The college baseball season is officially set to start on February 19, 2021. While schedule modifications have become the norm in collegiate athletics due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools have begun to release schedules for the upcoming season. RELATED: Preseason Top 50 Even as some schools are releasing their 2021 schedules, many conferences are dialing back their plans for the 2021 season. The Big Ten's cancelling of non-conference games is the most dramatic change that has been reported. Some reports suggest that the Big Ten might backtrack and allow some non-conference games, but nothing has been finalized either direction. It may be more difficult for the Big Ten to earn at-large NCAA Tournament bids without non-conference play. Other conferences, like the SEC and Sun Belt, are pushing full-steam ahead with normal schedules. Likewise, it was decided this week that the Big 12 will move forward with a normal schedule. Many conferences are expected to make final decisions in the next week, and as conferences make their decisions, we are slowly getting clarity around what Opening Day will look like. This week, we also discovered that many college baseball tournaments will proceed as planned. All six participants have confirmed for the State Farm College Baseball Showdown at the Texas Rangers' brand new Globe Life Field. Each of the six participating teams are ranked in the top 12 of College Baseball Nation's Preseason Top 50. The Shriners College Classic, Frisco Classic, and Round Rock Classic will also all take place in 2021. Opening Day includes these officially scheduled series: Top 50 Teams #22 Miami at #1 Florida San Francisco at #2 UCLA State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field: #3 Texas Tech, #5 Ole Miss, #6 Arkansas, #8 Mississippi State, #9 TCU, #12 Texas Wright State at #4 Vanderbilt Bellarmine at #7 Louisville #45 UConn at #10 Virginia Ball State at #11 Arizona LSU Tournament: #13 LSU, Air Force, Notre Dame, Louisiana Tech North Florida at #14 Florida State Eastern Kentucky at #15 Georgia Tech Rhode Island at #16 ECU Santa Clara at #17 UCSB #18 Duke at #37 Coastal Carolina Northeastern at #19 Wake Forest Evansville at #20 Georgia Sacramento State at #21 Arizona State VMI at #23 NC State #24 Long Beach State-off Florida Atlantic at #25 UCF #26 Pepperdine at California Baptist #27 Oklahoma State at Sam Houston State Northwestern State at #28 Southern Miss Louisiana at #29 Tulane Presbyterian at #30 Auburn Cincinnati at #31 Clemson #32 Tennessee at Georgia Southern #33 San Diego at #39 San Diego State Austin Peay at #34 Dallas Baptist Xavier at #35 Texas A&M #36 Oklahoma at Texas A&M Corpus Christi McNeese State at #38 Alabama Dayton at #40 South Carolina #41 Indiana-off #42 Boston College at Charleston Southern Jacksonville State at #43 Baylor (cancelled due to weather) BYU at #44 Texas State College Baseball Classic in Surprise, AZ: #46 Oregon State, #50 Kansas State, New Mexico, Gonzaga Florida A&M at #47 Stetson #48 Michigan-off Georgia State at #49 West Virginia Non-Top 50 Teams Nevada at Cal Poly James Madison at North Carolina Liberty and Campbell Youngstown State at Troy VCU at UNCW Little Rock at Rice Washington at UC Irvine Oral Roberts at Incarnate Word Oakland and Middle Tennessee Kent State at Virginia Tech Utah at UT-San Antonio Missouri at Grand Canyon New Mexico State at UNLV Washington State at UC Davis Bryant at High Point USC at Loyola Marymount Pacific at California Western Illinois at Central Arkansas Miami (OH) at Jacksonville University Texas Southern at Houston Northern Illinois at Memphis Florida Gulf Coast at South Florida Mount St. Mary's at Davidson Saint Louis at Kennesaw State Murray State at Lipscomb North Alabama at Mercer South Dakota State at Kansas Toledo at USC Upstate Appalachian State at Winthrop Wofford at Gardner-Webb Ohio at Radford Longwood at The Citadel North Carolina A&T at College of Charleston Elon at UNC Greensboro Towson at Western Carolina Norfolk State at Old Dominion Morehead State at Charlotte North Dakota State at Western Kentucky Valparaiso at UAB Omaha at Oregon UIC at FIU Northern Kentucky at East Tennessee State Milwaukee at Southeast Missouri State Army at NC Central Southern Illinois at Tennessee Tech Missouri State at Arkansas State SIU Edwardsville at UL Monroe Illinois State at Belmont Tennessee-Martin at Samford Eastern Illinois at Nicholls Lamar at UTRGV Mississippi Valley State at Southeastern Louisiana Central Michigan at Stephen F. Austin Alabama State at New Orleans Andre Dawson Classic: Alabama A&M, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Alcorn State, Prairie View, Grambling, Alabama State, Jackson State, New Orleans Seattle at Portland Utah Valley at Saint Mary's Fresno State at UC Irvine (cancelled due to COVID issues at Fresno State) Kentucky at North Carolina (cancelled due to COVID issues at Kentucky) Abilene Christian at Tarleton State (cancelled due to weather) Northern Colorado at Wichita State (cancelled) Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

