Last season was another very good year for the ACC sending seven teams to the NCAA Tournament and two to the College World Series. But at the same time, last year was a bit disappointing with North Carolina and Clemson getting eliminated in the regionals, and Louisville not even making it to the CWS semi-finals. They’ll once again have seven or eight teams make the NCAA Tournament, but I don’t see a dominant team that is front runner to win it all. Below is the Coastal Division Preview, you can check out the Atlantic Division’s by clicking here.
Duke (2017 Record: 30-28, 12-18)
The Blue Devils had a subpar 2017, but won their first two games in the ACC Baseball Tournament before getting eliminated by Florida State in their third game.
Lineup:
They return one of the hottest college prospects in outfielder Griffin Conine. He Hit .298 last year with 52 runs scored, 11 doubles, 13 home runs, 56 RBI and 9 stolen bases. Another outfielder, Jimmy Herron, returns after leading the team with a .326 average last year, as well as 53 runs scored and 17 stolen bases as a leadoff hitter. Zack Kone should be back at shortstop after hitting .291 with 46 runs scored, 10 doubles, 28 RBI and 12 stolen bases last year. Chris Proctor will resume catching duties after hitting .255 last year. Rounding out the outfield should be Kennie Taylor who hit .314 last year with 31 runs scored, 3 home runs and 22 RBI in just 45 games.
Pitching:
Mitch Stallings should return to the rotation after starting 13 games last year and posting a 4.50 ERA in 76 innings pitched with 74 strikeouts. Ryan Day should also return to the rotation after posting a 3.30 ERA in 73.2 innings pitched with 43 strikeouts. Even though they return a lot of innings in the starting rotation, they have a lot to replace in the bullpen. Freshman Josh Nifong and Bryce Jarvis could help in that department.
2018 Outlook:
Head Coach Chris Pollard said he would like to see the team improve in the bullpen, as well as with their slugging percentage numbers and in the stolen base department.
Georgia Tech (2017 Record: 27-28, 11-19)
It was a down year for the Yellow Jackets in 2017 as they won just 11 conference games and finished with a losing record.
Lineup:
Fortunately, they return their best player from 2017 in second baseman Wade Bailey who hit .347 a year ago with 63 runs scored, 21 doubles, 6 home runs and 38 RBI. Shortstop Austin Wilhite is also back after a great freshman season in which he hit .338 with 36 runs scored and 14 doubles. Joey Bart returns behind the plate after hitting .296 last year with 36 runs scored, 13 doubles, 13 home runs and 43 RBI. Tristin English will be back after missing all of 2017 from Tommy John surgery. He hit .315 as a freshman in 2016 with 35 runs scored, 21 doubles, 5 home runs and 44 RBI. This should be a much improved lineup in 2018.
Pitching:
Xzavion Curry was the only pitcher to make 15 starts last year, and he led the team with 82.2 innings pitched as a freshman, while posting an ERA of 5.23 with 74 strikeouts. Ben Schniederjans made 9 starts last year and posted a 5.06 ERA in 42.2 innings pitched with 31 strikeouts. Those two will really need to step up in the weekend rotation for this team to succeed. Micah Carpenter was great out of the bullpen last year with a 2.56 ERA in 31.2 innings pitched with 28 strikeouts. Jared Datoc was also solid out of the bullpen last year with a 3.77 ERA in 57.1 innings pitched with 51 strikeouts and 2 saves. With four solid pitchers coming back, there should be improvement in the pitching staff as well.
2018 Outlook:
This could be one of the most improved teams in college baseball this year with what they have coming back in the lineup and in the pitching staff. Of course, those players will need to improve on their performances from last season, but they could get back to being a tournament team.
Miami (FL) (2017 Record: 31-27, 16-13)
Last season was an unusual one for Miami as they missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 44 years despite winning 32 games and finishing with a winning conference record. They made a mini run in the ACC Baseball Tournament, but lost to North Carolina in their third game.
Lineup:
“On the offensive side we will be very young,” said Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Coach Gino DiMare. “Top returner for us is junior 2B/3B Romy Gonzalez. We also have senior outfielder Michael Burns back and redshirt freshman catcher Mike Amditis. Amditis missed all of last year after breaking his ankle in the first week of the season.”
