What began as a "casual" event for fans to partake in has blown up and turned into a must-do College World Series bucket list item for fans who travel to the Mecca of college baseball to experience the feels and emotions of the sport's most sacred grounds up front.

OMAHA, Neb. — A look at the eight teams competing in the College World Series, which starts Friday at Charles Schwab Field. (Capsules in order of CWS opening games. Coaches’ records through super regionals) Coach: Kevin Schnall (53-11 in 1 year at Coastal Carolina and overall)

To get to the College World Series, teams had to win at least five games over two weekends without losing more than once each round. Three of the eight qualifiers swept their way to Omaha, while one ( Oregon State) had to play eight times to secure a spot.

Here are eight facts to know about 2025 College World Series teams fighting for the NCAA baseball title in Omaha, Nebraska.

From UCLA's star shortstop to an LSU pitcher who could go No. 1, here are the future major league stars to watch in Omaha.

The best way to watch the College World Series online is with DirecTV. The service carries ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC in a few of its packages, including the streamlined, budget-friendly MySports package. This plan carries 20+ sports channels in total, as well as ESPN+. The package starts with a five-day free trial and costs $69.99 a month after that.

The scramble to build a competitive schedule, grueling road trips and a team bus snafu highlighted Oregon State's road back to national title contention

CCU will likely turn to ace Jacob Morrison, who holds a 11-0 record with a 2.15 ERA this season. REQUIRED READING: College World Series 2025: Who are the highest-paid baseball coaches in the CWS?