With the draft less than 36 hours away, College Baseball Nation has completed its final formal mock draft before Sunday’s festivities. As readers will see, there’s still a tremendous amount of uncertainty heading into the draft with a good chance much of the ambiguity will not be cleared up until early Sunday evening. Please stay tuned to my Twitter feed for the latest real-time updates. Otherwise, enjoy! 1) Pittsburgh Pirates; Marcelo Mayer, SS, Chula Vista, CA (HS)—As of Saturday morning, the Pirates had not made a final decision as to whom they would take, but all signs point to Mayer with HS shortstops Jordan Lawlar and Kahlil Watson as back-up plans. 2) Texas Rangers; Jack Leiter, RHP, Vanderbilt —While many believe Leiter will price himself to Boston at 4, Rangers GM Chris Young is said to love Leiter. Watson is also in play here. 3) Detroit Tigers; Brady House, SS, Winder, GA (HS)—Mayer has long been Detroit’s first choice, but if he’s off the board, it will be between House and prep fireballer Jackson Jobe. Given the inherent risks present with HS righties, we believe the Tigers will opt for House’s explosive bat and wide array of physical tools. 4) Boston Red Sox; Henry Davis, C, Louisville —Leiter’s a no-brainer here if he’s still around. If not, Davis is most likely the guy. There is, however, some chatter that Vanderbilt right-hander Kumar Rocker could be in play. 5) Baltimore Orioles; Kahlil Watson, SS, Wake Forest, NC (HS)—At various points in the spring, Baltimore had been linked to House and Davis, and there are some who believe that GM Mike Elias may do something significantly under slot with college OF Colton Cowser to save money for subsequent picks. But we’ll go with Watson, who has garnered strong interest from the Baltimore brass since last summer. 6) Arizona Diamondbacks; Jordan Lawlar, SS, Irving, TX (HS)—This is believed to be the floor for Lawlar, who could otherwise head to Vanderbilt then re-enter the draft again in just two years due to his advanced age for the class. Boston College CF Sal Frelick has also been connected to Arizona. 7) Kansas City Royals; Kumar Rocker, RHP, Vanderbilt—The Royals, who have in past drafts made a name for themselves by taking high profile college arms that have fallen, remain the floor for Rocker. Other names linked to Kansas City are House, Watson, and Cowser. 8) Colorado Rockies; Will Taylor, OF, Irmo, SC (HS)—House has been the object of Colorado’s affection all spring. In his place is Taylor, an uber-athletic prep bat whose stock has risen dramatically since last summer. 9) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; Jackson Jobe, RHP, Oklahoma City, OK (HS)—After Detroit, the Angels are the first legitimate landing spot for Jobe. Other names under consideration here include Taylor, HS righty Bubba Chandler, toolsy prep OF Benny Montgomery and several college arms. 10) New York Mets; Colton Cowser, OF, Sam Houston State—Cowser has a skillset not too dissimilar from current outfielders Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo, and would be a great fit. Other guys bandied about here include Frelick, UCLA SS Matt McLain, and a plethora of college arms. 11) Washington Nationals; Gunnar Hoglund, RHP, Ole Miss—The Nationals have never been afraid of taking injured or HS arms in the 1st round. This would also be a suitable landing spot for Jobe. 12) Seattle Mariners; Matt McLain, SS, UCLA—Much like the Mets, the Mariners have been looking almost exclusively at college performers—Cowser, Frelick, and Texas right-hander Ty Madden have also received extended looks here. 13) Philadelphia Phillies; Benny Montgomery, OF, Lewisberry, PA (HS)—Montgomery has been the player connected most prominently to Philadelphia all spring. 14) San Francisco Giants; Sal Frelick, OF, Boston College—The Giants have long coveted college performers who can play up the middle, and Frelick fits this to a “T.” 15) Milwaukee Brewers; Harry Ford, C, Kennesaw, GA (HS)—The Brewers have a strong reputation as an organization that successfully develops college arms, but Milwaukee’s best work has been with pitchers taken well after Round 1. As such, we have them popping Ford, who has been linked to the Brew Crew for weeks. 16) Miami Marlins; Will Bednar, RHP, Mississippi State —The Marlins have been hard to get a bead on this spring. However, they typically covet power arms with pitchability, and Bednar has been a fast riser since his heroics in Omaha. 17) Cincinnati Reds; Bubba Chandler, RHP, Bogart, GA (HS)—Cincinnati has the extra money necessary (from its supplemental picks at 30 and 35) to buy Chandler out of his Clemson football commitment. Don’t be shocked if the Reds target HS slugger James Wood later. 18) St. Louis Cardinals; Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State—St. Louis is expected to select a college pitcher that falls. This could be Wicks, or it could be someone like Bednar or Hoglund. 19) Toronto Blue Jays; Trey Sweeney, SS, Eastern Illinois—Sweeney likely has more helium now than any other hitter in the draft. He put up great conventional numbers during the spring, while his exit velocities and performance at various workouts have been jaw-dropping. 20) New York Yankees; Colson Montgomery, SS, Holland, IN (HS)—The Yankees are looking at a bunch of high-ceiling HS bats such as Montgomery, Benny Montgomery, and Taylor. Hoglund is also a possibility here. 21) Chicago Cubs; Sam Bachman, RHP, Miami (OH)—The Cubs covet college arms and prep bats, and Bachman landing here would represent a substantial value play. 22) Chicago White Sox; Ty Madden, RHP, Texas—The Chisox’ lust for Colson Montgomery is a poorly kept secret. If Montgomery is gone, Madden, despite his unconventional operation, would be a huge get at 22. 23) Cleveland Indians; Michael McGreevy, RHP, UC Santa Barbara —To date, McGreevy is the name most associated with the Tribe. The UCSB ace is the perfect fit for Cleveland’s pitching development plan and is frequently compared with current Indians’ ace Shane Bieber, himself a former Gaucho. 24) Atlanta Braves; Gavin Williams, RHP, ECU—The Braves pursued McGreevy for much of the college season and also rolled heavy to some of Williams’ best starts down the stretch. 25) Oakland A’s; Max Muncy, SS, Camarillo, CA (HS)—The A’s are on a bunch of high school bats, including Muncy, OF Tyler Whitaker, and SS Alex Mooney. 26) Minnesota Twins; Ethan Wilson, OF, South Alabama—The Twins often pursue outfielders with a well-honed hit tool, and Wilson is the epitome of this. Sweeney, if he falls, could land here, as could Jud Fabian following his disappointing showing this spring. 27) San Diego Padres; Frank Mozzicato, LHP, Ellington CT (HS)—Padres GM A.J. Preller has never been afraid to gamble on a high school arm, and in Mozzicato the Padres would land a high-upside piece capable of moving quickly through the system. 28) Tampa Bay Rays; Peyton Stovall, SS, Haughton, LA—The Rays are looking at a number of prep and college hitters from a group that includes Stovall, Mooney, 3B Wes Kath, and Sweeney. 29) Los Angeles Dodgers; Ryan Cusick, RHP, Wake Forest—The Dodgers’ ability to develop power pitchers is second to none, and Cusick’s 99 MPH fastball and vicious curve would make him an excellent fit in Tinseltown. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

Editor's Note: The College Baseball Nation Top 50 is brought to you by Press Sports. Join over 2,000 players and 1,000 coaches from all college divisions posting their highlights on Press Sports for FREE! The Press Sports App allows players to archive all the top moments from throughout their career together in one place so that anyone can go back and easily find them. On top of that, players and coaches can use profiles as scouting tools to extend careers from High School to College as well as College to Pro. Essentially the app functions similar to Tiktok to serve the purpose of LinkedIn for athletes, coaches and fans from all levels & sports. The app also features a transfer portal for college athletes that is becoming a very popular destination for coaches! Download Press Sports on iOS today! After winning its first team national championship in school history, Mississippi State rises to number one in the College Baseball Nation Top 50. The Bulldogs overcame a 0-1 series start to defeat Vanderbilt 2-1 and clinch the national championship. NC State finishes the season second in the rankings. The Wolfpack saw their season come to the end by the way of a no-contest elimination after a COVID outbreak ended their season in the Bracket 1 final in Omaha. Vanderbilt, the national runner-up ends the season ranked third, and Texas, a Bracket 2 finalist, ranks fourth in the year-end poll. Arkansas, who fell victim to NC State in the Fayetteville Super Regional stays in the top five after being ranked number one for the past three months. The remaining four Omaha participants, Stanford, Virginia, Arizona, and Tennessee, fill spots six through nine, while Notre Dame rounds out the top ten. 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!

