Away we go…the final year at Rosenblatt is now underway and it started with two impressive pitching performances. Start with Matt Purke, the super frosh who was all that was advertised in TCU’s first ever appearance at the CWS.

I wrote earlier this year that I thought TCU was deserving of a national seed. After missing out on a national seed, the Frogs rolled through a home regional and then beat a Texas team on the road that was my pick to win it all. They did it today thanks to solid fundamental baseball and the left arm of Matt Purke. This kid is really good, and he headlines a group of arms in Omaha this year that is really impressive. His stuff is outstanding, but that is just the tip of the story. He allows a run in the first, then puches out the side. After that, Florida State got two more hits, and one was an infield single. FSU is a very good club, they did not take many comfortable swings. Purke has now gone 14 2/3 innings against Texas and Florida State in the postseason and allowed a grand total of one earned run. He also set the tone today in the first inning and his offense responded with 5 runs in the bottom of the first. Great start for the Frogs,
and they are dangerous.

Now to the Bruins, who have the deepest pitching staff here in Omaha. John Savage liked the matchup of Trevor Bauer against the Gators tonight and it paid off. The Bruins now have Gerritt Cole and Rob Rasmussen ready for the next two games, and they are in a very good spot right now. The Tyler Rahmatulla injury was one of the toughest for a team heading to Omaha that I can remember. He literally was the reason that they were still standing. At the Bruins’ practice at Rosenblatt on Friday, they let Rahmatulla take two swings, with one hand, at the end of BP. Pretty cool touch by Rick Vanderhook. Solid start for the Bruins and the Cole v. TCU matchup in the winner’s bracket on Monday should be really good.

The Bracket One team that starts 2-0 can throw their ace again on Friday if they want. It would be on 5 days rest. If you are three starters deep, which TCU and UCLA both are, you have a clear advantage given the schedule.

Day two should be just as good, with OU and South Carolina getting things started at 2 Eastern. Enjoy.