World Series best-of-3 begins Monday at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb.

By Arnie Leshin 

Defending champion, top-ranked Florida, and 3rdranked Oregon State are in the same mindset, win today and tomorrow, while unbeatens Arkansas and Mississippi State need only to win today.

That’s the path the annual NCAA Division I Baseball Championships is on.

Now the question is, will Florida and Oregon State still be playing on Saturday? If so, those would be the deciding games that pair the final two for the best-of-three World Series that starts Monday.

After the Beavers (57-11-1) again came from behind for the second straight time and eliminated North Carolina, 11-6, Thursday was the Gators’ turn in holding off the challenge of Texas Tech for a 9-6 win at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb.

No doubt weary Florida (49-20) is happy to be in the Friday night game versus a rested Arkansas (46-19) team. It went from a 5-0 lead that was cut to 5-3 in the bottom of the seventh, than increased it to 7-3 and 9-3 before never-say-die Tech scored three times in the ninth, but came up short, and headed home after a 45-20 campaign.

This struggle had the Gators sending a grand total of seven pitchers to the hill and having to depend more on key hits. But the early advantage gave them the cushion to advance.

So in the 6 p.m. closer today, Florida will meet up with the Razorbacks, who only need to win once, and the Gators needing to force the Saturday deciding game. But coming up from the loser’s bracket and stuck with an extra game, they might have some difficulty choosing their starting pitcher, and that could also bring Saturday into the mix.

Arkansas has no such problem, neither does unranked and surprising Mississippi State, which is now 39-27.These two have a rested staff and an anxious roster, with the Bulldogs and Beavers meeting in the 1 p.m. game one today.

Oregon State survived elimination and put its bats to the test in ousting Pac 12 unranked rival Washington and 7th ranked Tarheels. The Beavers are playing at the top of their game, but winning twice with a overworked pitching staff is not easy, especially when Mississippi State has its choice of hurlers.

Of the four remaining schools, Oregon State has won the championship twice, back-to-back in 2006 and 2007, and Florida won it for the first time last year.

It was the Huskies’ first appearance in the 64-school field, and the Bulldogs and Razorbacks have each made it to the final once, each settling for the runners-up finish.

Mississippi State might not have an impressive looking record after finishing fifth in the SEC West, but has survived four elimination games with heroics in the field, at bat, and on the mound.

To the Bulldogs, it’s what have you done for me lately, and they have answered that.