1 WAKE FOREST
Last season: 54-12 (22-7 ACC), reached College World Series
Final 2023 ranking: No. 3. Coach (record at school): Tom Walter (420-339-1, 14 seasons)
THE GOOD NEWS
Wake Forest returns a key group of players from last year’s team, which led the program to its first College World Series appearance since 1955. It starts with all-ACC first baseman Nick Kurtz, who hit .353/.527/.784 with 24 home runs and 69 RBIs. On top of his ability with the bat, Kurtz is also a great defender. Sophomore shortstop Marek Houston had a modest year offensively, but he is a plus defender with silky-smooth actions and a sound game clock. His offense took a step forward this fall. Shifting focus to the mound, junior lefthander Josh Hartle will anchor the rotation. He is perhaps the best strike-thrower in the country, and his pure stuff has continued to tick up. Junior righthander Michael Massey joins the rotation after spending last year in the bullpen. He has a lethal fastball/slider combination, but his changeup has begun to develop into a quality third offering. Wake Forest also had a few big-time wins in the transfer portal. It landed former Tennessee righthander Chase Burns, one of the premier arms in college baseball. The Demon Deacons also added former Division II Wingate (N.C.) star Seaver King, who in 2023 hit .411/.457/.699 and earned a spot on Team USA’s Collegiate National Team. He is an exceptional athlete and runner, which are two traits that will translate to playing center field. On top of the star power, there are a number of players from last year’s squad who project to again be key contributors.
THE BAD NEWS
While the Deacs return a lot of talent and landed one of the best transfer portal classes in the country, there are some big shoes to fill. They lost 76% of their home runs from last season with the departures to pro ball of Brock Wilken, Tommy Hawke, Bennett Lee, Justin Johnson and Pierce Bennett. A handful of others entered the transfer portal. On the mound, two-time ACC pitcher of the year Rhett Lowder is gone, and so are Sean Sullivan, Seth Keener and Cam Minacci. Wilken and Lowder were first-round picks.
PLAYER TO KNOW
Keep an eye on Ball State transfer Adam Tellier. He is a career .314/.395/.465 hitter and brings loads of experience to this year’s club. He is a wiry athlete who can play all over the diamond, but expect him to hold down the hot corner this spring. He can run, has a solid feel for the barrel and has recently started to impact the ball more frequently. He will be able to impact the game in a number of ways, and his name is sure to be all over the box score.
PATH TO OMAHA
Wake Forest is one of the most talented teams in the nation. This year’s team will play with a chip on its shoulder after coming up just short in Omaha last year, and now it knows what it’s like to both manage and live up to sky-high preseason expectations. If this year’s group gels the way last year’s did and is able to stay healthy, it is hard to imagine a scenario in which Wake Forest is not playing for a national championship.
2024 LINEUP
2 LSU
Last season: 54-17 (19-10 in SEC), won College World Series
Final 2023 ranking: No. 1
Coach (record at school): Jay Johnson (94-39, two seasons)
THE GOOD NEWS
LSU won it seventh national championship last year. Coach Jay Johnson, the architect of that team, has reloaded and put together arguably the best roster in the country. Third baseman Tommy White returns to anchor the offense and take aim at Matt LaPorta’s 21st century home run record of 74. LSU has the best catching situation in the country with its trio of sophomore Brady Neal and fifth-year seniors Alex Milazzo and Hayden Travinski. Slugger Jared Jones, a 2023 Freshman All-American, is ready to take over at first base. The roster again was once again supplemented with a top transfer class. Righthander Luke Holman (Alabama) and lefthander Gage Jump (UCLA) are ticketed for the rotation, while shortstop Michael Braswell (South Carolina) and outfielder Mac Bingham (Arizona) are regulars.
THE BAD NEWS
For as much talent as LSU has coming back, it suffered significant losses. That starts with losing Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews, the first and second picks in the 2023 draft. In all, 11 Tigers signed out of the draft, and CWS hero Cade Beloso graduated. LSU appears to have the veterans and culture to overcome those losses in the locker room. On the diamond, things will look differently for the Tigers. They are replacing ace Skenes, No. 2 starter Ty Floyd and security-blanket reliever Riley Cooper, as well as pitching coach Wes Johnson, who is now the head coach at Georgia. New pitching coach Nate Yeskie, who has a wealth of experience and worked with Jay Johnson at Arizona, will have to find the right mix. But with Thatcher Hurd, Jump and Holman in the mix to start, and with Nate Ackenhausen, Gavin Guidry and Griffin Herring back in the bullpen, there’s no shortage of options on the mound. LSU also has some questions defensively. The triangle of second baseman Gavin Dugas, shortstop Jordan Thompson and Crews in center field are all gone. How well Braswell, Josh Pearson, who is moving from the outfield to second base, and sophomore Paxton Kling handle their new roles will be key.
PLAYER TO KNOW
Righthander Thatcher Hurd was one of LSU’s big additions out of the transfer portal in summer 2022 after spending his freshman year at UCLA. He had an up-and-down first season in Baton Rouge, showing immense promise but also getting pushed to the bullpen at times. At the end of the season, Hurd was at his best. He delivered a quality start in the decisive third game of the CWS finals and in 12 innings in Omaha held Florida and Wake Forest to three runs on six hits.
PATH TO OMAHA
The last two national champions, Mississippi State and Ole Miss, followed their triumphs with last-place finishes in the SEC. LSU is entirely too talented to suffer that fate, but it also can’t afford to rest on its laurels. The Tigers’ offense likely won’t be as good as it was a year ago, when it averaged 8.9 runs per game. But its pitching staff should compensate for any drop-off.
2024 LINEUP
3 ARKANSAS
Last season: 43-18 (20-10), lost in Fayetteville Regional
Final 2023 ranking: No. 16
Coach (record at school): Dave Van Horn (839-441, 21 seasons)
THE GOOD NEWS
It starts on the mound for the Razorbacks. Lefthander Hagen Smith, a first-team all-SEC starter last season, returns to lead the rotation. Backing him will be righthander Brady Tygart, who last season pitched well down the stretch as a starter, and lefthander Mason Molina, who last season was Texas Tech’s top starter before transferring to Arkansas. Righthander Gage Wood returns to anchor the bullpen, which received additional reinforcements from the Razorbacks’ second-ranked recruiting class. With Smith leading the way, Arkansas could have the best pitching staff in the conference.
THE BAD NEWS
Arkansas is rebuilding its lineup after losing six regulars, led by third-round outfielder . While this spring’s lineup will look different, it won’t lack talent. The Razorbacks again hit the transfer portal hard to reload, bringing in a mix of veterans—slugger (Tarleton State) and outfielder (Missouri)—and high-end prospects—shortstop (Sacramento State) (Texas Tech). Those newcomers will need to hit the ground running, especially with White, Aloy and Wilmsmeyer expected to take on up-the-middle positions, but Arkansas has consistently found a way to reload the offense.
