The 8-team field for the 2008 College World Series is now set, and it includes the top-ranked Canes and a bunch of monster rivals.

 This is the Canes' 23rd trip to CWS, including 11 times in Jim Morris' 15 years as the head coach. But this may be the best Canes team ever.

 They have the second-highest win percentage (85.2) of any Canes team ever and set a school record with three first-round picks.

 The Canes (52-9) will open with No. 8 Georgia on Saturday at 7 pm on ESPN. The Bulldogs (41-23) won this year's SEC regular-season title but lost in the conference tournament.

 The Canes, winners of the ACC regular season and postseason titles, have less losses than Georgia and are the better team. But Georgia is very good and capable of the upset.

 Two Bulldogs to watch are first-round picks Gordon Beckham at shortstop and closer Josh Fields.

 Beckham is batting .401 with 26 homers and 72 RBI. He was drafted 8th overall by the Chicago White Sox - one spot behind Canes first baseman Yonder Alonso.

 Fields was 2-2 this season with a 2.76 ERA. He was named the SEC's Pitcher of the Year and leads the conference with 39 career saves, good for 7th on the NCAA list. He was drafted 20th overall by the Seattle Mariners.

 The Canes just got finished beating a team with a pair of first-round picks in the bullpen. Perhaps having to face just one stud closer will be easy for Miami.

 Nevertheless, the Canes will have to play from the front to avoid Fields and his 95 mph fastball and 12-6 curve. Fields has 56 strikeouts in 31 innings this year. Batters are only hitting .112 against him, and Fields has not allowed any of his 13 inherited runners to score.

 Helping the Canes play from the front is the fact that Georgia has the highest team ERA of any team in this year's CWS. The three Bulldogs starters have ERAs of 4.25 and higher.

 Miami, on the other hand, will start National Freshman of the Year Chris Hernandez, who is 11-0 with  a 2.50 ERA. That gives the Canes a significant edge to start the game.

 If the Canes win, they will face the winner of the Florida State vs. Stanford game. The Canes took 2 out of 3 from FSU this year, but I have mad respect for the Seminoles.

 The Noles lead the nation in batting average and are third in runs scored. They also have the National Player of the Year in catcher and first-round pick Buster Posey.

 The Noles battled from an 0-1 hole vs. Wichita State in their super regional, beating a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick on consecutive days. The Noles also battled back from 0-1 in the regionals with a barrage of runs. 

 On the other side of  the bracket are North Carolina, LSU, Rice and Fresno State. But the two teams I am most wary of are:

 - North Carolina, the only team to take a series from Miami this year, beating the Canes 2-1.

 - LSU, winners of 25 of their past 26 games and a program with a rich tradition and five national titles since 1990. The Tigers scored 21 runs in their super regional title game and can really hit.