10 Mid Major Teams That Won The College World Series

The College World Series is in full swing after getting underway on Friday afternoon in Omaha, Nebraska. To this point, the top team in the field has been Coastal Carolina.

The Chanticleers are the first squad to advance to the semifinals of the opening bracket, putting them one win away from a national championship appearance. They were able to best Oregon State 6-2 on Sunday after beating Arizona in Game 1.

The team that does face Coastal Carolina next will be tasked with beating the Chants in back-to-back games in order to skirt elimination. It’s put the program in the driver’s seat in terms of making the championship series.

Coastal Carolina is the last mid-major to win the College World Series, doing so in 2016. Nine other teams preceded the Chanticleers dating back to the first CWS in 1947.

1952 Holy Cross Crusaders

The Crusaders currently compete in the Patriot League where they’re fresh off a regular season and conference tournament title. They appeared in the 2025 NCAA Tournament but were eliminated in the Chapel Hill Regional. They’ve also been members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference, as well as an independent.

In 1952, Holy Cross became the first mid-major program, and the first school located in the Northeast to win a college baseball title. They did so by beating Missouri, Texas, Penn State, and Western Michigan in the CWS. They made four College World Series fields between 1952-1963.

1979 Cal State Fullerton Titans

It would take a quarter-century for the next mid-major to emerge victorious in the College World Series. Cal State Fullerton won it all in 1979. The Titans are by far the most accomplished program on this list.

Fullerton owns four college baseball national championships, with the first coming as a member of the Southern California Baseball Association. The Titans won 60 games in ’79, beating UConn, Arizona, Arkansas, and Pepperdine on their way to a title.

1984 Cal State Fullerton Titans

Five years later, the Titans again won the College World Series. This time, they logged 66 wins, again as members of the SBCA.

Cal State Fullerton won its opener in Omaha against Michigan in 1984 before dropping Game 2 to Texas. The Titans then went on a run to take down Miami, Arizona State, and Oklahoma State before avenging that loss to the Longhorns in the title game.

1989 Wichita State Shockers

The 1989 Wichita State baseball team competed in the Missouri Valley Conference, winning 68 games to top the league standings. After advancing through the West II Regional, they booked a ticket to Omaha.

The Shockers took down college baseball powers Arkansas, Florida State, and Texas to claim their first and only national championship. They’ve also finished runners-up in 1982, 1991, and 1993.

1992 Pepperdine Waves

Pepperdine first appeared in the College World Series in 1979 and nearly made the title game before being eliminated by previously mentioned Cal State Fullerton. The Waves made their way back to Omaha in 1992.

Pepperdine made an undefeated run through the bracket to claim their first and only title by beating Wichita State, Texas (2x), and Cal State Fullerton. They’ve since found Omaha elusive, though the Waves did make a Super Regional in 2014 before losing to TCU.

1995 Cal State Fullerton Titans

Cal State Fullerton won its third national championship in 1995. After winning a Regional in Baton Rouge, the Titans advanced to the College World Series field.

As the top overall seed, Fullerton made an undefeated run in Omaha by beating the likes of Stanford, Tennessee, and Southern Cal. They outscored their opponents 37-11 to hoist the trophy.

2003 Rice Owls

As a member of the Western Athletic Conference, the Rice Owls won 58 games under legendary head coach Wayne Graham in 2003. They beat McNeese State, Wichita State, and Houston on their way to Omaha.

At the College World Series, the Owls won their first four games before dropping a matchup to Stanford. They then got revenge in a winner-take-all title game, 14-2. While it remains Rice’s only national championship, they’ve appeared in the College World Series seven times.

2004 Cal State Fullerton Titans

The 2004 Cal State Fullerton baseball team is the last in program history to win a national championship, this time as members of the Big West Conference. The Titans went 47-22 that season with a 5-1 mark in Omaha.

Fullerton took down three championship winning Power 4 programs in South Carolina, Miami, and Texas to win the title. The Titans returned to Omaha in 2006, 2009, 2015, and 2017, but this remains the school’s most recent national championship.

2008 Fresno State Bulldogs

WAC member Fresno State picked up its first national title in college baseball with an unexpected Cinderella run to Omaha. The Bulldogs were a four-seed in the Long Beach Regional where they took down host Long Beach State and San Diego.

They then beat Arizona State in the Tempe Super Regional to advance to the College World Series. There, they beat Rice and North Carolina before winning the championship series against Georgia. Despite dropping Game 1 of that three-game set, they won back-to-back elimination matchups to win the title.

2016 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

The 2016 Coastal Carolina team was the first in program history to reach Omaha, and it didn’t disappoint. The Chanticleers won 53 games as a member of the Big South Conference.

The team took down NC State and Saint Mary’s in the Raleigh Regional before besting LSU on the road in a Super Regional. The Chants beat No. 1 seed Florida in its College World Series opener before later knocking off Texas Tech and TCU. Coastal Carolina won a championship series against Arizona to claim its first and only national title.