Editor’s note: College Baseball Nation is joined by guest writer, Owen Surett. Owen Surett is a college student who resides in North Carolina. Owen covers College Baseball for his media outlet, College Baseball USA (@ColBaseUSA on Twitter), which was founded in Fall of 2019. He is passionate about various aspects of the game, including analytics, player development, and player evaluation. Coastal Carolina opens up the season with an encouraging off-the-field storyline at the forefront. After a cancer diagnosis that forced him to miss some games in 2020, Coastal Carolina Head Coach Gary Gilmore says he is feeling “better than I felt 10 years ago” and will return to doing what he loves, coaching the Chanticleers for his 26th season. The team has some question marks, primarily on the mound, but there is plenty of hitting to go around. Undoubtedly, the leader of this offense is CF Parker Chavers. Likely one of the next 30 players drafted in 2020, if there had been a 6th round, Chavers was sidelined for all of the shortened 2020 season after undergoing shoulder surgery. Chavers said he has recovered and is “fully healthy” to begin 2021. He emphasized that his focus is on being consistent in 2021 and staying on the field. The rangy center fielder said he is also going to run more in 2021 and put his plus speed to use on the base paths. Candidates to flank Chavers are Makenzie Pate, a sophomore OF with speed, a solid arm, and a work-in-progress bat, 5’8” junior Lorenzo Morello who has a building positive buzz around him, and Tyler Johnson, a stocky JuCo transfer from Eastern Oklahoma, who can really hit. The key to the offense will be the pieces around Chavers, like SS Eric Brown, who impressed with the bat during the Chanticleers’ media day scrimmage on Friday. Brown has a short swing, a big leg kick, and is capable of driving balls with authority. He plays a solid shortstop too. Likely moving to second base this season will be Nick Lucky, a junior left-handed hitter with solid offensive tools and speed. He has played mostly outfield in the past. Redshirt senior power threat Fox Leum will have a good shot at first base. The left handed bat is capable of producing runs in the middle of the order. At 3B, Sophomore Cooper Weiss has shown to be able to handle the hot corner and has a good hit tool to go along with it. Middle-infielder Dale Thomas is a guy the Chanticleers can plug in as an energizer-type that plays the game hard. At catcher, there is a competition developing between BT Riopelle and Tanner Garrison. Riopelle is a left-handed bat with pop. Garrison, the sophomore, has progressed defensively and gives Coastal Carolina a potential late-game option if Riopelle is to win the starting job. Senior Alex Gattinelli is in the mix too but played more outfield than catcher last year. He figures to get some playing time as the DH as well. A couple other hitters who will get some at bats are Walt Richardson, who consistently barreled balls in batting practice and in the scrimmage, and Zack Beach, who hit an absolute bomb to left field in the scrimmage. On the mound, where Coach Gilley said most of his question marks are, there are plenty of arms to work with, but no clear Friday night starter. The Chants are likely to go with a trial-and-error approach and see who separates themselves from the pack. The guy that they expected to take that role was Reece Maniscalco, a grad transfer from Wofford who is dealing with an injury and is expected to miss the start of the season after an impressive fall. Grad transfer from Wright State RHP Daniel Kreuzer figures to have some say in the competition, as well as Jr. RHP Nick Parker, the Sunday starter last year. RHP Shaddon Peavyhouse will likely get an expanded role as well, with the departures of Zach McCambley and Scott Kobos. Redshirt sophomore Jacob Maton, brother of Indians pitcher Phil Maton, worked at 87-89 mph with pinpoint command in the scrimmage. He could have a shot at a weekend role or midweek starter. Gilley raved about his freshman arms before the game, and they did not disappoint. 5’10” RHP Teddy Sharkey from New Jersey was 92-94 in his first inning of work with a potential average to above average curveball, and a solid slider as well. However, his command was inconsistent. RHP Luke Barrow was up to 92 mph with a gyro-slider that may have been the best pitch on the day. Reid VanScoter, a lefty with a sweeping breaking ball should get significant innings this year, as well as Alaska Abney, the Chanticleers’ sidearm reliever who was an important piece in the bullpen last year. The strength of this team is certainly depth in the lineup. Led by Parker Chavers, Coastal Carolina’s lineup has the potential to score a lot of runs. Can the freshmen arms make an impact from the beginning and can Gilley’s squad find a reliable Friday night arm? That remains to be seen. Coastal Carolina begins the year ranked #37 in College Baseball Nation’s Preseason Top 50. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

