OMAHA, Neb. – On Saturday, June 13, the second double-elimination group of the 2026 College World Series will start play at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha. The entire group contains teams from the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
World Baseball Network takes a look at how the group containing the Georgia Bulldogs, Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma Sooners, and Alabama Crimson Tide will shake up.
Which offense stacks up the best with Georgia?
The Georgia Bulldogs bring possibly the most terrifying offense in college baseball to the College World Series.
The Bulldogs are fourth in the country in team batting average (.326) and first in the country in home runs (174). Thus, Georgia features the best offense in the field of eight teams in Omaha.
The Texas Longhorns have a great offense that can keep up with Georgia’s elite offense. The Longhorns are in the top five in the SEC in team batting average (.298). They have hit over 100 home runs as a team this season and have an elite on-base percentage of .420 as a team. Texas is third in the SEC in on-base percentage, and they lead the conference in walks with 373.
They may not be at the top of the country like Georgia, but the Longhorns have the offense that is required to go toe-to-toe with the Bulldogs.
Georgia and Texas did not play each other during the regular season.
Oklahoma brings base-stealing tendencies to Omaha
The Oklahoma Sooners have stolen 124 bases as a team in 2026. They lead the field of eight teams in the College World Series in stolen bases.
Oklahoma not only steals lots of bases, but they also have been successful at stealing them. The Sooners have a success rate of around 85% with stealing bases this season.
To have success against the tough double-elimination group containing all SEC teams, Oklahoma will have to continue finding success with stealing bases.
The Sooners stole seven bases in the super regional against the Kansas Jayhawks in Lawrence. That led to two dominant wins and a quick sweep en route to their 12th appearance in the College World Series.
Alabama’s steady starting rotation
The Alabama Crimson Tide are bringing in a formidable starting rotation to their first College World Series appearance this century. Alabama’s pitching staff ranks third in the SEC with a 4.11 team ERA.
The Friday night starter for the Crimson Tide all year has been Tyler Fay. In 2026, he has a 4.37 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 103 innings of work. His two NCAA Tournament starts against Alabama State and St. John’s were very solid. In those two games combined, Fay finished with 17 strikeouts and just three runs allowed in 13 innings of work.
Zane Adams has also been a reliable starter for Alabama this season. In his recent start against St. John’s in the Tuscaloosa super regional, the left-hander had eight strikeouts and allowed just two runs in 6 1/3 innings of work. This season, he has a 3.96 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 88 2/3 innings of work.
Freshman right-handed pitcher Myles Upchurch rounds out Alabama’s weekend starting rotation. In 70 2/3 innings of work, he has a 3.57 ERA and 77 strikeouts. He has also allowed an opposing batting average of .198.
Upchurch’s one start during the 2026 NCAA Tournament came on May 31 during the Tuscaloosa regional final against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. In six innings of work, he had nine strikeouts and allowed four runs. Upchurch is very fresh for Alabama heading into Charles Schwab Field. He has not pitched in June.
Alabama has the starting rotation to hold down the tough SEC offenses that are in their double-elimination group.
Saturday Schedule for the 2026 College World Series
Oklahoma Sooners (38-22, 14-16 SEC) vs Alabama Crimson Tide (42-19, 18-12 SEC) – 3 p.m. ET – ESPN
Texas Longhorns (45-13, 19-10 SEC) vs Georgia Bulldogs (51-12, 23-7 SEC) – 8 p.m. ET – ESPN
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTOS: AP | Stew Milne, Stephen Spillman, Vasha Hunt
