We're taking a look back and a look ahead at college baseball teams from around the country. Next up we're doing a quick look at Arizona State, UCSB, Florida State, Texas Tech, and Michigan! Arizona State A Look Back at 2019: After winning their first 21 games of the year, Arizona State (38-19, 16-13) struggled down the stretch against stiffer competition. The Sun Devils were 0-4-1 in their last five series of the year but still earned a spot in the Baton Rouge Regional. The Sun Devils finished the regional 1-2, with Southern Miss defeating them twice. Arizona State's offense was by far their strength, finishing the year averaging 8.2 runs per game (good for seventh in the country). Hunter Bishop, one of the best hitters in the Pac-12 in 2019 (see the full top ten list here), highlighted the draft class for Arizona State as the tenth overall pick in the MLB Draft. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: The biggest positive three factors for Arizona State in 2020 are 1) a huge amount of hitting talent returning, 2) the hiring of Jason Kelly (of renown for his success at Washington) as pitching coach, and 3) lots of talent coming in with their tenth ranked recruiting class (see a full list of the top ten 2019 recruiting classes here). Of course Spencer Torkelson is the most exciting guy in the lineup for the Sun Devils, and Torkelson will likely be a first-round pick in the MLB Draft. Guys to watch on the mound include RHP Boyd Vander Kooi, LHP Erik Tolman, and RHP Tyler Thornton. Vander Kooi's transition to a full-time starter in 2019 was not without hiccups, but he finished strong down the stretch and will bring back experience in the rotation. Thornton, an immediately eligible transfer from Saint Mary's, was the NCBWA Freshman Pitcher of the year a season ago and should greatly factor into the Sun Devil's success in 2020. All signs point to a return to prominence for the Sun Devils in 2020. I see them as a top-eight seed in the NCAA Tournament. UCSB A Look Back at 2019: At 45-11 (19-5 Big West), UCSB was one of the most dominant teams on the West Coast in 2019. Heading into the last weekend of the regular season, the Gauchos were on a 13-game winning streak and in position to host a Regional. A series loss to Cal Poly dashed those hopes, and UCSB was sent to the Stanford Regional as the second seed. There they faced and lost to Fresno State, one of the toughest three seeds in the NCAA Tournament, and Sacramento State, one of the toughest four seeds in the Tournament. The Gauchos had ten players selected in the MLB Draft. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: The Gauchos bring back a host of excellent pitching talent in 2020. LHP Rodney Boone and RHP Michael McGreevy were both tabbed as Freshmen All-Americans by multiple sources; both pitchers had sub 3.0 ERAs and they pitched a combined 141.1 IP. As of now, the Gauchos are the favorites in the Big West. It will be fascinating to see if Cal State Fullerton can bounce back from their worst season in decades, but for now, I am picking UCSB. I see the Gauchos as a two-seed in a Regional in 2020. Florida State A Look Back at 2019: In Mike Martin's last season at the helm of Florida State (43-23, 17-13 ACC), the Seminoles put together one last run to Omaha. After being on the bubble for much of the season, Florida State earned the three-seed in the Athens Regional. A six-game winning streak saw the Seminoles sweep through Florida Atlantic and Georgia in the Regional and LSU in the Super Regional. The Seminoles' walk-off win of LSU was voted on by fans as one of the best moments from the 2019 NCAA Tournament (see the full list of best moments from the NCAA Tournament here). After defeating Arkansas to open up the College World Series, losses to Michigan and Texas Tech spelled the end for Florida State. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: The dugout won't look the same without Mike Martin in it, but the expectations will be the same in Tallahassee. 2019 Florida State was an incredibly young team, as evidenced by the fact the Seminoles only lost seven players to the draft or graduation. The do lose offensive talent like IF Drew Mendoza but will return an exceptionally talented pitching staff. RHP CJ Van Eyk, a ten-game winner in 2019, highlights the staff and has a good shot at being a first-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. I like the Seminoles to compete for a Regional host site in 2020. Texas Tech A Look Back at 2019: 2019 brought the longest postseason run in Texas Tech (46-20, 16-8 Big XII) history. A regular season Big XII Championship helped earn the Red Raiders the eighth overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. They swept the Lubbock Regional and defeated conference foe, Oklahoma State, in the Super Regional. The Red Raiders went 2-2 in Omaha, taking down Arkansas and Florida State while losing to Michigan twice (a team they swept earlier in the season). Texas Tech saw eight players get drafted in the MLB Draft, including slugger Josh Jung who was selected eighth overall. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: The Red Raiders should be the favorites in the Big XII heading into 2020. They lose some important bats, but will bring back key contributors like IF Brian Klein who hits for average and has already been given preseason All-American honors. RHP Micah Dallas and RHP Bryce Bonnin both return from the starting rotation and notched ERAs just above 4.0 in 2019. They also have RHP John McMillon who can touch 100 mph with his fastball in the bullpen. If Texas Tech can once again take care of business in the Big XII, it is hard not to see them as a top eight seed in the NCAA Tournament. Michigan A Look Back at 2019: Many saw Michigan (50-22, 16-7 Big Ten) as a top 25 team heading into 2019, but few predicted that the Wolverines would be one win away from a National Championship. A run in the Big Ten Tournament saved the Wolverines' season and sent Michigan to the Corvallis Regional, which they won without having to play host, Oregon State. In the Super Regional, Michigan defeated number one overall seed, UCLA, in three close pitchers' duels, sending the Wolverines to Omaha. Michigan swept through their bracket at the College World Series and won the first game of the National Championship Series before dropping two straight to Vanderbilt. Five Michigan players were selected in the 2020 MLB Draft. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: There is reason to think that Michigan will continue to be a force in 2020. OF Jordan Nwogu was the third best hitter in the Big Ten in 2019 (see the full top ten list here), and he will be back to provide stability to the lineup. RHP Jeff Criswell and his sub-3.0 ERA from a year ago will return to start Friday nights for Michigan, and RHP Willie Weiss was one of the most dominating relievers in the Big Ten with 50 strikeouts in 39.1 innings of work. The Wolverines will be the favorite in the Big Ten heading into 2020 and will be in competition for a Regional host site. As of now, I think they will just miss the cut and end up as a two seed. Head over to our forums to discuss these teams and more! Read all of our 2020 team previews here! Thanks for reading! Want to submit a fan perspective for your team? Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

We're taking a look back and a look ahead at college baseball teams from around the country. Next up we're doing a quick look at Auburn, Dallas Baptist, UNC, Indiana, and Oregon State! Auburn A Look Back at 2019: On paper, Auburn (38-28, 14-16 SEC) had a respectable but not overwhelming resumé entering Regional play. This earned the Tigers the two seed in the Atlanta Regional which Auburn swept, defeating host, #3 Georgia Tech, twice in the process. The Tigers then eliminated #14 UNC in the Chapel Hill Super Regional, scoring 13 runs in the top of the first inning of the winner-take-all game three. An 0-2 finish in Omaha stymied the Tigers' run, but it is fair to say Auburn outperformed their postseason expectation. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: The Tigers have consistently been a year ahead of schedule. After a 23-33 year in 2016, Auburn made a Regional in 2017, a Super Regional in 2018, and then the College World Series in 2019. An influx of talent comes to Auburn in 2020 as the Tigers brought in the sixth best recruiting class in the country. (Check out the top ten classes.) Led by All-American RHP Tanner Burns, the Tigers should be contenders for Omaha in 2020 and have a legitimate shot at ending up atop the SEC West standings. Dallas Baptist A Look Back at 2019: Dallas Baptist (43-20, 14-7 MVC) finished the year tied atop the Missouri Valley Conference standings. After a run to the the conference tournament final, DBU ultimately lost to Indiana State. The Patriots earned the two seed in the Lubbock Regional where they beat Florida twice to eliminate the Gators and fell to Texas Tech in the Regional Final. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: Dallas Baptist loses All-American and sixth-round pick RHP MD Johnson and 11th rounder LHP Jordan Martinson; both of these guys were key pieces in the Patriots' 2019 rotation. While the Patriots always seem to reload, it will be a challenge to extend their six-year Regional appearance streak. DBU feels like a bubble team to me in 2020. UNC A Look Back at 2019: The Tar Heels (46-19, 17-13 ACC) stumbled down the stretch in the regular season with series losses to Pitt and NC State but recovered in the postseason. North Carolina won four straight games in the ACC Tournament to win the tournament. In the process, the Tar Heels earned a top 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament. A sweep of the Chapel Hill Regional extended the Tar Heels' winning streak to seven games, but that streak ultimately came to an end when UNC was eliminated by Auburn in the Super Regional. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: A lot of attention will be on slugger Aaron Sabato in 2020 and rightfully so. In his freshman year, Sabato hit 18 HR with a .343 average. RHP pitcher Austin Love is another guy to watch; in his freshman year he marked a 3.09 ERA in 36 appearances. The departures of IF Michael Busch (1st round draft pick) and RHP Tyler Baum (2nd round) may prove difficult to overcome. I anticipate UNC will compete for a hosting position in 2020 but will ultimately end up as a two-seed in a Regional. Indiana A Look Back at 2019: In Jeff Mercer's first year as head coach at Indiana (37-13, 17-7 Big Ten), the Hoosiers lengthened their streak of Regional appearances to three. Indiana's high-flying offense powered the Hoosiers who averaged 7.0 runs per game (best in the Big Ten) with a wOBA of .357 (second in the Big Ten). Indiana sputtered down the stretch, losing four of their last five games, including being eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by #7 Louisville. Of note, Indiana set a school record for draft picks with ten selections in the MLB Draft. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: Indiana scheduled aggressively in 2020, including a weekend series at LSU to start the year, a four-game series with Illinois State, and Ole Miss and ECU in the Keith LeClair Classic (see the full 2020 tournament schedule here). The Hoosiers do dodge Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa in Big Ten play. I'm very interested to follow this Indiana team. They should be in position to finish in the top few spots in the Big Ten but will need to win some of the non-conference series to beef up their postseason resumé. I see the Hoosiers as a low two, high three seed in a Regional in 2020. Oregon State A Look Back at 2019: After winning the National Championship in 2018, Oregon State (36-20-1. 21-8 Pac-12) followed up that performance with a successful year. Pitching was the key for the Beavers who only gave up 3.7 runs per game in 2019 (second in the nation). Complement that with the Golden Spikes winner and first overall pick in the draft, C Adley Rutschman, and Oregon State was a dangerous team. Despite the talent, Oregon State exited the Corvallis Regional quietly with two quick losses. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: Closer LHP Jake Mulholland and RHP Kevin Abel are the guys to watch in 2020 for the Beavers. Mulholland is already a three-time All-American and has 30 career saves and a 1.75 career ERA to his name. The Beavers lost their entire weekend rotation to the draft, and it is hard not to imagine a little bit of a rebuilding year. I would be surprised if Oregon State finishes in the top three in the Pac-12 (2016 was the last time the Beavers failed to finish in the top three), but I do expect the Beavers to be a two or three Regional seed come tournament time. Head over to our forums to discuss these teams and more! Read all of our 2020 team previews here! Thanks for reading! Want to submit a fan perspective for your team? Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