136 seasons. 11 SEC titles. 13 appearances in Omaha. And yet, Mississippi State still had never felt the rush of emotion after winning a national title. Until Wednesday night. In a one-sided game three, the Bulldogs put to rest all doubt of their capability, crushing Vanderbilt, the defending national champion, 9-0, as they captured not only the first NCAA championship in program history, but the first team national title in the history of Mississippi State athletics. “We knew going into this game that we had the opportunity to do something that had never been done,” Mississippi State right fielder Tanner Allen said postgame. “We just came together, played with each other and left it all on the field and let God take over.” Mississippi State head coach Chris Lemonis had a handful of reliable arms revving to go in the bullpen throughout Wednesday’s contest. But he had no reason to call upon them until the seventh inning, as starter Will Bednar was nothing short of spectacular. Bednar, voted as the Most Outstanding Player of the CWS, saved the best of last. In his final start of the season, of his collegiate career, the sophomore, who had allowed at least two earned runs in four of his last five starts, held the mighty Commodores hitless through six innings. He walked just three, and struck out four. “I kind of just treated it like it was any other outing, to be honest with you,” Bednar said. “[To win the] MVP was unreal. I didn't really expect it. That was just a surreal feeling to get that.” When Bednar’s day finished, Landon Sims was right there to keep the no-hitter intact for another inning, and completed the game with three near-perfect innings of work. He allowed Vanderbilt’s lone hit of the day in the eighth with one out, and walked just one batter. The Mississippi State bats fed off the success on the mound, as the Bulldogs tallied 12 hits, racing out to a 3-0 lead by the second inning. Vanderbilt had no answer, and the eventual national champs pulled away with a two-run fifth and four-run seventh. Leading 5-0 in the seventh Logan Tanner connected on a solo homer with one out and Kellum Clark joined in on the fun following a single and a walk with a three-run blast of his own to nearly seal the historic win. As the Bulldogs, relentless by nature, found success in all facets of the game, Vanderbilt quickly lost any of the momentum it might have retained in the late innings. In the eighth, Commodores right fielder Isaiah Thomas let a routine outfield single bounce under his glove, as he committed Vanderbilt’s third error of the day and Luke Hancock advanced to second on the play. Wednesday’s victory was a continuation of the Bulldogs’ 13-2 rout of Vanderbilt in game two Tuesday in many ways, as Mississippi State kept the accelerator on full throttle with 14 hits and scored in six of the eight innings in which it hit. Rowdey Jordan, who had six at-bats in both victories, fared much better at the plate on Wednesday, following a 1-for-6 day with a 3-for-6 performance in what was likely his final collegiate game. Tanner Allen, who hit just behind Jordan in the second spot of the lineup in both contests, went 2-for-4 and 2-for-5 in the final two games of the season. But as dominant as Mississippi State was in the final two games of the best-of-three final, the Bulldogs struggled majorly against the pitching of Vanderbilt’s Jack Leiter on Monday, as they fell 8-2. Though each team had five hits on Monday, Vanderbilt maximized its opportunities. The Commodores had just two extra-base hits; a home run from Jayson Gonzalez and a double from Thomas, but also drew five walks. Excellent two-strike hitting was also demonstrated by the defending national champs, as seven of their eight runs were scored on two-strike counts. For the most part, game one was over before the second inning even began. A 61-minute weather delay only added to the anticipation of what looked to be, on paper, an evenly-matched series. But after Mississippi State’s Kamren James swatted a solo homer in the third at-bat of the game, the Commodores entered the bottom half of the frame ready to one-up the Bulldogs. And they did. A seven-run first inning soon followed, as 10 batters stepped to the plate and Mississippi State starter Christian MacLeod made it through just eight batters and recorded just two outs. That made Mississippi State’s performance on Tuesday all the more surprising. But really, it should not have come as a shock. Rising to the occasion in the big moments, coming off a frustrating loss, is something Lemonis’ squad has done all year. The sweep by Arkansas in Starkville. The two losses to Vanderbilt in late April. A quick exit at the SEC Tournament. And yet, in the words of Allen, Mississippi State “overcame everything.” “From getting swept at home in front of 10,000 vs Arkansas, to Missouri coming in and taking a series from us and then getting embarrassed at the SEC Tournament, we just kept playing. And now we’re national champions.” Having a “loose” and “relaxed” mentality was critical to Mississippi State’s success throughout the season according to Lemonis as the Bulldogs fought through a rigorous schedule that featured three Big 12 opponents to open the season, and an SEC slate that featured zero easy weekends. That mindset traveled with the Bulldogs to Omaha and right into gameday on Wednesday. “Our kids played as free as you could be on the biggest stage,” Lemonis said. “[I’m] so proud of them. “They’re always super loose. It was like that today in BP. They’re bouncing around the cage, trying to hit oppo jacks and laughing. I think that’s one thing that keeps us playing the way we do.” Reaching this point for Mississippi State was a goal, a dream, a vision for many who spent time in and around the program for the past several years leading up to this season. In 2019, Jake Mangum, fighting back tears after being eliminated in Omaha, told the world that it would be Lemonis who would soon guide the Bulldogs to a national title. And Mangum’s prediction came true. “Jake Mangum, he’s a big part of this,” Lemonis said. “Almost every player who put on the maroon and white, has a piece of this trophy tonight because it’s been built over years. Like I said earlier, Coach [Ron] Polk built this many years ago, and fortunately we were able to capitalize on it tonight.” Playing in a game with such a high amount of pressure, with the nation looking on, and seeking to make history, Mississippi State performed with relative ease. “Tonight didn’t bother them,” Lemonis siad. “They enjoy playing in the biggest moments.” Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

Unlike last year with Spencer Torkelson and 2019 with Adley Rutschman, there’s no surefire candidate to go first overall (or “1-01” in baseball parlance) in the 2021 MLB’s First-Year Player Draft, which is scheduled to begin July 11th. Given this uncertainty at the top and teams’ strong desire to manipulate the strictly slotted bonus money to their advantage, expect a wild ride from the first minute. In College Baseball Nation’s second mock draft, we provide an inside look at all the machinations that could occur on draft night. Buckle up! First Round As of 7:00 PM Eastern there’s still no word on whom the Pirates will select 1-01. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel has tweeted that the Pirates are still negotiating feverishly with California prep SS Marcelo Mayer and Louisville catcher Henry Davis. At 7:11, Jon Mayo of MLB Network announces on the air he’s heard the Pirates will select North Carolina HS SS Kahlil Watson in a well-below-slot deal. Baseball Twitter goes nuts, and Tigers’ GM Al Avila, who’s fantasized for months about Mayer playing SS and hitting in the middle of the Tigers’ order, happily pours himself a little scotch. It’s time to celebrate. Then, at 7:34, little-known @MLBMarathon, with fewer than 4,500 followers, tweets that a deal between the Pirates and Mayer has been confirmed. Most of the Twitterverse scoffs at such nonsense. 1) Pittsburgh Pirates; Marcelo Mayer, SS, Chula Vista, CA (HS)—The Pirates are on the clock! GM Ben Cherington has slowly but surely put his stamp on this franchise by acquiring high-end talents like Hudson Head and Roansy Contreras in trades, and the draft is his carte blanche to continue the fun. Unbeknownst to many, the Pirates’ list is down to three guys: Mayer, Dallas area HS prep SS Jordan Lawlar, and Davis. The Detroit Tigers’ affection for Mayer is a poorly kept secret, and because of their long history with his advisor John Boggs, many believe they’ve already reached a pre-draft deal with the San Diego-based agent that’s higher than the slot value of the third pick. To further complicate matters, Boggs has made clear that Mayer won’t accept a discount. Cherington is aware of all this and realizes that a selection of Mayer means the Pirates will burn up more of their allotted $8.4 million than he’d like, giving them less to use on subsequent picks. Cherington doesn’t care. His scouting and baseball ops guys have been on Mayer like white on rice the last six weeks and there’s wide consensus in the room that he’s the best guy available. Cherington pulls the trigger. “Man, that felt good,” he tells himself as the pick is submitted. Avila curses to himself at the head of the table in the Tigers’ Comerica Park war room. He thought he had Mayer in the bag. He and Boggs go back decades and Avila was the Marlins’ scouting director when the club took Boggs’ client Adrian Gonzalez 1-01 back in 2000. Gonzalez’ high school? Eastlake, also the same as Mayer. For months, Avila and his staff had been certain they’d be able to steer Mayer to Detroit. They’d offered the kid $8 million—nearly $600,000 over Detroit’s allotted amount—in an essential dare to the Pirates, who had been rumored to be loath to exceed $7 million with the pick. Now Detroit has to pivot and pivot fast. 2) Texas Rangers; Kahlil Watson, SS, Wake Forest, NC (HS)—Though the Rangers had been in on Vanderbilt ace Jack Leiter since the start of the college season in February, their preference has all along been a bat and one that was ready to make a deal. Enter Watson, an NC State recruit who had enjoyed a steady march up draft boards since torching the showcase circuit last summer. Despite his excellent play, Watson’s lack of size and some doubt surrounding his ability to stick at the six long term have kept him lower on teams’ boards than one might expect. The Rangers have never been deterred by what they feel are petty concerns and are happy to save nearly $1.4 million with a $6.4 million agreement. 