GAMETHREAD: UCSB vs. Oklahoma State - CWS Game 1

Oklahoma State is in the CWS for the first time since 1999, and will take on the UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos in the first game of the 2016 CWS. This marks the 20th CWS for the Cowboys. Oklahoma State comes off a 3-0 Clemson Regional, in which they dominated an electric Clemson team, and shut down a top-five offense. Then, the Cowboys swept South Carolina in the Columbia Super Regional to reach the CWS. Oklahoma State has not trailed in an NCAA Tournament game yet in this postseason.

This is the first CWS appearance for the Gauchos. They ran through the Louisiana-Lafayette regional, and bounced Louisville in two games with a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth. The Gauchos are hot, and will be a good matchup for the Pokes.

Pitching is not UCSB's strength, and their lineup is fairly top heavy. Without balance in the lineup, a good outing from whoever takes the bump for OSU could go a long way in deciding this matchup.

A lot of us will be in attendance, but for those who are not, consider this your tailgate! If you're not subscribed to comment, go ahead and do that and join in on the conversation.

When: 2:00 P.M. CST

Where: T.D. Ameritrade Park, Omaha, Neb.

Where to watch: ESPN2