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Since the pandemic began, it’s been an interesting two years for baseball in the Big Ten Conference. When opening day for the 2022 college baseball season arrives, it will have been 709 days since a Big Ten baseball team has faced a non-conference opponent in the regular season. The conference suffered considerably in the 2021 season, only receiving three NCAA Tournament bids and zero of those teams moved on past the first weekend. After having a College World Series finalist from the conference in 2019 (Michigan), the conference had its fewest bids since 2016. But, in 2022, the conference will have a chance to redeem itself. Michigan will be on the national stage opening weekend, as they are participating in the 2022 State Farm College Baseball Showdown, while Maryland and Illinois will be traveling to Big 12 schools for early three game sets. After a unique year in 2021, the 2022 season leaves many possibilities for a new champion in the Big Ten. Who are the contenders? Nebraska The Cornhuskers are the lone Big Ten team ranked in College Baseball Nation’s Top 50 preseason rankings at No. 17. After a very successful first full season under head coach Will Bolt, Nebraska has a bit of roster turnover for the 2022 season. Nebraska lost the Big Ten Player of the Year in Spencer Schwellenbach and two other All-Big Ten First Team members: outfielder Jaxon Hallmark and starting pitcher Cade Povich. But, even with much talent lost, the Cornhuskers return Max Anderson, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, who already is a leading candidate for 2022 Big Ten Player of the Year. Although Nebraska lost multiple players due to the draft and graduation, along with Anderson atop of the lineup, Nebraska returns multiple upperclassmen who provide experience immediately. That includes Cam Chick, a candidate for a breakout season for the Cornhuskers, and Griffin Everett, who is slated to be Nebraska’s starting catcher in 2022. The first non-conference test comes early for Nebraska, as they’re slated to take on TCU in Arlington, Texas Feb. 25-27. Nebraska was the team to beat in 2021; expect that to continue in 2022. It’s an exciting time to be a fan in Lincoln. Maryland After the Terrapins first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017 a year ago, head coach Rob Vaughnan looks to bring them back again in 2022. Even with the departure of Benjamin Cowles, the Big Ten’s 2021 home run king, Maryland returns a large part of their offense, including seniors Maxwell Costes and Chris Alleyne. With one of the best sophomores in the country in Matt Shaw, the Terrapins are set up for long-term success with a young lineup. A key piece for Maryland to be successful in 2022 is its pitching. Maryland was 5th in the conference in team ERA, but will return many of their major contributions, including Ryan Ramsey (1.67 ERA in 37.2 IP) and Nick Dean (2.87 ERA in 53.1 IP) Nebraska is the preseason favorite, but don’t sleep on Maryland’s ability to be a sneaky team in the Big Ten. Michigan The Wolverines struggled in big games in 2021. In a combined eight conference games between Maryland and Nebraska, Michigan went 3-5. When they reached NCAA regionals, they were two-and-out with losses against UConn and Central Michigan. But, Michigan will have a chance to redeem themselves immediately, participating in the 2022 State Farm College Baseball Showdown in Texas opening weekend. Opening the season against Texas Tech, Kansas State, and Oklahoma is no small task, but it’s an opportunity for head coach Erik Bakich’s team to make an early statement. The Wolverines return Ted Burton and Tito Flores to their offense, their two best hitters players from a year ago. On the hill, they return Cameron Weston who had a marvelous sophomore year, posting a 2.81 ERA in 83.1 innings of work and recorded two of Michigan’s three wins against Maryland/Nebraska. For Michigan to succeed in 2022, they will need to make a statement early in the season. With their difficult non-conference schedule, they will have plenty of opportunities to do so. Tom’s Pick: To likely much surprise, Maryland appears to be vastly underrated entering the 2022 season. With their strong lineup, they’re the pick to finish the season atop the Big Ten. Player Of The Year Candidates Max Anderson (Nebraska): In his first season with the Cornhuskers, Anderson held a .332 average which led to him winning the Big Ten Freshman of the Year Award. It wouldn’t be too shocking to see him continue to dominate at the plate and win the most prestigious award in the conference as a sophomore, especially if he’s able to lead Nebraska back to another NCAA Tournament bid. Cameron Weston (Michigan): Weston had a dominant 2021 season against the Big Ten, coming up big time after time for Michigan. In his junior season, Weston will want to show he can remain consistent and dominate the conference for a second straight year. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

The American Athletic Conference (AAC) enters the upcoming season with talent scattered across the eight teams that encompass the conference. The greatest balance among the eight teams is in the middle of the conference after setting aside the powerhouse that has become East Carolina (ECU) under head coach Cliff Godwin. A Look Back at 2021 ECU was the only team in the AAC that won more than 40 games in 2021, earning 44 wins before all was said and done. The four closest teams to the Pirates, Tulane, Wichita State, UCF, and South Florida all won 31 games apiece. ECU and South Florida were the lone teams from the AAC to advance into the NCAA postseason. ECU gained a bid because of its overall record and national ranking; South Florida received an automatic bid by winning the AAC Championship in Clearwater, Florida over neighboring UCF. ECU and South Florida both advanced to Super Regionals but their seasons ended there. Fifteen players were drafted from the AAC in July’s Amateur Baseball Draft. Each team had at least one player drafted, except for South Florida. Tulane saw five players drafted, four of them were pitchers. ECU and UCF both had three players drafted. A Look Ahead to 2022 East Carolina (44-17) returns strong having restocked after losing very few players from their 2021 squad. Sophomore Carson Whisenhunt (6-2, 3.77 ERA) has been picked as the conference’s Preseason Pitcher of the Year and sophomore reliever C.J. Mayhue (8 Saves) also made the Preseason All-Conference team. The Pirates return 25 players including Zach Agnos, Josh Moylan, Jake Kuchmaner, and Bryson Worrell. In all, the Pirates roster consists of 13 freshmen, 19 sophomores, five juniors, and five seniors. Wichita State (31-23) returns sophomore pitcher Jace Kaminska (8-1, 2.32 ERA) conference Newcomer Pitcher of the Year was a unanimous preseason all-conference selection and was joined by senior first baseman Garrett Kocis (.286, 12 HR, 45 RBI). Ross Cadena and Jack Sigrist round out a Shockers team that will welcome the return of seven position players who started 20 or more games a season ago. Tulane (31-24) was picked by the coaches of the AAC to finish second in 2022. The Green Wave has four members on the preseason all-conference team, the most of any team, including catcher Bennett Lee (.440, 28 RBI), second baseman Chase Engelhard (.299, 9 HR) and designated hitter Luis Aviles (.255, 7 HR). The core of a team that won 12 straight games during the 2021 season returns for head coach Travis Jewett, despite the massive toll the MLB Draft took on the pitching staff. Cincinnati (29-26) returns their entire outfield from 2021, including Paul Komistek (.364, 9 HR 44 RBI) who was selected as the conference’s Preseason Player of the Year. Griffin Merritt (.274, 10 HR) and sophomore Cole Harting (.289, 10 HR) join Komistek in the Bearcats outfield. UCF (31-30) lost 14 players, including three that were drafted, from its 2021 squad. The Knights will return Gephry Pena (.290, 27 SB), Tom Josten (.253, 8 HR), and Alex Freeland (.288, 7 HR) in 2022. UCF begins 2022 with 18 newcomers, 11 of those are freshmen. South Florida (31-30) won the Gainesville Regional in 2021 and advanced to the Austin Super Regional where they were eliminated by Texas in two games. The Bulls return Jack Jasiak (2.93 ERA, 93 K), and seven starting position players including third baseman Carmine Lane (.306, 11 HR) and outfielder Drew Brutcher (.294, 8 HR). The Bulls also return Daniel Cantu, Brad Lord, Matt Ruiz and Nelson Rivera. Houston (19-34) returns an experienced pitching staff that includes starters Jaycob Deese and Ben Sears along with reliever Derrick Cherry (5 Saves, 2.85 ERA). Senior first baseman Ryan Hernandez (11 HR) is set to lead an offense that is otherwise unknown going into 2022 as Houston returns 14 lettermen, including three positional starters, but also welcomes 24 newcomers for the 2022 season. A season ago, the Cougars lost many close games despite solid pitching performances. To compete in 2022 the staff will need more offensive support. Memphis (18-39) returns four starters from their 2021 lineup and added pitchers Connor Shamblin (Alabama) and Dalton Fowler (Oklahoma) via transfer. Prior to the 2022 season, Tigers head coach Daron Schoenrock has announced that he will retire after 18 seasons and over 400 wins as the leader of the program. The Memphis players may work to send their coach into retirement with a better performance than the team compiled in 2021. It will not be an easy task as the Tigers will face defending national champion Mississippi State and Ole Miss as part of season where they will play 15 games against teams that played in the postseason a year ago. Predictions Conventional wisdom says that East Carolina is poised to lead the conference once again in the regular season. The AAC coaches agreed with that assessment and voted ECU the favorite, while College Baseball Nation ranked ECU #12 in the Preseason Top 50, with the next closest choice Wichita State a distant #41. The AAC coaches have voted Tulane to finish second. It takes a special effort for the AAC to send multiple teams into the postseason, especially if ECU continues to dominate the regular season. Marquee series wins were difficult to come by for the AAC in 2021, and in such a case, a team must “go on a run” at the AAC Championship as South Florida did last season to earn an automatic bid. Who will break through in 2022? Thanks for stopping by! 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The Big 12 is back, and as it looks during the preseason, deeper than ever. Texas, coming off a deep tournament run that ended in Omaha, has reloaded, with several key returners and a couple of transfers who can have immediate impacts. Texas Tech and Oklahoma State are right behind the Longhorns, and TCU, the defending league champion, cannot be counted out either. Just as last season revealed the parity and depth of the conference across the board, with four Big 12 teams selected, and a couple more on the fringe of an at-large bid, 2022 is expected to be more of the same. With the majority of teams playing high-quality non-conference schedules, these teams will be battle-tested, and possibly ranked by the time Big 12 play begins. But even before the first pitch of the season has been thrown, we already have a good feeling when it comes to the league’s top contenders. The question that remains unanswered is, who will take home the Big 12 title come May? The Contenders The Frontrunner: #1 Texas Number one in College Baseball Nation's Preseason Top 50, the Longhorns appear destined for Omaha. Following last season’s appearance at the College World Series, head coach David Pierce brings back two talented starters in left-hander Pete Hansen (7-5,2.45 ERA, 80 K in 2021), and right-hander Tristian Stevens (11-3, 3.31 ERA in 2021). Tanner Witt and Aaron Nixon are expected to be the Horns’ go-to relievers, especially in the late innings, after both threw over 27 innings out of the bullpen a year ago. That core, combined with some of the younger talent on the pitching staff, players such as Justin Ekhardt and southpaw Lucas Gordon, forms a group that can get the Longhorns through a number of the challenging weekend series that are so prevalent in a conference as deep as the Big 12. Pierce has indicated that Winthrop transfer Daniel Blair could play a role on the staff this season, after striking out 48 batters in 56.2 innings of work in his first two collegiate seasons. A year ago, Texas led the Big 12 in ERA, a 2.93, and could very well do it again, especially as it appears there is no weak point when it comes to either the starting rotation or bullpen. At the plate, the Longhorns bring back a good portion of their lineup, including power hitter first baseman Ivan Melendez, who hit .319 with 13 home runs in 2021. The starters at second base and shortstop are also back, in Mitchell Daly and Trey Faltine, respectively. Next Up: #20 Texas Tech Tim Tadlock’s team is always deep, and that is the case again in 2022, as the Red Raiders return a number of key position players, such as second baseman Jace Jung, along with several key starters. Losing Micah Dallas, who often came out of the bullpen but could throw a high number of innings if necessary, as well as shutdown reliever Ryan Sublette is a hurdle to overcome for sure, though Brendan Girton showed flashes of being a similar caliber player last season and returns for 2022. The starting rotation has a chance to be one of the best that Tech has had in recent years, led by Brandon Birdsell (4-1, 3.06 ERA in 2021). But from this perspective, the Red Raiders’ strength appears to be found in their offensive abilities. Jung can hit to all fields, with tremendous power (.337, 21 HR in 2021), and Kurt Wilson, Parker Kelly, and Easton Murrell are each consistent at the plate, with an exceptional ability for contact with runners in scoring position. The Dark Horse: #31 TCU With a new head coach in Kirk Saarloos, there will certainly be a transitional period in Fort Worth. But the Horned Frogs appear poised at a run in the NCAA Tournament. Austin Krob headlines a pitching staff that helped TCU to a 41-19 record a year ago, having posted a 2.81 ERA with an 8-1 record in 2021. The southpaw has an incredible ability to mix speeds and is likely to be TCU’s Friday night starter after making 16 starts, with tremendous success, as a sophomore last season. Losing Phllip Sikes will possibly challenge the Horned Frog lineup’s scoring ability early in the year, but third baseman Brayden Taylor performed well at the plate last season with a .324 average, and infielders Tommy Sacco and Elijah Nunez are solid contact hitters. There might be question marks as to the team’s proven depth entering the season, but once some of the younger relievers can get more innings and the offense finds a rhythm, this TCU team will be hard to stop. Also Keep an Eye On: #16 Oklahoma State The Cowboys are tremendously competitive entering the year, though their success on the mound will likely be decided on how well the bullpen performs. There is no denying that Justin Campbell (2.57 ERA, 102 K in 2021) will be in competition for the conference’s Pitcher of the Year award, but after that, the Saturday and Sunday starting roles are not as set in stone. Bryce Osmond showed flashes of greatness last season, but his 2-5 record and 7.42 ERA was worrisome. In relief, the loss of Brett Standlee leaves a significant hole (3.09 ERA in 32 IP in 2021), though Trevor Martin and Kale Davis logged quality innings a year ago and are back this season. Additionally, Miami transfer Victor Mederos can either come out of the bullpen or start, and limits opposing