We're continuing our look back at the most dangerous bats in college baseball in 2019. Next up is the Big Ten. There were plenty of powerful bats throughout the Big Ten in 2019. Six of the top 10 hitters in the Big Ten by wOBA (weighted on base average) were taken in the 2019 MLB Draft. Three of those drafted will be returning to their schools in 2020. Ohio State's Dominic Canzone was the highest pick of the top 10 from the Big Ten (8th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks) and has the highest wOBA in the Big Ten. Canzone also was selected for the All-Big Ten first team. Drafted in the 25th round by the Chicago Cubs, Zac Taylor (OF, Illinois) finished with the 2nd highest wOBA in the Big Ten. He led his team in triples (3) and home runs (10). His powerful bat helped earn him an All-Big Ten first team selection. Jordan Nwogu from Michigan finished with the third highest wOBA value in the Big Ten while leading his team to Omaha and finish as the National Runner-Up. Nwogu led his team in triples with 4 and had the second highest walks (44) and hits (79). Maryland first baseman, Maxwell Costes, was an All-Big Ten first team selection, All-Big Ten Freshman team selection, and the Big Ten Freshman of the year. He finished with the conference's 7th highest wOBA. Head over to our forums to discuss this and more! Thanks for reading! Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

We're taking a look back at the most dangerous bats in college baseball in 2019. First up is the Pac-12. The Pac-12 had no shortage of imposing sluggers in 2019. Of the top ten hitters in the Pac-12 by wOBA (weighted on-base average), four of them were drafted in the first round. At the top of the class, Adley Rutschman (Oregon State), the 2019 Golden Spikes Award winner, was selected first in the MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles. Only two spots behind him in the draft was Andrew Vaughn (California), the 2018 Golden Spikes Award winner. Vaughn's teammate, Korey Lee, also checks into the top ten in offensive output in 2019 and was also selected in the first round. Arizona State's Hunter Bishop mashed 22 home runs in 2019 and was the San Francisco Giants' first pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. Coming in at fifth in wOBA, Bishop's teammate, Spencer Torkelson, is one of only two players in the top ten in wOBA returning in 2020. Torkelson is projected as a top five pick in the 2020 draft. Arizona led the Pac-12 with four players in the top ten in wOBA. Cameron Cannon and Nick Quintana were both taken in the second round of the MLB Draft. Justin Wylie and Matthew Dyer were good for seventh and eighth in wOBA in the Pac-12. Dyer batted to the tune of 0.393 to go along with his 0.456 wOBA. Twice named All-Pac-12, Nick Kahle was one of the most offensively productive catchers in the country. He was selected in the fourth round by the Milwaukee Brewers. Head over to our forums to discuss this and more! Thanks for reading! Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

We're taking a look back and a look ahead at college baseball teams from around the country. Up first are the Ole Miss Rebels! A Look Back at 2019 Competing in the always challenging SEC West, Ole Miss battled through conference play on the way to a successful season in 2019. The Rebels’ 41-27 record, highlighted by a 16-14 record in conference play, paired with a run to the SEC Championship Game propelled the Rebels to a top 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Ole Miss swept the Oxford Regional in dominant fashion, outscoring their opponents 41-7 on route to a Super Regional appearance. Ole Miss was stopped short of Omaha after splitting the Super Regional with Arkansas before ultimately losing the rubber game. Ole Miss and Arkansas played eight times in 2019, splitting the season series 4-4. In spite of the series loss, the Rebels' return to a Super Regional marked the sixth time they have done so in the past 15 years. The Rebels sent several players onto the next level, including three players who were drafted within the first five rounds of the MLB draft. Grae Kessinger highlighted the draft class for the Rebels and was selected 68th overall. Kessinger also earned the Brooks Wallace Award given to the nation’s best shortstop. A Look Ahead at 2020 Despite losing some key pieces from their 2019 team, Ole Miss may actually increase their talent level in 2020. The Rebels bring in the second-ranked recruiting class in the country and will hope to find some immediate contributors in the group. The Rebels open up their 2020 schedule with a visit from 2019 College World Series participant, Louisville, in what will be one of the best series of Opening Weekend. Their non-conference slate also includes two midweeks against Southern Miss and a chance to take on ECU and Indiana at the Keith LeClair Classic. In conference play, Ole Miss plays all six other SEC West teams and draws Vanderbilt, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina from the East. Once again, Ole Miss plays one of the toughest schedules in the country. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: The Rebels will return to a Super Regional. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Rebels in Omaha, but they need to find a third starter. The Rebels have to replace Will Ethridge, their Friday night guy from 2019. Sophomore Doug Nikhazy will look to fill that role. He held a 3.31 ERA last year which earned him Freshman All-American status. Gunnar Hoglund, the Rebels’ Sunday starter from 2019 and a former 1st-round draft pick, will likely step up into the Saturday role. If the Rebels see improvement in Hoglund and nail down a Sunday starter, I expect them to compete in the SEC and potentially be playing deep into the postseason. Kyle's (@kylemckelv) 2020 Prediction: The Rebels will make it to Omaha. I believe their pitching will carry them to a great year. The format of the tournament really benefits those teams with great pitching depth, which I believe they have in 2020. Their average recruiting ranking is 2nd and the pitchers they return accounted for 48% of the appearances last season and 51% of the innings pitched from last season. Returning two starters from last season is quite helpful, but, like John said, they'll need to establish their third starter early in the season. Three incoming players will be candidates for the Sunday role in their rotation, including freshman Derek Diamond and the 6-foot-8 (!) freshman Wes Burton. Read all of our 2020 team previews here! Thanks for reading! Want to submit a fan perspective for your team? Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

