College World Series: Predicting the eight teams that will make Omaha in 2024
Friday marks the return of college baseball season. With the 2024 campaign nearly upon us, it’s time to predict which eight teams will make it to the College World Series in Omaha.
Of our eight teams that we are predicting to reach Omaha, just four made the College World Series last season.
In 2023, LSU and Florida faced off in the CWS Finals, with the Tigers winning the national championship. LSU won a bracket that consisted of Wake Forest, Stanford, and Tennessee, while Florida won the bracket that featured Virginia, TCU, and Oral Roberts.
But now, a new season is here and it’s time to take an early look at the 2024 postseason. Here are the eight teams we are predicting to make the College World Series in Omaha this year.
Arkansas
2023 Record: 43-18 (20-10 in SEC)
2023 Finish: Lost in Fayetteville Regional
D1Baseball Preseason Ranking: No. 3
Arkansas was riddled by injuries in 2023, and the Razorbacks have already lost second baseman Peyton Stovall to a broken foot entering 2024. Regardless, Dave Van Horn has a very strong squad that is poised to win a lot of games. The lineup will include up to four transfer additions – CF Ty Wilmsmyer (Missouri), SS Wehiwa Aloy (Sacramento State), 1B Jack Wagner (Tarleton) and catcher Hudson White (Texas Tech).
Arkansas also adds a great starting pitcher in Texas Tech transfer Mason Molina, giving them an incredibly impressive weekend rotation alongside Hagen Smith and Brady Tygart.
With a star-studded rotation and a deep lineup, Arkansas is among the favorites to win it all in 2024. Getting to that point will require them to stay healthy, though, which might be the biggest factor to the Razorbacks’ success.
Duke
2023 Record: 39-23 (16-13 in ACC)
2023 Finish: Lost in Charlottesville Super Regional
D1Baseball Preseason Ranking: No. 12
The strength of this Duke team is undoubtedly its pitching staff, led by a 1-2 punch in the rotation in Jonathan Santucci and Andrew Healy. Fran Oschell, who was 6-0 with a 0.69 ERA in 39.1 innings last season, could also be an option to start. Regardless, the Blue Devils have a plethora of options both in the rotation and in the bullpen, and it might be the best pitching staff from top to bottom in all of college baseball.
The question for Duke is offensively, with a largely remade lineup from last year’s group. Logan Bravo (Harvard), Wallace Clark (Oklahoma), Ben Miller (Penn) and Zac Morris (VMI) all figure to play prominent roles in the infield, and how that group comes together will be an important test. But with catcher Alex Stone and outfielder Tyler Albright back in the fold, the lineup still features plenty of upside.
Duke was a No. 2 seed last year, but won the Conway Regional. This season, it would not be surprising at all if the Blue Devils are hosting, and due to the strength of their pitching, making a run all the way to Omaha.
Florida
2023 Record: 54-17 (20-10 in SEC)
2023 Finish: College World Series runner-up in Omaha
D1Baseball Preseason Ranking: No. 2
It was a special run to Omaha last season for Florida, although the Gators’ run fell just short in the CWS Finals against LSU. Now, after making a run as deep as you can go, Florida is back and poised for more success in 2024.
Everyone knows what Jac Caglianone is capable of as a two-way player. He will be a middle of the order anchor in the lineup, alongside Cade Kurland and Luke Heyman, among others. Colby Shelton (Alabama) and Brody Donay (Virginia Tech) also join the mix out of the portal, and both figure to play large roles.
Pitching wise, Florida also impresses. Cade Fisher and Caglianone will be in the rotation, with a few options to join them. Among them are freshmen Liam Peterson and Luke McNeillie. And with Brandon Neely back in the back of the bullpen, the staff sits in great shape.
Iowa
2023 Record: 44-18 (15-8 in Big Ten)
2023 Finish: Lost in Terre Haute Regional
D1Baseball Preseason Ranking: No. 20
When you think of Iowa baseball, star pitcher Brody Brecht is the first name that comes to mind. One of the best starters in college baseball, Brecht anchors a strong rotation for the Hawkeyes that is capable of leading them into the postseason. Alongside Brecht, Marcus Morgan figures to have a big role on the mound. That 1-2 punch is strong, and Cade Obermueller, among others, provide strong options behind them, too.
Iowa has a strong middle of the order offensively, with solid depth throughout. A major question mark early on will be at catcher, as starter Cade Moss will be sidelined for the first few weeks of the season with a broken hamate bone. Additionally, freshman Max Burt suffered a torn ACL and will miss the entire year. With a high-powered pitching staff like Iowa, having reliable catchers is a must. But once Moss returns, he should bring some stability to the position, and lineup.
Iowa was a No. 2 seed last year after winning 44 games, falling in the Terre Haute Regional, hosted and won by Indiana State.
