (Mississippi State) - Another key outfielder.
Mississippi State had many players on the All-Tournament Team, showing how well they played to win the championship.
