ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 will combine to provide a record schedule of up to 83 NCAA Division I Baseball Championship games from June 1 to June 26, culminating with the College World Series. The addition of up to 14 games from two more Regional series surpasses the previous high of a maximum 69 games set last year.
The schedule includes complete coverage of six Regionals (up to 42 games from June 1-4), two more than the previous two championships; all eight Super Regionals sites (up to 24 games from June 8-11); and every College World Series game (up to 17 games from June 15-26) from the TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb.
ESPN3 will double its exclusive coverage from last year – its first for exclusive games – offering a possible 28 contests from five Regionals sites. ESPNU will televise up to 20 games from the Regionals and Super Regionals while ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to cover a maximum 35 games from all three rounds, including the entire NCAA Men’s College World Series for the 10th straight year.
Every game will also be available via WatchESPN, which delivers live access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 on PCs, smartphones and tablets to fans who receive ESPN’s linear networks as part of their video subscription from Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks or Verizon FiOS TV.
Seven of the analysts have played in the College World Series: Chris Burke (Tennessee), Randy Flores (USC), Jay Payton (Georgia Tech), Kyle Peterson (Stanford), Nomar Garciaparra (Georgia Tech), Ben McDonald (LSU) and Paul Lo Duca (Arizona State).
Studio Coverage
Mike Rooney and Ben McDonald will provide analysis from the studio for the Regionals, Super Regionals and College World Series. Tennessee baseball coach Dave Serrano will serve as an ESPNU guest analyst during the Regionals on Friday, June 1 and Saturday, June. 2. In addition to providing pre- and post-game analysis, they will contribute on ESPNU’s SportsCenterUprograms June 1 to June 3 at 3 p.m. ET, 10 p.m. and 2:30 a.m.
ESPNU will also provide extensive pre- and post-game studio reports during the College World Series as well as telecasts of the teams’ press conferences Thursday, June 14 at 3 p.m. and Saturday, June 23, at noon.
Regionals (June 1-4): ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 will offer complete and exclusive coverage of six Regionals sites.
- Each site will feature four teams competing in a double-elimination format and each site winner (a total of 16 sites) will advance to the Super Regionals.
- Adam Amin, Joe Davis, Justin Kutcher, Clay Matvick, Mark Neely and Ducis Rodgers are scheduled to provide play-by-play while Nick Belmonte, Chris Burke, Randy Flores, Danny Kanell, Jay Payton and Kyle Peterson will provide analysis.
Super Regionals (June 8-11): ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will combine to televise every game of the eight best-of-three Super Regionals (up to 24 games):
- For the second consecutive year, ESPNU will televise up to eight games exclusively.
- Each Super Regional winner will advance to the College World Series.
- Scheduled announcers include Amin, Steve Berthiaume, Carter Blackburn, Kutcher, Matvick, Dave Neal, Neely and Mike Patrick, and analysts Flores, Nomar Garciaparra, Doug Glanville, Kanell, Paul Lo Duca, Payton, Peterson and Jay Walker. Pairings and assignments are to be determined.
College World Series: For the 10th straight year, ESPN and ESPN2 will combine to televise the entire College World Series (up to 17 games), including the best-of-three College World Series Finals. ESPN’s 33rd consecutive year of coverage will begin June 15 and conclude June 26.
- For the fifth year, all three games of the Championship Series will be televised live in prime time (all at 8 p.m., Sunday, June 24 on ESPN2, and Monday, June 25 and Tuesday, June 26 on ESPN).
- SportsCenter segments will originate from Omaha from June 18-20. On-site analysts Orel Hershiserand Garciaparra will contribute.
- Commentators include Mike Patrick, Karl Ravech and Jon Sciambi with analysts Hershiser, Garciaparra and Peterson, and reporters Jenn Brown and Jessica Mendoza.
- Patrick will call the Championship Series with Hershiser and Peterson, and Brown and Mendoz