College World Series 2012: Previewing Arizona baseball vs. South Carolina

What: Game 1 of the CWS Championship

When: 5 p.m. PT

TV: ESPN2

Online: ESPN3 stream, or follow our updates on the AZ Desert Swarm Facebook and our Twitter.

The Arizona Wildcats baseball team faces South Carolina as the Gamecocks look to make it three in a row. Considered the underdogs after falling into the elimination bracket of the College World Series, SC beat the Arkansas Razorbacks to propel themselves to the championship series against the Wildcats, who are perfect in the postseason.

Here are the links of everything you need to know before the first pitch of a series that could end in Arizona's first national title since 1986 or a Gamecocks three-peat.

• A mini-feature on third baseman Seth Mejias-Brean giving up football. The dude was pretty good, starring at Cienega High School.
• The Associated Press preview, in which Andy Lopez calls the championship series the "Ray Tanner Invitational" in reference to South Carolina's coach.
• The New York Times' blog by Pat Borzi writes that South Carolina and Arizona have been seeing each other at the Hilton Hotel, just a block from TD Ameritrade Park. Combined with a mass of swimmers -- many from Arizona -- in Omaha for Olympic trials, it could get awkward as one team might listen in on the others' celebrations after this championship series is over. Let the Hilton Hotel Battle Royale begin.
• SB Nation's South Carolina blog, Garnet and Black Attack, talks over the Konner Wade and Forrest Koumas pitching match-up.
• Jerry Kindall tells Anthony Gimino that after being a skeptic at first, he's happy with the Wildcats' move to Hi Corbett "has been a huge factor in our success."
• Ryan Finley's story on Arizona's chance to represent the Pac-12 and Western baseball as a whole. And as usual, we can bet the West-of-the-Mississippi brethren will be rooting on the Wildcats.
• The Daily Wildcat writes of South Carolina's refusal to lose and what should be the pitching strategy for Arizona. Konner Wade will start Game 1 after a full week's rest.