3) Detroit Tigers; Jackson Jobe, RHP, Oklahoma City, OK (HS)—Despite their disappointment at losing Mayer, the Detroit brass has quickly pivoted to Plan B, which is Jobe. Avila, already under attack in Detroit baseball circles for piloting a rebuild that is on its way to producing five consecutive sub-.400 seasons, knows he will endure even more rancor once he makes this pick. But, as he sees it, Jobe is the best kid on the board—even with all the risks prep hurlers bring to the table. They brought Georgia prep slugger Brady House into Lakeland for a two-day workout, and although they were impressed by his power and assorted physical gifts, they detected too much rawness as well as the strong possibility he may one day have to move off the dirt. Avila & Co also harbor strong reservations about Leiter’s 6-00/195 frame and his ability to maintain his elite fastball deep into his pro career. Because Jobe isn’t in play again until the Angels at 1-09 (slot amount of almost $5 million), Detroit is able to get Jobe to sign on the dotted line for $5.5 million, giving the club more than $1.7 million it’ll be able to use later. Given Avila’s ambitious plan, he’ll need every cent. 4) Boston Red Sox; Jack Leiter, RHP, Vanderbilt—Boston GM Chaim Bloom just laughs at the lunacy that’s already occurred. “Let the others pinch pennies,” he tells his staff, “because we’re all in.” With that, he makes the pick for Leiter, the player who’s firmly entrenched at the top of the Red Sox’ board. Leiter won’t be cheap, however. The guy many analysts view as the best college righthander since Gerrit Cole in 2011 has “floated” a price commensurate with the top of the draft. The Red Sox are willing to go nearly a million bucks higher than their allotted $6.7 million for a guy their manager Joey Cora recently compared to Roy Oswalt. 5) Baltimore Orioles, Jordan Lawlar, SS, Irving, TX (HS)—Lawlar has not been tied to the Orioles this spring because most thought he’d be selected first or second. But his high price tag and concerns about swing-and-miss issues have caused him to “drop.” While there have been rumors about Baltimore doing a below-slot deal with a college hitter like Sal Frelick or Colton Cowser, O’s GM Mike Elias realizes the good fortune staring him in the face. He takes the plunge, even if it will force Baltimore to go over slot at 1-05 and make up the difference later. Royals GM Dayton Moore has always preferred to lurk in the weeds. Like a snake. With five picks already in the books and Vanderbilt stud righthander Kumar Rocker still in play, Moore can’t believe his luck. This all reminds him of 2018, when Brady Singer fell to the Royals at 18 and Jackson Kowar was ripe for the picking at 33. Though Rocker, who began the 2021 season as many people’s pick to go 1-01, has shown several chinks in his armor, he’s still viewed as a future workhorse good for 200 innings at a time when starters are throwing less than ever. The snake is ready. 6) Arizona Diamondbacks; Henry Davis, C, Louisville—Arizona has had success with short, hit tool-oriented outfielders like Alek Thomas and Corbin Carroll and have entertained taking that route again with Frelick. However, Davis’ refined approach at the plate and cannon arm behind it have evoked comparisons with current D-Banks catcher Carson Kelly and are too enticing to resist. 7) Kansas City Royals; Kumar Rocker, RHP, Vanderbilt—Moore finishes the last of his Diet Dr. Pepper, licks his lips, and takes a deep breath before giving the green light for the Rocker pick. Taking Rocker will be the easy part. Paying for the 6-05/245 behemoth will be another matter. Rocker and his agent, the notorious Scott Boras, have made it clear all along that they want top-3 money. Slot for 1-07 is $5.4 million—about $2 million short of what the Rocker camp has asked for. Because the Royals’ total bonus pool is $10.9 million and teams are allowed 5% overage without forfeiting next year’s 1st round pick, Moore realizes that he only needs to pare $1.5 million of bonus money from subsequent picks. It won’t be easy or ideal, but for a shot at a guy like Rocker, it’s well worth it. 8) Colorado Rockies; Brady House, SS, Winder, GA (HS)—Acting GM Bill Schmidt nearly had a conniption when Detroit had House in last month for a long tryout, but his fears are assuaged when the Tigers pulled the trigger on Jobe. Much like last year’s 1st rounder Zac Veen, Colorado views House as a tools monster and believes he’ll put up arcade-like numbers when he makes it to Coors Field. 9) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; Sam Bachman, RHP, Miami (OH)—Everyone knows about the 11th Commandment “Thou shalt not draft for need.” Everyone that is, except Angels GM Perry Minasian. With the Angels on the fringes of contention and their main trade piece, young OF Jo Adell, having trouble making consistent contact at Triple A, Minasian realizes he’ll have to do something radical to address LAA’s thin pitching. Enter Bachman, who has perhaps the most metric friendly stuff of any college hurler. While the Angels have also been closely linked to UCLA SS Matt McLain, high school outfielders Will Taylor and Benny Montgomery, and prep arms Jobe and Bubba Chandler, Minasian’s belief that Bachman will be major league ready as early as this summer tips the scales. With the Angels’ selection of Bachman, Bubba Chandler has some serious thinking to do. The Bogart, GA native not only is a 1st round caliber talent in baseball, but also has a scholarship to Clemson to quarterback for legendary coach Dabo Swinney. With the Angels, one of the few teams willing to meet Chandler’s lofty price, now out of the picture it’s looking increasingly likely that Chandler will become a two-sport star at Clemson. 10) New York Mets; Colton Cowser, OF, Sam Houston State—Although the Mets have in recent weeks flirted with the idea of Colson Montgomery as the prep’s stock has skyrocketed, they instead will opt for an underslot deal with Cowser. McLain and Texas righty Ty Madden had also been under strong consideration. 11) Washington Nationals; Ty Madden, RHP, Texas—The Nationals, who have never been afraid of arms and the associated risks, were all in on Jobe and pull the trigger on Madden despite the latter’s unconventional pitch metrics. 12) Seattle Mariners; Matt McLain, SS, UCLA—Much like the Mets, the Mariners have been looking almost exclusively at college performers—McLain, Cowser, Madden and Frelick have all received a lot of interest here—and McLain’s excellent play after returning from a thumb injury sways the M’s decision. 13) Philadelphia Phillies; Benny Montgomery, OF, Lewisberry, PA (HS)—While President of Baseball Ops Dave Dombrowski’s modus operandi has always been to target hard throwers who could freeze bats come October, the veteran GM, to his credit, realizes the game has changed and that velocity is no longer the precious commodity it once was. Instead, teams have become enamored with kids who possess vast toolsets and can stick in the middle of the diamond. Montgomery falls squarely under this genre and is the first multi-tooled HS OF to fall off the board. 14) San Francisco Giants; Sal Frelick, OF, Boston College—The Giants have been linked to a wide array of players from almost every demographic this spring—Chandler, Taylor, and Kansas State southpaw Jordan Wicks quickly come to mind—but will choose Frelick, who by this point could be considered somewhat of a value play. Chandler just got off the phone with Dabo Swinney, having told his future coach of his plans to further his gridiron career at Clemson. While Chandler is thrilled to have the opportunity to follow in Trevor Lawrence’s footsteps, part of him wonders what would have happened had he entered pro baseball this summer. Suddenly, the phone rings. It’s Reds Scouting Director Brad Meador, and he wants to talk shop. 15) Milwaukee Brewers; Harry Ford, C, Kennesaw, GA (HS)—Though the Brewers have played it safe the past two drafts by taking college players in the 1st round, they roll the dice with Ford, a premier athlete who’d be just as capable in CF as he would behind the dish. Milwaukee was also interested to see if Cowser would make it this far. The Reds’ war room is in a frenzy. Like everyone else, Cincinnati’s baseball ops and scouting guys thought Chandler to the Angels was a fait accompli, but when LAA instead went for Bachman, the Reds’ calculus suddenly changed. The Reds had been tracking Chandler all spring and realize they’d have to go well over their slot amount at 1-17 of $3.6 million to land him. Luckily, however, they have extra money due to comp picks at 30 and 35. As one Reds area scout talks to Chandler and his representation on the phone, Meador, the regional crosschecker and two guys from baseball ops are looking at the most recent footage they have of Chandler. Finally, GM Nick Krall taps Meador on the shoulder and says, “Let’s get him.” 16) Miami Marlins; Will Taylor, OF, Irmo, SC (HS)—The Marlins strategy in the 1st round has always been to pursue upside and Taylor is a premier athlete who had a banner spring. 17) Cincinnati Reds; Bubba Chandler, RHP, Bogart, GA (HS)—Cincinnati has turned into Spincinnati in recent years as the Reds have implemented a massive overhaul of their pitching development program. Chandler, who made great strides this spring, is viewed by the front office as an excellent fit. This will be a significant overslot deal for the Reds, and as soon as the pick is made, Krall and his colleagues start lining up guys who would be willing to take haircuts at 30 and 35. 18) St. Louis Cardinals; Gavin Williams, RHP, ECU—The Cardinals were all over Williams late in the season as he pitched masterpiece after masterpiece. Elements of the St. Louis front office are also intrigued by Will Bednar, who has even more helium than Williams following his gem in Omaha. Williams’ status as a 4-year athlete and the fact that he’ll be 22 next month have left him more “open-minded” in terms of a bonus, a development that is not lost on the Cardinals’ brass. 