UNO Mathematician Places Odds on CWS Winner

They call it the Greatest Show on Dirt.

UNO's Andrew Swift, D.Sc., calls it an opportunity to show all the things that mathematics can do.

For nearly a decade, Swift, an associate professor of mathematics and sports fan, has eagerly awaited the names of the final eight teams who will complete the field of Omaha's College World Series so he can hopefully shine a light on which of those teams could come away a national champion.

Using a formula developed by himself and a former graduate student, Swift runs roughly 100,000 scenarios based on win-loss records, head-to-head matchups, national rankings, and other factors through a computer to come up with the best guess for which teams have the best chance to win it all.

It may seem as simple as picking the highest-ranked teams, but that's not always the case. This year, while top-ranked Stanford (No. 3) has a clear advantage, only a few percentage points separate the No. 5 team, Texas A&M, from the No. 24 team, Auburn.

While there is no way to predict the future, Swift has had success with his formula, correctly guessing the winners of 2019's College World Series. Other times, underdogs like 2021's Mississippi State or 2017's University of Florida pull off an upset.

Here is who Swift thinks has the best shot this year. Only time will tell who the eventual winner is; however, that, as they say, is why they play the game:

Predicted 2022 CWS Winner

Andrew Swift on Access the Experts

Read more about UNO's ties to the College World Series and why Omaha's University has grown along with a true Omaha pasttime.