LSU
2023 Record: 54-17 (19-10 in SEC)
2023 Finish: National Champions
D1Baseball Preseason Ranking: No. 4
Jay Johnson brought LSU back to Omaha in 2023, and led the Tigers to being national champions. LSU did have 13 players from last year’s team selected in the 2023 MLB Draft, bringing a bit of a new look to this roster.
Offensively, Tommy White is the anchor. The power-hitting third baseman hit 24 home runs with 105 RBI last year, and he did so while hitting .377. White is joined in the lineup by Jared Jones, who figures to take over at first base, Alex Milazzo and Hayden Travinski, all of which played notable roles last season. Infielder Michael Braswell III also joins the fold as a transfer from South Carolina, and outfielder Mac Bingham, an Arizona transfer, brings a great middle of the order option to the lineup.
The biggest question on this LSU team is pitching. Gavin Guirdry figures to play a key back-end of the bullpen role. Luke Holman was brought in as a transfer from Alabama, and that was a pivotal addition. Thatcher Hurd is likely to lead the rotation, but he has seen ups and downs during his career. If he is able to take the next step and be the true ace of LSU’s staff, the Tigers will be in a good spot. UCLA transfer Gage Jump is also in the mix, but he missed the entire 2023 season due to injury.
Oregon State
2023 Record: 41-20 (18-12 in Pac-12)
2023 Finish: Lost in Baton Rouge Regional
D1Baseball Preseason Ranking: No. 7
The Pac-12 will essentially be disbanded after the 2024 season, with just Oregon State and Washington State remaining. The Beavers are leaning towards playing an independent schedule under the Pac-12 banner in 2025, for now. But Oregon State is focused on right now.
Oregon State’s lineup, is deep with tons of power and just about everyone can hit for average. The group is led by second baseman Travis Bazzana, who hit .374 with 11 home runs last year. He is joined by four other players who had double digit home runs in 2023 – Mason Guerra, Elijah Hainline, Gavin Turley and Brady Kasper. There’s no question that this lineup is capable of getting to Omaha.
On the mound, it’s a different story. Both Aiden May and Jacob Kmatz need to take a step forward. May pitched to a 6.33 ERA in 75.1 innings last year, while Kmatz had a 4.71 ERA in 72.2 innings. Jaren Hunter pitched well in seven starts and 32.2 innings last season, with a 3.03 ERA and a 28/7 strikeout-to-walk ratio. If one or two guys are able to establish themselves as strong options on weekends, Oregon State is going to have a legitimate chance to play deep into the postseason. If not, their offense might still be able to carry them there.
Tennessee
2023 Record: 44-22 (16-14 in SEC)
2023 Finish: Lost in Omaha
D1Baseball Preseason Ranking: No. 9
Losing eight players to the MLB Draft was a blow for Tennessee, but they responded by being aggressive in the transfer portal. The lineup returners include Blake Burke, Christian Moore, Hunter Ensley and Dylan Dreiling, among others. Freshman Ariel Antigua is set to take over at shortstop, while a pair of transfers could instantly become key parts of the heart of the lineup. Former NC State catcher Cannon Peebles is here after hitting .352 with 12 home runs and 50 RBI as a freshman in Raleigh. He is joined by Clemson transfer third baseman Billy Amick, who hit .413 last year with 13 home runs and 63 RBI.
Chase Burns is no longer part of the pitching staff, as he transferred to Wake Forest. But Drew Beam is back as the ace, and he’s a great top option to have. AJ Russell and Zander Sechrist primarily pitched out of the bullpen last year, with Russell going 2-0 with a 0.89 ERA in 30.1 innings, and Sechrist 0-1 with a 2.05 ERA in 30.2 innings. Both could be ready to step into the rotation.
If Tennessee can solidify the rotation behind Beam, they’ll be in good shape. At the least, they’ll have a few options to pick from in the bullpen, with a tremendous lineup hopefully spotting them plenty of runs.
Wake Forest
2023 Record: 54-12 (22-7 in ACC)
2023 Finish: Lost in Omaha
D1Baseball Preseason Ranking: No. 1
Finally, Wake Forest is a pretty safe bet to return to Omaha for the second straight season. The Demon Deacons are the consensus No. 1 team heading into the season, with a strong all-around roster mixing new faces with returning talent.
You must start on the mound for Wake Forest, with Josh Hartle headlining the rotation alongside Tennessee transfer Chase Burns. Michael Massey figures to be the third starter, which is pretty impressive considering his track record. Cole Roland also returns as a key back-end bullpen arm, and the Demon Deacons have plenty of young arms that are ready to contribute in the bullpen, as well.
Wake Forest returns star first baseman Nick Kurtz to the lineup, and he hit .353 with 24 home runs and 69 RBI a season ago. After him, though, the Demon Deacons are relying on some new faces. Catcher Cameron Gill hit .368 at Wofford last season, while third baseman Adam Tellier hit .316 at Ball State and Tate Ballestero was .288 with 10 home runs at St. John’s. But the most impactful offensive addition is Seaver King, who figures to be Wake Forest’s centerfielder after joining from Wingate.