19) Toronto Blue Jays; Joe Mack, C, Williamsville, NY (HS)—Club president Mark Shapiro and friends always like to play things close to the vest when it comes to the draft, but the Jays had a heavy scouting contingent at many of Mack’s games. Toronto had also been out in full force to see Wicks. 20) New York Yankees; Gunnar Hoglund, RHP, Ole Miss—GM Brian Cashman and his minions can hardly contain their excitement as this pick is made. Getting Hoglund, arguably the third best college arm at 1-20, is a coup, they believe. It’s important to note that the Bombers took Tommy John patient Clarke Schmidt right after he’d had the procedure in 2017. The Yankees brass have also flirted with Benny Montgomery and Taylor for most of the spring. 21) Chicago Cubs; Will Bednar, RHP, Mississippi State—The Cubs’ choice was made exponentially easier in late June when Bednar pitched the game of his life in Omaha. The Cubs had been on him all season but had still been undecided between the MSU flamethrower, prep arm Andrew Painter and Colson Montgomery. That all changed the evening of June 20th when Bednar K’d 15 Texas Longhorns en route to one of the most dominating performances in CWS history. 22) Chicago White Sox; Colson Montgomery, SS, Holland, IN (HS)—The mood in the White Sox’ war room is pure euphoria as its inhabitants can’t believe the good fortune that has befallen them. Montgomery, a kid some of the Chisox scouts have likened to Corey Seager because of his long frame, turbocharged lefty bat, and ability to stick at SS, is still available. Scouting Director Mike Shirley stammers as he calls in the pick. Al Avila is not in a good place. His underarms are drenched with sweat and he’s forgotten about his scotch. That’s OK—Yamile’s been on him to drop the stuff anyway. Back to business. The object of Detroit’s affection is now Michigan HS infielder Alex Mooney. Landing Mooney won’t be a picnic, however. A great student and already 19, Mooney has a scholarship to Duke to fall back on if a number of supposed interested teams in the 20’s don’t pop him. And, by virtue of his early birthday, he’d be able to re-enter the draft again in 2023. Avila and his chief lieutenant David Chadd were never known as good poker players, but this is their time to shine. Avila summons Chadd, Scouting Director Scott Pleis, and the rest of the “Brat Pack” to his table. He then turns to his guys, “OK, here’s what we’re gonna do….” 23) Cleveland Indians; Joshua Baez, OF, Boston, MA (HS)—While most of baseball thinks Cleveland will take UC Santa Barbara righthander Michael McGreevy, the Tribe’s brass suddenly call an audible and take Baez. Baez, a 6-03/220 specimen, offers all the attributes coveted by Cleveland’s draft model, especially youth relative to his class. This is a shock to many as McGreevy is nearly a dead ringer for current Indians ace Shane Bieber. On the MLB Network set, longtime analyst Jim Callis is speechless. 24) Atlanta Braves; Michael McGreevy, RHP, UC Santa Barbara—What a pleasant surprise. That’s the sentiment in the Braves’ war room. Atlanta’s scouting department has always been impressed by McGreevy’s pitch characteristics and command, and his recent velo spike has made him one of the draft’s more intriguing arms. The A’s are on the clock. That evil genius Billy Beane, Oakland’s Executive Vice President, makes Avila nervous. Always has. Detroit has eight picks until it’s up at 32. Detroit’s allotment at that slot is just under $2.3 million, and Mooney’s camp has let it be known he’ll want a sum greater than $3 million. Avila has authorized the Tigers to spend up to $3.5 million to get it done. 25) Oakland A’s; Tyler Whitaker, OF, Las Vegas, NV (HS)—It doesn’t take a genius to realize that Mooney’s bonus expectations of well in excess of $3 million would be a tall order for a team whose total allotment is just over $6 million. “Hard pass,” says Beane as he glances over at his consigliere David Forst. The A’s look elsewhere and agree on Whitaker, another multi-faceted high schooler who made huge strides this spring. “Whew, that was close!” Avila thinks to himself as soon as the A’s pick is announced. Next up are the Twins, who everyone knows will grab a college outfielder. But the Rays at 28 and the Dodgers right behind them have rolled heavy at Mooney’s games. “Another bunch of evil geniuses.” 26) Minnesota Twins; Ethan Wilson, OF, South Alabama—The Twins have a type and they’re not ashamed of it—outfielders with a well-honed hit tool. Alex Kirilloff, Brent Rooker, and Trevor Larnach all fit into that demographic and now they are joined by Wilson. Wilson had a massive uptick in his contact rates this spring, and the Twins’ front office wouldn’t be shocked if he flies through the minors and is at Target Field by 2023. 27) San Diego Padres; Anthony Solometo, LHP, Sicklerville, NJ (HS)—A.J. Preller and his posse have never been afraid to take a gamble on a high school arm, and, once again, San Diego’s finest are up to their tricks. Solometo narrowly edges out fellow prep southpaw Frank Mozzicato. 28) Tampa Bay Rays; Peyton Stovall, SS, Haughton, LA—While the Rays are indeed interested in Mooney, as well as slugging HS 3B Wes Kath and Eastern Illinois SS Trey Sweeney, the most value-oriented club feels it will get the most bang for the buck with Stovall. Despite an inevitable move across the keystone to 2B, Stovall’s projected 60 hit tool can’t be ignored. 29) Los Angeles Dodgers; Jud Fabian, OF, Florida—There isn’t a player as polarizing as Fabian in this draft class. He entered this season as the top-ranked college hitter, but a K-rate closing in on 30 percent scared away many suitors. The Dodgers, baseball's richest team with the sport’s best development track record, believe that with a couple tweaks Fabian can evolve into a George Springer-type performer. He did hit 20 HR this spring while playing a world-class CF. Avila lets out a huge sigh of relief that’s audible throughout the Tigers’ entire war room. He eyes his scotch. Everything will be alright… Competitive Balance Round A 30) Cincinnati Reds; Brendan Beck, RHP, Stanford—After a strong 4th year at The Farm, Beck’s stuff ticked all the way up in the CWS and he enhanced his profile considerably. But with his 23rd birthday in October, time is not on Beck’s side. He’ll gladly agree to the draft’s most underslot deal, thus enabling Cincinnati to recoup much of the overage from nabbing Chandler earlier in the night. 31) Miami Marlins; Ryan Cusick, RHP, Wake Forest—The Marlins are addicted to velocity just like everyone else in today’s game, and are therefore thrilled when the Wake Forest flamethrower falls into their laps. 32) Detroit Tigers; Alex Mooney, SS, Rochester Hills, MI (HS)—Avila gets his guy. Well, sort of. At any rate, Mooney, who’s garnered comps to Mark Loretta, instantly becomes Detroit’s best SS prospect when he agrees to a deal more than $1.2 million over Detroit’s slot amount at 32. 33) Milwaukee Brewers; Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State—Multiple teams, including Milwaukee, are stunned that Wicks, a workhorse lefty with a proven track record, is still on the board. The Brewers have an enviable record at developing college pitchers and believe Wicks will fit well into their program. 34) Tampa Bay Rays; Trey Sweeney, SS, Eastern Illinois—While EIU doesn’t exactly play in a power conference, Sweeney’s 14 home runs and 46/24 BB/K ratio caught the Rays’ attention long before draft night. Had Stovall been off the board prior to 1-28, Sweeney very well might have gone to Tampa six picks earlier. 35) Cincinnati Reds; Ryan Holgate, OF, Arizona—What the Beck pick didn’t recoup, the Holgate selection will. However, Krall and others in the Reds organization will point to Holgate’s exceptional exit velocities in insisting this wasn’t purely a money-saving move. 36) Minnesota Twins; Aaron Zavala, OF, Oregon—The Twins go into Oregon and grab another polished OF bat in Zavala. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

We weren’t lying in February when we said the incoming freshman class was stacked. How stacked? So stacked that Jacob Gonzalez, the Ole Miss SS who slashed .355/.443/.561 while playing outstanding defense this season, wasn’t on either Preseason Freshman All-America team. As we explained almost five months ago, the shortening of the 2020 MLB draft to just five rounds due to COVID-19 drove many talented high school seniors to campus and the immediate result was a true freshman class that made an immediate and significant contribution. The longer-term result should be 2022 and 2023 drafts that, from a college perspective at least, could be historically good. Like the All-America Prospect Teams we put out earlier in the week, selection to both squads is more contingent on a player’s long-term potential and how he projects as a pro prospect than on merely statistical performance. Thus, some of the players on these teams—particularly pitchers—may not have the eye-popping stats one would expect from standard All-Americans, but rest assured their talent level is commensurate. 