power hitters well. More key losses can be found within the position players group, as OSU returns just four. Christian Encarnacion-Strand (.361, 15 HR in 2021) is now in the Minnesota Twins organization and Cade Cabbinness (.252, 37 RBI in 2021) graduated. But the lineup remains strong entering this season. Griffin Doersching can easily take over the power hitting role that Encarnacion-Strand played last season, as the Northern Kentucky transfer hit 20 homers last season, and outfielder Jake Thompson hit .342 a year ago. The number of newcomers will help even out the losses, the only question will be in terms of how soon those newcomers can contribute. We will get a good look at just how good Oklahoma State is, as the Cowboys travel to Vanderbilt for a season-opening three game series in Nashville, Feb. 18-20. Riley’s Pick: Texas You cannot go wrong with the Longhorns, whose pitching core appears to be one of, if not, the nation’s best, boasting a number of proven starters and relievers. At the plate, the return of hitters including Ivan Melendez and Trey Faltine should offset the losses of Mike Antico and Cam Willams, and keep Texas’ run production high. The Horns get a good test March 4-6 in Houston, Texas at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Classic, battling Tennessee, LSU and UCLA. Three Best Series of the Year Texas at Texas Tech: March 25-27: Lubbock is a tough place to play, period. Can the Red Raiders take an early lead in the standings against the league favorite to open Big 12 play? Oklahoma at Oklahoma State, April 8-10: The Sooners, ranked at #32 in College Baseball Nation's Preseason Top 50, have a number of quality bats and have the makings of being a dark horse candidate in the Big 12 race. The Bedlam rivalry always brings out the best in both programs, but Oklahoma State has the home field advantage in this one. Texas Tech at TCU, April 14-16: The Horned Frogs are at home, but are coming off a tough Tuesday matchup at Dallas Baptist, a surefire contender in the Missouri Valley Conference. This series is always a must-see, and comes at the midpoint of the conference schedule for both teams. TCU knocked Texas Tech out of the Big 12 Tournament in 2021, so the Red Raiders might be looking for revenge. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

As the sun rises on another season of college baseball with squads opening camps this month, Conference USA (CUSA) is set to lead the way again as it has in the past. The Past CUSA sent four teams to the NCAA Regionals in 2021 including the regular season champion Charlotte, along with Old Dominion, Louisiana Tech, and Southern Miss. For CUSA, the four teams ranked fourth among conferences sending teams to the NCAA tournament behind the SEC, ACC, and PAC-12. It was the first time since 2016 that CUSA sent as many as four teams to the tournament. All four of the teams were seeded second or higher, and these four teams produced the only 40-plus win seasons in the conference. In the July amateur baseball draft, CUSA had fourteen players chosen from eight of the twelve conference teams. Ten of the players chosen were pitchers. Southern Miss and Old Dominion each had three players drafted while Charlotte and Florida Atlantic each had two players taken. In sum, CUSA had one of its most successful seasons in recent memory. The Future The reality of 2022 in CUSA is this: offenses are returning strong. Charlotte’s Austin Knight, Old Dominion’s Carter Trice, and Florida Atlantic’s Nolan Schanuel are the nationally recognized stars of the conference heading into 2022. The trio were among the conference leaders in offensive categories such as batting average, slugging percentage, and base hits in 2021. Old Dominion is coming off a conference best 44 wins last season. The 2022 schedule is predictably strong, with games against NCAA postseason teams Virginia, East Carolina, VCU, and Campbell. Freshman Cater Trice played in 58 of the Monarchs 60 games last season and his postseason and now preseason accolades are all well deserved. Trice’s .355 batting average placed him third in the conference and his 83 hits placed him second. Old Dominion brings back an experienced team in 2022 with few newcomers. Louisiana Tech, after 42 wins a season ago, the Bulldogs will face LSU, Wichita State, Dallas Baptist, Tulane, and UL-Lafayette in non-conference play. Pitcher and Friday night starter, Jonathan Fincher (3.05), and second baseman Taylor Young return for coach Lane Burroughs, leading a squad that knows how to win. Southern Miss returns depth and talent in 2022. Led by right-handed pitcher Ben Ethridge (3.25) and left-hander Drew Boyd on the mound, the offense brings back Gabe Montenegro, Danny Lynch, Christopher Sargent, Dustin Dickerson, Charlie Fischer, and Will McGillis. Charlotte returns Austin Knight who led the nation with 29 doubles last season while batting .342. Head Coach Robert Woodard’s team won 40 games a year ago. The 2022 team is sophomore heavy, with thirteen of them. Notable Rice brought in former big leaguer and Owls baseball alum Jose Cruz Jr. to lead the program after three seasons at the direction of Matt Bragga. No players from Rice were drafted in 2021, and a young team with experience from seniors like Cruz’s son Antonio could find inspiration in its new coach in 2022. Texas-San Antonio (UTSA) will play eleven games against teams that finished in the Top 25 last season. They will play host to Stanford, a team that went to Omaha in 2021, and they will play games with Baylor and Oklahoma. Another team that saw no players drafted in 2021, UTSA will gain some tough experience on the field and could challenge conventional wisdom in CUSA play. Florida Atlantic won thirty-two games in 2021 and exited the postseason scene when they lost to Old Dominion in the CUSA Tournament. They will play two games against Michigan and one against Miami. While not the number of games against top non-conference competition that UTSA has scheduled, those tough matchups only make FAU and the CUSA better as a whole. Middle Tennessee returns two senior pitchers in Trent Seibert (3.77) and Zach Keenan (3.86). Both pitchers were top 10 ERA leaders in CUSA in 2021, and both were in the top 5 for fewest hits allowed with 58 and 61 respectively. The Blue Raiders finished just three games below .500 a year ago, seeing that number flip in the opposite direction is not a stretch with solid pitching to lead the way and an experienced offense to provide support. Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) finished last in the West Division of the CUSA last season. The Blazers took advantage of the NCAA rule which allows teams to play two scrimmages against others schools, so they took on both Clemson and Georgia Tech in the fall. With fourteen true freshmen on the 2022 squad and three red shirt seniors, UAB is not likely to compete for top billing but is poised to be an unknown and a potential thorn in the side of every team they face. Conclusion 2022 is likely to be dominated again by the four teams that saw postseason play last season. College Baseball Nation has the four squads listed in its recent Preseason Top 50: Louisiana Tech (14), Southern Miss (24), Old Dominion (33), Charlotte (37). The quad all feature what is expected of top contenders: offense, pitching, and depth at most positions. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

