Updated

Updated · CBS Sports · Jun 13

North Carolina, West Virginia Win CWS Openers, Setting Up 1-0 Clash After 6-2 and 7-5 Victories

Updated

Updated · CBS Sports · Jun 13

North Carolina, West Virginia Win CWS Openers, Setting Up 1-0 Clash After 6-2 and 7-5 Victories

Q: Will Georgia's star hitter Daniel Jackson conquer Texas's ace Dylan Volantis in their highly anticipated CWS showdown?

It is too close to call, but Volantis has a slight edge entering Saturday’s showdown. Jackson has been one of the most dangerous hitters in college baseball all season. The Georgia catcher won the SEC Triple Crown, is a Golden Spikes frontrunner, and has paired elite power with unusual speed for his position, topping 30 home runs while also stealing more than 25 bases. He anchors a Georgia lineup that leads the nation in home runs and is among the national leaders in runs and OPS, so one mistake from Texas can change the game quickly. But Volantis is exactly the kind of pitcher built to challenge that profile. Texas’s left-handed ace has posted an ERA just above 2.00, piled up well over 100 strikeouts, held opponents under .200, and, crucially against Georgia, has been exceptionally hard to homer against. Multiple reports note he has allowed only two home runs all season, a major factor against a Bulldogs offense that leans heavily on the long ball. That does not mean Jackson cannot win a key at-bat. Elite hitters often break through even against elite arms, and Georgia’s offense is deep enough that Volantis cannot pitch around Jackson all night. But based on the available evidence, the safer expectation is not that Jackson “conquers” Volantis outright, but that this becomes a tightly contested chess match in which Volantis is slightly more likely to limit Jackson than the other way around.

3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Jun 13

No. 5 North Carolina and No. 16 West Virginia opened the 2026 College World Series with wins in Omaha, moving into Sunday’s winner’s-bracket game.
North Carolina beat Ole Miss 6-2 after trailing 2-1 in the seventh, with Jason DeCaro striking out nine over 6.2 innings before the Tar Heels scored all six runs off the Rebels’ bullpen.
West Virginia topped Troy 7-5 behind Tyrus Hall’s four RBIs and six innings of relief from Ian Korn after the Trojans scored four times in the first three innings.
Troy and Ole Miss now drop into a Sunday elimination game at 2 p.m. ET, while North Carolina and West Virginia meet at 7 p.m. ET for a 2-0 start in Bracket 1.
Bracket 2 opens Saturday with No. 7 Alabama vs. Oklahoma and No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 6 Texas, giving the SEC all four spots on that side of the field.