The 2025 Men’s College Baseball World Series has reached the Semifinals stage, as four teams remain standing. Arizona, Murray State, Oregon State and UCLA have all been sent home.
On Wednesday, Coastal Carolina and Louisville do battle in the afternoon game in Omaha at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN, while LSU and Arkansas meet again at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Arkansas and Louisville are fighting to stay alive, with losses earlier in the tournament. If necessary, these teams would meet again Thursday, if Arkansas and Louisville were to survive Wednesday. Let’s build our bankroll with our best College Baseball World Series bets and picks for Wednesday, June 18.
Get instant alerts when a line reaches your target via the BettingPros App >>
Wednesday’s Best College Baseball World Series Picks
College Baseball odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook | All picks are for 1 unit
Louisville Cardinals (+215) at Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (-280) | O/U 11.5 (-102/-118)
We won’t spend too much time on this game, as it begins at 2 p.m. ET. Louisville would be eliminated by the 2016 National Champion Chanticleers if Coastal Carolina was to win. The Chants would be in the national championship series for the second time in school history as a result.
Louisville lost 4-2 in the opening game Friday, before rebounding Sunday to bounce Arizona 8-3. Louisville then exacted revenge on Oregon State, winning 7-6. The Cardinals have played two tight, 1-run games in their three outings in Omaha, and they’ll be a tough out for the Chanticleers.
Coastal just refuses to lose. The Chanticleers topped Arizona in a classic game Friday, winning 7-4, while topping Oregon State 6-2 on Sunday. All-American pitcher Jacob Morrison was the man against the Beavs, allowing just a single unearned run to move to 12-0 on the season. The Chanticleers are 55-11, and they’ve won 25 games in a row.
It’s been an unbelievable run for Coastal Carolina, again, and it is a good bet Wednesday. However, you can’t play it straight up, risking nearly three times your return. With Louisville fighting to extend its season, and its history of 1-run games recently, let’s take Louisville as the underdog on the run line, and we’ll go with Under, too.
Picks: Louisville +1.5 (+112) & Under 11.5 Total Runs (-125)
Arkansas Razorbacks (-120) at LSU Tigers (-106) | O/U 10.5 (-120/-106)
This one could be very, very interesting, as Arkansas and LSU obviously know each other well from the SEC, and they’ve already played in Omaha, too.
No. 6 LSU (46-15) and No. 7 Arkansas (46-13) do battle at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, and the Bayou Bengals would advance to the CWS Final with another win over the Razorbacks. The Tigers won the first matchup in Game 4 in Omaha by a 4-1 score, while also topping Arkansas in a three-game series in Baton Rouge, winning twice, during the regular season. LSU won 5-4 in 10 innings on May 9, while crushing Arkansas 13-3 on May 10. The Razorbacks salvaged the series finale on May 11, winning 7-4.
The bad news for Arkansas is that Gage Wood is unavailable, as he was used to show Murray State the door in Monday’s 3-0 victory. The future Major Leaguer racked up a College World Series record 19 strikeouts against the Racers, while totaling 119 pitches, also a career high. Gabe Gaeckle is a possibility to start after recording 10 strikeouts earlier in the tournament against LSU on Saturday.
Arkansas SS Wehiwa Aloy had a devastating 2-run homer and a run-scoring triple against UCLA on Tuesday, helping the Bruins pack their bags back to Southern California in the 7-3 win. Aloy is one of three finalists for the Golden Spikes award, and he is the SEC Player of the Year. He’ll be front and center for Arkansas, as it looks to extend its season. Aloy has 30 multi-hit games, too.
LSU is a perfect 4-0 all-time against Arkansas in College World Series games, so history is on the side of the Tigers. However, Arkansas had a ridiculous plus-293 run differential this season, and its lineup, top to bottom, might be better than anybody in the country. That’s why it’s hard to forget about the 4-1 loss to LSU earlier in the tournament. One run? That’s amazing. In fact, in going 1-3 against LSU this season, the Razorbacks actually have a minus-11 run differential in four games against the Tigers.
Still, Arkansas has that potent offense, and we should at least see a winner-take-all game on Thursday. This is going to be must-see TV on Wednesday, and again on Thursday. Look for Arkansas to force another game with a win on Wednesday.
Picks: Arkansas Razorbacks Moneyline (-128) & Under 10.5 Total Runs (-106)