Click here for the 2022 Preseason Top 50 Editor's Note: The College Baseball Nation Top 50 is brought to you by Press Sports. Over 1,000 college coaches from all levels are finding and connecting with prospects on Press Sports for FREE during COVID and it’s not too late to hop on the first wave! Every athlete should be posting all their top achievements together in one place and Press Sports is the #1 platform that is empowering athletes, engaging fans, and helping scouts discover talent. We’re getting ready to roll out a rankings filter for every level of college baseball as well as the option for college players to enter the transfer portal so coaches can easily find and watch all their highlights while they are trying to find a new program to play in. Join Press Sports today and follow us on Twitter! The college baseball season is just weeks away and players are returning to campus to prepare. While the 2021 season might not be completely normal, it will be much closer to a normal season than the shortened 2020 season was. Most teams are on track for 40-56 games including a mix of non-conference and conference games. Due to players receiving an additional year of eligibility and a shortened 2020 MLB Draft, the depth of talent in college baseball is better than ever. Because of that, we are expanding our typical preseason top 25 into a preseason top 50. While some things are changing, others remain very much the same. Six teams from the top ten of College Baseball Nation's final poll of 2020 remain in the top ten in our Preseason Top 50. Number one Florida survived the 2020 MLB Draft completely unscathed, to the surprise of many. From a talent perspective, the Gators are led by Jud Fabian, College Baseball Nation's top-ranked prospect. (Yes, we know we're higher on him than others, but what's not to like about a young-for-his-class prospect with five-tool potential?) Pitchers Tommy Mace, Ben Specht, and Jack Leftwich also crack the top 50 college prospects. It is rare to have a clear national title favorite in college baseball, but if there were to be one, Florida is it. UCLA at number two and Texas Tech at number three represent the Pac-12 and Big 12 favorites, respectively. UCLA has four top 50 college prospects for the 2021 MLB Draft, including seventh-ranked middle infielder Matt McClain. Texas Tech is experiencing a youth movement. Second-year freshman Jace Jung (younger brother to Josh, former Red Raider third baseman). will anchor the hot corner for Texas Tech. With the best rotation in the country, fourth-ranked Vanderbilt will look to defend its 2019 College World Series title. Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter are both likely top five picks in the 2021 MLB Draft, and early-enrollee Christian Little will also make some noise on the Commodore pitching staff. Checking in at number five, Ole Miss marks the highest ranked SEC West team, and immediately following the Rebels is fellow SEC West team, Arkansas. Seventh-ranked Louisville is the highest ranked ACC team. Mississippi State (8), TCU (9), and Virginia (10) round out the top ten. Eleventh-ranked Arizona is looking to return to national prominence in 2021. Since finishing as College World Series Runner Up in 2016, the Wildcats have not been able to rekindle that spark. Head Coach Jay Johnson told College Baseball Nation that Arizona is not likely to shy away from the national spotlight this season. “We embrace expectations,” Johnson emphasized. “We want to be a team that that’s said about. We’re fired up.” Texas (12), LSU (13), Florida State (14), and Georgia Tech (15) follow. East Carolina (16) and UCSB (17) mark the first two teams in the rankings from outside of the Power 5. East Carolina's Head Coach Cliff Godwin was direct in his assessment of the 2021 Pirates squad. “This is the most talented team we’ve ever had, top to bottom.” Duke (18), Wake Forest (19), and Georgia (20) finish off the top 20. Next in the Preseason Top 50 are Arizona State (21), Miami (22), NC State (23), Long Beach State (24), and UCF (25). UCF earned one of the best series victories in 2020 when the Knights swept Auburn on the road. UCF Head Coach Greg Lovelady says his team is confident heading into 2021. “[Sweeping Auburn] gave our guys a lot of confidence. They could say ‘hey, I just did that against a first-rounder.’” The rest of the top 50: Pepperdine (26), Oklahoma State (27), Southern Miss (28), Tulane (29), Auburn (30), Clemson (31), Tennessee (32), San Diego (33), Dallas Baptist (34), Texas A&M (35), Oklahoma (36), Coastal Carolina (37), Alabama (38), San Diego State (39), South Carolina (40), Indiana (41), Boston College (42), Baylor (43), Texas State (44), Connecticut (45), Oregon State (46), Stetson (47), Michigan (48), West Virginia (49), and Kansas State (50). Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

The 2021 college baseball season in the ACC was not what we have become accustomed to. Link Jarrett led Notre Dame to their first conference championship since 2006. Duke captured their first ever ACC Tournament Championship. Louisville missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012. To top it all off, North Carolina State began conference play at 1-8 before making a run to the College World Series to see their season abruptly ended in the middle of the night due to COVID within the Wolfpack program. Just how it was drawn up. Like last season, there are not many guarantees in the ACC in 2022. The amount of conference games has been reduced from 36 to 30, which was the annual amount played prior to COVID. The ACC Tournament will be played in Charlotte, North Carolina for the second consecutive season. That just about sums up the list of guarantees in the ACC this season. Everything else is up for grabs. With the league being as wide open as it has ever been, who are the contenders? College Baseball Nation's Preseason Top 50 Notre Dame Who is Notre Dame post Niko Kavadas? Link Jarrett and Co. have to find a way to replace one of the best players in their program's history. Outside of Kavadas, the Fighting Irish have a plethora of talent returning to South Bend. Ryan Cole, Spencer Myers, Jack Brannigan, and Brooks Cotzee will all be relied upon to increase their production at the plate. There will be many familiar faces on the mound with John Michael Bertrand, Will Mercer, and Aidan Tyrell who will all be involved in the rotation this season, but keep an eye on a few transfers that Fighting Irish fans will become familiar with. Ryan McLinskey, the Friday night starter for Seton Hall for the two previous seasons, will make his debut for Notre Dame in 2022. Matt Lazzaro, after stints at Houston and Furman, will make an impact in the bullpen for the Fighting Irish. The bullpen should be one of the deepest in the conference. With the talent returning in South Bend, can Link Jarrett get Notre Dame back to Omaha for the first time in 20 years? Georgia Tech For the Yellow Jackets, it starts with Kevin Parada, who was recently named the ninth best college player in The 2022 MLB Draft : The Top 50 College Players. Parada will be joined by Tres Gonzalez, Drew Compton, and UAB transfer, Chandler Simpson, to fuel the offense. There will be quite a few familiar faces returning on the mound, but that was from a staff that was less than to be desired. Marquis Grissom could be relied upon to be the ace of the staff this year, but his numbers must improve if the Yellow Jackets want to make a run at the ACC and beyond. Skipper Danny Hall has taken Georgia Tech to the College World Series on three separate occasions, most recently in 2006. Is this the year they return? Florida State There will be no shortage of starting pitching for the Seminoles who return both Friday and Saturday starters in Parker Messick and Bryce Hubbart. Along with Parada, they each found a spot in The 2022 MLB Draft: The Top 50 College Players, the only ACC team with multiple pitchers on the list. These two guys alone will win a lot of games for Mike Martin Jr. this season. Finding a way to replace Matheu Nelson, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, will not be an easy task. It will take a group effort from many of the new faces that Florida State fans may not be familiar with. The Seminoles will rely on transfers and freshmen to fill some major gaps this