As the college baseball season begins this week, I make my predictions for postseason awards and the SEC conference standings. The awards are headlined by the SEC and ACC, featuring some of the top 2024 MLB Draft prospects. Jac Caglianone headlines my predictions in being the best player in college baseball this season, earning both the Dick Howser Award (the Heisman Trophy equivalent) and the Golden Spikes Award. I expect several players on these lists to become big time MLB players and stars and rightfully so with mulitple tools they possess.
Omaha 8 Prediction
Wake Forest, Arkansas, Florida, LSU, TCU, Vanderbilt, Clemson, Texas
Sleepers: Kentucky (+5000), Oklahoma State (+5000), ECU (+5000), Auburn (+6000), Iowa (+9000), Dallas Baptist (+9000)
Keep an eye on these sleeper teams that will make serious postseason runs. I expect three of them to host a Regional and two to make a Super Regional. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them made it to Omaha, that's for sure.
There is always one team who comes out of nowhere and makes a DEEP postseason run. Last season, it was Oral Roberts (ORU) who was the Cinderella story as they made it to Omaha.
Could one of my sleeper teams be this years Cinderella? Who do you think will it be this year?
National Championship
Wake Forest > Arkansas in a winner take all Game 3.
This Wake Forest team may be better than last years squad, if you can believe that.
They have no doubt the best weekend rotation in the country, all top 35 MLB prospects, comprised of Josh Hartle (#12), Chase Burns (#16), Michael Massey (#31). The Demon Deacons came up 1 game short of the national championship series last season in Omaha, losing back to back games to the eventual national champion LSU Tigers who beat the Florida Gators in a winner take all game 3.
This Arkansas team is the best team they and head coach Dave Van Horn has had since the 2018 club that was one out away from the title. The Razorbacks blundered on a miscommunicated pop up in foul territory and Oregon State rallied back to win the game and the decisive game 3 following to claim the title. Arkansas fans will never forget that play.
LSU was the #1 team entering the season and most of it as well and they ended up winning it all. I believe this Wake Forest team does the same and wins their first national championship since 1955. But hey, this is college baseball...anything can happen.
National Awards
For the national awards, all five of the finalist I've listed have all the talent and ability in the game to walk away with either or both of these awards so don't be surprised if they do.
However, I'm going with Jac Caglianone to receive both awards after the season. He is one of if not the most exciting and electric players in the collegiate game and is legitimately being compared to and called the next Shoehi Ohtani with nicknames of Jactani and Cagliohtani.
Expect all of these finalist to be first round picks, that's for sure.
Dick Howser Award (Heisman of college baseball)
1st: Jac Caglianone - 1B/LHP Florida
2nd: Nick Kurtz - 1B/OF Wake Forest
3rd: Travis Bazzana - 2B Oregon State
4th: J.J. Wetherholt - SS West Virginia
5th: Josh Hartle - LHP Wake Forest
Golden Spikes Award (top amateur player in the nation)
1st: Jac Caglianone - 1B/LHP Florida
2nd: Travis Bazzana - 2B Oregon State
3rd: Nick Kurtz - 1B/OF Wake Forest
4th: J.J. Wetherholt - SS West Virginia
5th: Josh Hartle - LHP Wake Forest
NCAA Awards
NCAA Pitcher of the Year
Winner: Josh Hartle - LHP Wake Forest
Runner Up: Hagen Smith - LHP Arkansas
NCAA Position Player of the Year
Winner: Jac Caglianone - 1B/LHP Florida
Runner Up: Nick Kurtz - 1B/OF Wake Forest
NCAA Freshman of the Year
Winner: Trent Caraway - 3B Oregon State
Runner Up: Gavin Grahovac - OF Texas A&M
NCAA John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year
Winner: Jac Caglianone - 1B/LHP Florida
Runner Up: Carson Benge - OF/RHP Oklahoma State
SEC Awards
SEC Pitcher of the Year
Winner: Hagen Smith - HLP Arkansas
Runner Up: Drew Beam - RHP Tennessee
SEC Position Player of the Year
Winner: Jac Caglianone - 1B/LHP Florida
Runner Up: Braden Montgomery - OF/RHP Texas A&M
SEC Freshman of the Year
Winner: Gavin Grahovac - OF Texas A&M
Runner Up: Ethan McElvain - LHP Vanderbilt
As for my SEC final standings and rankings, I expect the SEC to have 3+ teams reach Omaha and host 6-7 regionals. The divisions are pretty even when it comes to distribution but if I had to give an edge to which is better and tougher, I’d say the West barely.
My biggest “sleeper” in the SEC this season is the Kentucky Wildcats. The amount of talent that head coach Nick Mingione and the Wildcats have this season. In addition, they have the #2 projected SOS (Strength of Schedule) in the country behind Florida with an expected opponent win percentage of 0.6773 (1935-922). After talking to a source of mine, Mingione spoke with a certain individual in the college baseball industry.
A person who I myself know and believe to be the best college baseball statistical historian about who they (Kentucky) need to schedule and play to bolster their resume come postseason time. Time will tell as the season rolls on and come May.
For now however, this is how I expect the conference to look come May.
SEC Standings
[(#) = Power Rankings]
East
- Florida (1)
- Vanderbilt (4)
- Tennessee (6)
- Kentucky (10)
- South Carolina (8)
- Georgia (12)
- Missouri (14)
West
- Arkansas (2)
- LSU (3)
- Texas A&M (5)
- Auburn (9)
- Alabama (7)
- Ole Miss (11)
- Mississippi State (12)
The SEC is the best conference in college baseball and has the best talent. But as you know, it's a LONG season and ANYTHING can happen in the game of baseball, let alone in the college realm.
There is always one team that soars above the rest all season long. Last year, it was LSU. This year, it could be Florida, Arkansas, or someone else. There's also two teams that fall flat on their faces and have a disappointing season. Two years ago, it was both of the Mississippi teams which was shocking considering Ole Miss got hot at the right time, made a postseason run, and lifted the national championship trophy.
As for Mississippi State, the Bulldogs were one of the best teams in the country and ended the 2021 season as national championships. Both teams are looking to completely flip the script and get back to their winning ways. And finally, there's always one team that outperforms everyone's expectations and goes on a postseason run. Last year, it was the Kentucky Wildcats who made it to a Super Regional where they were swept by the eventual national champion LSU Tigers.
Who will fill these slots? Will your team have a disappointing season, a season to be proud of, or will they be dogpiling in Omaha and lift the 2024 national championship trophy?