Editor's Note: Updated January 29th to include information about Arizona's schedule. “We’re excited to play, excited to compete. We’re excited with the returners, excited with the talent.” It is safe to say that Arizona Head Coach Jay Johnson was enthusiastic when talking about his 2021 squad with College Baseball Nation. The sixth-year head coach has good reason for his enthusiasm. Starting pitchers Garrett Irvin, Chandler Murphy, Quinn Flanagan, and Dawson Netz all return from a successful 2020 rotation. The four pitchers combined to start all of the Wildcats’ 15 games. Also returning are relief pitchers Preston Price and Vince Vannelle, who both turned down free agent deals to return to Arizona for another season. Blake Peyton and Ian Churchill, with 11 appearances in 2020 between them, provide even more returning pitching depth. “I was pleased with how we started on the mound,” said Johnson of his pitching staff. “They did a good job at controlling the strike zone.” According to Johnson, the key for the pitching staff will be “how steady our returning pitchers are.” Additionally, Johnson is eager to see how new faces will perform. Arizona is bringing in talent on the mound that will challenge for spots in the rotation. Junior college transfer Chase Silseth is the most advanced arm in the class. With a mid-90s fastball that can push 97 mph and three other developed pitches, including a plus changeup, Silseth will provide immediate impact on the mound for the Wildcats. New talent will also play an impact behind the plate for Arizona. After losing two catchers to the 2020 MLB Draft (Austin Wells in the first round and Matthew Dyer in the fourth round), incoming freshman Daniel Susac will have an opportunity to contribute. Said Johnson, “Daniel is regarded as one of the top defensive catchers in the country and has limitless potential as a hitter.” Johnson is also pleased with the development of second-year freshman Kaden Hopson, giving the Wildcats multiple options behind the plate. Chase Davis is another highly-touted talent from the incoming recruiting class. Joining Susac in MLB.com’s top 100 prospects for the 2020 MLB Draft, Davis was a question mark for whether he would make it to campus. The outfielder offers at least plus power and has been clocked at 99 mph on throws from the outfield. Johnson understands that the type of players that Arizona recruits may be lost to the MLB Draft, but he thinks his program has something to offer them. “We’re here for their individual development as well. Everyone who comes to Arizona wants to play professional baseball.” In terms of the 2021 season, Johnson recognizes that the young talent will need to contribute. “The key is turning talent into wins,” Johnson shared. That is especially true for next season because the expectations are high for Johnson’s squad. The Wildcats check in at number 11 in College Baseball Nation’s Preseason Top 50, the second highest of teams from the Pac-12. Arizona is not likely to shy away from the national spotlight. “We embrace expectations,” Johnson emphasized. “We want to be a team that that’s said about. We’re fired up.” The Wildcats offense should be just as threatening as their pitching staff. Losing Wells and Dyer leaves some holes in the lineup, but there are plenty of talented hitters in Tucson. Ryan Holgate, currently ranked 49th in College Baseball Nation’s Top 50 2021 Prospects, and Donta’ Williams both hit over .340 in the shortened 2020 season with an OPS over 1.000. Joining them is second-time freshman Mac Bingham who slashed .361/.478/.500 last season. “We can produce runs in a lot of different ways,” said Johnson of his offense. The Wildcats released a 56-game schedule on January 29 highlighted by a trip to the Frisco College Classic where they will play #36 Oklahoma twice, #34 Dallas Baptist, and Missouri. Arizona will also host Wichita State for a four-game series. The ceiling is high for the 2021 Arizona Wildcats, as they look to return to Omaha for the first time since 2016 when they finished as College World Series runner-up. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

Kyle and John talk Big 12 and SEC schedules, the College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field, and the American Athletic Conference. The guys are also joined by Harris Frommer to talk College Baseball Nation Preseason 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!

