In response to my friend Chris Webb’s question on twitter this week, I gave my very early prediction for next year’s field in Omaha just a couple hours after South Carolina laid Rosenblatt to rest.

Now that I’ve had a little more time to think, I’ll elaborate on my picks here. For everyone who doesn’t follow me on twitter, my eight are UCLA, Florida, Texas, TCU, Cal State Fullerton, Oregon, Virginia and North Carolina.

I’ve given this a lot more thought since I rather rashly tweeted my picks (But what else are you supposed to do on twitter besides act rashly?). I’ve wondered if UCLA, Fullerton, Texas and TCU can actually all make it to Omaha because of the way Super Regionals tend to work. That group sent only two teams to the College World Series this year because they composed two Super Regionals, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to find those same matchups next year.

I feel pretty confident UCLA and Fullerton won’t be matched up in Super Regionals next year, because I anticipate the Bruins being the No. 1 national seed and the Titans will probably get a better draw than that. Texas and TCU however, that might be replayed in 2011. I think I can speak for college baseball fans everywhere when I say I hope the Longhorns and Horned Frogs don’t see each other before the College World Series.

Anyway, I’ll leave it to the committee to keep UCLA, Fullerton, Texas and TCU separate before the final eight. I just want to see them all in TD Ameritrade Stadium next summer. Now for a closer look at my predictions.

UCLA

I picked the Bruins to take home the title this year because of their two phenomenal sophomore aces. That was before I was blown away by Trevor Bauer for two weeks in Omaha. Nothing I had been told or had seen in limited viewings of the right-hander prepared me for his dominance in two outings at Rosenblatt.

Meanwhile, Gerrit Cole and the UCLA lineup didn’t disappoint either. The Bruins went home without a championship, but you can be sure they are hungrier than ever and with a bit of experience. UCLA will be the preseason favorite by just about every publication, but I’m sure it will handle the pressure just fine.

Florida

When you really break down the job Kevin O’Sullivan did this year, it’s nothing short of amazing. Sure the Gators had plenty of talent, but they were also full of freshmen and sophomores in key positions. I personally can’t wait to see Preston Tucker, Austin Maddox and Nolan Fontana all back in the infield next year. Florida’s entire rotation comes back and while the team had a disappointing two and out in Omaha this year, that experience will be valuable come next spring.

Texas

The Longhorns probably won’t have the nation’s best rotation anymore and even that wasn’t enough to get them to the College World Series this year. They’ll have to replace Kevin Keyes and Cameron Rupp as well. And yet, I’ll go with Texas.

Taylor Jungmann should give the Longhorns an unbeatable Friday starter and I’ll trust Augie Garrido from there. If Texas can find a couple of bats somewhere, it should find itself as a national seed once again.

TCU

This year’s College World Series’ darling won’t take anyone by surprise next year. Matt Purke, who was nothing short of dominant this year, is one of the elite pitchers who could turn in a breathtaking 2011. Coupling Purke with Kyle Winkler should give the Horned Frogs the tandem they need to make a return trip to Omaha, even if they have to go through Austin again.

Fullerton

The Titans are probably wondering what happened a few weeks ago. Fullerton found itself one out away from a trip to the College World Series when all of a sudden UCLA snatched it from under its nose. You can beat the Titans are eager to get another crack at Omaha.

Replacing first-rounders Christian Colon and Gary Brown in the lineup won’t be easy, but Fullerton did play the final stretch of the year without Brown. The Titans’ returning pitchers will allow them some time to figure the lineup out starting with Noe Ramirez, who outdueled Cole in Super Regionals.

Oregon

Yes, in just the third season after some very long, baseball-less winters in Eugene, I think the Ducks will make it to the College World Series. Oregon is a young team, but it knows how to play baseball. The Ducks won 40 games this year and finished second in the Norwich Regional. With the pitching staff Oregon will be able to throw every weekend, I think Omaha is a very reachable. It will have to manage high expectations, but this team ought to be ready for them now.