We're taking a look back and a look ahead at college baseball teams from around the country. Next up are the Texas A&M Aggies! Texas A&M's 2019 season was up-and-down, but they proved to be competitive in arguably the toughest division in baseball, the SEC West. A Look Back at 2019 Texas A&M had an up-and-down 2019 season, culminating in a dream-like walk-off win over Regional host, West Virginia and a disappointing loss to Regional Champ, Duke, who lost to NCAA Champion, Vanderbilt in Nashville. A&M finished 39-23-1 (16-13-1 in SEC play), and was ranked as high as 9th in the College Baseball Nation Composite Top 25. Aggie pitching, coached by Rob Childress, who will be going into his 13th year as head coach in College Station, had a stellar year in 2019. The staff finished with a 3.21 ERA, which was good for 3rd in the NCAA and 1st in the conference, as well as a 1.21 WHIP (2nd SEC) and 10.91 K/9 (1st SEC). While the offense did not have a great season, to put it lightly, there are positive signs for the future as A&M hired Southern Miss hitting coach Chad Caillet in the offseason. Four Aggies were drafted in the 2019 MLB Draft, including Braden Shewmake (1st round), John Doxakis, (2nd round), and Kasey Kalich (4th round). A Look Ahead at 2020 Even though Texas A&M lost Friday starter, John Doxakis, they will look to reload with another dominant lefty, Asa Lacy. They will also return starter Jonathan Childress (no relation to the head coach), who underwent Tommy John surgery last year. Continuing their rotation with the beginning of season tournaments, the Aggies will return to the Frisco College Classic after going 3-0 in the 2019 Shriners College Classic. Their foes in the tournament will be Illinois, Oklahoma State, and UCLA. (Check out the full list of 2020 College Baseball Tournaments) In midweek games, the Aggies will also play several in-state teams, including Rice, Texas, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Aggies initially had a trip to Cal State Fullerton planned for their marquee non-conference matchup; however, a scheduling conflict saw Cal State Fullerton replaced by New Mexico State. Though both Texas A&M and New Mexico State are Aggies, the two teams could not have been more different last year. New Mexico State led the country in scoring (11.1 runs/game), while Texas A&M was third in the country in runs given up (3.7 runs/game). The SEC conference schedule is a gauntlet, as always, and A&M starts off playing at Auburn and home against Ole Miss, a 2019 CWS team and a Super Regional team, respectively. Then, after visiting the always-tough Florida, April’s schedule starts by hosting Georgia, who was a Regional host, and Dallas Baptist; next, the Aggies visit Arkansas, who is coming off back-to-back Omaha appearances. The next key stretch for the Aggies comes just two weeks later when they visit the New Dude to play Mississippi State and then head home to face LSU. With the talent of the SEC West, these series will likely be pivotal in deciding the winner of the division and conference. Kyle's (@kylemckelv) 2020 Prediction: The Aggies will make a Super Regional. Texas A&M's pitching in 2019 was elite, but the offense left something to be desired. They return the dominant lefty Asa Lacy to figures to be the Friday night starter. When they get Jonathan Childress back, their rotation will be solidified with three solid starters, including Christian Roa, from last year. Aggie pitching returns players who accounted for 72% of the innings pitched from last season, and with Rob Childress' track record of developing pitching talent, I believe they will be about as good as last year on the mound. We'll see how the offense comes around with new hitting coach, Chad Caillet, but since talented pitching depth helps teams advance in the post season, I'm optimistic about their chances. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: The Aggies will return to a Regional. For the Aggies, their offense is a liability until proven otherwise. Perhaps Caillet can turn things around for Texas A&M, but if the 2019 Aggies taught us anything, you can’t solely rely upon pitching to advance in the NCAA Tournament. That being said, Asa Lacy should be one of the top arms in the country, and the Aggies will likely continue their streak of 13 straight Regionals. As of now, I would project them as a two seed in a Regional. Read all of our 2020 team previews here! Thanks for reading! Want to submit a fan perspective for your team? Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

We're taking a look back and a look ahead at college baseball teams from around the country. Next up are the Duke Blue Devils! “I’ve said ever since I’ve got here, and I feel even more strongly about it now than I did then. For us, getting to the College World Series is not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when.” -Duke Baseball Head Coach Chris Pollard A Look Back at 2019 From 1962 to 2015, Duke suffered from an NCAA Tournament appearance drought. In 2013 Pollard took over as head coach and quickly changed the direction of the program. After returning to the NCAA Tournament in 2016 for the first time in over five decades and earning a Super Regional appearance in 2018, the Blue Devils entered 2019 looking to ride that momentum back to the postseason. A 35-27 (15-15) record earned the Blue Devils the three seed in the Morgantown Regional. Duke swept through the Regional in convincing fashion, defeating Texas A&M twice and blanking host, West Virginia, en route to the Super Regional where they matched up with Vanderbilt. After dominating game one of the series, Duke ran up against Vanderbilt phenom, P