While all teams across the country are relishing in the additional depth granted by extra eligibility, expanded rosters, and the shortened 2020 MLB Draft, perhaps few teams will benefit more than the TCU Horned Frogs. Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle was enthusiastic about his returning guys when he sat down with College Baseball Nation. “[Getting older players back is] only a good thing if the players are not just older but they’re talented. We feel very confident in the skill level of those players and their commitment to our program and the intangibles that they bring every single day.” Schlossnagle recognizes that many of his returning players could have tested the waters of professional baseball. “There are several of those guys who could have signed professional contracts, whether it be in the draft or as a free agent last year, but they all felt like there’s unfinished business here.” Scholssnagle knows that his Horned Frogs are not the only team to return great players and that roster changes will be felt across the country. “College baseball is going to be playing at an all-time high, this year and moving forward. This is going to have ripple effects for years.” The Horned Frogs return all three members of last season’s weekend rotation in fourth-year sophomore right-hander Johnny Ray, fourth-year sophomore left-hander Russell Smith and fifth-year senior right-hander Charles King. In perhaps even better news for Horned Frog fans, the competition from younger players has been formidable in practices, and other guys will likely get a shot at starting on the weekend for TCU. “The guy most likely to break in is Austin Krob. He pitched out of the bullpen last year but was really coming on as a talented left-handed pitcher with two to three above average pitches and good delivery.” Also said Schlossnagle, “Jacob Meador had a very strong fall for us, and he pitched well in the summer. Freshmen Cam Brown and a COVID freshman Riley Cornelio will all be a part of fighting to push those other players in the rotation.” There will once again be plenty of arms in Fort Worth for the Horned Frogs, but TCU will need the offense to continue to develop. “Last year we were an evolving offense. Our team was built on pitching, and it was the best defensive club I’ve had at TCU. We were an opportunistic team-based offense.” TCU will rely on a combination of returners and new faces to contribute on offense. “The most dynamic returning player on our team is a guy named Hunter Wolfe, who has been drafted twice, and who when healthy, he’s a player that’s capable of being Big 12 player of the year. He can hit for power, run, and he’s a good defender in center field.” Wolfe has struggled some with injury but has the potential to anchor the offense. He will be in the middle of the lineup with fellow redshirt senior, Gene Wood. “Gene Wood is the best pure hitter on our team,” said Schlossnagle of the veteran. A third redshirt senior, Austin Henry, was an offensive highlight in the fall for the Horned Frogs. “The guy who’s made the biggest jump, who’s a talented hitter and led our team hitting in the fall, is Austin Henry.” Last season Henry batted just .133, and Schlossnagle admitted that he didn’t have a good 2020. However, Schlossnagle emphasized “he was the guy who made the biggest jump from 2020 to 2021.” A testament to the talent of the incoming class, a handful of freshmen are in competition with veteran position players. “We have two freshmen, maybe three, that are really dynamic players that we feel really good about having an impact on this year’s team.” Elijah Nunez, Brayden Taylor, and Luke Boyers are among the fresh faces that have likely earned playing time in the spring. However, Boyers may be worked into the lineup more slowly as he been recovering from injury. “Those three guys are all really dynamic players, they run, they have a good concept of the strike zone, they’re good defenders at whatever position they play, and they are very, very athletic. . . . We’re not just going to sit around and play the older guys all the time. Obviously, we’re going to play the guys who are playing the best. We’re going to defer to those young guys so we can continue to build the program around them.” The talent, old and young, will be on display at Lupton Stadium to a few thousand fans. As of now, TCU is planning for 25% capacity or around 2,000 people for home games, but that could change as conditions related to COVID-19 change. Building a winning culture at TCU has been a many year process for Schlossnagle. Prior to his takeover of the program 2003, TCU had only made two NCAA Tournaments. Since then, the Horned Frogs have made 14 Regional appearances and have made five trips to Omaha. “Everyone knows what the expectation here is and that’s to compete deep into a postseason and hopefully win a national title. “We talk more about standard than we do about goals. Our standard is to become the very best team and the very best group of people we can be—to reach our potential. If this group can reach their potential, that will give us the best chance to play deep into the postseason.” TCU is currently ranked ninth in College Baseball Nation’s Top 50. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

