A group of people died in the area? Top seed in danger? The men’s college baseball tournament begins on Friday and is sure to feature many impressive games and, of course, drama.
Although the region’s hosts advance to the super division at a rate of 67%, our experts predict that because there is so much parity in the sport, we are likely to encounter There are some real problems — problems that might not really qualify as that if you just look at it at seed. Of the eight top national seeds (Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas A&M, North Carolina, Arkansas, Clemson, Georgia, Florida State), only UGA has won the national title (1990).
There are also many top prospects playing at wide receiver and record-breakers, such as new NCAA home run leader Charlie Condon, in the mix.
So which area has the most difficult route to Omaha? And what potential super-regional matchups are we sitting on? Our experts analyze the 2024 sector.
Move to: The most difficult road | Players and teams to watch
Weak people | Super potential matches | Bold predictions
Which area has the most difficult route to Omaha?
Chris Burke: Tucson. The depths in this area will definitely bring us memorable moments. Arizona is the host and has won the Pac 12 regular-season and postseason titles, but they welcome three teams that are all problematic. Dallas Baptist is the No. 2 seed, coming off a 44-win season and playing in its 10th straight region. West Virginia, the No. 3 seed, has one of the best players in the country in JJ Wetherholt. In short, Grand Canyon is the No. 4 seed, and it has beaten Arizona two out of three times this year, including a 24-8 loss. This area will become attractive.
Ryan McGee: There are a LOT of stacked areas, which I think is a testament to the equality we see in college baseball that we don’t see in most sports. But my eyes are on Stillwater. Oklahoma State gets the No. 1 seed and host spot, but Nebraska is at No. 2, the Purple Eagles of Niagara are at No. 4… and Jac Caglianone and Florida as the No. 3 seeds?! This was a stampede in a bunkhouse.
Mike Rooney: The Tucson area presents difficulties that would make a World Cup “death group” blush. Arizona is the best pitching team in the nation. And while that’s notable, Gregg Wallis’s Grand Canyon might be the most dangerous No. 4 seed in the entire tournament. Dallas Baptist has ace Ryan Johnson and a lineup that ranks in the top 15 in slugging percentage. And never mind that this West Virginia team is on a mission to extend head coach Randy Mazey’s final season. The good news is that this area could be a match for North Carolina or LSU… oh, wait. #Deep breath
Kyle Peterson: Arizona was not given any gifts in the drawing. Dallas Baptist has a resume worthy of its host and a true ace, and currently ranks in the top 20 nationally in home runs per game. West Virginia is 19-11 in the Big 12 (33-22 overall), has first-round talent in Wetherholt (who has found his stride after missing much of the first half of the season), and as As Burke said, Grand Canyon won the season series against Arizona (all midweek games), so this is a tough four-seed tie.
Kiley McDaniel: The Tucson Regional’s runner-up should be the Tallahassee Regional featuring Florida State, Stetson UCF and Alabama, and the winner of that group likely won’t face Oklahoma or Duke in the Norman Regional.
What are you most excited to see this weekend?
Burke: I’m going with Caglianone from Florida. The best two-way player in the country carries a heavy load for Stillwater Area. Not only will the legendary slugger do the heavy lifting on offense, but my guess is he’ll soon be asked to pitch in the zone as well. Florida is the last SEC team to enter and if it makes any noise, the Cags will have to play at their highest level.
McGee: This is the time of year when those of us who watch college baseball all spring can sit back and watch the faces of people who only watch tournament games and see how they react with first sightings of certain players. I can’t wait for America to see Georgia’s Charlie Condon play football.
Rooney: The aforementioned Johnson owns 147 punches entering the zone, third in the country. The junior runs his fastball in the mid-90s, but his wipeout slider is a real dream crusher for seniors. Johnson’s eccentric fastball adds to the entertainment value. Oregon State junior Travis Bazzana broke the Beavers’ home run record with 26 homers in 2024. The Australian second baseman posted an OPS of 1.520 and only Condon put up numbers bigger. Bazzana’s big game was matched by his immense energy.
Peterson: Eighteen of Kiley McDaniel’s top 30 prospects for the 2024 MLB draft are playing in the postseason … so take your pick. But if you’re looking for players who haven’t played much at the national level, Johnson is practically elite and has a sub-2.00 ERA this season, and Trey Yesavage from East Carolina has recorded 10 strikeouts strikeout or more in eight of his 12 starts. this season. But pick any match and you’ll be looking at some Big Tournaments in the future.
McDaniel: I’d love to see Yesavage return from his partially collapsed lung and deal in front of a rowdy crowd at home, perhaps against Wake Forest.