Kumar Rocker, in game two and would go on to lose the series in three games. In spite of this, 2019 was a successful for the Blue Devils who have officially returned to national relevance for the first time since the 1960s. On top of their team successes, Duke also saw individual success with SS Ethan Murray who was tabbed as a Freshman All-American by several sources. Murray led the Blue Devils in on-base percentage (.391) and was second on the team in several other offensive categories including batting average (.305), RBI (40), and runs (48). A Look Ahead at 2020 Expectations are high in Durham as the team returns most of its corps from a year ago. With seven of the nine players from Duke’s starting lineup and 72% of innings pitched returning, Duke will be bringing back a squad with talent and experience. Pollard is especially excited for the return of P Bryce Jarvis: “[He] looks like a bona fide Friday night stud. Candidly, he looks like a first rounder.” The Blue Devils will kick off the year on an eight-game homestand (including weekend series against Army and Cornell) before heading to U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Duke will then return home for a ten-game homestand and the start of ACC play. The Blue Devils will be tested early as they face off against Florida State and North Carolina. Wins in these series could set the tone for an extremely successful 2020 campaign. April will offer Duke its longest road stretch of the season (seven straight games) when the Blue Devils will take on NC State, ECU, and Virginia Tech. Duke also finishes the season on the road for seven of its last eight games, which could prove crucial in determining NCAA Tournament seeding. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: Duke will make a Super Regional and is a legitimate contender for Omaha. The pieces are there for Duke in 2020. The team is returning most of their key contributors including three of their four starting pitchers from last year and their most important bullpen guys. Duke went 4-2 in the NCAA Tournament last year, beating several ranked teams (West Virginia, Vanderbilt, and Texas A&M x2), and the Blue Devils were just one game away from Omaha. Pollard has his team trending in the right direction, and I expect them to have a legitimate shot at hosting a Regional and advancing deep in the NCAA Tournament. Read all of our 2020 team previews here! Thanks for reading! Want to submit a fan perspective for your team? Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

We're taking a look back and a look ahead at college baseball teams from around the country. Next up are the Sacramento State Hornets! If you don't know the Sacramento State Hornets, you should. They are one of the most consistent teams on the West Coast, and 2020 is setting up to be another good year for the Hornets. A Look Back at 2019 For Sacramento State, 2019 was a year that won’t soon be forgotten. With marquee wins throughout the year including on the road at UCLA, blanking California, 6-0, and a 21 run offensive explosion at California Baptist, a quiet end to the year could have been enough for some teams. However, the Hornets had other plans in store and wrote one of the most memorable and thrilling chapters of the 2019 college baseball season. After losing first round of the WAC Tournament to Utah Valley, Sacramento State was just one loss away from ending their season. Six games and four days later, and the Hornets would be WAC Champions. Scoring five runs in the top of the ninth, Sacramento State staved off elimination by first taking down CSU Bakersfield, 7-3. The next day the Hornets would win two more elimination games, defeating UTRGV, 6-2, and coming from behind to take out Utah Valley, 6-4, avenging their loss from earlier in the tournament. Saturday brought more heroics for the Hornets as Sacramento State eliminated New Mexico State, 6-4, in ten innings. This earned them the right to play once more that day. In an intense 11 inning affair, Sacramento State walked off Grand Canyon, 4-3, to set up a winner-take-all final on Sunday. In the Hornets’ second straight one-run game, they defeated Grand Canyon 5-4 and won the WAC Championship. Adding to their historic run, Sacramento State managed to eliminate every other team in the tournament on their way to winning the Championship. The miraculous WAC Championship for Sacramento State earned them a spot in the Stanford Regional. After dropping their first game to the host, Stanford, Sacramento State earned their second NCAA Tournament win in program history by defeating UC Santa Barbara. Impressively, the win secured a 40-win season for the Hornets in what was one of the most memorable seasons ever for Sacramento State. Sacramento State had three players selected in the MLB Draft including Austin Roberts (8th round), Tanner Dalton (17th round), and Parker Brahms (27th round). All three were pitchers from the Hornets' excellent 2019 pitching staff which put up a 3.88 team ERA. Brahms elected to return and will be a key part of the 2020 pitching staff. A Look Ahead at 2020 The Hornets will open 2020 with a marquee matchup against UC Santa Barbara in what promises to be one of the best Opening Weekend series. This rematch from the 2019 Stanford Regional will set the tone early for the Hornets. After starting the season off with ten straight home games, the Hornets will be on the road for the next 12 games, including non-conference series against UC Irvine and Nevada and a WAC series at New Mexico State where the Hornets will go up against phenom, Nick Gonzales. Late March and early April will bring exciting midweeks against Stanford, St Mary’s, and Cal along with WAC series against CSU Bakersfield, Chicago State, and UTRGV. Upstart California Baptist will come to town in late April in what will likely be a great conference series. May will offer series with Northern Colorado, Grand Canyon, and Utah Valley along with a midweek game against Arizona before the Hornets will travel to Mesa, Arizona for the WAC Tournament. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: The Hornets will compete for the WAC Championship. As of right now, the path to a Regional is fairly narrow in the WAC. The Hornets schedule shapes up so that it would be possible to earn an at-large bid, but the only sure way into a Regional will be winning the WAC Tournament. The good news for Sacramento State is that they should once again finish near the top of the WAC. The Hornets return RHP Scott Randall who threw 93.2 innings and put up a 2.59 ERA in 2019, but Sacramento State did lose two important arms to the draft. With a guy like Randall, no team would want to see Sacramento State in their Regional. Read all of our 2020 team previews here! Thanks for reading! Want to submit a fan perspective for your team? Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