Gonzalez hit .265 in 223 at-bats with 37 runs scored, 11 home runs and 38 RBI, and Burns hit .247 with 24 runs scored, 4 home runs and 32 RBI. Freshman Alex Toral should get the starting job at first base. Coach DiMare also mentioned freshman Ray Gil, Willie Escala and Freddie Zamora as players who could earn a starting job on the infield. Transfer Danny Reyes should get a shot to start in the outfield and hit in the middle of the order. Other outfield options include freshman Troy Jenkins and Dylan Cloonan.
Pitching:
“We return all of our starting pitchers from last year’s team,” said DiMare. “Senior left-handed pitcher Jeb Bargfeldt, sophomore right-handed pitcher Greg Veliz and sophomore right-handed pitcher Evan McKendry are back. Junior right-handed pitcher Andrew Cabezas will be looked at too close for us this season. We also return junior right-handed pitcher Frankie Bartow and redshirt senior sidewinder Cooper Hammond. … Freshamn right-handed pitcher Chris McMahon should be one of our starters.”
Bargfeldt had a 2.28 ERA in 87 innings with 61 strikeouts last year, while Veliz had a 3.38 ERA in 61.1 innings pitched with 66 strikeouts. McKendry had a 4.10 ERA in 63.2 innings pitched with 64 strikeouts. Cabezas had 3 saves and a team-high 2.15 ERA in 62.2 innings pitched with 80 strikeouts.
2018 Outlook:
“We hope that this year’s squad can improve on its ability to score runs,” said Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Coach Gino DiMare. “We should be pretty good on the mound this year with the veterans we have back. Offensively, we feel like we have more power and should be much better defensively in the infield.”
North Carolina (2017 Record: 49-14, 23-7)
The Tar Heels had a dominating regular season in 2017 winning 44 games before tournament play, and 23 conference games. They advanced to the ACC Baseball Tournament championship game, but lost to Florida State. And then they suffered one of the biggest upsets of the postseason when they lost the Chapel Hill Regional to Davidson.
Lineup:
Ashton McGee should return in left field after being named the 2017 ACC Freshman of the Year. He hit .327 with 45 runs scored, 7 home runs, and 46 RBI. Brandon Riley should also return in the outfield after hitting .317 a year ago with 46 runs scored, 7 home runs, 52 RBI and 10 stolen bases. He had a pretty good summer in the Cape Cod League hitting .256. Cody Roberts and Brandon Martorano are expected to split catching duties. Roberts hit .268 last year with 44 runs scored, and Assistant Coach Robert Woodard said he could be one of the first college catchers taken in the MLB Draft. Infielders Kyle Datres and Zach Gahagan also return. Datres could be a middle of the order bat, while Gahagan is expected to be healthier this season after coming off an injury last year. Coach Woodard said Gahagan had a fantastic fall, and you can see his power coming back. Michael Busch has a chance to start at first base, and Ike Freeman could start at shortstop. Several junior college transfers have a chance to get immediate playing time in CF/2B Dylan Enwiller, OF Jackson Hesterlee and Kip Brandenburg. Coach Woodard also mentioned Josh Ladowski as a potential outfielder if he can stay healthy.
Pitching:
Luca Dalatri and Tyler Baum both return after starting 15 games last year. Baum had a 2.57 ERA in 63 innings pitched with 47 strikeouts, while Dalatri posted a 3.34 ERA in 97 innings pitched with 85 strikeouts. Austin Bergner is coming off a good summer and will have a chance to be in the weekend rotation. He had a 3.00 ERA in 48 innings pitched with 45 strikeouts. He’ll be a draft eligible sophomore that can touch 96 MPH with a plus change-up and a developing curveball. Josh Hiatt was the team’s closer last year with 13 saves to go along with a 1.90 ERA in 52 innings pitched with 64 strikeouts. Hansen Butler was the team’s closer two years ago, but was injured last year. Rodney Hutchison is a big time competitor according to coach Woodard, and will have a chance to compete for a starting spot or a high leverage bullpen role. Coach Woodard mentioned several other newcomers that he expects to have an impact on the pitching staff in 2018, including several freshman.
