Ranking the Top Teams in the College World Series
It’s that special time of the year in college baseball where 8 of the best college teams get a chance to make it to Omaha and win the College World Series. Below I have ranked the 8 teams that I feel have the best chance of winning it all.
#1 VANDERBILT
Why Vanderbilt? Tim Corbin is a legendary head coach who has been to four CWS’s and he won one back in 2014. They also have one of the best players in the nation in the #4 overall pick of the Miami Marlins, J.J. Bleday. Bleday is the leading home run hitter in college baseball with 26 home runs and he is a first team All-American and the SEC Player of the Year.
His teammate Austin Martin lead the SEC in batting average this year with a .424 average and had a clutch performance in game 3 of the Super Regional with 2 home runs. Kumar Rocker is a star freshman starting pitcher who, in what could have been Vanderbilt’s last game of the year, put on a show for the ages as he threw a no-hitter with 19 strikeouts.
The Commodores also have 4 other players that were drafted in the top 10 rounds: right hander Drake Fellows (6-173 SD), catcher Philip Clarke (9-267 TOR), shortstop Ethan Paul (9-274 PIT), and outfielder Stephen Scott (10-317). They still have even yet another talented pitcher in Tyler Brown who was made the All-SEC 1st Team, but the funny thing is none of the aforementioned pitchers lead Vanderbilt in ERA (Mason Hickman) or Wins (Patrick Raby). Vanderbilt is deep and talented with a proven winner for a head coach, but this is baseball and sometimes the hardest thing to do is win two in a row, let alone win one sometimes.
#2 ARKANSAS
This team was so close a year ago has a great chance to avenge their loss take care of unfinished business. They have a Hall of Fame Head Coach in Dave Van Horn who will be leading his 8th team to the College World Series. This Arkansas team has one of the deepest and most talented lineups in the entire country and 2 of the most talented Sophomores in Casey Martin (15 HR) and Heston Kjerstad (16 HR).
They also have other talented hitters in Sophomore Matt Goodheart who leads the Razorbacks in Average (.354) and On Base Percentage (.452), Trevor Ezell who can hit for power (10 HR’s) and average (.333) and steal bases (19 SB’s), and draft picks Dominic Fletcher (2-75 ARI), and Jack Kenley (8-232 DET). Their number one starter is Isaiah Campbell (12-1, 2.26 ERA), the 2nd Round Pick (76) of the Seattle Mariners, and they have one of the best bullpens in the nation with multiple draft picks in left handed closer Matt Cronin (4-123 WSH), and right handers Jacob Kostyshock (8-249 COL) and Cody Scroggins (9-287 BOS). They also have a talented freshman starting pitcher who might be a top name in a few years in left handed starter Patrick Wicklander (12.1 K/9).
There’s a lot to like about this Arkansas team that scored 30 runs over their last 3 games and it really seems like their hungry to go back to Omaha and win something they thought they might’ve had a year ago.
#3 LOUISVILLE
Coach Dan McDonnell has Louisville back in the College World Series for a 5th time and has made it to Omaha 2 out of the last 3 years. This Louisville team boasts quite possibly the best 1-2 punch in the nation in ACC Pitcher of the Year Reid Detmers and Bobby Miller, who threw 8 no-hit innings against East Carolina. They are both Sophomores who both have a chance to go early next year. They also have one of the best freshmen hitters in the nation in Alex Binelas who just might be their best hitter in a talented group of hitters consisting of Logan Wyatt (2-51 SF) and Tyler Fitzgerald (4-116 SF).
They also have a few other pitchers that were top 10 round picks in Left Hander Nick Bennett (6R-193) and Right Handers Michael McAvene (3R-103 CHC) and Bryan Hoeing (7R- 201 MIA). This is a very talented young team that could be the surprise team that wins it all if they can continue to play like they did against East Carolina.
#4 MISSISSIPPI STATE
One of the best teams all year with plenty of great storylines through out the season, this is one more team that really has a great shot to win it all if they can play like they have all year.