Virginia

Like so many of my other picks, the Cavaliers are led by a top-flight pitching staff. Danny Hultzen is one of the best Friday starters in the country and has big game experience. The Cavaliers will have to find a replacement for Jarrett Parker at the top of the order. But now that UVA has the experience of making it to Omaha and a disappointing Super Regionals loss, it should have the seasoning to stand up to expectations all season and return to the College World Series.

North Carolina

They can’t all be easy picks, and I’ll go out on a limb a little bit here. The Tar Heels had a very disappointing 2010, barely making Regionals. They lost Friday starter Matt Harvey to the Mets, but team USA invitee Greg Holt is a good piece to build around, as well as Levi Michael, who led the Heels in batting average this year. I’ll trust North Carolina not to miss the College World Series two years in a row.

This is the pick I’m least sure about, but you have to take someone from the Carolinas and I don’t feel good about any of the rest of those schools. So I’ll stick to may rash, mid-June prediction.

A monument to college baseball, Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium has hosted the College World Series since 1950. The allure of Omaha, the city that envelopes Rosenblatt, and the stadium have been a beacon to college baseball players for decades.

Throughout the offseason, players dream of Omaha and breakdown countless practices with Rosenblatt as their goal. Later, after the teams return to campus and the national champion shows off its trophy for adoring fans, the memories of Omaha still glitter. While they might get relegated into the back of the young ballplayers’ minds, Omaha has found a spot in all of their hearts, no matter whether they were in the winners’ bracket of the losers’.

Trevor Crowe and Chris Perez have moved on to bigger stages, leaving college behind for the major leagues and the Cleveland Indians. It’s been years and thousands of games since they played in the College World Series, but both remember 23,000-seat Rosenblatt Stadium as the biggest setting of their early careers.

As a sophomore, Crowe led Arizona to the College World Series in 2004. It was the first time he played in a stadium that had stands spanning the outfield. Even coming from a Pac-10 power, the fans and their passion left a lasting impression on Crowe.

“At Arizona, we might draw 5,000 on an entire weekend,” he said. “It’s not like the SEC, where there are 8-9,000 [fans] a game. That’s a pretty special feeling.”

The size of the stadium was impressive to Perez, who pitched for the Hurricanes in their trips to Omaha in 2004 and 2006. But more than the size of the crowd, Perez remembers the kindness of the people.

Over the course of the years and many trips to the College World Series, Miami had developed a relationship with a local high school where it always practiced and had been adopted by an elderly couple.

“They’ve been going there since Ron Fraser was there in the ‘70s,” Perez said. “They would bring us snacks and drinks after BP.”

The large, friendly crowds are at the center of the Rosenblatt debate. The College World Series has become wildly popular, but the setting remains decidedly homey. As now-retired Ohio State coach Bob Todd noted in an interview with Ping! Baseball in May, the College World Series is the NCAA’s second-biggest money maker, trailing only the men’s basketball tournament.

There are no easy decisions about closing Rosenblatt and moving the College World Series downtown. Rosenblatt represents tradition and history, while the new stadium offers progress and prosperity.

Within the Indians’ clubhouse, Perez and Crowe seem divided on the best route. Perez sees the advantages of moving downtown, while Crowe falls more on the side of keeping Rosenblatt.

“When you associate college baseball, you automatically think Rosenblatt Stadium,” Crowe said. “That’s going to be a tough project to top.”

Perez, meanwhile, has a slightly different perspective. While playing with Class AAA Memphis, he saw the Rosenblatt under the veneer of the College World Series. What he saw was a mostly empty, old stadium.

“It’s a totally different experience,” Perez said. “I’m sad to see Rosenblatt go, but it’ll be a state of the art stadium, and that’s how it should be.”

Perez, though, wonders what will happen to places like Zesto’s. A recent ESPN.com article reported the ice cream parlor makes 80-90 percent of its money during the College World Series. Zesto’s is just one of the local businesses that stand to take a hit when the $128 million TD Ameritrade Park opens three miles to the north.

But that was the price of keeping the College World Series in Omaha, its long-time home. Only time will tell if the right decision was made to abandon Rosenblatt. Maybe the tailgaters and longtime fans will find new niches in the new stadium. Maybe the College World Series will take on the corporate feel the Final Four has, and maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

In a few months, Rosenblatt will be a parking lot for the Henry Doorly Zoo next door. The dome beyond right field will still lurk in the background, only the boys of summer won’t play in its shadow anymore.

