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10 things to know about College World Series

By WTOP Staff

ERIC OLSON
AP Sports Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The College World Series begins Saturday, and predicting a winner is as hard as hitting a ball out of the cavernous TD Ameritrade Park.

Of the eight teams that made it to Omaha, only No. 3 Virginia and No. 7 TCU are national seeds. UC Irvine and Texas Tech are the surprise teams that undoubtedly will be favorites of the local fans who love to cheer for underdogs. Here are 10 things to know as you try to figure out which two teams will make it to the finals:

1. BRAVO, BIG 12: Three of the Big 12’s nine baseball-playing members reached the CWS. Texas is in Bracket 1 and Texas Tech and TCU, which meet Sunday, are in Bracket 2. The only other year the Big 12 had three teams in the CWS was 2005 (Baylor, Nebraska, Texas). It’s the first time the Lone Star State has had three teams in Omaha in the same year.

2. HOMER HAVEN IT’S NOT: If you and your buddy are making a friendly bet on number of CWS home runs, take the “under” if the over-under is set in double digits. Only 22 have been hit in three years at TD Ameritrade, including three in 2013, and no one has cleared the fence in center field.

3. IF THE BALL DOES GO OUT: Mississippi appears to be the team best-suited to knock it out of the park. The Rebels have hit six homers in six NCAA tournament games, and their total of 42 is most among CWS teams. Junior first baseman Sikes Orvis has hit 14 of his 18 career homers for the Rebels this season. UC Irvine, on the other hand, has gone deep just 12 times.

4. YES, THAT’S ROGER’S KID: Kacy Clemens, son of seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens, is Texas’ starting first baseman. The freshman is batting .220 with one homer and 18 RBIs. He wears No. 42, double the now-retired No. 21 his dad wore for the Longhorns when they won the 1983 national championship.

5. YES, THAT’S CALVIN’S KID: Lukas Schiraldi, son of former big-league pitcher Calvin Schiraldi, is in the rotation for Texas. Calvin was the Most Outstanding Player of the 1983 CWS and was teammates with Roger Clemens, not just at Texas but with the 1986 Boston Red Sox. Calvin was the hard-luck loser against the New York Mets in Games 6 and 7 of the ’86 World Series. Lukas, drafted in the 15th round by the Texas Rangers, is 7-3 with a 4.08 ERA.

6. FUTURE PROS: The highest draft pick in Omaha is Vanderbilt pitcher Tyler Beede, who went 14th overall to the Giants. Beede had a school-record 14 wins last year but enters the CWS 8-7 with a 3.58 ERA. Other first-rounders are pitchers Brandon Finnegan of TCU (17th, Royals) and Nick Howard of Virginia (19th, Reds).

7. WELCOME BACK, COACH: If Virginia coach Brian O’Connor feels at home at the CWS, it’s not just because it’s his third appearance in six years. He grew up in neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa, and went to college a few blocks away at Creighton. O’Connor pitched on CU’s 1991 CWS team, and he was an assistant on Notre Dame’s 2002 team that reached Omaha.

8. REDEMPTION TOUR: Louisville, the only returning team from 2013, hopes to leave town in better spirits this time. The Cardinals went two-and-out a year ago, losing 2-0 to Indiana and falling behind 10-0 on their way to an 11-4, four-error loss to Oregon State.

9. RED RAIDERS STRONG-ARMED: The pitchers deserve lots of credit for leading Texas Tech to its first CWS. In six NCAA tournament games, the Red Raiders have scored a total of nine runs and are batting .208 with one homer. Seven pitchers, however, have combined for an 0.65 ERA in 55 innings, with opponents batting .166.

10. BEEN THERE, DONE THAT: Two members of the UC Irvine coaching staff were on the 2007 CWS team that infected Omaha with “Anteater Fever” by winning two extra-inning games in final at-bats. Pitching coach Daniel Bibona was a freshman on that team who was Big West pitcher of the year in 2009 and ’10. Assistant Ben Orloff was a sophomore shortstop who was 2009 Big West player of the year.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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