College World Series 2011: Schedule, Bracket Set For Omaha This Weekend

The 2011 College World Series begins in Omaha this Friday, and the 14 to 16 games the nation’s final eight college baseball teams will play will decide the champion of the 2011 NCAA Baseball Tournament. National No. 1 seed Virginia, defending champion South Carolina, and upstart California are among the teams that will bring swings and pings to Nebraska to christen the newly-built TD Ameritrade Park with its first College World Series action.

Seven of the eight teams in Omaha were top regional seeds; only Cal, a No. 3 seed that has authored an incredible story this postseason after nearly being mothballed this spring, earned a College World Series berth without hosting at least one game. And national seeds Florida, North Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Texas joined Virginia and South Carolina in winning their way to Omaha without ever leaving their home park in the NCAA Tournament; only Texas A&M, which upset Florida State in the Tallahassee Super Regional, won at home and on the road to make it to Nebraska.

The College World Series has two distinct parts: a double-elimination tournament for two brackets of four teams each, and a best-of-three championship series pitting the two survivors of those brackets. Double-elimination play begins Saturday, June 18, and could run through Saturday, June 24; the championship series begins Monday, June 27.

Here’s a full rundown of the 2011 College World Series schedule, including the 2011 CWS bracket. All games will be televised by the ESPN family of networks, and all games will be streaming online at ESPN3.com.

Game 1: Vanderbilt vs. North Carolina, 2 p.m. Eastern, Saturday, June 18

Game 2: Florida vs. Texas, 7 p.m. Eastern, Saturday, June 18

Game 5: Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser, 2 p.m. Eastern, Monday, June 20

Game 6: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 7 p.m. Eastern, Monday, June 20

Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser, 7 p.m. Eastern, Wednesday, June 22

Game 11: Game 6 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner, 2 p.m. Eastern, Friday, June 24

Game 13, if necessary: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 11 Loser, 2 p.m. Eastern, Saturday, June 25

Game 3: Virginia vs. California, 2 p.m. Eastern, Sunday, June 19

Game 4: South Carolina vs. Texas A&M, 7 p.m. Eastern, Sunday, June 19

Game 7: Game 3 Loser vs. Game 4 Loser, 2 p.m. Eastern, Tuesday, June 21

Game 8: Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner, 7 p.m. Eastern, Tuesday, June 21

Game 10: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Loser, 7 p.m. Eastern, Thursday, June 23

Game 12: Game 8 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner, 7 p.m. Eastern, Friday, June 24

Game 14, if necessary: Game 12 Winner vs. Game 12 Loser, 7 p.m. Eastern, Saturday, June 25

Championship Game 1: Bracket 1 Champion vs. Bracket 2 Champion, 8 p.m. Eastern, Monday, June 27

Championship Game 2: Bracket 1 Champion vs. Bracket 2 Champion, 8 p.m. Eastern, Tuesday, June 28

Championship Game 3: Bracket 1 Champion vs. Bracket 2 Champion, 8 p.m. Eastern, Wednesday, June 29

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