One of their many storylines begins with new head coach Chris Lemonis, who did a great job this year coaching Mississippi State to a 51-13 record. He was an assistant coach under Louisville Head Coach Dan McDonnell from 2007 to 2014.
Mississippi State has won plenty of awards this year and they have the only starting rotation consisting of two first round picks in SEC Pitcher of the Year Ethan Small (1-28 MIL) and SEC Freshman Pitcher of the Year J.T. Ginn (2018 1-30 LAD). The Bulldogs also have the All-Time Hits Leader in NCAA History in Jake Mangum (4-118 NYM), and one of the most talented young lineups with two Sophomores who were First Team All-SEC selections in First Baseman Tanner Allen and Second Baseman Justin Foscue. One last player to mention is right hander Colby White, a sixth round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays. If Chris Lemonis’ team can play their best baseball at Omaha there’s a chance that the first year coach of Mississippi State might just be blessed with beginners luck and a College World Series Championship.
#5 FLORIDA STATE
In what has seemed like a down year for college baseball in the state of Florida- no regional hosts and Florida State was one of the last 4 in- the coaching legend Mike Martin has FSU fans dreaming that he could go out a winner and win his first ever College World Series. He has lead Florida State to 17 College World Series appearances and did an incredible job of taking 2 straight from LSU in the Super Regional in Baton Rouge. Players to Watch: Drew Mendoza, 3B (3-94 WSH). J.C. Flowers, UTIL (4-124 PIT). Drew Parrish, RHP (8-229 KC). Mike Salvatore, SS (9R- 276). C.J. Van Eyk, RHP. Reese Albert, OF. Robby Martin, DH. Nander de Sedas, 2B.
#6 MICHIGAN
Erik Bakich, the head coach of Michigan, has done an incredible job of turning Michigan into one of the best programs in the Midwest and did a great job in winning the Super Regional against the top ranked team in College Baseball.
Michigan has won in the Corvallis Region which had last year’s College World Series Champs and the Los Angeles Super Regional which had the supposed #1 team in college baseball all in UCLA, all while being on the road. They have 2 highly touted starting pitchers that were drafted in the 2nd Round in Left Hander Tommy Henry (2-74) and Right Hander Karl Kauffman (2-77). Michigan has a talented lineup with talented hitters like Jordan Brewer (3R- 106 HOU) who was the Big Ten Player of the Year and Sophomores David Nwogu (All-Big Ten 1st Team) and Jesse Franklin.
They also have another All-Big Ten 1st Team selection in Right Hander Jeff Criswell. This team has been the surprise team of the tournament and it doesn’t seem like any situation is too big for them, I think they could possibly be among the last 4 teams remaining but would probably need everything to go right to win a College World Series.
#7 AUBURN
Butch Thompson has continued to have Auburn move ever closer to a College World Series Championship as they’ve moved a round farther for 3 straight years and this is the farthest he’s gotten with one of his Tigers teams. I think this is about as far as they will make it and I feel that they would have had a better chance if they had a healthy Tanner Burns who at times has looked like an elite talent, but I feel like their not as deep as some of the teams at the top. Players to Watch: Will Holland, SS (5-149 MIN). Davis Daniel, RHP (7-211). Tanner Burns, RHP. Steven Williams, OF. Edouard Julien, 3B. Ryan Bliss, 2B.
#8 TEXAS TECH
Tim Tadlock has coached Texas Tech to 4 College World Series appearances. The Red Raiders have one of the best hitters in the nation in Josh Jung who was the 8th Overall Pick of the Texas Rangers and a good Freshman pitcher in Micah Dallas but other than that this team really lacks Star Power and might not have made it this far had it not been for an 8th inning go ahead home run hit by Kurt Wilson which helped Texas Tech make it to the College World Series. Players to Watch: Gabe Holt, OF (7-223 MIL). Caleb Kilian, RHP (8-236 SF). Taylor Floyd, RHP (10-313).