year. Miami Hurricanes fans will see plenty of new faces this season with the departure of over 15 players from last year's roster, nine of which were via the transfer portal. The good news for Head Coach Gino DiMare is that the Hurricanes just reload. Miami has recorded a top 20 recruiting class in each of the last four cycles. Yohandy Morales, the Hurricanes most consistent returning hitter, will be joined by Vanderbilt transfer, Max Romero Jr. to help kickstart a young and inexperienced Miami roster. The Hurricanes will be tested early with a home series against Florida in the third week of the season. The talent is there, the main question is how well the new faces mesh together. Virginia and Louisville It would be a disservice to both Brian O’Connor and Dan McDonnell if I did not include Virginia and Louisville on the list of teams that could make noise in the ACC. Do they have as much talent or will they be as highly ranked as other teams in the conference? No, but they have both proved us wrong in the past. O’Connor has taken Virginia to the College World Series five times since 2004, most recently last season. He has the ability to beat you with this team, then trade rosters and beat you again. Never count Virginia out. Louisville Baseball was nonexistent before McDonnell. The Cardinals first NCAA Tournament win came in 2007, which just so happened to be McDonnell’s first season with the program. They have since made five College World Series appearances. Louisville will be young, but like Miami, they have plenty of talent. Matt’s Pick Notre Dame will repeat as ACC Champs in 2022. The Fighting Irish have enough talent to collectively replace Kavadas and more arms in their arsenal than any other staff in the conference. Player of the Year Candidates In the “new year, new me” look in the ACC, we are going to see many unfamiliar faces, partly due to the transfer portal and mass exodus teams are experiencing after the shortened MLB Draft in 2020. Here are a few names that have the potential to set themselves apart from the rest of the field. Kevin Parada Parada started 51 games as a freshman last season, batting .318 with nine home runs, 20 doubles, and 42 RBI. Parada could find himself as the top pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. Gavin Cross Cross may be a name that some are unfamiliar with but will be a household name by the end of the season. He was named First Team All-ACC last season after an impressive campaign in right field, batting .345 with 11 home runs, 13 doubles, and 35 RBI. Harris Frommer has Cross ranked as the fifth best college prospect in the 2022 MLB Draft. Max Romero Jr. After a season at Vanderbilt, Romero transfers to Miami to take over behind the plate, replacing Adrian Del Castillo. Romero appeared in 21 games for the Commodores last season, batting .300 with four home runs and four doubles. How will he respond being “the guy” instead of the backup? After sending eight teams to the NCAA Tournament, the second highest of any conference, and two teams to the College World Series in 2021, the ACC has high expectations heading into 2022. With so many question marks surrounding the league, who has what it takes to finish the season on top in Omaha? Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

Texas begins the 2022 season at the top of the college baseball world. The Longhorns return the bulk of a team that finished the 2021 season with a loss to eventual champion, Mississippi State, in a winner-take-all bracket final at the College World Series. Just behind Texas is #2 Vanderbilt, the national runner-up from a year ago. After winning its first team national championship in school history, Mississippi State will begin its title defense starting at number three in the College Baseball Nation Top 50. Arkansas and Stanford finish off the top five. The Razorbacks have three players ranked in the '22 MLB Draft College Top 50. LSU and Tennessee are sixth and seventh respectively, and Georgia Tech is ranked eighth, representing the highest ranked team from the ACC. Ole Miss checks in at nine overall and as the sixth representative from the SEC. Florida State starts the year at ten. The ACC and SEC each have ten teams ranked in the top 50, followed by the Pac-12 with six teams. Five of the nine teams in the Big 12 cracked the rankings. Both the Big West and Conference USA have four teams, while each of the Big Ten and American have two. The ASUN, Big South, Colonial, MAC, Sun Belt, WCC, and Missouri Valley have a single team in the top 50. The full top 50 can be found below. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

The normalcy that seeped back into people’s lives in 2021 was also reflected in college baseball. While some teams were forced to make due with severely curtailed schedules, most squads were able to play regular season slates totaling at least 50 games. Summer ball also returned to business as usual as most of the major leagues in all regions of the US, such as the Cape Cod League and Northwoods League, offered schedules that were either identical or very close to their normal selection of games. Though the USA Baseball College National Team forewent its traditional multi-city tour format against a host of international opponents due to the stubborn pandemic, the Stars and Stripes tour gave the nation’s top 2022 and 2023 draft-eligible players the opportunity to compete against one another in an enthralling 11-game sprint. This was followed by a short series against the Olympic silver medal-winning professional national team. At this juncture, two things are evident about the upcoming season’s draft eligible crop. First, the 2022 crew is loaded with talent, so much so that it could rival 1995 and 2005 as the best ever draft from the college ranks. Second, as strong as the hitters are, the pitching is woefully thin. This has much to do with injuries—two of the top-rated arms, Alabama’s Connor Prielipp (ranked 10) and Connecticut’s Reggie Crawford (16) are recovering from Tommy John surgery and won’t even throw a pitch this spring, while Peyton Pallette (14) was pulled from the rotation last spring then threw only one inning in Fall Ball. Even with all the uncertainty surrounding college hurlers, the talent we see this spring could be historic. 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly: Slick-fielding SS who can rake from both sides of the plate a la a mid-2000’s Carlos Guillen. 2. Brock Jones, OF, Stanford: Front-of-the-order dynamo who can draw walks, hit with power, run, and play a world-class CF. 3. Chase DeLauter, OF, James Madison: Immense (6-04/230) power-hitter with strong plate discipline who proved he could play CF during a banner summer on the Cape. 4. Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech: LHH with explosive bat speed and great plate discipline. An eventual shift to 3B is not out of the question. 5. Gavin Cross, OF, Virginia Tech: Prototype right fielder with massive power and a howitzer for an arm. His batted ball data rank among the best in the country. 6. Jacob Berry, 3B, LSU: Switch-hitting transfer from Arizona followed Coach Jay Johnstone to LSU. If the draft-eligible sophomore proves he can handle 3B, he could be a top-5 overall selection. 7. Daniel Susac, C, Arizona: Bat-first catcher with plenty of pop and elite EVs who should be able to stick behind the dish. 8. Zach Neto, SS, Campbell: Has quickly risen up draft boards despite his small-school pedigree. Is able to tap into plenty of power despite a simple, contact-based approach. Soft hands and above-average range and arm should make staying at the “6” a near certainty. 9. Kevin Parada, C, Georgia Tech: Excellent all-around backstop whose short crisp swing and athleticism on defense have earned multiple comparisons to the Dodgers’ Will Smith. 