We're taking a look back and a look ahead at college baseball teams from around the country. Next up are the Arkansas Razorbacks! In an era where teams around the country are investing in college baseball, the Arkansas Razorbacks have set themselves apart with their excellent facilities, passionate fanbase, and consistent winning ways. A Look Back at 2019 2019 was another successful season for the Razorbacks, as the team returned to the College World Series. Entering the year at #16 in the preseason poll, Arkansas defied the expectation that 2019 would be a rebuilding year and finished the season ten spots higher than where they started. Arkansas finished the year 46-20 (20-10) and hosted a Regional, which they swept in convincing fashion, and a Super Regional, where they took down Ole Miss in three games. The Razorbacks’ run eventually ended in Omaha where they ran up against tough Florida State and Texas Tech teams; however, the 2019 season further entrenched Arkansas as one of the modern blue bloods in college baseball. Bolstered by their always deep roster, Arkansas consistently sends talent to the next level. Seven Razorbacks were drafted in the 2019 MLB Draft, including three in the first five rounds: Dominic Fletcher (75th overall), Isaiah Campbell (76th overall), and Matt Cronin (123rd overall). It will be interesting to see how the departure of talented arms affects the Razorbacks in 2020. A Look Ahead at 2020 Fan excitement is at an all-time high in Fayetteville—even the Razorbacks’ fall game against Oklahoma drew over 6,000 fans. After coming off back-to-back College World Series appearances, Arkansas will look to stretch that Omaha run to three straight seasons in 2020. Arkansas will start the season with a seven-game homestand, featuring Eastern Illinois, and a scrappy Gonzaga team before they head to Houston for the Shriners College Classic where they will take on three Big XII foes—Oklahoma, Texas, and Baylor—in the confines of Minute Maid Park. (Check out the full list of 2020 College Baseball Tournaments) SEC play will start with a bang as the Razorbacks travel to Starkville for an SEC West showdown with Mississippi State. This series could go a long way in determining who wins the West. The first cross-divisional series comes in April when Arkansas will welcome the Florida Gators to Baum-Walker Stadium. Mid-April will bring an intriguing five-game road trip for the Razorbacks. First Arkansas will head over to the Box to take on LSU before heading up to East Lansing for two midweek games against Michigan State. Arkansas will finish the season with nine straight games against SEC East opponents as the Razorbacks draw South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee from the East. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: The Razorbacks will end 2020 in Omaha. It’s going to be hard to replace Isaiah Campbell and Matt Cronin, two of the Razorbacks’ best arms from a year ago, but Arkansas has a lot of talented young arms. Sophomores Connor Noland and Patrick Wicklander should compete for rotation spots once again. Noland won the first game of the Fayetteville Regional and amassed a 4.02 ERA over the year. The Razorbacks also have a few guys returning from Tommy John surgery, including Caleb Bolden who Razorback Head Coach, Dave Van Horn, says will “be one of our best guys next year.” Arkansas returns the heart of their lineup with talented hitters including Casey Martin and Heston Kjerstad, and even going up against SEC pitching, Arkansas shouldn’t have issues scoring runs. Once again, it looks like the Razorbacks should be a National Championship contender in 2020 and should enter the year in the top ten. Kyle's (@kylemckelv) 2020 Prediction: The Razorbacks will make it back-to-back-to-back trips to Omaha. Going further, I think they’ll be one of the last four alive in Omaha. Their offense returns six starters and they return two starting pitchers, among other strong bullpen arms that accounted for 66% of the bullpen innings pitched last year. That would be enough for a team to be competitive anywhere but if you combine it with the fact that these players have loads of post-season experience, it makes this team quite dangerous. They should also compete with 2019 National Champ, Vanderbilt, for the SEC Regular Season crown. Head over to our forums to discuss Arkansas and more! Read all of our 2020 team previews here! Thanks for reading! Want to submit a fan perspective for your team? Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

We're taking a look back and a look ahead at college baseball teams from around the country. Next up are the TCU Horned Frogs! With five trips to the College World Series this decade, TCU has become one of the dominant forces in college baseball. After missing a Regional in 2018, TCU entered 2019 with a return trip to the NCAA Tournament on their minds. A Look Back at 2019 2019 was a season marked by big wins and tough losses for the Horned Frogs. Wins over Virginia and Vanderbilt at the MLB4 Tournament and a series win over Texas in their first Big XII series of the year suggested a good year for TCU. However, a late season sweep at the hands of Baylor put TCU behind the 8-ball when it came to returning to a Regional. Entering the Big XII Tournament, TCU was in need of some late-season marquee wins. Wins over Oklahoma, Baylor, and Oklahoma State on a run to the Big XII Championship game earned TCU one of the last spots in a Regional. The Horned Frogs earned the right to travel to Fayetteville where #5 Arkansas was hosting. While in Fayetteville, TCU scored wins over Cal and Central Connecticut State en route to the Regional Final where the Horned Frogs ultimately lost to the Razorbacks. While finishing the year 34-28 (11-13) did not quite reach the standard TCU has set for themselves