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1. TEXAS
LAST YEAR
50-17 (17-7 in Big 12) reached College World Series
COACH (RECORD AT SCHOOL)
David Pierce (172-94, five years)
FINAL RANKING
No. 3
TOP DRAFT PROSPECTS
RHP Tanner Witt (2023)
SS Trey Faltine (2022)
LHP Pete Hansen (2022)
THE GOOD NEWS: Even after losing ace Ty Madden, Texas has arguably the best pitching staff in the country. Steady fifth-year senior righthander Tristan Stevens returns to the rotation, to be joined by third-year sophomore lefthander Pete Hansen, who primarily pitched as the midweek starter last season, and sophomore righthander Tanner Witt, who was excellent as a reliever in 2021. Freshman righthander Joshua Stewart, No. 198 on the BA 500 ahead of last year’s draft, should also get an opportunity as the team’s midweek starter. Sophomore Aaron Nixon, a summer teammate of Witt’s on USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team, also returns to anchor the bullpen. Run prevention in general will be a strength for the Longhorns, who also boast top-notch defenders in third-year sophomore catcher Silas Ardoin, grad transfer third baseman Skyler Messinger (Kansas) and third-year sophomore shortstop Trey Faltine, among others.
THE BAD NEWS: Texas has some firepower to replace in the lineup, as the departed trio of Cam Williams, Zach Zubia and Mike Antico combined for 33 home runs. Fourth-year junior first baseman Ivan Melendez returning to the lineup is a boon for the Longhorns, but they will need other run producers to step up around him. With plenty of speed and athleticism to go around in the lineup, including at second base with sophomore Mitchell Daly and in the outfield with fourth-year junior Eric Kennedy and third-year sophomore Douglas Hodo III, Texas may have to look to make things happen on the bases to be the most productive version of itself in 2022.
PLAYER TO KNOW: Tanner Witt, RHP. With all of the experience the Texas pitching staff returns, its floor is high, but Witt being successful in the rotation is a huge key for the staff toward unlocking its potential as the best unit in the sport. Stuff isn’t a question for Witt. His fastball averaged just over 92 mph last season and touched 96, and both his breaking ball and changeup had better than 30% whiff rates. The spin profile of his fastball and breaking ball is also such that those pitches can play up even better than the numbers show. His track record, limited as it may be, is also tough to argue. He took to a multi-inning relief role extremely well last season and saved his best for Omaha, where he threw 5.2 scoreless innings against Tennessee in an elimination game.
PATH TO OMAHA: If the Texas pitching staff lives up to its potential, it’s going to be very difficult to beat in a three-game series. Both the depth and quality of the staff sets it up well to win in both the regional and super regional format, which present different challenges. And if the offense steps up and replaces the production from those departed sluggers, Texas could be a wire-to-wire No. 1 team straight through to Omaha.
2022 LINEUP
2. VANDERBILT
LAST SEASON
49-18 (19-10 in SEC) College World Series runner-up
COACH (RECORD AT SCHOOL)
Tim Corbin (802-377-1, 19 years)
FINAL RANKING
No. 2
TOP DRAFT PROSPECTS
OF Enrique Bradfield Jr. (2023)
RHP Patrick Reilly (2023)
SS Carter Young (2022)
THE GOOD NEWS: Vanderbilt finished as national runner-up, losing to Mississippi State in three games last year in the College World Series finals. Six starters from the CWS return, including leading hitter Dominic Keegan, electric leadoff hitter Enrique Bradfield and shortstop Carter Young. Bradfield is the fastest player in the country and his speed plays both on the bases and in center field. Keegan and Young both bring powerful bats to the lineup at premium positions, as Keegan will this spring split time between catching and first base with Jack Bulger. With that trio leading the way, the Commodores’ potent offense should be among the best in the SEC. They also have a veteran lineup, with six players in the projected starting nine in their third or fourth season of college. That experience is also buttressed by a recruiting class that ranked No. 2 in the country. Infielder Davis Diaz, an unsigned 12th-round pick and a top 75 player in the 2021 draft class, leads the way and could immediately make an impact.
