Behind The ScenesESPN College Baseball

ICYMI: The week in review PLUS: ESPN’s College Baseball Regionals coverage by the numbers

TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha for the 2011 College World Series (Phil Ellsworth / ESPN)
TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, home of the College World Series
(File photo/Phil Ellsworth/ESPN)

ESPN’s complete coverage of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship began Friday with all 16 sites of the Regionals for the first time. Following the Regionals, which conclude on Monday, ESPN will carry every Super Regional and College World Series game.

ESPN also will launch Bases Loaded for the Regionals, a four-day platform providing unlimited live cut-ins and highlights from numerous games, plus up-to-the-minute commentary from ESPN analysts each day of the Regionals. Bases Loaded will be available today from 2 p.m. ET to midnight; Sunday from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m.; and Monday from 6 p.m. to midnight. ESPN3 will carry the service in its entirety while ESPNU and ESPN2 will simulcast at select times, including between games, during rain delays and when time permits.

A by-the-numbers look at the plan to cover the Regionals:
• ESPN will produce between 96 and 112 games from 16 sites over the four days (each site is a seven-game, double-elimination format)
Bases Loaded, originating out of ESPN’s Charlotte, N.C. studios, will be available from the first pitch to the final out, totaling approximately 37 hours from Friday to Monday.
• ESPN provided coverage of six sites in 2012, four in 2011 and two the previous six years.
• Eight of the analysts have played or coached in the College World Series: Chris Burke (Tennessee), Rod Delmonico (Tennessee), Randy Flores (USC), Danny Graves (Miami, Fla.), Jerry Kindall (Arizona), Kyle Peterson (Stanford), Ben McDonald (LSU) and Paul Lo Duca (Arizona)

ICYMI: Highlights from the past week on Front Row

• Last weekend, SportsCenter anchor Kevin Negandhi received a Borough Proclamation and Key to the City from Mayor Leo Scoda in his hometown of Phoenixville, Pa. Negandhi shared some photos and details from the experience.

• This week, Mike Golic’s wife, Chris, officially took on a new role as a member of The USA Football Heads Up Football Advisory Committee. Golic shared why the committee was important to her as a mother and as someone who spends much of her time around the game of football.

Paul Finebaum visited ESPN’s Bristol, Conn. headquarters last week for the “Car Wash” treatment as an introduction to his new roles with the network. In a Front Row interview, Finebaum talked about the impending move from his long-time Alabama base to ESPN’s Charlotte, N.C. offices; his upcoming book collaboration with ESPN.com’s Gene Wojciechowski and more.

• For the second year, Longhorn Network (LHN) teamed up with Texas Creative — the advertising program at the University of Texas — to produce an ad campaign for the network. The first spot in the series features former UT football player and Heisman Trophy Winner Ricky Williams.

Row of Four
Our favorites from across ESPN over the past week

• Arvind Mahankali won the Scripps National Spelling Bee on the word “knaidel”

Doug Glanville, Jon Sciambi and Pedro Gomez discuss the players they would most like to see in the Home Run Derby at Citi Field

• From Rick Reilly: Zack Golditch didn’t let a bullet in Aurora, Colo. derail his life path

• Enjoy an array of photos in this gallery from ESPN Images

Mike Humes contributed to this post

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