in recent years, 2019 marked a distinct improvement from 2018. The 2019 TCU team was loaded with talent as evidenced by their nine selections in the 2019 MLB Draft (a program record). LHP Nick Lodolo highlighted the group for the Horned Frogs as the 7th overall pick and highest pick in program history. LHP Brandon Williamson (2nd round), OF Johnny Rizer (7th round), and INF Jake Guenther (7th round) were also selected within the first ten rounds of the draft. A Look Ahead at 2020 The departure of so much talent from the 2019 team leaves some holes in the 2020 TCU roster. Fortunately for the Horned Frogs, they have the fourth best recruiting class in the country coming to Fort Worth, including five pitchers. (See the top ten classes here) The production of the pitching staff will go a long way in determining the success of the 2020 team. Only RHP Charles King returns from the 2019 rotation. He pitched 85.2 innings to the tune of a 3.36 ERA and may be the Friday starter for the Horned Frogs in 2020. RHP Marcelo Perez may move from the bullpen to a starting role after holding a 4.30 ERA on 23.0 IP in 2019. The biggest wildcards for TCU in 2020 will be LHP Russell Smith and RHP Caleb Sloan, who will both returning from Tommy John surgery. Smith threw 37.2 innings with a 3.35 ERA in 2018 before being injured in the fall, while Sloan threw 31.1 innings in relief with a 4.60 ERA in 2018. Both are ahead of schedule for their recoveries and on track to return for the 2020 season when they could be key contributors. Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle will not have to worry about the other half of the battery as the Horned Frogs return C Zach Humphreys who elected not to move on to professional baseball after being selected in the 26th round. TCU has a challenging schedule lined up for 2020 including non-conference series vs. Kentucky, at Minnesota, and vs. Cal to start the season. The Horned Frogs will travel to Los Angeles for the Dodger Stadium College Baseball Classic where they face off against USC, UCLA, and Vanderbilt. (Check out a full list of 2020 College Baseball Tournaments here) TCU will also play series vs. Maryland and at Stetson along with their eight series of Big XII play. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: TCU will make a Regional in 2020. TCU is an extremely challenging team to predict. On one hand, there are too many question marks in their starting pitching rotation. Losing an ace like Lodolo can be difficult to recover from. On the other hand, Smith and Sloan are coming back from Tommy John and a host of talented arms in the recruiting class could immediately contribute. I see TCU as a high risk, high ceiling team. I think they’ll be able to piece together enough of a rotation to make a Regional. If they can find two consistent starters, they may make a run in the postseason. Head over to our forums to discuss TCU and more! Read all of our 2020 team previews here! Thanks for reading! Want to submit a fan perspective for your team? Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

We're taking a look back and a look ahead at college baseball teams from around the country. Next up are the ECU Pirates! Even if you don’t follow college baseball closely, you know that the ECU Pirates have earned a spot among the upper echelon of college baseball in recent years. Will 2020 be the year they finally break through to Omaha? A Look Back at 2019 The 2019 season marked another successful venture for ECU. Posting a 47-18 overall record and a staggering 20-4 conference record, the Pirates finished seven games ahead of the second-place team in the American Conference standings—easily the largest margin in conference history. ECU’s historic 2019 included four sweeps of conference opponents and wins in all of their other conference series. In total, wins in 11 of their 12 series (their only series loss was to #1 UCLA) and midweek wins over Ole Miss, Duke, and North Carolina further boosted the Pirates’ resume earning ECU the right to host a Regional. The rain-soaked affair in Greenville was not without drama for ECU, but after losing to Quinnipiac, the Pirates stormed through the rest of the Regional in convincing fashion, defeating the other three teams in the Regional along the way. With the Regional win, the Pirates made the fifth Super Regional in program history. After two tough games, the Pirates' season was cut short in the Louisville Super Regional, leaving ECU fans hungry for more. ECU was led by some elite talent, including three All-Americans—junior Jake Agnos, sophomore and two-way player Alec Burleson, and junior Spencer Brickhouse. The trio marks the most All-Americans in Head Coach Cliff Godwin's tenure at ECU. A crew of seven Pirates were drafted in the 2019 MLB draft including Agnos (third round), Bryant Packard (fifth round), and Brickhouse (seventh round) all within the first ten rounds. A Look Ahead at 2020 ECU will look to build upon their sustained success in the 2020 season. The return of key contributors like Burleson and Jake Kuchmaner should give the Pirates stability in the pitching rotation, but the losses of Packard and Brickhouse in the lineup may prove difficult to overcome. The Pirates start the 2020 season with two series against solid mid-major teams in William & Mary and Georgia Southern. In the third weekend of the year, ECU will host the 17th-Annual Keith LeClair Classic (Check out a full list of 2020 College Baseball Tournaments here). Indiana, Ole Miss, and High Point will visit Greenville for a round-robin tournament in what may be the highlight of the Pirates' non-conference play. Smattered throughout conference play the Pirates have scheduled ambitious midweek games, including home-and-homes with North Carolina, UNCW, and Campbell. ECU will also invite Duke for a midweek game. ECU's American Conference schedule features several challenging road series including at UCF to start conference play. April will bring a difficult stretch for the Pirates as they face off with Houston in Greenville before traveling to play UCONN. The Pirates travel to Tulane for their second-to-last conference series before hosting USF to end the season. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: The Pirates will make a Regional. It's hard to find one single team that will seriously challenge ECU in the American, and I expect the Pirates to repeat as conference champs. I wouldn't be surprised if the standings are a little closer than last year with Houston, UCONN, Tulane, and a few other contenders chasing ECU down, but I would take ECU over the field. Winning the American Conference could set ECU up to host, but right now I project Pirates will end up as a competitive two-seed in a Regional with the potential to host. Midweeks will prove important for boosting ECU's RPI. Head over to our forums to discuss ECU and more! Read all of our 2020 team previews here! Thanks for reading! Want to submit a fan perspective for your team? Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