2018 Outlook:
“We can improve in all facets, that’s what we’re trained to do,” said Assistant Coach Robert Woodard. “We always want to trend upward in what we do on the mound, in the box, and defensively. I can’t really point to one area last year where we struggled, but we can always be more consistent. We work hard to bring it every day in practices, in scrimmages, in the weight room, etc. Something we have been working on is sleep and recovery – something we’ve tried to do a better job of this year. We’ve monitored all of our pitcher’s with the amount of sleep and quality of sleep they are getting, as well as the mood they’re in. We look at where they are fatigued, and then try to train around that. I feel like we’re trying to do the same thing as all the other team’s in the country, and that’s be more consistent.”
Pittsburgh (2017 Record: 23-30, 9-21)
The Panthers were 21-21 through the first two-thirds of the season, but went 2-9 down the stretch and missed out on the ACC Tournament.
Lineup:
Alex Amos returns at second base after leading the Panthers with a .304 average a year ago to go along with 40 runs scored. Outfielder Frank Maldonado is back after finishing second on the team with a .281 average and 27 runs scored, 15 doubles, 3 home runs and 24 RBI. First baseman Caleb Parry hit .278 last year with 33 runs scored, 11 doubles, 7 home runs and 47 RBI. Those were the top three hitters from last year’s team, and they should give Pittsburgh a firm foundation offensively in 2018.
Pitching:
They lose their top two pitchers from last year, so replacing those innings will be key. Matt Pidich made 9 starts last year and had a 4.61 ERA in 56.2 innings pitched with 48 strikeouts. Dan Hammer made 11 starts last year, posting a 5.03 ERA in 59 innings pitched with 51 strikeouts. Those two will most likely get a chance to be in the weekend rotation. Chris Gomez could get a chance as well after posting a 4.41 ERA last year in 34.2 innings pitched (2 starts) with 26 strikeouts.
2018 Outlook:
Pittsburgh is in that bad cycle in college sports where they have an up-and-coming offense, but are losing good pitching. If they can have some newcomers give the pitching staff a boost, we could see this team make an improvement in 2018.
Virginia (2017 Record: 43-16, 18-12)
It was a very good year for Virginia, but they struggled against some of the best competition in the ACC losing series to Louisville, Clemson and North Carolina. They went out in their second game in the ACC Tournament, and then went 1-2 in the Fort Worth Regional.
Lineup:
This lineup suffers some major losses with Pavin Smith and Adam Haseley both being drafted in the first round of the 2017 MLB Draft. They also lost second baseman Ernie Clement. Outfielder Jake McCarthy will be back and lead this lineup after hitting .338 last year with 57 runs scored, 11 doubles, 7 triples, 5 home runs, 36 RBI and 27 stolen bases. Outfielder Cameron Simmons should be back after finishing second on the team last year with a .352 average to go along with 47 runs scored, 14 doubles, 9 home runs, 57 RBI and 9 stolen bases. Caleb Knight come on late last year and hit .301 in 113 at-bats with 32 runs scored, 4 home runs and 20 RBI. Infielders Andy Weber and Nate Eikhoff should be a big part of the lineup this year as well. It’s hard to see this offense being close to what it was last year with Smith and Haseley gone, but they’ll still be a solid group.
Pitching:
The pitching staff losses it’s best starter from last year in Alec Bettinger, as well as its closer in Tommy Doyle. Derek Casey and Daniel Lynch will both be back in the weekend rotation though. Casey had a 3.79 ERA in 71.1 innings pitched with 58 strikeouts last year, while Lynch had a 5.00 ERA in a team-high 77.1 innings pitched with 45 strikeouts. Evan Sperling made 10 starts last year, but struggled throughout the season with a 7.51 ERA in 38.1 innings pitched with 44 strikeouts. Bennett Sousa was solid out of the bullpen last year with a 4.09 ERA in 33 innings pitched with 44 strikeouts. He was taken in 34th round of the MLB Draft, but didn’t sign.