The first annual College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas looks to be in for a treat to start the year, after what was the longest offseason in memory. The field contains six top 12 teams from premier college baseball conferences, all of which expect to end their seasons in Omaha year after year. Globe Life Field, home of the MLB’s Texas Rangers, hosted 30 home games for the Rangers without fans, and then hosted the 2020 National League Division and Championship Series and the 2020 World Series with limited fans. Now, it will look to host these six college baseball teams and their fans, limiting capacity to 14,000-15,000 people. This will be some local fans’ first opportunities to experience Globe Life Field and Sean Decker, the Texas Rangers Executive Vice President, Sports & Entertainment “can’t wait to welcome all college baseball fans to Globe Life Field starting February 19th.” Going forward, all eight Big 12 Conference baseball schools will participate in at least one of these tournaments between 2021 and 2025 against SEC and Pac 12 conference teams. Setting up elite and local competition seems to be a goal of the Texas Rangers. The retractable roof will allow the games to get played, regardless of the weather that weekend in Arlington. Fans can purchase tickets here or purchase access to watch the action on FloSports. There will be scouts galore at this tournament, which features eight players from the Top 50 College Draft Prospects, and plenty of exciting, down-to-the-wire games. The Games Friday, February 19 11:00am – #8 Mississippi State vs. #12 Texas 3:00pm – #5 Ole Miss vs #9 TCU 7:00pm – #6 Arkansas vs. #3 Texas Tech Saturday, February 20 11:00am – #9 TCU vs. #8 Mississippi State 3:00pm – #3 Texas Tech vs #5 Ole Miss 7:00pm – #12 Texas vs. #6 Arkansas Sunday, February 21 11:00am – #8 Mississippi State vs. #3 Texas Tech 3:00pm – #5 Ole Miss vs #12 Texas 7:00pm – #6 Arkansas vs. #9 TCU See the rest of the Opening Day schedule here. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

The college baseball season is around the corner, with three Fridays left without college baseball. News over the last few weeks has trended in the positive direction, as the SEC and Big 12 officially announced normal conference schedules. Rumors suggest that the Pac-12 may follow suit soon. Most teams are on track for 40-56 games including a mix of non-conference and conference games. So far, four major college baseball publications have released their preseason rankings. We have compiled those rankings and listed teams in order of average rank (teams were first sorted by number of polls they were ranked in). Florida is the unanimous number one team in the country, and the composition of the top five is nearly unanimous. Sixteen teams were ranked in all four polls, with an additional five teams ranked in three out of four polls. Arkansas, Miami (FL), TCU, and Texas were the most controversial teams in the rankings. UCSB (nine) 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!

Kyle and John talk Big 12 and SEC schedules, the College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field, and the American Athletic Conference. The guys are also joined by Harris Frommer to talk College Baseball Nation Preseason 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!

Editor's note: visit our home page for the most up-to-date information on the 2021 college baseball season. 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, some schools have released tentative schedules for the upcoming season. Even as some schools are releasing their 2021 schedules, many conferences are dialing back their plans for the 2021 season. As of January 5, thirteen conferences have adopted changes to their 2021 schedules, with the Big Ten's cancelling of non-conference games being the most dramatic change. So far, Opening Day includes these officially scheduled series, with more to come: Cincinnati at #31 Clemson Nevada at Cal Poly Abilene Christian at Tarleton State Youngstown State at Troy VCU at UNCW Little Rock at Houston Baptist (CANCELLED) Illinois at Louisiana Tech 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, some 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. Other conferences, like the SEC and Sun Belt, are pushing full-steam ahead with normal schedules. 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. So far, Opening Day includes these officially scheduled series, with more to come: College Baseball Showdown at Globe Life Field: #3 Texas Tech, #5 Ole Miss, #6 Arkansas, #8 Mississippi State, #9 TCU, #12 Texas #22 Miami at #1 Florida #45 UConn at #10 Virginia LSU Tournament: #13 LSU, Air Force, Notre Dame, Louisiana Tech North Florida at #14 Florida State Eastern Kentucky at #15 Georgia Tech Cincinnati at #31 Clemson #32 Tennessee at Georgia Southern Xavier at #35 Texas A&M BYU at #44 Texas State Florida A&M at #47 Stetson Nevada at Cal Poly Abilene Christian at Tarleton State Youngstown State at Troy VCU at UNCW Little Rock at Houston Baptist (CANCELLED) Illinois at Louisiana Tech Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

Editor's note: visit our home page for the most up-to-date information on the 2021 college baseball season. After the COVID-19 pandemic cut the 2020 college baseball season short, college baseball teams will still feel the effect of the pandemic into 2021. Twelve conferences have reportedly made changes to their 2021 schedules, with many more to follow in the coming weeks. Of greatest note is the Big Ten's decision to forgo non-conference games. Without non-conference games, it is unclear how teams will be selected for the NCAA Tournament. Kendall Rogers, of D1Baseball.com, is reporting that the Big Ten may revisit their decision early next year. While some conferences have trimmed conference schedules (e.g. Conference USA and the Sunbelt) as a cost-cutting measure, many other conferences are adding conference games in an effort to ensure a minimum number of games. Four conferences have elected to include a doubleheader in their weekend series, while the MAAC is going a step farther and playing back-to-back doubleheaders over two days. The Mountain West Conference is the only conference in the western half of the United States to have announced any changes to its 2021 schedule. The state of California is currently the hardest hit state in terms of COVID-19 cases, which may be hindering the decision-making process for the Pac-12, Big West, WAC, and WCC. For most conferences, the college baseball season is scheduled to start on February 19. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