The college baseball season is officially set to start on February 19, 2021. While schedule modifications have become the norm in collegiate athletics due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most schools have released their schedules for the upcoming season. RELATED: Preseason Top 50 The notable exceptions are schools from the Big Ten. After deciding to prohibit non-conference games for the 2021 season, the Big Ten has yet to release its conference schedule for the season. A source from the league suggested the timeline for the schedule release is still up in the air. Worth noting is that many college baseball tournaments will proceed as planned. All six participants (#3 Texas Tech, #5 Ole Miss, #6 Arkansas, #8 Mississippi State, #9 TCU, and #12 Texas) have confirmed for the State Farm College Baseball Showdown at the Texas Rangers' brand new Globe Life Field. Each of the six participating teams are ranked in the top 12 of College Baseball Nation's Preseason Top 50. The Shriners College Classic, Frisco Classic, and Round Rock Classic will also all take place in 2021. Opening weekend will be highlighted by four top 50 matchups including #22 Miami at #1 Florida, #45 UConn at #10 Virginia, #18 Duke at #37 Coastal Carolina, and #33 San Diego at #39 San Diego State. Two top 50 teams will also participate in the College Baseball Classic in Surprise, AZ (#46 Oregon State, #50 Kansas State, New Mexico, and Gonzaga). Opening Day includes these officially scheduled series: Top 50 Teams #22 Miami at #1 Florida San Francisco at #2 UCLA State Farm College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field: #3 Texas Tech, #5 Ole Miss, #6 Arkansas, #8 Mississippi State, #9 TCU, #12 Texas Wright State at #4 Vanderbilt Bellarmine at #7 Louisville #45 UConn at #10 Virginia Ball State at #11 Arizona LSU Tournament: #13 LSU, Air Force, Notre Dame, Louisiana Tech North Florida at #14 Florida State Eastern Kentucky at #15 Georgia Tech Rhode Island at #16 ECU Santa Clara at #17 UCSB #18 Duke at #37 Coastal Carolina Northeastern at #19 Wake Forest Evansville at #20 Georgia Sacramento State at #21 Arizona State VMI at #23 NC State #24 Long Beach State-off Florida Atlantic at #25 UCF #26 Pepperdine at California Baptist #27 Oklahoma State at Sam Houston State Northwestern State at #28 Southern Miss Louisiana at #29 Tulane Presbyterian at #30 Auburn Cincinnati at #31 Clemson #32 Tennessee at Georgia Southern #33 San Diego at #39 San Diego State Austin Peay at #34 Dallas Baptist Xavier at #35 Texas A&M #36 Oklahoma at Texas A&M Corpus Christi McNeese State at #38 Alabama Dayton at #40 South Carolina #41 Indiana-off #42 Boston College at Charleston Southern Jacksonville State at #43 Baylor (cancelled due to weather) BYU at #44 Texas State College Baseball Classic in Surprise, AZ: #46 Oregon State, #50 Kansas State, New Mexico, Gonzaga Florida A&M at #47 Stetson #48 Michigan-off Georgia State at #49 West Virginia Non-Top 50 Teams Nevada at Cal Poly James Madison at North Carolina Liberty and Campbell Youngstown State at Troy VCU at UNCW Little Rock at Rice Washington at UC Irvine Oral Roberts at Incarnate Word Oakland and Middle Tennessee Kent State at Virginia Tech Utah at UT-San Antonio Missouri at Grand Canyon New Mexico State at UNLV Washington State at UC Davis Bryant at High Point USC at Loyola Marymount Pacific at California Western Illinois at Central Arkansas Miami (OH) at Jacksonville University Texas Southern at Houston Northern Illinois at Memphis Florida Gulf Coast at South Florida Mount St. Mary's at Davidson Saint Louis at Kennesaw State Murray State at Lipscomb North Alabama at Mercer South Dakota State at Kansas Toledo at USC Upstate Appalachian State at Winthrop Wofford at Gardner-Webb Ohio at Radford Longwood at The Citadel North Carolina A&T at College of Charleston Elon at UNC Greensboro Towson at Western Carolina Norfolk State at Old Dominion Morehead State at Charlotte North Dakota State at Western Kentucky Valparaiso at UAB Omaha at Oregon UIC at FIU Northern Kentucky at East Tennessee State Milwaukee at Southeast Missouri State Army at NC Central Southern Illinois at Tennessee Tech Missouri State