10. Carter Young, SS, Vanderbilt: Electric player who displayed a massive uptick in power in 2021; however, high fastballs have been his kryptonite. 11. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Alabama: With command of three plus pitches, he established himself as the consensus best college pitcher for 2022, but succumbed to Tommy John surgery last spring. If Cal Quantrill in 2016 is any indication, he’ll be off the board no later than the middle of the 1st round. 12. Robert Moore, 2B/SS, Arkansas: A high voltage player on both offense and defense with a penchant for big plays in the biggest moments. Likely to man 2B long-term. 13. Hayden Dunhurst, C, Ole Miss: A quiet receiver with a strong arm and quick release whose overall profile is enhanced by a keen eye and strong batted ball metrics. 14. Peyton Pallette, RHP, Arkansas: Tremendous mid-90’s fastball/sharp slider combo from a slight frame has elicited Walker Buehler comps, but can he stay healthy? 15. Dylan Beavers, OF, California: Burst onto the scene in 2021 when he led the Pac-12 in HR and showcased impressive athleticism. Lefty slugger is relatively young for the class. 16. Reggie Crawford, LHP, Connecticut: Two-way star was on his way to a top-10 selection after pitching regularly in the high-90’s last summer during the Stars and Stripes tour; however, Tommy John Surgery has derailed those plans . . . albeit only slightly. 17. Peyton Graham, 3B, Oklahoma: Uber-athletic third sacker who could be a Gold Glove candidate at the hot corner or move all over the field if needed. 18. Bryce Hubbart, LHP, Florida State: Pitchability is the name of the game for throwback southpaw whose breaking stuff is equally as impressive as his low 90’s heater. 19. Landon Sims, RHP, Mississippi State: Mid-90’s heater and toxic slider; will shoot up this list if he refines his changeup as he transitions to weekend starter role. 20. Cade Doughty, 2B/3B, LSU: Versatile infielder who’s demonstrated an above average hit tool and burgeoning power. 21. Hunter Barco, LHP, Florida 22. Cayden Wallace, 3B/OF, Arkansas 23. Justin Campbell, RHP, Oklahoma State 24. Logan Tanner, C, Mississippi State 25. Jud Fabian, OF, Florida 26. Jared McKenzie, OF, Baylor 27. Blade Tidwell, RHP, Tennessee 28. Jonathan Cannon, RHP, Georgia 29. Josh Kasevich, SS, Oregon 30. Henry Williams, RHP, Duke 31. Adam Maier, RHP, Oregon 32. Adam Stone, RHP, Harvard 33. Carson Whisenhunt, LHP, ECU 34. Victor Mederos, RHP, Oklahoma State 35. Max Rajcic, RHP, UCLA 36. Nolan McLean, 3B, Oklahoma State 37. Spencer Jones, 1B, Vanderbilt 38. Owen Diodati, OF/1B, Alabama 39. Parker Messick, LHP, Florida State 40. Ryan Ritter, SS, Kentucky 41. Sean McLain, OF, Arizona State 42. Ethan Long, 1B, Arizona State 43. Andrew Walling, LHP, Oregon State 44. Sam Highfill, RHP, NC State 45. Jordan Beck, OF, Tennessee 46. Brandon Sproat, RHP, Florida 47. Mason Barnett, RHP, Auburn 48. Cade Horton, SS, Oklahoma 49. Tyler Locklear, 3B, Virginia Commonwealth 50. Anthony Hall, OF, Oregon Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

The town pool has closed, kids are returning to school, the NFL kicked off last weekend, and you can already buy Halloween decorations at CVS (seriously!). This all sounds like a recipe for the end of summer, which it is. While many want to look forward to see what autumn will bring, we here at CBN would prefer to step back—at least for the next 1000 words—and take stock of some of the players, coaches, and teams that raised their stock over the past three months. Though the continuation of COVID-19 ensured that we didn’t return to complete normalcy (the abbreviated Stars vs Stripes series that replaced Team USA’s customary full slate was a great example of this), every major summer league was still able to play a lion’s share of its games and scouts and front offices are much smarter today than they were on Memorial Day. Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly: Lee was already a well-known entity to scouts due to his banner spring, but he took everything up a level when he posted a mind-blowing 1.098 OPS in Cape Cod and topped that off by homering off top prospect Simeon Woods-Richardson in a scrimmage against Tokyo-bound Team USA. Lee’s summer exploits have him squarely in the 1-01 conversation for the 2022 draft. Gavin Cross, OF, Virginia Tech: Much like Lee, Cross had established himself as a name to watch after a big college season, but he upped the ante by leading the Stars and Stripes series with a .467 average and 4 home runs. Moreover, Cross’ batted ball metrics were off the charts. And, if that wasn’t enough, Cross expanded his defensive portfolio by acquitting himself nicely in CF. Reggie Crawford, LHP, Connecticut: Although Crawford demonstrated plenty of pop as UConn’s first baseman in the spring, he really turned heads with his prowess on the mound on the Cape and in the Stars and Stripes series. The big southpaw regularly touched 98 MPH while showcasing a toxic slider, both of which he commanded well. This supersonic repertoire could very well make Crawford a top-10 selection next July. Chase DeLauter, OF, James Madison: Not only was DeLauter arriving on the Cape from a mid-major school, but JMU managed a mere 28-game spring season due to COVID-19. It didn’t matter. DeLauter raised his stock more than any other collegiate hitter this summer by putting up an impressive .298/.397/.589 slash line and leading the Cape Cod League with 9 dingers. He also struck out just 18 times in 146 PAs and posted outstanding batted ball data. Topping it off was the fact that DeLauter showed enough defensive chops in CF to allow scouts to envision a future for him there as a pro. Zach Neto, SS, Campbell: Much like DeLauter, Neto is a small college kid who significantly raised his profile on the Cape. After posting a 1.026 OPS and showcasing a slick glove, Neto is viewed by many as the second-best college SS in next year’s draft class after Lee. Brock Wilken, 3B, Wake Forest: The only 2023 draft class member on this list, Wilken added to his tremendous spring by being selected as the Cape MVP. Still just 18 at the start of the summer, Wilken hit .302 and belted 16 XBHs while showing improved range at the hot corner. He’ll enter 2022 as a strong candidate to go 1-01 the following year along with LSU’s Dylan Crews. Jay Johnson, Head Coach, LSU: Not only did Johnson become the new Head Coach of one of college baseball’s most venerable teams, but he received a massive infusion of talent when the best player from his old job, 3B Jacob Berry, decided to travel east with him. Add Berry to a lineup that already included Crews, 2B/3B Cade Doughty, and 1B Tre Morgan, and you’ve got the makings of a juggernaut. Chip Hale, Head Coach, Arizona: How’s this for a change of fortune: On the morning of July 5th Hale woke up as just another former big league manager with a lifetime .457 winning percentage. But by the time he went to bed that evening he was Arizona’s new head coach, armed with a 5-year deal. Though Hale’s arrival in Tucson was marred somewhat by Berry’s defection to LSU (see above), steering the Wildcats’ ship is still one of college baseball’s plumb jobs. Not only is it a premier program steeped in history, but with guys like Daniel Susac and Chase Davis hanging around, Arizona should be a force in the Pac-12 again in 2022 and beyond. Arkansas: As well as Arkansas played for most of the season, 2021 has to be considered a disappointment for most of Hog Nation as Coach Dave Van Horn’s squad faltered in the Super Regionals. But give Van Horn credit for not wallowing in sorrow or self-pity. Not only did the Razorbacks add long-time Wake Forest slugger Chris Lanzilli, but they also inked former Oklahoma Sooner Jace Bohrofen. Bohrofen is a particularly intriguing acquisition—he’s a multi-tooled right fielder and former high-profile recruit who beat up Cape pitching to the tune of a .279/.375/.504 