How should we guard against the weak?
Burke: Vanderbilt had a 13-17 regular season in the SEC, but you would never know it watching the team in Hoover. The pitching has been steady behind Bryce Cunningham and J.D. Thompson, and the offense has played its best ball all year under RJ Austin and Alan Espinal. This group headed to Clemson, where they won back-to-back regional championships in 2017 and 2018. Talk about a dangerous No. 2 seed!
McGee: There are those who have criticized Coastal Carolina for the way it stumbled in the final third of the season, and rightly so. It looked tired, ultimately eaten up by the emotions of Gary Gilmore’s final days on the bench and his ongoing experience with cancer. But if you know your college baseball history, that kind of challenge often produces incredible postseason runs. Watch: Arizona State reaching Omaha in 1994 while head coach Jim Brock was so sick he could barely make the trip, or this year with Birmingham Southern forming the Division III MCWS as its school was about to shut down dynamic.
Rooney: #QuakeShow is back for an encore. Let’s not forget that Penn got off to a 2-0 start in the 2023 Auburn Regional before Southern Miss edged the Quakers in the end. The club returns slugger Wyatt Henseler (.372-22-55) and aces Cole Zaffiro and Ryan Dromboski. If you’re unsure about Quake Show’s talent level, please note that 2023 alumni Ben Miller and Jackson Appel are currently starring at Duke and Texas A&M, respectively. These boys can play.
Peterson: Bryant or James Madison are two to watch in Raleigh; I wouldn’t be shocked if either team made it to a regional final.
McDaniel: UCF is a dangerous No. 3 seed, as is Georgia Tech.
What potential super regions are you hoping to see?
Burke: This is an easy one for me. The prospect of Chase Burns taking the field at Lindsey Nelson Stadium against his former team at No. 1 overall Tennessee in the Super Bowl has the potential to be must-see television. First, Wake Forest will have to overcome host East Carolina, but if it can do it and Tennessee is waiting, this will be one of the most anticipated matches in recent times!
McGee: I was watching a super regional between Texas A&M and UC-Santa Barbara and all I saw was a vivid metaphor for everything going on in college sports right now. The Aggies, an SEC powerhouse with all the money in the world and stuffing the coffers of the NIL compared to a non-football school on the West Coast with a proud baseball tradition. Aggies vs. Gauchos? Let’s go.
Rooney: Arkansas is No. 1 in the nation with a team ERA of 3.65. Ace southpaw Hagen Smith owns a strikeout rate of 50%. In other words, you bet heads, you get lucky. Virginia’s group of position players is a formidable combination of athleticism and skill. Shortstop Griff O’Ferrall puts the competitive edge on the Cavs and Virginia ranks second in the nation with a ridiculous .341 batting average. Something has to give here.
Peterson: East Carolina or Wake at Tennessee would be the place to see. East Carolina is still trying to get to Omaha for the first time, and Wake is trying to make a comeback with Burns, Nick Kurtz and Seaver King leading the way.
McDaniel: The potential Tennessee-Wake Forest super-regional would have plenty of star power and pro potential, but the Burns revenge game makes it more appealing.
What’s your bold prediction for this first series of games?
Burke: My bold prediction for the regional round is that less than half of the home team will advance. There is so much parity in the game and so many areas in which the 2 seeds are playing great football that I think the home team will be busy. Don’t be surprised if many No. 1 seeds have their hearts broken in their own buildings this week.
McGee: Since the NCAA began awarding national seeds in 1999, there has only been one year where less than half of the Omaha field was made up of 1 seed. That was in 2007, when only three No. 1 seeds made it to the big tournament. I say we’re getting close to that this year and it starts this weekend. When you look at non-No. 1 states like LSU, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Dallas Baptist, South Carolina, Florida… those are a lot of superpowers with crooked numbers next to their names.
Rooney: Only half (or less) of the No. 1 seeds will advance to the super regional. That’s not pessimism, by the way. This group of 2 seeds is scary. In fact, seven of these teams played in a super regional last year. One of them has won a national title (LSU), while another (Wake Forest) has two players projected to go in the top 10 picks of the MLB draft. In 2023, the top nine seeds made it through the regional round, with only five of them reaching the Men’s College World Finals. It only takes five wins to get to Omaha, but it won’t be easy.
McDaniel: I think there are a lot of 2 and 3 seeds that can win the regional championship. Wake Forest, Duke (hot after winning the ACC tournament), Mississippi State, Dallas Baptist, LSU, San Diego and Vanderbilt are 2 seeds that I feel comfortable choosing to move on to the high rankings.