at Arkansas State SIU Edwardsville at UL Monroe Illinois State at Belmont Tennessee-Martin at Samford Eastern Illinois at Nicholls Lamar at UTRGV Mississippi Valley State at Southeastern Louisiana Central Michigan at Stephen F. Austin Alabama State at New Orleans Andre Dawson Classic: Alabama A&M, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Alcorn State, Prairie View, Grambling, Alabama State, Jackson State, New Orleans Seattle at Portland Utah Valley at Saint Mary's Fresno State at UC Irvine (cancelled due to COVID issues at Fresno State) Kentucky at North Carolina (cancelled due to COVID issues at Kentucky) Abilene Christian at Tarleton State (cancelled due to weather) Northern Colorado at Wichita State (cancelled) Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

On February 3rd, College Baseball Nation introduced its first ever Freshman All-America Teams for 2021. Because of the COVID-19-inspired shortening of the 2020 MLB Draft to just five rounds, many top prospects who would have normally entered pro ball instead honored their college commitments. The result has been a loaded true freshman class, which increased the necessity to release the following “just missed” list. Brock Wilken, 3B, Wake Forest—A physical third sacker in the Troy Glaus/Scott Rolen mold, Wilken has crazy power at the plate and cannon arm in the field. On a team with an impressive array of upperclassmen sluggers, Wilken’s performance in the fall stood out. Chad Born, OF, Miami—Born hails from California, home to prior Hurricane stars Pat Burrell and Ryan Braun, and he very well may follow in their footsteps in Coral Cables. He outperformed household names like Adrian Del Castillo and Alex Toral to win Miami’s Fall Ball MVP as well as a spot in Coach Gino DiMare’s starting lineup. Mario Zabala, OF, FIU—Zabala is the toolsiest freshman in the nation, with Perfect Game citing his physical resemblance to a young Raul Mondesi and 6.32 60-yard dash time. Zabala’s hit tool is a question mark, but between FIU and summer ball, he’ll have 1000 PAs to iron out the kinks. If he does, he’ll be an early 1st round pick in 2023. Ryan Bruno, LHP, Stanford—Stanford has taken a slight step back from when it was known as Pitching U at the turn of the century; however, Bruno reminds college baseball aficionados of the “good old days” at The Farm. He can maintain his mid-90’s velocity into the late innings and has strong secondary offerings. Kyle Teel, C, Virginia—After withdrawing from the 2020 draft, Teel had a strong summer as a rising freshman in the competitive Northwoods League, posting a .740 OPS with three home runs. Virginia Coach Brian O’Connor maintained Teel will have ample opportunities behind the plate this spring for a loaded Cavaliers squad. Patrick Reilly, RHP, Vanderbilt—Reilly and his mid-90’s fastball impressed Coach Tim Corbin and his staff in the fall. The New Jersey native should pitch plenty of high-leverage innings out of the bullpen this spring. Brody Drost, OF, LSU—Though he’s been in the shadow of Dylan Crews, arguably the nation’s best freshman bat, Drost asserted himself in the fall and continued to do so in early spring scrimmages. The 6-02/200 left-handed hitter has routinely posted impressive exit velocities and played well in the outfield. Brandon Fields, OF, South Carolina—A star running back on the gridiron, Fields is a multi-tooled CF whose fate was sealed last spring when MLB decided to restrict the draft to five rounds. He’s given up football and will concentrate solely on baseball going forward. The 6-01/200 Fields will be draft eligible as a sophomore in 2022. Mac Horvath, 3B, North Carolina—Much like former Tar Heel (and current Dodgers farmhand) Michael Busch, Horvath is a Minnesota native with a developed hit tool. He has the quick reflexes and strong arm necessary for full-time duty at the hot corner. Horvath will also be a draft eligible sophomore next year. Max Carlson, RHP, North Carolina—The younger brother of Mariners farmhand Sam Carlson is in the mix for a weekend job. Carlson is not as physical as his big brother but offers a similar power arsenal. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