1st Team Catcher Kevin Parada (2022 draft eligible), RHH, Georgia Tech—Parada would have easily been a 2nd round pick last June but instead ended up in Atlanta, where he looks to add to the rich tradition set by former Yellow Jacket backstops Jason Varitek, Matt Wieters, and Joey Bart. He flirted with .400 for most of this season and will likely be a top-10 pick next year as a draft-eligible sophomore. First Base Caden Grice, LHH, Clemson—The 6-06/235 Grice has by far the most usable power in this class, though his 33 percent K-rate will have to improve. Second Base Colby Halter (2022 draft eligible), LHH, Florida—Halter’s smooth left-handed swing and ability to work counts will make him a fixture in the top third of the Gators’ 2022 lineup. Shortstop Jacob Gonzalez, LHH, Ole Miss—Gonzalez won the Rebels’ starting SS job in Fall Ball and never looked back. The California native is the complete package—his 1.004 OPS is indicative of his excellent plate discipline and power to all fields, while he’s a silky smooth fielder who’ll have no problem staying at the six. Third Base Brock Wilken, RHH, Wake Forest—Wilken is a physical third baseman in the Troy Glaus mold. He offers light tower power, an excellent eye, and a cannon for an arm. Outfield Cayden Wallace (2022 draft eligible), RHH, Arkansas—As a true freshman, Wallace was one of the primary power sources for the Arkansas juggernaut and hit .331 in SEC play. He also did an admirable job in RF, yet should move back to his natural 3B next year. Enrique Bradfield Jr., LHH, Vanderbilt—46 for 52 in steals. A .467 OBP. Highlight after highlight in CF. Let the Kenny Lofton comps begin. Dylan Crews, RHH, LSU—Crews went off this season to the tune of a .362/.453/.663 slashline and established himself as the most potent bat in the class. Designated Hitter Jacob Berry (2022 draft eligible), SH, Arizona—Yet another stud who will be permitted to enter next year’s draft, Berry’s profile will skyrocket next season if he demonstrates the ability play 3B full time. This spring, he anchored the Wildcats’ lineup with some .352/.439/.676 music. Starting Pitching Blade Tidwell (2022 draft eligible), RHP, Tennessee—Tidwell was a weekend starter as a freshman with an ERA comfortably below 4.00 on an Omaha-bound SEC team. Enough said. Tanner Witt, RHP, Texas—If there’s one pitcher from this list who’ll be a top-5 pick in 2023, our money is on Witt. Not only does he have a vast, metric-friendly repertoire, but his size, projectability, and command all point to a hurler well equipped for big league success. Christian Little, RHP, Vanderbilt—Little forewent his senior year of high school and instead matriculated at Vandy, where, at just 17, he eventually earned a mid-week assignment then started an elimination game in Omaha. Though his numbers this season were pedestrian, the sky’s the limit for this kid. Victor Mederos (2022 draft eligible), RHP, Miami (FL)—Yet another freshman whose stats this year are not an accurate depiction of his talent. Mederos held his own in the gauntlet that’s the ACC and is still on track to be a first round selection next year. Ryan Hagenow, RHP, Kentucky—In limited action, Hagenow exhibited great feel for both his lethal slider and filthy changeup. At 6-05/200 he also has plenty of projection left. 2nd Team Catcher Daniel Susac (2022 draft eligible), SH, Arizona—Susac’s power bat and howitzer arm will make an excellent consolation prize for the team that does not land Parada…..unless, of course, Susac passes up the Georgia Tech backstop over the next 12 months. First Base Jack Moss, LHH, Arizona State—A towering lefty power hitter, Moss also has strong plate discipline and plays a solid 1B. Second Base Alex Freeland, SH, Central Florida—The writing was on the wall when Freeland almost hit .400 last summer with a 18/10 BB/K ratio in the Florida Collegiate Summer League. Freeland can hit for average and power from both sides of the plate; however, a full-time move from SS to 2B will likely occur after he enters the pro ranks. Shortstop Yohandy Morales, RHH, Miami (FL)—Morales’ size (6-04/195) will likely eventually push him to the hot corner full time, but his bat will allow him to play anywhere. Third Base Drew Bowser, RHH, Stanford—Bowser made a seamless transition from SS to 3B after his arrival in Palo Alto and emerged as a middle-of-the-order force for the Cardinal. Outfield Jace Bohrofen, LHH, Oklahoma—Bohrofen was steadily climbing on draft boards as a HS senior when the pandemic hit, and he ended up at Oklahoma as a result. By midseason, his powerful bat and strong RF defense earned him a place in the Sooners’ lineup, and he should be a fixture in Norman for the next two years. Jack Hurley, LHH, Virginia Tech—Hurley served as the table-setter for one of the ACC’s best offenses until it faded towards the end of the spring. He works counts, peppers all fields with line drives, and offers plenty of range in CF. Kyle Teel, LHH, Virginia—By the end of the season, Teel was the go-to guy and best hitter for the CWS-bound Cavaliers. While he played a decent RF in 2021, he’s expected to log more time behind the plate in 2022-23. Designated Hitter Ethan Long (2022 draft eligible), RHH, Arizona State—Long, a powerfully built right-handed slugger, did one heck of a Spencer Torkelson imitation, leading the Sun Devils in homers, total bases, and SLG as a true freshman. Starting Pitching Will Sanders, RHP, South Carolina—A long, lanky right-hander with a high three-quarters motion, Sanders has evoked comparisons with 188-game winner John Lackey. Carson Montgomery, RHP, Florida State—Despite not living up to the hype he created for himself in Fall Ball, Montgomery still exhibited a stacked arsenal and gave Seminole fans plenty of reason to be excited about the next couple of seasons. Jaxon Wiggins, RHP, Arkansas—Wiggins provided Coach Van Horn with some high-leverage innings out of the pen then received valuable starting experience later in the season. Wiggins’ explosive heater and fading changeup were a main reason why the youngster was able to strike out 10 batters in his first 4.2 innings this spring. Ty Floyd, RHP, LSU—With Landon Marceaux and Jaden Hill headed to the pros, Floyd and his 14.4 K/9 are all but assured a weekend starting role next spring. Alejandro Rosario, RHP, Miami (FL)—Though Rosario took his lumps this season, his stuff remained electric and he kept the ball in the park. He’ll once again be a weekend starter for Miami in 2022. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

With the College Baseball World Series in full force in Omaha, it’s a great time to acknowledge the best players in the nation with the first ever selection of College Baseball Nation's Postseason All-America Prospect Teams. As the name suggests, selection to both squads is more contingent on a player’s long-term potential and how he projects as a pro prospect than on merely statistical performance in college baseball. However, there will certainly be a strong correlation between the latter and a player’s appearance in this article. As the 2021 season progressed, MLB executives and scouts frequently lamented the lower talent level in this year’s draft class relative to prior ones. This shortfall is evident by the fact that 13 of the 30 players selected to both teams are draft eligible in 2022, a draft which is already forecast as one of the strongest in recent memory. And if the high percentage of 2022 draft eligible players on this list isn’t enough to make you salivate at the plethora of talent available next July, consider that most of the “near misses” for this list—Logan Tanner, Dylan Beavers, Hunter Barco, and Connor Prielipp—are draft eligible in 2022 as well. 1st Team Catcher Henry Davis (2021 draft eligible), RHH, Louisville—From the first pitch of the season until the last, Davis was easily the best college position player. He consistently barreled the best arms to the tune of a 1.145 OPS while posting a stellar 31/24 BB/K ratio. He also caught 46 percent of would-be base stealers and allowed just three passed balls—a stark improvement over the six passed balls Davis permitted in just 14 games in 2020. It should come as no surprise that Davis is on the Pirates’ shortlist to go 1-01 in next month’s MLB Draft. First Base JT Schwartz (2021), LHH, UCLA—Whether it was in the West Coast League, the Northwoods League, or the Pac-12, Schwartz has continuously exhibited his hitting prowess as a collegian. After missing the first several weeks of UCLA’s season with an injury, Schwartz proceeded to hit nearly .400 with an equally sparkling 37/28 BB/K ratio. Persistent questions about his power will likely prompt a fall out of Day 1. Second Base Jace Jung (2022), LHH, Texas Tech—Patience is a virtue and many MLB teams are chomping at the bit for the opportunity to select Jung next July. Jung has a turbo-charged swing capable of hitting missiles to all fields, and his discerning eye will keep his OBP propped up as a pro. Jung shifted to 2B from the hot corner when he got to Lubbock, and he’s made steady progress there over the past two years. Jung’s brother Josh was the Rangers’ 1st round pick in the 2019 draft. Shortstop Matt McLain (2021), RHH, UCLA—McLain, an unsigned 1st rounder from the 2018 draft, had an uneven season, battling through a slow start then a thumb injury. However, he caught fire after his return and reaffirmed his status as the top college SS in the draft. McLain has garnered comps to Michael Young, David Fletcher, and Brian Dozier, and it’s certainly possible that he’ll eventually shift across the keystone to 2B. Third Base Peyton Graham (2022), RHH, Oklahoma—Though Graham’s 2021 stats aren’t on a par with those from the abbreviated 2020 campaign, he’s still an uber-athletic third sacker with a high ceiling on both sides of the ball. Outfield Colton Cowser (2021), LHH, Sam Houston—Cowser’s smooth left-handed stroke, burgeoning power, and ability to stick in CF will make him the first Bearkat to go off the board in the 1st round since Glenn Wilson went 18th overall in 1980. Jud Fabian (2021), RHH, Florida—Fabian is easily the most divisive player in this draft class. Despite a paltry .249 average and 29.4 percent K-rate, Fabian’s easy power, relative youth, and excellent defense in CF will cause a team to bite in the back half of the 1st round. Sal Frelick (2021), LHH, Boston College—In the age of gorilla ball and three true outcomes offense, Frelick is a refreshing throwback. While he did slug .559 for the Eagles, he struck out in just 12 percent of his PAs and consistently showed the ability to square up good pitching. A center fielder at BC, some teams are interested in Frelick as an offensive-minded second baseman in the upcoming draft. Designated Hitter Ethan Wilson (2021), LHH, South Alabama—Wilson had an unorthodox season. He was plagued by an ankle sprain in the early going, which robbed him of his well-chronicled power, yet came on down the stretch. The most impressive take-away from Wilson’s 2021 campaign was his ability to make contact, as evidenced by his outstanding 8.3 percent K-rate. His lower power output notwithstanding, Wilson will not make it out of the supplemental round. Starting Pitching Jack Leiter (2021), RHP, Vanderbilt—Although Leiter was second fiddle to Kumar Rocker at the start of the season, he quickly overtook his rotation mate and established himself as the best college righthander in years. In a season full of jaw-dropping moments, Leiter’s tour de force was clearly his 20-inning no-hit streak against SEC stalwarts South Carolina, Missouri, and LSU. Kumar Rocker (2021), RHP, Vanderbilt—On scouts’ radar since he was a high school underclassman, Rocker did not disappoint during his time in Nashville. Whether it was his 19-K no-hitter vs Duke in the 2019 Super Regionals or his