We don’t know what will happen to the fading memories of Steve Arlin, Rod Dedaux and Bob Garibaldi. But there’s no chance Rosenblatt will be forgotten by the thousands of fans and scores of players who lived their dreams under the wide-open, Omaha sky.

The last hurrah for Rosenblatt Stadium begins Saturday as TCU and Florida State kick off the College World Series at 2 p.m.

With that in mind, I’ll have a retrospective of Rosenblatt from two players who participated in a combined three College World Series next week. For now, here are my predictions for the next two weeks in Omaha.

Bracket No. 1

TCU

Florida State

No. 6 UCLA

No. 3 Florida

Three national seeds made it to the College World Series this year, and two are in the first bracket. Not only do UCLA and Florida have to fight out of what appears to be the much harder group, they open the CWS against each other. I think whoever wins Saturday night’s game will win this series. Both Florida and UCLA have enough pitching to come out of the losers’ bracket, but it seems unlikely.

I like UCLA to win Saturday and win this bracket. I’ve liked them all year, and betting against Gerrit Cole is a bad idea. I left UCLA for dead last weekend when Nick Ramirez and Cal State Fullerton found a way to win the first game of Super Regionals, but the Bruins still found a way to Omaha.

Meanwhile, Florida was gifted a trip to the CWS from Miami. The Hurricanes made a slew of errors in Gainesville last weekend. The Gators have a good pitching staff, but it’s a young team.

I think TCU will open the CWS with a victory. Matt Purke will shut down the Seminoles, but after that the Horned Frogs are a suspect team. Texas, not known for its offense, tagged Steven Maxwell in Super Regionals. TCU will need him back on his game to advance.

Florida State is a quality team that just got a raw draw this year. The Seminoles don’t have a good pitching staff, and facing Purke in the first game is a huge challenge. I think Florida State will be the first team sent home this year.

Bracket No. 2

No. 1 Arizona State

Clemson

Oklahoma

South Carolina

The obvious choice in the second bracket is Arizona State. The Sun Devils are the No. 1 national seed and have rolled through the first two weekends of the NCAA Tournament. But something is still holding me back from really getting behind Arizona State. I can’t quite put my finger on it, though I know it has to do with starting pitching.

If Arizona State isn’t going to be the team coming out of this bracket, it will be South Carolina. The Gamecocks are hot headed to Omaha, and dispatched Coastal Carolina, one of the best teams in the country, last weekend. I like Blake Cooper to shut down Oklahoma in the first game. At that point South Carolina should find Arizona State in the winners’ bracket. The winner of that game will win the group, and I’m going to give the nod to South Carolina. The top-seeded team often struggles in Omaha, and this has already been a whacky postseason. But the Sun Devils won’t go down easy because of their elite bullpen led by Jordan Swagerty and Mitchell Lambson.

I think Oklahoma is the second team sent home from Omaha. The Sooners are hot after knocking off Virginia in Super Regionals last weekend. I loved the Cavs, and the Sooners were able to outslug them. But Oklahoma finds itself in a slugfest with Clemson, I like the Tigers. Kyle Parker and John Hinson should keep Clemson in Omaha for a while, but ultimately it lacks the pitching to advance.

Championship Series

UCLA defeats South Carolina 2-1

Yes, the Bruins come to Omaha without second baseman Tyler Rahmatulla, but they still have Cole, Trevor Bauer and Rob Rasmussen. UCLA’s trio of aces will be too much to keep down, as Fullerton found out last weekend.

Even if UCLA drops the first game of the series, it can come back with a pair of starters good enough to beat South Carolina. The Gamecocks are hot, but the Bruins are playing with a lot of confidence right now after surviving one of the hardest trips to the CWS this year. I’ve liked UCLA all the way from Selection Monday, and the Bruins are primed to win the title in their third trip to the CWS.

His friends arrived on a whim, just a few college kids looking for something to do on a slow Monday night in June.

They set up his laptop on a computer chair and plunked the contraption in front of the TV. It was from there Hayden Simpson learned he was the Chicago Cubs first round selection in the 2010 MLB Draft, the 16th player picked Monday night.