Any good preseason prediction piece can’t just be straight chalk. If you want to see which teams we think have the best shot at making it to Omaha, look no further than our projected Field of 64 that we released last week. Every season offers at least a few surprise teams in Omaha, so here we take our best stab at striking gold. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) Picks #1 Florida, #2 UCLA, #3 Texas Tech, #4 Vanderbilt, #5 Ole Miss, #9 TCU, #10 Virginia, #17 UCSB Depending on how some major 2021 storylines play out, my eight for Omaha could go several different directions. Does the ACC’s depth help it get more Regional hosts this year, or does its lack of dominant frontrunners hamper its chances at multiple top eight seeds? Will the possibility of COVID-induced absences make pitching depth even more important than in years past? For now, I like teams with pitching depth, which was the major guiding principle in my selections. I went all chalk with my top five picks, but after that, I found teams with interesting pitching staffs. TCU’s returning rotation includes two fourth-year guys and one fifth-year guy, and there are plenty of young arms that will compete for spots in the rotation. Virginia’s Savino, Abbott, McGarry, and Vasil are a great group to build a rotation around, and UCSB’s Boone, Torra, and McGreevy comprise the second best rotation on the West Coast (behind UCLA’s). In the same theme, a team like South Carolina may be a sleeper. The Gamecocks could still be a year or two away from serious Omaha contention, but a string of good recruiting classes has South Carolina trending in the right direction. Kyle’s (@kylemckelv) Picks #1 Florida (over #21 Arizona State), #3 Texas Tech (over #16 ECU), #4 Vanderbilt (over Coastal Carolina), #7 Louisville (over #8 Mississippi State), #11 Arizona (over Texas A&M), #13 LSU (over Pepperdine), #19 Wake Forest (over #5 Ole Miss), #23 NC State (over #10 Virginia) I went a little different route from John in that I chose the teams directly from our Projected Field of 64. I tried to not pick the chalk picks because it rarely happens that way, but it is also hard to not pick the top ranked teams because they are ranked that highly for a reason. Pitching depth is very important, but I also like teams with electric offense, like that of #19 Wake Forest. Their murderer’s row of bats includes Bobby Seymour, Brendan Tinsman, Chris Lanzili, and Shane Muntz should strike fear into opposing pitchers and coaches. In the same division, NC State’s bullpen is one of the ACC’s best and should provide the depth teams need to get to Omaha. LSU always seems to make their way to Omaha, and this year, I think they’ll find their way there off the back of a well-rounded team that has a complete pitching staff and young, talented position players. Miami is a team to look out for on the way to Omaha this year and in the future; they are young, very talented, and well-coached. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

Kyle and John pick their eight teams for Omaha, answer mailbag questions about the Big Ten, extra innings rules, and the SEC West, and choose winners for Week 1's biggest series. Get The College Baseball Nation Podcast on Apple Podcasts Get The College Baseball Nation Podcast on Spotify. Get The College Baseball Nation Podcast on Google Podcasts Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

On January 19th, College Baseball Nation introduced its inaugural All-America teams for 2021. As we stated then, the talent pool in college baseball is unquestionably deep, especially within the pitching ranks. In this column, we’ll take a quick look at the guys who just missed the cut. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that seven of the players are pitchers, while three are members of the 2022 draft class, which has a chance to be one of the strongest ever. Gunnar Hoglund (2021 draft eligible), RHP, Ole Miss—Hoglund boasts excellent command of his entire repertoire, which includes a fastball, slider, and changeup, all with favorable spin rates. His slider is his best offering because of outstanding movement, and his heater sits comfortably in the 89-92 MPH range. At 6-05/210, Hoglund has an ideal pitcher’s build with room to fill out. Eric Cerantola (2021), RHP, Mississippi State—Cerantola is a Canadian whose bread-and-butter pitch is a hard, low-80’s curveball with fantastic spin rates. He can also pump high 90’s gas, though he has had trouble harnessing the high-octane pitch. Some big league clubs view Cerantola as a future shutdown closer. Steven Hajjar (2021), LHP, Michigan—Hajjar, who missed his entire true freshman season with a knee injury, gained notoriety last year when he blanked a loaded Arizona State team the first weekend of the season. Though Hajjar doesn’t have electric stuff, he uses uncanny command to work both sides of the plate and changes speeds like a seasoned veteran. Richard Fitts (2021), RHP, Auburn—Fitts showed up to campus this fall with a fastball that sits in the mid-90’s and much-improved