We're taking a look back and a look ahead at college baseball teams from around the country. Next up are the Vanderbilt Commodores! You’d be hard-pressed to find a better season in college baseball than national champion Vanderbilt’s 2019 season. Not only did they win the national championship, but they also won the SEC Regular Season and the SEC Tournament title. A Look Back at 2019 Statistically, the Vanderbilt offense was crucial to their 2019 success. The Commodores finished 2nd in the SEC and 8th in the country in batting average, 1st in wOBA*, 1st/7th in on-base percentage, and 1st/5th in slugging percentage. Vanderbilt, 59-12 (23-7 SEC), slugged their way to Omaha hitting 1.41 home runs per game, which was good for 10th in the country and 1st in the SEC. The key to their offense was fourth overall pick, JJ Bleday (Marlins). Not to be outdone by the offense, the pitching and defense also had a fantastic year. Led by Junior righty Drake Fellows, the Commodore starters were feared all year long. Freshman right-hander, Kumar Rocker had a dominant year and likely sky-rocketed up draft boards after being drafted in the 38th round in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Rockies out of high school. He decided to go to Vanderbilt and Commodores fans are glad he did. The 2019 CWS Most Outstanding Player became the first pitcher ever to throw a no-hitter during the Super Regional round of the NCAA Baseball Tournament, striking out 19 Duke batters. The defense also played lights-out all season, finishing 1st in the SEC and 10th in the country in fielding percentage. Vanderbilt cruised through their Regional outscoring their opponents 28-8 in three games. They were met with a rude awakening in the form of the Duke Blue Devils, who won the first game 18-5. As already mentioned, Rocker’s no-hitter in game two saved the Commodores' bullpen, which helped propel them to Omaha. Their pitching was the saving grace in Omaha before the finals, where they held their three opponents to six total runs. Michigan surprised Vanderbilt by getting to Drake Fellows early in game one, but the vaunted Commodore offense kept up the pressure on Michigan pitching to bring home the title. With 13 players taken in the MLB Draft, Vanderbilt tied the SEC record and set the program record for number of players selected. Headlined by the 4th overall pick, JJ Bleday, four other players were taken in the first ten rounds, including, Drake Fellows (6th round), Philip Clarke (9th round), Ethan Paul (9th round), and Stephen Scott (10th round). A Look Ahead at 2020 With the departure of all that talent, one would think that Vanderbilt should expect a regression. While some regression from the excellent season they had may be expected, Vanderbilt will reload with more talent. The Commodores finished with the number one recruiting class in 2019. One of their recruits, Jack Leiter, son of Al Leiter, was taken in the 20th round of the MLB Draft this summer but decided to sign with Vanderbilt anyway. (See the top ten classes here) Vanderbilt will have a tough path to win back-to-back championships. The Commodores open their season in the MLB4 Tournament, where their opponents will be national runner-up Michigan, Cal Poly, and a tough AAC team in UConn. The Southern California College Classic in Los Angeles will play host to USC, UCLA, TCU, and Vanderbilt in early March. (Check out a full list of 2020 College Baseball Tournaments here) Those tournaments are sandwiched around hosting perennial Horizon League champion Illinois-Chicago and Hawaii in Nashville. Louisville also comes to town for some midweek action late in the season. The SEC slate is always tough, but Vanderbilt will have two season-defining streaks of series in conference. The first one starts in the second weekend of conference play on the road against Tennessee, hosting Georgia, and in Alex Box against LSU. The last three weeks of the season are in Columbia against Missouri, at Florida, and hosting Mississippi State. They’ll have their work cut out for them if they hope to repeat as SEC Champions. Kyle's 2020 Prediction: Vanderbilt will make it back to Omaha. Vanderbilt returns two starting pitchers from last season: right-handers Mason Hickman and Kumar Rocker. They will also return players who accounted for about 73% of the non-starter innings pitched. Quite a bit of their offense left last season, most notably JJ Bleday who single-handedly accounted for 27% of the home runs from 2019. I think they’ll be able to reload with their star-studded recruiting class and great coaching staff, ending their season in Omaha once again. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: Vanderbilt will make it to Omaha and is the preseason favorite for the National Championship. Even with the loss of some offensive weapons, the Commodores should be stabilized by their dominant arms. Georgia and Florida will pose a challenge in the SEC East, but the Commodores will be the favorites heading into 2020. All signs point to the Commodores entering 2020 as the number one team in the country and the favorite to win the National Championship. *wOBA is weighted On Base Average. The College Baseball Nation staff has worked this offseason to create a player wOBA database for the 2019 season. The data is based on the 2019 Fangraphs factors for singles, doubles, triples, home runs, unintentional walks, and hits by pitch. Their formula and method can be found here. Head over to our forums to discuss Vanderbilt and more! Read all of our 2020 team previews here! Thanks for reading! Want to submit a fan perspective for your team? Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!