John and Kyle talk about the College Baseball Top 50, 2021 scheduling, and more. Arkansas, TCU, Texas State, Alabama, the Big Ten, Pac-12, UConn, Virginia, and more come up in the first episode of The College Baseball Nation Podcast. Follow The College Baseball Nation Podcast on Spotify. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

Riley Zayas @ZayasRiley Predictions are hard to make, especially in a season in which rosters have been expanded and there is much more seniority across the nation than ever before. I’d even go as far as to say that every conference is stronger heading into the 2021 season. But you have to give respect where respect is due, and in 2021, the SEC looks to be the nation’s best conference. Take a look at the rankings. In College Baseball Nation’s Fall Top 25, SEC teams made up 50 percent of the top 10, with Florida leading the way at No. 1. Show me another conference where five, maybe six teams, all have significant odds to be playing in Omaha come summer. Ole Miss and Vanderbilt have phenomenal pitching staffs, Arkansas is led by its middle infield, and Mississippi State . . . well, the Bulldogs bring a little bit of everything to the table. Who plays in the conference affects how the conference plays. In the SEC, every weekend results in a battle, as the standings are often extremely close. In 2021, we will see pitching matchups that we’re likely to see again in the MLB very soon; Vandy’s Kumar Rocker or Jack Leiter against LSU’s Jaden Hill, Florida’s Jack Leftwich against Texas A&M’s Johnathan Childress, the list goes on. Throw in that the SEC is playing a normal schedule, meaning the coaches and players alike should feel more comfortable. 2021 is looking to be a season to remember in the southeast. Kyle McKelvey @kylemckelv I agree, the SEC will be the best conference in 2021. I do not think this guarantees that an SEC team will win the national championship (although it is likely), but I think the depth of talented teams is what puts the SEC on top. The SEC teams in College Baseball Nation's top ten are #1 Florida, #4 Vanderbilt, #5 Ole Miss, #6 Arkansas, and #8 Mississippi State. Those teams consistently recruit and develop talent at an elite level and will continue to push each other throughout the year. The other conference that has a chance to dethrone the SEC is the ACC. For comparison, the SEC has seven teams in the Top 25 and the ACC has eight. Five of the SEC’s eight teams in the Top 25 are in the top 10, compared to the ACC’s two in the top 10. The SEC is more top heavy than the ACC with four of the first six teams, all of which appear before the highest ranked ACC team. This story also appears in the recruiting rankings. Using Perfect Games’s Top 25 team recruiting rankings for 2021, it is clear that the SEC and ACC are getting the top talent, with 10 teams in that top 25, as well as all five of the top five, for the SEC and nine teams for the ACC. The arms race between the two conferences will continue to be close in the coming years because the same story has played out in the previous few classes and in 2022. In short, yes, the SEC will be the best conference due to its high levels of competition and depth at the top, but teams like Louisville, Virginia, and Florida State look to push the top tier SEC teams for title contention. John Peters @johnny_omaha_ The SEC has earned its spot atop college baseball. Receiving ten NCAA Tournament bids in back-to-back seasons is a testament to the depth of the conference. Riley and Kyle have already made good arguments for why the SEC is the best conference, so I'll leave it at that. However, I do want to bring up two conferences that will be really good in 2021. The Big 12 is poised for a banner year. Looking ahead to College Baseball Nation's Preseason Top 50 (to be released Monday, Jan 8), there are good odds that eight out of nine Big 12 baseball programs will be ranked, with just Kansas on the outside looking in. Kansas State, one of the teams predicted to finish towards the bottom of the conference, has ace Jordan Wicks, #23 on our College Top 50 Prospects and a likely first or second rounder. There will be no weekends off in the Big 12. Another conference to keep an eye on is the American. ECU, UCF, Tulane, Houston, and Wichita State all are legitimate NCAA Tournament contenders. It wouldn't be unreasonable to see two or more Regional hosts out of the American in 2021. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!