slider. His changeup was already solid with late fading action. If the former reliever shows he can maintain his effectiveness while shouldering a starter’s workload, he’ll likely be off the board in the 15-20 range. Hayden Dunhurst (2022), C, Ole Miss—Dunhurst is the rare amateur catcher with a dynamic offensive game that rivals his defensive polish. One scout likened him to a more compact Jason Varitek. Brandon Sproat (2022), RHP, Florida—Did you really think we’d compose this list without a hurler from Florida? The Gators’ pitching depth has relegated Sproat to the bullpen, but he’s a surefire bet to start in 2022. Sproat’s heater touches the high 90’s with plenty of spin, and his slider is equally as toxic. Robby Martin (2021), OF, Florida State—Martin has always had an advanced hit tool from the left side, above average power potential, and a strong arm; however, after dropping 15 pounds in the offseason, his range in RF is much improved. Players with his profile usually don’t make it out of Day 1. Bryce Osmond (2022), RHP, Oklahoma State—Though his control can be erratic at times, Osmond has three plus pitches at his disposal, including some wicked cheese that’s parked in the mid 90’s. And at 6-03/180, he still has room to fill out. Jordan Wicks (2021), LHP, Kansas State—Small sample size notwithstanding, Wicks dominated in 2020, yielding just two earned runs in 46 IP (for an otherworldly 0.39 ERA!) with a 55/9 K/BB ratio between the abbreviated spring season and a cameo in the Northwoods League. Wicks’ fastball lives in the 90-91 MPH range, but it’s aided by one of the college game’s best changeups. Jace Jung (2022), IF, Texas Tech—Between Jung’s left-handed bat that sprays line drives to all fields and his discerning eye, the young Texan should develop into an OBP machine. Jung has handled both 2B and 3B with aplomb. With the talent pool in college baseball as deep as it is, it seems unfair to conclude the list at this juncture without at least mentioning some other intriguing names. Tommy Mace and Jack Leftwich are Florida’s Friday and Saturday starters, respectively, back for their fourth year in Gainesville to show off their power arsenals. Louisville’s Jack Perkins is this year’s Clayton Beeter, an injury-plagued dart thrower whose pitch metrics are off the charts. And don’t forget about UCLA CF Michael Curialle. He slashed .299/.377/.438 in the Northwoods league after slugging .525 during his abbreviated freshman season. Curialle will not be draft eligible until 2022. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

John and Kyle break down the preseason field of 64 projections. Harris Frommer joins the podcast to talk freshmen all-Americans. Get The College Baseball Nation Podcast on Apple Podcasts Get The College Baseball Nation Podcast on Spotify. Get The College Baseball Nation Podcast on Google Podcasts Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

“Deeper than ever” is a phrase you have probably heard tossed around about the 2021 college baseball season a dozen times. But with the ACC, the cliche rings true. Ten ACC teams cracked College Baseball Nation’s Preseason Top 50, so whoever emerges victorious from the ACC will be battle tested. The ACC Coastal provides four of the ACC’s ranked teams—all four of them ranked in the top 25 (#10 Virginia, #15 Georgia Tech, #18 Duke, and #22 Miami). North Carolina, the projected fifth best team in the Coastal, won 46 games and made it to a Super Regional two years ago. However, the loss of Head Coach Mike Fox to retirement and key offensive weapons like first-rounder Aaron Sabato set the Tar Heels up for a rebuilding year. Regardless, the ACC Coastal will likely boast at least one regional host and possibly two or three. The Favorite After finishing fifth in the ACC Coastal in 2019, Virginia is poised for a breakout year. On the mound, the Cavaliers will be led by Andrew Abbot, a surprising escapee from the five-round 2020 MLB Draft. “We thought he was a second or third-round type of guy,” Virginia Head Coach Brian O’Connor told College Baseball Nation. “And with the way the draft went, we got him back. It was a shot in the arm having him back.” Nate Savino, a 6-03 lefty with a mid-90s fastball, will be Virginia’s Saturday starter after earning a rotation spot in freshman year. At the plate, CF Chris Newell and 3B Zack Gelof are a pair who could hear their names called in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft. Newell, Gelof, and Savino all earned Preseason All-America honors. A host of freshmen could be major contributors for the Cavaliers, but most noteworthy is freshman catcher