We are not that far away from the postseason in college baseball, so it’s time to start looking at who could win the College World Series.
As we all know, baseball is unpredictable, but we are going to highlight some teams who I think are built to make a run in the College World Series and win it all. The teams I’m focusing on are both balance on offense and pitching, but I’m also looking for teams that have strikeout pitchers and pitching depth. Those qualities in particular are very important for making a run to and through Omaha.
Teams Built to Win the College World Series:
Florida
Not exactly a hot take here. The Gators haven’t dropped much lower than three in the poles all season as they’ve been very consistent, and frankly dominant in the best baseball conference. We all know they have the pitching to win it all, and it looks like the offense is starting to do its part as well. Jonathan India has turned himself into a top 10 prospect and can carry that offense.
Stanford
I’ve loved this Stanford team from the beginning. That starting rotation is more than enough to get through the first two rounds, and I believe there is enough depth there to get through Omaha. The offense has been up-and-down at times, but is still good enough to win games.
Oregon State
The Beavers were my preseason favorite, and I still think they have the talent to win it all. The season started a little sluggish with Nick Madrigal getting injured, but they seem to be clicking now. They’re highest RPI games of the year come over the final three weeks, so we’ll get a chance to see what this year’s team is made of before the postseason.
Ole Miss
Admittedly I was not high on Ole Miss entering the season, but they’ve continued to impress throughout. The rotation is one of the best in the country, which we knew coming in, but the offense has been a big surprise.
Arkansas
A lot of people were high on Arkansas early in the season and some picked them to win it all. I absolutely love this lineup and think it’s the best in the country. The pitching staff has been good as well and appears to be growing some depth. The Razorbacks have struggled on the road, but if they can earn a top eight seed, there aren’t many better home field advantages than at Arkansas.
Texas Tech
This one may surprise some people as Texas Tech hasn’t played up to their potential this year. But I still believe the talent is there, and if they can put it all together in the postseason they certainly have the ability to compete with anyone in the country.
If Things go Their Way:
North Carolina
The pitching staff, which looked like a strength entering the season, hasn’t performed as well as we thought they would. However, almost every arm is striking out over a batter an inning. If the pitching comes together, this team could be dangerous in the postseason.
NC State
I’ve been on the NC State bandwagon all year. They have one of the most explosive offenses in the country, but sometimes those bats are exposed against high quality pitching in the postseason. If their really are that good, then they could blast their way to Omaha.
Clemson
The offense, which was supposed to carry this team in 2018, has not produced at all like it should. Logan Davidson is the leading hitter on the team with a .287 average. If the bats ever come alive, I could see this team making a run.
Southern Miss
This might be one of my favorite teams in the country, but they’re a little unproven because of a down year in Conference USA. Nick Sandlin has turned himself into one of the best starting pitchers in the country, and their lineup is one of the deepest. I could certainly see this team making a road at Omaha, but I’m not sure how they’ll do against some of the best teams in the country.
Florida State
Again, like some of the other teams in this category, you know the talent is there with Florida State. Injuries to the starting pitching have certainly played a part, but this team just hasn’t been as dominate as we thought they would be at the beginning of the season. That could certainly change in a flash for a team with this much talent.
Kentucky
The offense has actually been better than expected this year, but it’s the pitching staff that has let down Kentucky this year – specifically the bullpen. There just aren’t enough reliable arms coming out of the pen. If the Wildcats can find a few arms they can trust, this team could easily make a run.
Texas A&M
This another SEC team that I can’t quite figure out. I know playing in that conference is difficult, but I would expect a team with this much talent to be near the top. They have all the pitching and offense necessary to win the World Series, they just have to put it all together on a more consistent basis.