2018 Outlook:
Based on what this team is losing it’s hard to see them being a great team again in 2018, but this is Virginia. The offense will definitely regress after hitting .321 as a team last year, but I think the pitching staff could be about the same.
Virginia Tech (2017 Record: 23-32, 9-21)
The Hokies started out 8-1, but things pretty much went downhill from there. They bring a new head coach in John Szefc who hopes to turn things around quickly.
Lineup:
Redshirt junior second baseman Jack Owens returns after leading the team with a .358 batting average in 2017 with a team-high 52 runs scored as well as 5 home runs, 28 RBI and 9 stolen bases. Right-fielder Tom Stoffell was second on the team with a .342 average to go along with 8 home runs and 49 RBI. First baseman Sam Fragale also returns after leading the 2017 team with 15 home runs and 63 RBI. JD Mundy and Stevie Mangrum should also have an impact on the 2018 lineup. Junior college transfer Luke Horanski could win the job at catcher. Nick Owens is another junior college transfer who could impact the 2018 lineup. Freshman Darion Jacoby could get a look in the outfield.
Pitching:
Pitching was a problem for the Hokies in 2017 with a team ERA of 5.82. Connor Coward should return to the rotation after posting an ERA of 4.75 in 72 innings pitched with 59 strikeouts. Andrew McDonald will most likely also get another shot in the rotation after a difficult 2017 season with a 7.78 ERA, but he did strike out 71 batters in 59 innings. After redshirting in 2017 due to an injury, Nic Enright will be back in 2018. Joey Sullivan led the team with 30 appearances last year, while posting an ERA of 5.55 and 42 strikeouts in 48.2 innings. A couple of freshman arms who could have an impact in 2018 are Ian Seymour and Ryan Okuda.
2018 Outlook:
The primary focus in 2018 according to Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Kurt Elbin is to “improve on the mound and defensively.”
I think the offense will be just find in 2018, if not one of the best in the conference, but they have to find some pitchers that will give them quality starts every weekend.
2018 All-ACC Preseason Team:
C: Joey Bart (Georgia Tech)
1B: Sam Fragale (Virginia Tech)
2B: Wade Bailey (Georgia Tech)
SS: Logan Davidson (Clemson)
3B: John Aiello (Wake Forest)
OF: Cameron Simmons (Virginia)
OF: Griffin Conine (Duke)
OF: Jake McCarthy (Virginia)
DH: Seth Beer (Clemson)
SP: Griffin Roberts (Wake Forest)
SP: Jeb Bargfeldt (Miami)
SP: Austin Bergner (North Carolina)
SP: Tyler Holton (Florida State)
SP: Luca Dalatri (North Carolina)
RP: Sam Bordner (Louisville)
RP: Josh Hiatt (North Carolina)
RP: Andrew Cabezas (Miami)
Honorable Mention:
C: Cal Raleigh (Florida State)
C: Gian Martellini (Boston College)
C: Cody Roberts (North Carolina)
1B: Tristan English (Georgia Tech)
1B: Caleb Perry (Pittsburgh)
2B: Jake Mueller, (Wake Forest)
2B: Nick Podkul (Notre Dame)
2B: Jack Owens (Virginia Tech)
2B: Will Wilson (NC State)
OF: Jimmy Herron (Duke)
OF: Jackson Lueck (Florida State)
OF: Ashton McGee (North Carolina)
OF: Matt Vierling (Notre Dame)
OF: Tom Stoffell (Virginia Tech)
OF: Josh Stowers (Louisville)
OF: Brandon Riley (North Carolina)
OF: Josh McLain (NC State)
DH: Brad Debo (NC State)
SP: Greg Veliz (Miami)
SP: Nick Bennett (Louisville)
SP: Daniel Lynch (Virginia)
SP: Cole Sands (Florida State)
SP: Tyler Baum (North Carolina)
RP: Adam Wolf (Louisville)
RP: Ryley Gilliam (Clemson)
Predicted Order to Finish:
- Florida State
- North Carolina
- NC State
- Virginia
- Louisville
- Clemson
- Wake Forest
- Miami (FL)
- Georgia Tech
- Duke
- Virginia Tech
- Boston College
- Pittsburgh
- Notre Dame