Kyle Teel, who will almost certainly get playing time behind the plate for Virginia. The ceiling of this Virginia team is Omaha and beyond. After winning it all in 2015, the Cavaliers will once again have their eyes set on the grand prize. Dark Horse It’s difficult to call a team that finished the 2020 season ranked eighth a dark horse, but after Miami lost its entire weekend rotation and arguably its best bullpen piece, the dark horse label begins to make a little more sense. “Losing those four guys is a big blow,” Miami Head Coach Gino DiMare told College Baseball Nation. However, he was quick to refocus on the future. “We can’t be rebuilding if we are going to have a program like I'd like to have at Miami. I’d like to try to get it to where we were at one point, consistently at the top.” Preseason All-American Adrian Del Castillo will anchor a prolific offense. The best hitter in the 2021 MLB Draft class, Del Castilllo also offers improving defense behind the plate. 1B Alex Toral adds a power bat that will make the middle of the Canes’ lineup a difficult path to traverse. Miami, like Virginia, boasts a deep freshmen class. Chad Born, out of southern California, was not only the most impressive freshman in the fall but earned offensive MVP honors from Miami’s fall world series. The Canes are a near-lock for a regional bid, and should the pitching staff step up, could find themselves in contention for hosting a regional. What to Watch For The youth movement in the ACC Coastal is the major storyline heading into the 2021 season. Five freshmen from the Coastal made the Freshmen All-American Teams, and that’s without the aforementioned Teel and Born. Whoever’s freshmen can grow up the fastest may have the best shot at winning the division. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

The college baseball season officially begins next week, and it is time to release our first Field of 64 projection of the year. With expanded rosters and the shortened MLB Draft, college baseball is deeper than ever and that task of narrowing the deserving teams down to just 64 is tougher than ever. We have made our best effort here and will update the projections as the season progresses. Florida, the top-ranked team in College Baseball Nation's Preseason Top 50, is the projected overall number one seed. Joining the Gators in the Gainesville Regional are projected Big Ten champion, Indiana, Atlantic Sun champion, Stetson, and MAAC champion, Rider. Seven preseason college baseball rankings have been released, and the Gators rank number one in all seven. It is rare to have such a clear national championship favorite, but Florida will be playing with that target on its back for the 2021 season. Projected Pac-12 champion, UCLA, and Big 12 champion, Texas Tech, fill the next two slots in the bracket, followed by the SEC's Vanderbilt and Ole Miss. Ole Miss finished the shortened 2020 season at number one in College Baseball Nation's final rankings. Projected ACC champ, Louisville, TCU, and Arkansas round out the top eight seeds. Two other conference champions are also projected to earn hosting rights. The American's East Carolina is projected to win its third conference championship in the past six seasons and earn the 14th overall seed. UCSB, out of the Big West, is projected to finish on the hosting bubble and is currently set to occupy the 16th and final Regional host position. The Big West is poised to earn two regional bids for the first time since 2017 with Long Beach State as a projected two-seed. West Virginia, Iowa, Boston College, and South Carolina mark the last four teams in the NCAA Tournament. The appearance would mark the first for Boston College since 2016. The Eagles currently have three players ranked within the top 50 college prospects for the 2021 MLB Draft and could be one of the biggest risers in the ACC. Texas State, Alabama, Oregon State, and Kansas State earn the unfortunate honor of being the first four teams out. Preseason #38 Alabama, as the projected seventh team (of seven) in the SEC West is a victim of its division. Despite the long odds of competing at the top of its division, Alabama has a path into the NCAA Tournament should it win 13 or 14 SEC conference games. The SEC (11) has the most teams projected to make the NCAA Tournament. Eleven teams in the tournament would break the record of ten currently held by the SEC and ACC. The ACC is second in projected regional teams with ten, while the Big 12 comes in third with seven of its nine baseball members projected to play in a regional. Kansas State, currently on the bubble, could make that eight teams, which would be a Big 12 record. The American, Pac-12, and Big Ten are each projected to have three regional teams each, while the Big West and West Coast Conference are projected to have two teams apiece. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