weekly greatness this year, Rocker, with the help of his atomic slider and mid-90’s cheddar, will join Leiter as the best 1-2 pitching tandem in Commodores history and a top-10 draft pick next month. Ty Madden (2021), RHP, Texas—While Madden defies the current pitching convention of low release height and high spin rate/efficiency on his fastball to combat today’s launch angle-oriented offensive game, his size, command, velocity, and prime secondary offerings (including a wipeout slider) have made him into one of the nation’s most complete pitchers. Sam Bachman (2021), RHP, Miami (OH)—The darling of analytical departments across MLB, Bachman’s elite heater/slider combo and promising changeup could enable him to sneak into the top-10 on July 11th. That said, some teams have reservations about Bachman’s long-term health. Ryan Cusick (2021), RHP, Wake Forest—Cusick, a 6-06/235 man child, has a heater that regularly touches the century mark, a plus curveball, and improved changeup. He still needs to clean up his control; however, his toxic arsenal will almost certainly cause a team picking in the middle of the 1st round to pop him. Relief Pitching Landon Sims (2022), RHP, Mississippi State—Sims’ venomous fastball/slider combination resulted in an otherworldly 16.5 K/9 ratio. The Bulldogs’ closer in 2021 will probably try his hand at starting next year, and if the experiment works, he could very well follow the path of former Minnesota standout Max Meyer, the Marlins’ 1st round pick last June. 2nd Team Catcher Hayden Dunhurst (2022), LHH, Ole Miss—Though Dunhurst slumped late, his thick, muscular frame and two-way ability has evoked numerous comparisons to former Red Sox great Jason Varitek. He boasted excellent exit velocities at the plate and elite pop times behind it. Health permitting, Dunhurst will be a surefire 1st rounder next year. First Base Branden Boissiere (2021), LHH, Arizona—Boissiere has a similar profile to his 1st Team counterpart, Schwartz—a smooth lefty bat with a .358 lifetime average who’s currently hit tool over power. Second Base Robert Moore (2022), SH, Arkansas—Moore, the son of Royals’ GM Dayton Moore, has attained celebrity status in Little Rock for his clutch hitting and superb defense. A bit undersized at 5-09/165, Moore has plenty of power from both sides of the plate. Because he arrived at Arkansas a year early, Moore will barely be 20 by the time next year’s draft rolls around. Shortstop Brooks Lee (2022), SH, Cal Poly—Lee, a physical SS with mouth-watering talent on both sides of the ball, made a complete recovery from a leg injury incurred not long after his matriculation at Cal Poly. The switch hitter reminds some scouts of Carlos Guillen in his prime, and he’s a likely top-5 pick in 2022. Third Base Cade Doughty (2022), RHH, LSU—Doughty may not be as dynamic as some of the other 2022 bats on either AA team, but both his hit tool and power project as above average. And should he move to 2B full time as a pro as many expect, his profile will play up even more. Outfield Jared McKenzie (2022), LHH, Baylor—McKenzie slugged two homers against promising Auburn righty Richard Fitts in late February and never looked back. He hit .406 as a true freshman in the shortened 2020 campaign then slashed .383/.453/.626 this year for an encore. In addition to his offensive exploits, McKenzie is a plus defender in CF with a strong arm. Brock Jones (2022), LHH, Stanford—A former gridiron star, Jones has athleticism oozing out of his pores. He slugged 16 home runs, stole 14 bases, and robbed hit after hit in CF. Moreover, Jones’ 19 percent BB rate portends a dynamic leadoff hitter at the next level. Gavin Cross (2022), LHH, Virginia Tech—Before he tailed off towards the end of the spring, Cross gave a fun preview of what the future holds. He offers immense power to all fields with top-of-the-chart exit velocities and rarely chases out of the zone. He also showcased a cannon in RF. Designated Hitter Aaron Zavala (2021), LHH, Oregon—Zavala is the poster boy for why college is the right path for some players. At Oregon, Zavala added muscle, fine tuned his swing and mastered RF (he was an infielder in high school). Scouts fell in love with Zavala’s swing as the 2021 progressed and frequently complimented his ability to keep his bat head in the zone and lay off balls out of the strike zone. Starting Pitching Gunnar Hoglund (2021), RHP, Ole Miss—Hoglund was on his way to a banner season and a top-10 selection until he succumbed to Tommy John surgery in May. Still, his deluxe three-pitch mix, moxie, and track record in the ultra-competitive SEC, combined with the historical success of Tommy John surgery, should prevent him from falling out of the top 20 picks. Jordan Wicks (2021), LHP, Kansas State—Wicks is a strong, durable lefty whose bread-and-butter is an excellent changeup. He also boasts an above average fastball, slider, and deuce. Although he’s not flashy, Wicks’ ability to throw strikes and expertly utilize his deep repertoire have elicited comparisons to 2020 1st rounder Reid Detmers. Michael McGreevy (2021), RHP, UCSB—McGreevy’s UCSB affiliation, pinpoint control, and newfound velocity on his 92-95 MPH heater will spur inevitable comps to former Gaucho Shane Bieber. While we’re not ready to anoint McGreevy a future Cy Young Award winner, we do feel he has the talent and projectability to see the back end of the 1st round. Gavin Williams (2021), RHP, East Carolina—After teasing the college baseball community for years with his electric stuff but inconsistent command, Williams finally put it all together in 2021. Williams’ high-90’s cheese is his flagship offering and his slider, curve, and changeup all grade out as at least average. Most importantly, Williams cut his BB/9 from 4.2 to 2.3 and posted an all-universe 14.4 K/9. Andrew Abbott (2021), LHP, Virginia—The shortening of the 2020 draft to five rounds due to COVID-19 robbed Abbott of an opportunity to start his pro career, and he made use of the extra spring in Charlottesville to enhance his draft stock. Abbott generally sits in the low 90’s with his overhand fastball but can scrape 95 MPH when necessary. His 79-81 MPH curve and changeup are both highly effective outpitches, as his 13.6 K/9 would attest. Relief Pitching Kevin Kopps (2021), RHP, Arkansas—Kopps had one of the best ever seasons for a college closer and capped this off by delivering a Herculean effort as a starter in Arkansas’ sudden death loss against NC State in the Super Regionals. Kopps’ key weapon is a vicious slider and he usually sits around 90 MPH with the heat. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

by Matt Sefcovic (@MattSefcovic) After four days in Omaha, North Carolina State and Mississippi State sit atop the championship brackets, awaiting their opponents in what has been one the most exciting College World Series in recent memory. North Carolina State knocked off Jack Leiter and Vanderbilt, 1-0, in an instant classic on Monday to advance to the finals. On Tuesday night, Mississippi State found themselves in a hole early, down 4-0, but battled back to knock off the Virginia Cavaliers, 6-5. The losers’ bracket in Omaha is a nightmare for any pitching coach. Teams in the losers’ bracket get to experience the stress of watching pitch counts elevate, while the winners’ bracket teams get extra rest. Of the last 30 National Champions, 25 of them started 2-0 in the CWS. It is not an impossible task to escape the losers’ bracket, but the odds, and arms, are stacked against you. Stanford will try to eliminate the reigning champs, Vanderbilt, on Wednesday night, and Texas will take on Virginia in a win-or-go-home situation on Thursday. So, which elimination bracket team has the best chance to prevail and win the College World Series? The winner of the Stanford and Vanderbilt game has the best opportunity to come out of the losers’ bracket to advance to the College World Series finals. With no disrespect to North Carolina State, Mississippi State has one of the deepest bullpens in the country and will be tough to beat twice. Not only do the Bulldogs have depth, they now have time off to rest as Texas and Virginia battle it out. After Tanner Witt’s crucial 5.2-inning relief appearance in the elimination game against Tennessee, Texas head coach David Pierce feels like his bullpen is ready for an extended run in Omaha. “To be in the losers' bracket, 1-1, we're in pretty good shape with our arms. We feel like we have Pete [Hansen] ready to go, if that's who we go with. We've still got to talk about it. And then you've still got a lot of guys fresh. You may see Tristan Stevens later in this series as well.” Beating Mississippi State with a tired pitching staff is going to be a monumental task for either team, and all signs point to Coach Lemonis having his team in the championship next week. In the other bracket, do not be surprised to see Stanford advance to the finals. The Cardinal have scored an average of 9.75 runs in their eight NCAA Tournament games this year, including two elimination games which they have scored 14 and 11. Coach Esquer has his offense hitting on all cylinders at the right time. During the regular season, his team batted .276 compared to .326 in the postseason. In order to advance from the losers' bracket, it takes an offense that has the ability to put runs on the board because of the limited availability of the pitching staff. Stanford has all the tools to do so. Vanderbilt’s lack of starting pitching depth will be exposed in this matchup. If Kumar Rocker or Leiter were available, this would be a different story, but both Rocker and Leiter threw 100+ pitches in their outings earlier this week. Talking with the media after the loss to North Carolina State on Monday, Coach Corbin was asked who will start for the Commodores in the most important game of the year. “No one is the obvious choice right now,” he shared. Against a potent Stanford offense, that is troubling. It appears that Patrick Reilly (4-2, 4.89 ERA) or Christian Little (3-1, 5.02 ERA) are the top candidates at this point, but a staff day is likely in order no matter who gets the ball on Wednesday. Advantage, Stanford. The winner of this game will then turn their focus to the Wolfpack, the hottest team in the country after starting just 1-8 in ACC play. North Carolina State beat Stanford 10-4 on Saturday, but if any team is up for the grudge match, it is Stanford. Buckle up baseball fans, it is the best time of the year and if the first eight games in Omaha are any indication of how the College World Series is going to end, we are in for a treat. Matt’s Prediction: Stanford will prevail from the losers’ bracket and take on Mississippi State, who will take care of business against the winner of Virginia and Texas. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