THE BAD NEWS: Vanderbilt last year was led by perhaps college baseball’s best 1-2 punch of starting pitchers in the last decade in Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter, who were both drafted in the top 10 picks in July. The Commodores have no shortage of options to take over in the rotation but replacing them will be no small feat. Sophomore righthander Patrick Reilly emerged at the head of the pack with a strong summer and fall. Fellow sophomore righthander Christian Little, who last January enrolled at Vanderbilt a semester early and was one of the youngest players in 2021, also figures to get a long look. Lefthander Carter Holton was one of the top pitching recruits in the country and used a strong fall to state his case for the rotation. Third-year righthanders Chris McElvain and Thomas Schultz both also have starting experience. Also helping Vanderbilt as it breaks in a new rotation is its strong bullpen options, as righthander Nick Maldonado, last year’s co-closer, returns. McElvain mostly pitched in relief as well last season and will pitch important innings no matter the role.
PLAYER TO KNOW: Enrique Bradfield Jr., OF. Bradfield was named SEC freshman of the year last season after hitting .336/.451/.414 and leading the nation with 47 stolen bases. He has game-changing speed and stole more bases than more than 150 teams. With his speed and on-base skills, he can impact the game in a number of ways and provides plenty of energy at the top of the lineup.
PATH TO OMAHA: To reach its ceiling as a national title contender, Vanderbilt needs a couple of starters to step up. But even without dominant arms at the front of its rotation, the Commodores are one of the most talented teams in the country. Early in the season they will likely need to lean more on their position players while their pitching staff settles into its new roles, but by the time the postseason begins they should have a well-rounded team that can face the rigors of postseason play. With power arms, power bats and speed mixed in, Vanderbilt has all the makings of an Omaha team.
2022 LINEUP
3. MISSISSIPPI STATE
LAST SEASON
50-18 (20-10 in SEC) won national championship
COACH (RECORD AT SCHOOL)
Chris Lemonis (114-37, three seasons)
FINAL RANKING
No. 1
TOP DRAFT PROSPECT
C Logan Tanner (2022)
RHP Landon Sims (2022)
3B Kamren James (2022)
THE GOOD NEWS: Mississippi State is coming off a national title, and a lot of that championship DNA remains in the program. That’s particularly true in the lineup, where eight of the nine projected starters had at least a part-time role while the team was playing in the College World Series. There’s plenty of power returning with this group, led by third-year sophomore catcher Logan Tanner, third-year sophomore first baseman Luke Hancock and third-year sophomore third baseman Kamren James, who all had double-digit home run totals last season. Fourth-year junior left fielder Brad Cumbest and sophomore right fielder Kellum Clark also pack plenty of raw power and could be in for very productive seasons now that both will be expected to hold full-time roles. Team defense should also be a strength with this lineup, given the presence of plus defenders like Tanner at catcher, fifth-year senior second baseman Tanner Leggett, sophomore shortstop Lane Forsythe and fourth-year junior center fielder Brayland Skinner. Third-year sophomore righthander Landon Sims, coming off of a lightsout season as the team’s closer, has the stuff and competitive nature to be among the best Friday starters in the SEC.
THE BAD NEWS: The weekend rotation has been completely rebuilt after the departures of Will Bednar, Christian MacLeod and Houston Harding to professional baseball. The three projected starters—Sims, sophomore righthander Cade Smith and third-year sophomore righthander Preston Johnson—all have varying degrees of experience in the program, but none of them has been a full-time weekend starter in the SEC. Sims moving into the rotation also leaves a big hole in the bullpen, putting the onus on pitchers like thirdyear sophomore righthander Stone Simmons and fourth-year junior righthander Brandon Smith. You also can’t overlook the departures of Tanner Allen and Rowdey Jordan in the lineup. Not only were they arguably the two most productive hitters in the lineup last season, with Allen winning SEC player of the year, but they were the heart and soul of the 2021 club.
Landon Sims, RHP. Seasons don’t get much