slash line this summer. UCLA: Simply put, the Bruins hit paydirt when a number of their prized recruits from the prep ranks opted to head to Westwood instead of beginning their professional careers. There will be a long list of talented freshmen playing for John Savage in February, but five deserve special mention. SS Cody Schrier had the misfortune of being part of one of the most prep SS-rich classes in draft history and decided to matriculate and try his luck in 2024. Schrier is polished on both sides of the ball and has a great chance of seeing quality playing time as soon as next spring. OF Malakhi Knight’s overall game isn’t as developed as Schrier’s but he’s a primetime athlete with tantalizing upside. Nick McLain is the youngest member of a vaunted southern California baseball clan. Oldest brother Matt was a recent 1st round draft selection of the Reds, while middle brother Sean will be a key cog in the ASU lineup next spring. Nick is a switch hitter who shot up draft boards with a stellar spring and offers more physicality than either of his brothers. Gage Jump is an undersized southpaw, but his command and pitch metrics are off the charts, and Thatcher Hurd oozes projectability to go with his premium 3-pitch mix. Vanderbilt: While Vandy’s recruiting class is star-studded as always, the biggest summer development for the Commodores was the ascent of rising sophomorePatrick Reilly. Though Reilly put up pedestrian numbers in seven spring starts, the front-of-the-rotation stuff he featured on the Cape caused scouts’ jaws to drop. Vanderbilt fans have to be licking their chops at the thought of a Christian Little-Reilly weekend combo in 2022. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

With the dust barely settled from the 2021 draft, College Baseball Nation looks ahead to next year. And what a year it could be! Unlike this year’s draft, next year should provide a rich bounty of offensive talent and might possibly rival 2005 in terms of providing the greatest haul of positional talent ever (for those keeping score at home, the 1st round of the 2005 draft produced seven college hitters who tallied a career WAR of at least 10). On the pitching side of things, there is a little more uncertainty, however, as two of the top three hurlers on the list have already succumbed to arm injuries. That said, 2022 looks to be a bonanza and we can’t wait for next February to get here! Here are the best available players from the college ranks: 1. Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly: Slick-fielding SS who can rake from both sides of the plate. Best MLB Comp: Mid-2000’s Carlos Guillen. 2. Brock Jones, OF, Stanford: Front-of-the-order dynamo who can draw walks, hit with power, and run, all while playing a world-class CF. Best MLB Comp: Souped-up Brett Gardner. 3. Jacob Berry, 3B, LSU: Switch-hitting transfer from Arizona should set the SEC ablaze as a draft-eligible sophomore. Best MLB Comp: If he proves he can handle 3B, Robin Ventura. 4. Gavin Cross, OF, Virginia Tech: Prototype right fielder with massive power and a howitzer for an arm. Best MLB Comp: Austin Meadows who plays defense. 5. Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech: LHH with explosive bat speed and great plate discipline. Best MLB Comp: A less smooth, less athletic Chase Utley. 6. Kevin Parada, C, Georgia Tech: Excellent all-around backstop who flirted with .400 for much of the season before tailing off. Best MLB Comp: Will Smith. 7. Carter Young, SS, Vanderbilt: Electric player who displayed a massive uptick in power in 2021; however, high fastballs have been his kryptonite. Best MLB Comp: Jazz Chisholm. 8. Reggie Crawford, LHP, Connecticut: A two-way player who has exhibited plenty of pop as a 1B, but with a heater approaching the century mark and promising slider, he should go early as a southpaw enforcer. Best MLB Comp: Amir Garrett who tries his hand at starting. 9. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Alabama: With command of three plus pitches he had established himself as the consensus best college pitcher for 2022, but succumbed to Tommy John surgery this spring. If Cal Quantrill in 2016 is any indication, should still be a 1st round selection next year. Best MLB Comp: Mark Langston, but with better control. 10. Robert Moore, 2B/SS, Arkansas: A high voltage player on both offense and defense with a penchant for big plays in the biggest moments. Likely to man 2B long-term. Best MLB Comp: A switch-hitting Scooter Gennett with a better eye and defense. 11. Peyton Pallette, RHP, Arkansas: Tremendous mid-90’s fastball/sharp slider combo from a slight frame, but his health is currently a huge question mark. Best MLB Comp: Walker Buehler. 12. Justin Campbell, RHP, Oklahoma State: Two-way player whose future is undoubtedly on the mound. 6-07/220 frame is deceiving; relies more on command and well-developed secondaries than intimidating velocity. Best MLB Comp: Doug Fister. 13. Jared McKenzie, OF, Baylor: Strong hit tool with burgeoning power despite lack of physicality, but he will likely have to move to a corner in pro ball. Best MLB Comp: David Peralta. 14. Hayden Dunhurst, C, Ole Miss: Has a great approach at the plate, which results in impressive batted ball metrics. Behind it, is a quiet receiver with a strong arm and quick release. Best MLB Comp: Jason Varitek. 15. Jonathan Cannon, RHP, Georgia: Lanky righthander was slowed by mononucleosis and went undrafted in 2021 after failing to live up to expectations. Best MLB Comp: A slider-centric version of Adam Wainwright. 16. Peyton Graham, 3B, Oklahoma: Uber-athletic third sacker who could be a Gold Glove candidate at the hot corner or move all over the field if needed. Best MLB Comp: Matt Duffy, but with more power. 17. Chase DeLauter, OF, James Madison: Immense power-hitting currently tearing up the Cape. Best MLB Comp: Ryan Klesko. 18. Hunter Barco, LHP, Florida: Big lefty with quality three-pitch mix who impressed with Team USA this summer. Best MLB Comp: Jon Lester. 19. Logan Tanner, C, Mississippi State: Intimidating presence behind the plate with a cannon arm who should also be good for at least 15-18 HR a season: Best MLB Comp: Jake Rogers. 20. Landon Sims, RHP, Mississippi State: Mid-90’s heater and toxic slider; will shoot up this list if he proves he can start next year. Best MLB Comp: Zach Plesac. 21. Dylan Beavers, OF, California: Burst on the scene in 2021 to lead the Pac-12 in HR. Lefty slugger is relatively young for his class. Best MLB Comp: A more athletic Trevor Larnach. 22. Bryce Hubbart, LHP, Florida State: Throwback lefty whose breaking stuff is equally as impressive as his low 90’s heater. Making hitters look foolish on the Cape. Best MLB Comp: Danny Duffy. 23. Adam Stone, RHP, Harvard: Large and still-projectable fireballer with optimal metrics on all his pitches. Best MLB Comp: James Taillon. 24. Daniel Susac, C, Arizona: Bat-first catcher with plenty of pop and should be able to stick behind the dish. Best MLB Comp: Mitch Garver. 25. Carson Whisenhunt, LHP, ECU: Fastball sits in the low 90’s and is supported by the nation’s best changeup and a solid deuce. Best MLB Comp: Cliff Lee. 26. Cayden Wallace, 3B/OF, Arkansas: Draft-eligible sophomore should return to his natural 3B and will offer suitors steady defense and above average power. Best MLB Comp: Casey Blake. 27. Blade Tidwell, RHP, Tennessee: Lanky right was a weekend starter for an Omaha-bound team. Pitches in mid-90’s with plenty of projection left. Best MLB Comp: John Lackey. 28. Victor Mederos, RHP, Oklahoma State: Transferring out of Miami (FL) after a tough first year on campus. Big stuff but has been plagued by inconsistency. Best MLB Comp: Pablo Lopez. 29. Cade Doughty, 2B/3B, LSU: Versatile infielder who has showcased above average hit tool. Best MLB Comp: Chris Taylor. 30. Owen Diodati, OF/1B, Alabama: LHH Canadian is young for his class and offers big power but also serious swing-and-miss. Best MLB Comp: Ryan Klesko. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