Before most first round selections are taken they get tipped off by their advisers of the club, making sure one more time they were alright with the idea of having their dreams come true. Simpson had no forewarning and, up until hearing commissioner Bud Selig call his name, no expectations of joining Josh Vitters and Mark Prior on the list of Chicago’s first-round picks.

“Jim Hendry called me about five minutes afterwards and said how happy they were to pick me,” Simpson said.

Hendry was just the beginning of a flood of phone calls, texts, facebook messages and visitors Simpson would receive as the results of the draft spread. At one point, the Southern Arkansas pitcher said he had 235 texts and facebook notifications coming in every second.

The Cubs passed on more highly regarded talents like Kolbrin Vitek, Stetson Allie, Alex Wimmers and Justin O’Conner, catching the baseball world by surprise. Simpson was sure to be drafted, just not Monday night. Draft experts were stunned by the move, and some questioned the wisdom of using a first round pick on a Division II player.

Simpson, the runner-up for the Tino Martinez Award, said he doesn’t feel any pressure to become the face of DII baseball.

“People that know about it, know it’s a very competitive league,” Simpson said. “There are a lot of Division II players with Division I talent who end up in Division II for one reason or another.”

Simpson is a classic example of such a player. He is listed as six feet tall and 175 pounds, or about as big as Tim Lincecum. Simpson conceded his size probably kept him out of Division I, but feels like he could have competed there if he had decided to.

His repertoire leaves little doubt that he could have been successful at a higher level of college competition. His fastball runs in the mid-90s and he follows that with a hammer curve ball. He rode that combination to a 13-1 record with a 1.81 ERA this year, leading Southern Arkansas to the Gulf South Conference championship.

In all but one of Simpson’s starts, he received a decision. Six times, the right-hander went the distance, including three shutouts. With his help, the Muleriders reached the championship game of the South Region, only to fall to Tampa.

Simpson did his part, starting the game on just two days rest, but after four innings he had to be relieved. Throughout the postseason, Simpson was able to push thoughts of the draft to the back of his mind.

“I wanted to contend for a national championship,” he said. “Whatever was going to happen was going to happen. I was more focused on trying to win.”

Simpson will now take that attitude to Chicago, a city he has never visited before. But he is excited for his opportunity in a new place, doing what he’s always loved.

“It’s such a storied and historical organization,” Simpson said. “It’s great to know I’m a part of the Chicago Cubs.”

Usually I use this space to bring you stories from around the country (or at least the North) about some of the more under the radar college baseball programs and teams. But a day after the NCAA announced the tournament field; I’ll lay out some Regional projections.

Tempe Regional

1. Arizona State

2. San Diego

3. Hawaii

4. Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Arizona State should be able to fly through this regional just fine. San Diego has a good starting rotation, but for them to actually knock off the No. 1 overall seed is going to be too much to ask. The Sun Devils weren’t near the top of the polls all year for no reason.

Austin Regional

1. Texas

2. Rice

3. Louisiana-Lafayette

4. Rider

With Texas’ unbelievable pitching, I don’t see them even getting the scare they did last year in Regionals. Rice is good team, but has been a mystery most of the year. Basically, Anthony Rendon can’t do it by himself and Texas rolls to Super Regionals.

Gainesville Regional

1. Florida

2. Florida Atlantic

3. Oregon State

4. Bethune-Cookman

The NCAA gave Florida an intriguing regional, as the Florida ones usually are. The Gators should be able to get through without a hiccup, but there are talented teams headed to Gainesville this week. Bethune-Cookman shouldn’t be overlooked either.

Myrtle Beach Regional

1. Coastal Carolina

2. College of Charleston

3. North Carolina State

4. Stony Brook

North Carolina State has come on strong after being left for dead earlier in the year and the College of Charleston can really hit the ball. But Coastal Carolina has the pitching and hitting to reach Supers this year. The speed at the top of its lineup is a big asset to have.