The Favorite The favorite in the Atlantic is the #7 Louisville Cardinals. Dan McDonnell’s club will be led by a bevy of high-quality bats, including star 3B Alex Binelas (First Team All-American), catcher Henry Davis, and outfielder Levi Usher (both Second Team All-Americans). The Cardinals’ whole lineup is back from the COVID-shortened season, and the stars are looking to push this team further than their 2019 Omaha run got them. It is always tough to recover when you lose first round draft picks, and even harder when those players are in the starting rotation. That is the case for The Cards, who lost Reid Detmers (10th overall) and Bobby Miller (29th overall) to the 2020 MLB Draft. Glenn Albanese and former closer Michael Kirian will look to fill those starting shoes and fiery Senior Luke Smith will round out the rotation. Louisville’s only question mark might be their starting rotation, but they will make up for that in bullpen arms. Head Coach Dan McDonnell likes Sophomore Jared Poland to take over the closer job from Kirian. Louisville is talented enough to make a push for Omaha in 2021. Dark Horse Wake Forest did not have a great start to the 2020 season, which is why they are the Atlantic’s “dark horse”, but their powerful bats will help them in 2021. The Demon Deacons offense is led by 1B Bobby Seymour and OF Chris Lanzilli, who were among those that would have otherwise been drafted, if not for the shortened draft. Demon Deacons fans should consider themselves lucky that they get to experience not only that talented duo another year, but also DH Shane Muntz and C Brendan Tinsman, who were both draft eligible and returned for another year. Lanzilli, Muntz, and Tinsman all hit double-digit home runs in 2019, and they look to headline an extremely dangerous offense for 2021. With Jared Shuster being drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2020, the tall, fastball-throwing machine known as Ryan Cusick will take over the Friday night role and be the anchor for an otherwise talented Wake pitching staff. What to Watch for The ACC’s divisions are pretty balanced, historically-speaking. This year, however, pay attention to how many of the teams in the Atlantic division are in the tournament at the end of the year. Five of these teams are near “locks” for making the postseason and the other two are on the bubble, with the ability to play themselves into consideration. Louisville, Wake Forest, NC State, Florida State, and Clemson are the teams that will be solidly in the tournament at the end of the season, while Boston College and Notre Dame are the bubble teams. If one team out of the Atlantic could be left out, it is likely to be Notre Dame. However, the Irish also finished the shortened 2020 season strong (including a sweep of North Carolina on the road), so look for them to ride that hot streak and maybe make some noise in 2021. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

With just over two weeks left without college baseball, all major college baseball outlets have released their polls. News over the last few weeks has suggested a more normal looking season than perhaps was expected. The SEC, Pac-12, and Big 12 officially announced normal conference schedules, and the ACC has only slightly modified their schedule (36 conference games, 50 total games). Most teams are on track for 40-56 games including a mix of non-conference and conference games. Florida is the unanimous number one team in the country in the composite poll from seven college baseball outlets. In fact, the composition of the top five is nearly unanimous. Fifteen teams were ranked in all seven polls, with an additional four teams ranked in all but one poll. Arkansas, Miami (FL), TCU, Texas, and East Carolina were the most controversial teams in the rankings. UCSB (13) is the highest-ranked mid-major team. The college baseball season is scheduled to begin on February 19. See the Opening Day schedule here. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

John and Kyle break down the latest scheduling news, pick favorites in the ACC, and make college baseball stadium bucket lists. Get The College Baseball Nation Podcast on Apple Podcasts Get The College Baseball Nation Podcast on Spotify. Get The College Baseball Nation Podcast on Google Podcasts Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!