For some time, the SEC has had a special appeal when it comes to baseball. Its large crowds, raucous rivalry environments, and elite talent have established it as America's premier college baseball conference. It lured the Big 12’s Texas A&M and Missouri in 2012, and might just turn the Big 12, now composed of ten schools, into the Big 8. Both Texas and Oklahoma have reportedly all but sealed their moves to the SEC, with the Houston Chronicle breaking the news on July 21. This is groundbreaking, considering those two programs were founding members of the Big 12 and have made up the backbone of the conference for quite some time. Baseball-wise, the rich will get richer. By adding these two programs, Texas being the more notable of the two, the SEC will now have four of the eight teams from the 2021 College World Series and five of the top six teams in RPI at the end of this past season. One big positive in the new conference realignment is the renewed rivalries that come along with it. Arkansas versus Texas highlights that category, considering the two were such bitter rivals for many years in the old Southwest Conference. Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that both the Razorbacks and Horns are almost always in contention for a spot in Omaha. To get an idea of quality of the rivalry, look no further than the incident at the 1985 College World Series in which Texas fans roasted a pig prior to the Longhorns’ contest against Arkansas, and then paraded the charred head around the stadium, taunting the Razorback crowd. Needless to say, the rivalry was heated. “Fortunately, [that incident] didn’t cause a riot,” Jesse Cuevas, the head groundskeeper at Rosenblatt Stadium told Collegiate Baseball. “It became crystal clear to me what college rivalries were all about when I watched this unfold.” Texas will also resume its involvement in one of the Lone Star State’s biggest rivalries against Texas A&M. The two have played in midweek games in recent years, A&M having won the last two meetings. But to play a weekend series, and a conference weekend series at that, would elevate the rivalry back to its original form, when the two shared membership in the SWC and Big 12, and fans circled the series on their calendars as a “must-see”. “When you play as many non-conference games as we both have, to have [the game] where it is, it kind of gets the juices flowing,” former Texas A&M head coach Rob Childress told The Battalion prior to facing Texas in March of 2021 . “There's not going to be any loss of intensity on Tuesday, I can assure you of that on both sides.” And the intensity will only ramp up with conference standing implications on the line. At the same time, Oklahoma will lose its biggest weekend rivalry series against Oklahoma State, who won’t be joining the SEC. Sure, it will probably be scheduled as a midweek or perhaps even an early-season non-conference weekend series, but it won’t have the same effect as a conference series played late in the year. The Sooners will have a chance to resume their century-old rivalry with Missouri, and while it tends to have more weight on the gridiron, the two schools have been playing each other for 109 years starting in 1912. Oklahoma won that first meeting, 2-1, and since then, the opponents have played 262 times, the Sooners holding a 153-110 advantage. Recently, they played at the Frisco Classic in March for just the second time since Mizzou joined the SEC. Oklahoma won that one too, by a score of 16-6. The last time a contest between the Sooners and Tigers was contested on either school’s campus came in April of 2012, in a three-game series in Norman. In other words, Oklahoma and Missouri have some history together. Aside from the renewed rivalries, conference realignment will bring about something else: a new SEC pecking order. And wow, is that a tough list to try to put together. Even “elite” programs end up getting put in the bottom half of the conference. With that said, something becomes very clear. Despite being competitive programs year in and year out in the Big 12, both the Longhorns and Sooners are sure to be in for a shock upon arrival to the SEC. Not only are there no “easy” weekends--even the last place teams in the division standings tend to be more competitive than a large number of the other “power conference” squads--but the result of one or two bad weekends can severely hamper a team’s SEC tournament seeding and NCAA tournament opportunities. So where do Texas and Oklahoma end up in the pecking order of an already-stacked conference now featuring 16 teams? Well, it seems disrespectful not to give the No. 1 nod to Mississippi State, the reigning national champions who have reached Omaha in three of the last four years. But Arkansas and Vanderbilt, with perennial pitching, are knotted at the top as well. Unlike many other conferences, there is a consistency in the SEC. You know what you are getting year in and year out. The level of talent in these programs never wavers. Florida, Ole Miss, Tennessee, South Carolina and LSU are just behind those three, with a high level of talent, but not the same kind of consistency. I expect that is where Texas will be, at least in its first few seasons as an SEC school. The Longhorns have looked extremely good for many of the past several seasons but have not been quite at the level of the SEC’s top-tier programs. Texas has a history of up-and-down years, and even this season, in peak form, went 5-6 against SEC opponents. Granted, the Horns’ 0-3 performance at the Globe Life Field showdown can be attributed to the winter storm taking place in Texas during that week, first weekend of the season jitters, or Pete Hansen not being up to speed. The fact they barely competed with Mississippi State, Arkansas and Ole Miss is definitely a concern for many, considering that is the kind of opponent Texas will face week in, week out. Oklahoma appears, at least right now, as if it will end up in the bottom half of the SEC pecking order, with programs such as Missouri, Kentucky, and Alabama. The Sooners are a consistent hitting group, having brought sluggers Tyler Hardman (Big 12-leading .397 BA in 2021), Steele Walker (46th overall draft pick in 2018), and Brandon Zaragoza (17th in Sooner history for career hits, 230) through the program in recent years. However, the pitching has been very weak, as was reflected by a 5.84 team ERA this past season, which ranked as the worst in the Big 12. That will be a major challenge for the Sooners in the SEC, and until that area of the roster improves, specifically the starting pitching, Oklahoma will likely struggle. Also keep in mind that the bottom half of the SEC is still full of talent, and that the competition is fierce, no matter where you lie in the standings. Pecking order aside, one thing is certain. For both Oklahoma and Texas, the move to the SEC will not take place without a transition period, as the teams attempt to get used to the new competition and ballparks. Texas A&M is a good example of the path the two programs may take in their early years of SEC affiliation. During the Aggies' first season in the SEC, 2013, Rob Childress’ squad finished 6th in the West with a 13-16 conference record. A fifth-place West finish and a 14-16 record the following year gave way to a second-place showing in the West in 2016, as the Aggies also reached a Super Regional. Texas will be more ready to take on the challenge of the SEC than Oklahoma, but based on the incredible depth throughout the conference each year, both teams cannot be expected to replicate their recent Big 12 season performances in the SEC. The SEC is just that deep. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!