Opportunities. There were few of those in Monday’s winners' bracket contest between Vanderblt and North Carolina State as Jack Leiter and Sam Highfill fought back and forth in a textbook pitcher’s duel. NC State, who had just four hits, won the contest by the lowest score possible, 1-0, as Vanderbilt was held to a mere two hits on the evening. Offense was virtually nonexistent as seemingly every pitch was either a strike or hit straight to a fielder. But it was far from a lackluster offensive performance that controlled the game. In fact, it was the complete opposite. The pitching from both teams was near-perfect, with a high-percentage of strikes, and an excellent command of a variety of pitchers. That began with the starters, Leiter and Highfill, who were virtually unhittable from the beginning. Of the first 10 Wolfpack hitters Leiter faced, nine of those opened the count with a strike. He tallied 15 strikeouts through eight innings on the hill with four hits, one walk, and one earned run. NC State had no answer for his pitching for the vast majority of the contest, but as it turned out, that final stat listed was the difference. With Leiter carrying a no-hitter into the fifth, designated hitter Terrell Tatum of NC State stepped to the plate for the first at-bat of the inning. Tatum swung hard on an 0-1 pitch to the inside of the plate, and the moment the ball connected with the bat, everyone in the ballpark, including Leiter, knew it was gone. Tatum’s solo home run to right field put NC State in front 1-0, and the Wolfpack never looked back. As good as Leiter was, Highfill was better. Through seven innings, the sophomore allowed just two hits, zero earned runs and two walks while striking out seven. He had fewer than half as many strikeouts as Leiter, but he got the job done. “Getting the job done” is a phrase that has been associated with NC State for most of this postseason. The Wolfpack have not littered box scores with eye-popping statistics, or dominated opponents like some of their other Omaha counterparts. After all, it was NC State who was trounced by Arkansas 21-2 to open the Fayetteville Super Regional. But just like they did at the Ruston Regional, taking down Alabama in the opener and then host Louisiana Tech twice to advance, the Wolfpack prevailed against national title favorite Arkansas, at the Razorbacks’ home stadium, a place where visitors were 6-29 entering the series. Following the 21-2 loss, NC State came back for the next two games looking like a completely different ballclub. In consecutive one-run contests against the lethal Arkansas offense, the Wolfpack managed to tally victories by scores of 6-5 and 3-2. The pitcher in game two of that super regional? Highfill. In many ways, it is thanks to Highfill that NC State even had a shot at a game three in the Super Regional round. And without a game three, well . . . NC State would never have gotten the chance to take down the heavily-favored Commodores on Monday night. Highfill went 6.1 innings against Arkansas, keeping his hit count low, at two, with three earned runs. He battled, just like he did on Monday night, and gave his team a fighting chance to pull out the win. And he’s only a second-year freshman. Upon arrival in Omaha, it was the same story for the Wolfpack. NC State got the job done in its College World Series opener against Stanford, making a statement in a 10-4 victory. Interestingly, even in the high-scoring affair, just one player, left fielder Johnny Butler, had three hits. But the other nine hits on the day came from six different players; a testament to the balanced nature of the Wolfpack lineup. The offense did not click in the same way against Leiter and Vanderbilt, but NC State rose to the challenge. With such limited opportunities at the plate and flawless pitching on the mound, scoring opportunities were few and far between. The winner of the contest was that team that was able to take advantage of those scant windows of offensive hope. Tatum's solo home run changed the outcome of the game, but NC State reliever Evan Justice deserves plenty of credit, considering he tossed the final 1.2 innings of the win. Justice allowed just one base runner on a walk and struck out two. There was no strikeout sweeter for the junior, perhaps in his entire collegiate career, than the one that came on the game’s final pitch. With the crowd on its feet, a feeling of triumph in the air for NC State and desperation for Vanderbilt, Justice got the job done, striking out pinch hitter Tate Kolwyck looking on a 2-2 pitch over the heart of the plate. Entering this College World Series, NC State had the second-most losses in the eight team field, with a 35-18 record. But regular season wins and losses don’t matter when you get to Omaha. After the game, Wolfpack head coach Elliott Avent shared how challenging it is to win in Omaha. "Every win you get in Omaha is tough, nail-biting. [It's] not only eight of the best teams in the country, but it's the last eight teams in the country. And they're here for a reason: because they're playing their best baseball of the year." Omaha is a test of a team’s ability to take advantage of the few opportunities granted to them while facing the nation’s best teams. NC State not only proved that they belong on Monday night, they also showed they can win the whole thing. The Wolfpack will face the winner of Wednesday’s elimination game between Stanford and Vanderbilt on Friday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. CT. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

Vanderbilt moved into the winners' bracket at the College World Series after a 7-6 win over Arizona on Saturday evening. Arizona entered the ninth down 6-5, but a leadoff double to the left-center gap by freshman Daniel Susac sparked a rally that ended with a Donta Williams sacrifice fly to tie the game at six. Three innings later, Jayson Gonzalez and Vanderbilt walked it off. The Wildcats ambushed Commodore starter, Kumar Rocker, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning after the first three Wildcats hitters all reached base. The Commodores responded with one run of their own in the bottom of the inning, and Rocker regained control of his slider and retired 15 straight Arizona batters to stifle the Wildcats offense for the next four plus innings. "You could feel that they were deflated a little bit, but they hung tough," Vanderbilt Head Coach Tim Corbin said of his team after falling behind. A Jayson Gonzalez two-run home run in the fourth scored Javier Vaz and tied the game at three. However, a hit-by-pitch with two outs in the sixth quickly came back to bite Rocker after Ryan Holgate demolished a ball deep into right-center, giving Arizona the 5-3 lead. The back-and-forth affair continued to provide plot twists as a two-run home run from Carter Young capped off a three-run rally in that seventh inning that flipped the scoreboard once again. Vanderbilt held its 6-5 lead until the ninth. Tying the game in the top of the ninth, Arizona carried the momentum into extra innings, but Vanderbilt was undeterred. After Jayson Gonzalez hit a game-tying home run in the fourth, a ground ball up the middle was all it needed to bring Isaiah Thomas home from third and walk off Arizona. "It was great," said Gonzalez after the game. "It's a dream come true to be here and be in the situation. We've all worked so hard to get this moment, so it's a pretty special moment." "They're just good," said Corbin of the Arizona lineup, but on Saturday night, the Vanderbilt lineup was one better. Vanderbilt will play NC State on Monday in the winners' bracket, while Arizona will play Stanford in the losers' bracket. Arizona is 1-2 against Stanford this year. NC State and Vanderbilt have not played this season. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

North Carolina State opened the 2021 College World Series on Saturday with a 10-4 win over Stanford. Jonny Butler led the Wolfpack offense. Butler was 3-for-4 with 5 RBI and hit a first-inning home run that set the tone for NC State. "I think I've had some pretty good games but never in a situation like this--in such a big game, big stage. It just felt great." Butler was riding momentum heading into the College World Series. "I had a lot of confidence coming in here. I thought I played really, really well the last game against Arkansas." After eliminating Arkansas in the Fayetteville Super Regional, NC State is just two wins away from the College World Series Championship Series. Reid Johnston set the tone for NC State, holding a prolific Stanford offense to just four runs (three of them earned) in six innings. Superstar closer, Evan Justice earned the three-inning save for the Wolfpack. Justice knows the importance of staying in the winners' bracket in Omaha. "You want to be on this side of the bracket after the first game. I thought offensively we came out swinging. They did a great job today. So that's always very helpful as a pitcher, having that run support we got today was huge." Head Coach Elliott Avent was happy with his team's performance. "It's always been a team win with us. That's the way it's been all year. . . . I said it at the beginning of the year, this is a team that throughout the lineup can figure out how to be productive and score runs. And that's the name of the game." NC State will next face the winner of Vanderbilt and Arizona who play later in the evening. Stanford will play the loser of the game. Said Stanford Head Coach David Esquer after the loss, "our team is resilient and they're not going to let up and give up." The Cardinal have won two of three games against Arizona this season and have yet to play Vanderbilt on the year. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