Charlottesville Regional

1. Virginia

2. Ole Miss

3. St. John’s

4. VCU

The fact that St. John’s is talented enough for Ole Miss to throw ace Drew Pomeranz in the first game means Virginia will cruise here. Having Danny Hultzen throw later in the weekend will be more than enough to send the Cavaliers through.

Los Angeles Regional

1. UCLA

2. LSU

3. UC Irvine

4. Kent State

This might be the “Regional of Death,” but I still see UCLA advancing. The Bruins simply have too much pitching to see their season end this weekend. LSU will definitely be a tough team here, but without Matty Ott returning to form the defending national champs will be home for Supers this year.

Louisville Regional

1. Louisville

2. Vanderbilt

3. Illinois State

4. Saint Louis

If a national seed is going to lose this weekend, I think it will be Louisville. They’re the only one I’ve seen in person, and I saw a somewhat weak pitching staff. But with Sonny Gray throwing against Illinois State, Vanderbilt will be weakened. Louisville should make it through to Supers again this year.

Atlanta Regional

1. Georgia Tech

2. Alabama

3. Elon

4. Mercer

A lot of questions have surrounded Georgia Tech getting the last national seed, but they’ll reward the committee by advancing to Super Regionals. Alabama and Elon are good teams, but the Yellow Jackets are definitely one of the best in the country.

Fayetteville Regional

1. Arkansas

2. Washington State

3. Kansas State

4. Grambling

Arkansas sat a lot of its stars during the SEC Tournament last week, but assuming guys like Zach Cox and Drew Smyly are ready to go, the Razorbacks will be the best team here by far. Washington State is a good team, but I really like Arkansas.

Fort Worth Regional

1. TCU

2. Baylor

3. Arizona

4. Lamar

TCU might have the top freshman in the country with Matt Purke, but I like Baylor to come out of this Regional. Baylor is hot, having just lost the Big 12 Tournament in extra innings to Texas A&M. There’s just something I like about the Bears, and it might be that they beat the Horned Frogs already this year.

Coral Gables Regional

1. Miami

2. Texas A&M

3. Florida International

4. Dartmouth

I think this is a harder draw than it first appears for Miami. Texas A&M can definitely play, and Florida International is a cross-town rival that will be fired up. But ultimately, I think the Hurricanes superior talent wins out. But I won’t be surprised if Texas A&M advances.

Columbia Regional

1. South Carolina

2. Virginia Tech

3. The Citadel

4. Bucknell

Citadel coach Fred Jordan threw this regional for a loop Monday when he told The Post and Courier he would hold ace Asher Wojciechowski for Saturday. This could pay off huge, if Matt Talley can get the Citadel past Virginia Tech on Friday. But that’s too much of an if for me. I’ll take South Carolina, but if the Gamecocks find themselves facing Wojciechowski on Saturday, this is anyone’s regional.

Norman Regional

1. Oklahoma

2. California

3. North Carolina

4. Oral Roberts

Oklahoma seems to have found itself a gift-wrapped regional. Cal and North Carolina were both sitting on the bubble this weekend. The Bears have slumped down the stretch, while the Tar Heels have recovered lately. Still, this is the Sooners’ regional to lose.

Fullerton Regional

1. Cal State Fullerton

2. Stanford

3. New Mexico

4. Minnesota

I know Fullerton is really good and playing well. I know they might have been in the national seed mix lately, but I like Stanford here. Minnesota is talented enough to score a day one upset and Stanford is an experienced group. I like the Cardinal to move on.

Norwich Regional

1. Florida State

2. UConn

3. Oregon

4. Central Connecticut State

There has been plenty made of the committee’s decision to put this regional in Connecticut. I happen to agree with the move, but that’s neither here nor there. I’m going to pick Oregon to move on this weekend. The Ducks are a good team that has some big series wins under their belt, but I don’t have great reasoning beyond that. Florida State could win here, too. But I’ll stick with my hunch and go with Oregon.

Auburn Regional

1. Auburn

2. Clemson

3. Southern Miss

4. Jacksonville State

Auburn’s return to prominence this year has been a great story, but I don’t think they have what it takes to get through this regional. Clemson has been a bit of a mystery this year, but they seem to be playing better now. Clemson’s slugging can also match that of the hosts and should have enough pitching to advance.