We are now less than a week away from the 3rd installment of the college athletics season. With the end of the college football season providing a last second game deciding score, and this year’s NCAA basketball tournament sure to deliver excitement, we should be in for a great season. Last year’s College World Series was something out of a story book for Cinderella teams UC Santa Barbara and national champion Coastal Carolina. Something that those athletes, fans, coaches, students and college baseball fans in general, will never forget. In 2017, I expect Omaha to return to the haven of power 5 teams and perennial contenders of the Rosenblatt years. Sorry Cinderella, but the clock struck midnight.
The ACC last year was Arguably the best we’ve ever seen it last season. The league was incredibly competitive. Florida State, Louisville, Miami, Boston College, all reached Super Regionals. Yet the conference only got one team into Omaha, and they went 0-2 (Miami). The ACC was such a grind last season that they wore themselves out. In 2017, the ACC gets only slightly easier. Based on the 2017 Collegiate Baseball’s top 40 preseason rankings (http://www.collegebaseballdaily.com/2016/12/20/2017-collegiate-baseball-newspapers-preseason-top-40-released/) the conference has 6 teams in the top 16. Miami, Florida State, Louisville, Clemson, North Carolina and Virginia. That is a loaded class of teams. Miami loses Zach Collins, Willie Abreu, and others to the draft and they still look loaded for 2017, Florida State has team USA pitcher Cole Sands, Louisville has team USA pitcher and first baseman Brendan Mckay, the guys so good he does everything. North Carolina hasn’t been to Omaha since 2011 and they look prime for a return with a team USA player of their own. Virginia just won the National Championship in 2015, Brian O Connor might be the best coach in the conference. This is not a great year to be in the ACC, again. The only problem with this conference is their inability to win in the postseason. Sure, Virginia won the most recent power 5 National Championship, but outside of that, the last time an ACC team dogpiled in Omaha was 2001. 16 years ago. The ACC has 2 all time National Championships in baseball, Miami in 2001, and Virginia in 2015. The ACC needs to prove that they can win in 2017, getting 4 teams to the Super Regionals and 1 team to omaha, which they were guaranteed to get as Boston College played Miami in the Coral Gables Super Regional, will not make the doubters by into the ACC.
The SEC, per usual, dominates the top of the preseason top 40. 4 teams in the top 6, LSU, Florida, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt. LSU returns their shortstop Kramer Robertson, who nearly rallied them to Omaha last season. If it weren’t for mighty Coastal Carolina, they may have won a national championship, but Robertson wasn’t the only one one rallying the Tigers to victory, they had help from a opposum. This lovable rodent struck hope into a struggling team and carried them into a super regional date with Cinderella. The ride stopped there but the Tigers in the Bayou are always a threat to bring their passionate fan base to Omaha. Another common omaha visitor, the Gators from Florida return with Arguably the deepest roster in college baseball, starring Alex Faedo, Jj Schwarz, Dalton Guthrie, and Mike Rivera. The Gators, like the ACC tend to ride a strong wave all season then fall apart in Omaha. The only highlight of the Gators trip to omaha was a Peter Alonso home run that gave the Gators hope, only to be dismantled by an Eric Gutierrez (Guuuuute) home run. The South Carolina gamecocks used to be an Omaha fan favorite during the years of Scott Wingo, Michael Roth, and Jackie Bradley Jr. In 2017, many in Omaha have moved past the gamecocks and onto more trendy teams such as #6 Vanderbilt and National Champion Coastal Carolina. In order to return to their glory, The gamecocks will have to keep up with Florida and LSU, and will need the power of Freshman Carlos Cortes. Cortes will step in and try to get South Carolina past the super Regionals and into Omaha. Vanderbilt last won a championship in 2014 and came up just shy in 2015. Now, the Commodores have more to play for than just a national championship. Teammate Donny Everett drowned hours before the commodores played a regional elimination game vs Washington. The commodores lost to the Huskies, ending their season. In 2017, Vandy returns Jeren Kendall, consensus top 5 draft pick and outstanding pitcher Kyle Wright, with the addition of the spirit of Donny Everett, the commodores look to return to Omaha and win title #2 for #41.
Predictions
ACC gets 2 teams in Omaha
SEC gets 4 teams in Omaha
Pac-12 gets 1, Big 12 gets 1
Louisville
Oregon state
Vanderbilt
LSU
Florida State
South Carolina
TCU
Florida
National Player of the year: Brendan Mckay
#1 Overall Draft Pick: Jeren Kendall
National Champion: No idea, time to sit in and enjoy the ride to omaha. It all starts February 17th
@Cws_247
College Baseball Central 