During the final weekend of the 2019 season, Texas head coach David Pierce was at a loss for words. Two years later, he finds himself leading the nation’s number two team into the College World Series. The remarkable turnaround at Texas has earned little media attention, perhaps because of the program’s storied postseason history. But in 2019, it seemed that the Longhorns were getting nowhere fast. Pierce’s squad, a year removed from an appearance in Omaha led by second baseman Kody Clemens, finished dead last in the Big 12 standings. Adding to the frustration, the Horns were the only Big 12 team that watched the entire conference tournament from home, as the Big 12 only conducted an eight-team tournament until this season. Following a 2020 campaign cut short due to COVID-19, in which Texas posted a respectable 14-3 record, there was plenty of hype surrounding the team in 2021, with various degrees of expectation. College Baseball Nation ranked the Longhorns at #12 to start the year, but after a miserable 0-3 showing at the Globe Life Field Classic in February, they were dropped to #30. In fact, there was thought that 2021 might mirror 2019 in some form or fashion, with a talented team that simply failed to get the job done in critical moments. But Texas quickly proved the doubters wrong, ascending to the top five in every major college baseball poll, putting together a 16-game win streak in the midst of conference play, and picking up notable series wins over TCU, Oklahoma State, and Oklahoma. The season will truly come full circle in Omaha on Sunday evening, as Texas gets set to face Mississippi State, the opponent that handed the Longhorns a 8-3 loss in Arlington some four and a half months ago. “They’re just a really well-rounded team,” Pierce said of Mississippi State in a press conference on Thursday. “They have better team speed than most SEC teams. “We talked about this yesterday. We’re not playing Mississippi State in a revenge game because we were 0-3 in Arlington and they were one of the teams we opened up with. That’s not what we’ve done all year. We understand that they’re a very good team, [but] our intent is to go out and focus on ourselves and our team.” It would be foolish to think that the Texas team that stepped onto the field against the Bulldogs in late February is the same team stepping onto the diamond in Omaha this week. In fact, the turnaround from 2019 to 2021 has been huge, but the rapid development of this young squad from game one of 2021 to game 62 of game 2021 has been bigger. Consider the performance of starter Pete Hansen, who will likely come out of the bullpen within Texas’ first two games. Against Mississippi State, Hansen, a hyped freshman after throwing 17 innings with zero earned runs in 2020, had an outing to forget, making it through just one inning, allowing three hits, a walk, and an earned run. It took him 27 pitches to finish the inning, and he looked out of sorts. But in his first weekend start of the season against TCU on May 9, Hansen earned a win, going seven innings with just two hits allowed, three walks and zero earned runs. “I don’t think you can sit back when you have spacing in this type of tournament, and not utilize one of your best guys, especially since he’s left handed,” Pierce said when asked about how he will use Hansen in Omaha. Performances like Hansen’s throughout the second half of the season separated Texas from the rest of the pack. Though a 1-2 showing at the Big 12 Tournament left doubt in some minds as to whether the Longhorns were a legitimate national title contender, they breezed through the Austin Regional and Super Regional, going 5-0 and outscoring opponents 49-12. The dominance brings back memories of the Horns’ 2018 run to Omaha, the first under Pierce, as Texas hosted both a regional and super regional, dropping just one NCAA Tournament game to Tennessee Tech before reaching Omaha. But in a press conference Thursday, Pierce said these two tournament runs feel vastly different. “I think that team really overachieved in ‘18,” Pierce said. “I thought the pieces fell into place. We had a tremendous year by Kody, we had a tremendous year by David [Hamilton]. We pieced the pitching together but it wasn’t what our pitching is now. When you go to Omaha because your starting pitching gives you an opportunity, it is a different feeling. “Going in there this year, there’s never been any thought of, ‘hey, we made it to Omaha.’ The only thought we’ve had is, ‘it’s the next step; we’re going to Omaha to win this thing.’ There is definitely a different feeling with this team going in.” And what a stark contrast from the 2019 campaign. Two years ago, it seemed that little else could go wrong for the powerhouse program. This season, it seems that there was not much else Texas could have done right. As soon as the 2019 season concluded, ironically, with a 6-4 win over Oklahoma, the sub-par performance from the team seemingly became a moot point. At Pierce’s fall press conference in September of that year, no mention was made of what had transpired in the spring. The focus was on the future, and there is no question that the Longhorns have turned a complete 180 from their last full season to 2021. “The expectations have been set by previous teams. The history of this program has been set,” Pierce said. “When you come here, you understand that and you expect that as well.” Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

By Steve Parkhurst AUSTIN - For everything that Saturday night was in the NCAA Super Regional in Austin, Sunday night was the opposite as the only constant was the Texas Longhorns defeating the South Florida Bulls in both games to advance to the College World Series in Omaha. Saturday saw a classic matchup of aces as Ty Madden of Texas faced Jack Jasiak of South Florida. What developed was a low-scoring affair that was decided in the final at-bat, and neither starter factored into the final decision. In the second inning, Mike Antico powered a ball to the opposite field which bounced off the wall in left-center to push the Texas lead to 2-0. That was the last run for several innings as the aces worked their plans to perfection. Still 2-0 in the seventh, Madden got two outs, but he issued a walk to put the tying run on first base, Texas head coach David Pierce went to the bullpen in favor of Tanner Witt. Witt struck out Nick Gonzalez on three pitches. Trey Faltine led off the seventh with a double to left-center. Faltine moved up to third on a sacrifice fly by Silas Ardoin. Eric Kennedy hit a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Faltine and Texas led 3-0. Witt tossed a scoreless eighth and went back out for the ninth. “We liked the matchup, we liked where his pitch count was,” said Pierce. Cantu hit a blast to left-center to lead off the ninth against Witt. A two-out double by Eaton brought the tying run to the plate in Drew Brutcher. The Texas bullpen moved into action. Brutcher unloaded on a ball to send it well over the wall in right field to tie the game. It was Brutcher’s first home run since March 16. In the Longhorns half of the ninth, with two outs and Ardoin on first base as the result of an error by the shortstop, Kennedy drove a ball to center that took one hop to hit the wall, Ardoin raced home from first to give Texas the walk-off win 4-3. “We never had a doubt,” said Madden of his team after losing the lead in the top of the ninth. “There wasn’t a split second where I think anyone in that dugout thought we were going to lose that game.” “I mean, that’s playoff baseball right there,” said Pierce. “I’m ready to play again tomorrow. We can do it right now. I’m just pumped up for our team.” Sunday’s matchup of right-handers Tristan Stevens and Collin Sullivan had a lot on the line for both Texas and South Florida. After Texas was retired in the first inning, South Florida loaded the bases with two outs on a four-pitch walk. Eaton laced an 0-2 fastball into left-center to score two Bulls for their first lead of the weekend. It was also the first time the Longhorns trailed in the postseason. Texas only trailed for half an inning. Batting in the top half of the second, two batters reached base with no outs. Faltine doubled to bring in a run and put runners at second and third. Then Douglas Hodo III lifted a ball into right. As two Bulls defenders converged to catch the shallow pop-up, the pair collided, and the ball fell to the ground and rolled into foul territory. Ardoin then doubled to bring in another Longhorn run, and a fielder’s choice plated a fourth run. A two-out walk ended the night for Sullivan after recording just five outs as South Florida went to the bullpen. Hansen had a 4-2 lead to work with going into the bottom of the inning. Pena hit a one-out RBI single to right in the fourth to get within 6-3 and put runners on the corners. The Bulls ran into an out with a bunt back to the pitcher before a strike out from Hansen ended the inning. After another call to the bullpen for the Bulls, two bases loaded walks in the fifth pushed Texas’ lead to 8-3. A run-scoring double by Matt Ruiz with no outs in the sixth made it 8-4. Stevens was relieved with two outs by Cole Quintanilla. It was the last run South Florida scored on Sunday, but Texas was not finished. Peyton Powell picked up a pinch-hit single into center in the seventh to score Antico from third. After Powell stole second base, Cam Williams homered to center field with two outs and the Longhorns led 11-4. It was the first, and only, home run of the Super Regional for Texas. Aaron Nixon took the mound for the ninth. Brutcher’s Saturday night heroics did not repeat on Sunday night as his ninth inning at-bat resulted in an innocent fly ball to left field. Nixon retired the three batters he faced to secure the 12-4 victory. “Yesterday was more of a pitching and defense kind of day. Today our offense stepped up to the plate and delivered,” said Stevens. “Look where we’re at now.” Pierce spoke emotionally after the Sunday clincher of the hard work and dedication of his team, both the players and the coaches. “To now have an opportunity to go compete for a national championship is pretty special,” said Pierce. Texas (47-15) heads to the College World Series to make their 37th appearance, the most of any school in the history of the series. South Florida (31-30) begins their offseason after an impressive postseason run that included a conference championship win and a Regional win in Gainesville. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!