The Men's College World Series begins Friday and seven of the eight spots have been occupied by teams in the top 16, with the lone outlier being Florida, the 2023 national runner-up.
This year's field is also made up solely of the SEC (No. 1 Tennessee, No. 2 Kentucky, No. 3 Texas A&M and Florida) and ACC (No. 4 North Carolina, No. 8 Florida State, No. 10 North Carolina State and No. 12 Virginia) schools. The advantage lies with the SEC, as the conference has won the last four MCWS titles.
But with a newcomer to the party in Omaha, teams that have made many visits but never lifted the trophy and others looking for redemption, there is a lot to see in this year's tournament.
Our experts break down this year's MCWS, the stories and players they're watching, and give their bold predictions on what to expect in Omaha over the next week and a half.
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Arguments | Players | More to prove
Bold predictions | Who is winning everything?
1. What stories are you most excited to see develop?
Ryan McGee: I'm fascinated by the unfinished business aspect of this series. Florida and Virginia have won it all before. That's all. Florida State is the largest program to ever build in Omaha. NC State, Tennessee, Texas A&M… they've all long been near the top of everyone's question: “How has this place never been better in baseball?” liza. UNC is still scarred by the anguish of 2006-07. Kentucky had never been to Omaha before. Something has to give, right?
Kiley McDaniel: It's hard to ignore the portal/NIL era that led to a bunch of traditional powers with resources. That's an even bigger relief this year, since the MCWS is a matchup of half-ACC and half-SEC teams, without Oral Roberts getting in the way like in 2023. The pool of teams that can make it to Omaha might be thinning a bit, but the level The level of competition at the top of the sport is increasing, as more good players end up at these schools.
Mike Rooney: Can the ACC stop an SEC on a roll? The ACC has long been a standout baseball conference. But this year felt different. The teams at the top traded blows with the SEC during the regular season. Florida State outscored Florida 45-15 in its three-game sweep of the Gators. Clemson swept rival South Carolina in two games. However, Omaha is different. SEC programs appear to be finding a different direction at Nebraska. Hence the five national titles (from five different teams) in the last six completed seasons. This should be fun.
Chris Burke: Can the national No. 1 seed break the 24-year streak without lifting the trophy in the end? Tennessee comes into the MCWS ranked No. 1 overall and is playing a type of ball that has seen it finish the season winning nine straight SEC series, the SEC regular season title, the SEC tournament title and a 5-1 record in the final. tournament so far. He's an offense that has the second-most home runs in college baseball history in a park that tends to be stingy on home runs. Can the Vols do it? It will be interesting to see.
2. Which players are you following closely?
McGee: The easy answer here is Jac Caglianone and the 1-2 MLB draft picks (Christian Moore and James Tibbs) from Tennessee and FSU. And I was VERY curious to see Texas A&M's Braden Montgomery, an outfielder who was going to play in Omaha for the third straight season, the first two with Stanford, before breaking his ankle in the super regionals. So how about UNC's Vance Honeycutt? That guy knows drama better than most Hollywood writers. In super, he hit a home run to beat West Virginia in Game 1, then the next pitch he saw, almost a day later, he hit it too!
McDaniel: Kentucky's Ryan Waldschmidt is moving up boards into the middle of the first round, even higher than my last mock draft had him. The same goes for Christian Moore in Tennessee. Both could continue to rise with performances on the big stages. Teams are still divided on Honeycutt, but his performances to close out the year are probably helping him as well, and he could make it to the middle of the first round as well.
Rooney: This could be a problem, but give me the North Carolina bullpen. There is a certain intimidation when playing against a team with a tight bullpen. The opposing dugout feels the pressure to secure a lead in the first five innings or feel the consequences. And this is especially true when it comes to a group of arms like the Tar Heels' relief quartet. Dalton Pence, Ben Peterson, Matt Poston and Matthew Matthijs give captain Scott Forbes a unique look and plenty of cards to play. This group is talented and proven. Could it be the separator for UNC in Omaha?
Burke: Honey cut. He's not ranked as the top draft prospect in Omaha, but he's as talented as any college player in the game. With elite speed, explosive power, and game-changing defense, this guy is must-watch TV. Plus, he's been in serious trouble in the postseason! If he stays active, he is the type of talent that can take the Tar Heels to the finals.
3. Who or what team has the most to prove in Omaha?
McGee: Tennessee has to prove it can handle this stage. After years of doing just fine with occasional flashes of brilliance, the Vols are now ranked No. 1 regularly, but always find a way not to close the deal. If Tony Vitiello can keep his Big Orange emotions from getting in his way, like they have before, then they could win it all and who knows what floodgates could open in the years to come.
McDaniel: Kentucky is the new kid on the block and the SEC needs to win this coin toss with the ACC to continue claiming to be the best conference. If Tennessee wins, Vitiello could have the most influence of any coach in a while as we head into a silly season.
Rooney: The Aggies have been praised as one of the most talented teams in college baseball in 2024. And here they are in Omaha. However, they arrive without the services of recently injured superstar right fielder Montgomery. How many teams can handle losing a top 10 pick? The Aggies could also be without a starter over the weekend, as left-hander Shane Sdao exited his super regional start with an apparent arm injury. Sdao had been brilliant down the stretch. If any team could overcome these losses, it is this one. But it won't be easy against this field.
Burke: Kentucky. Are you in it to win it or are you just happy to be there? Sometimes the joy of arriving in Omaha, especially for the first time on the show, can take our eyes off the goal at hand. The Cats are built to produce offense in this environment, but I'm very curious to see how they handle this big event in their first go-round.
4. What is your bold prediction for this year?
McGee: A team from the South will win it all! It's a joke. We'll have one of two state matchups in the championship series, either FSU vs. Florida or UNC vs. NC State…although that could just be the sportswriter's “please give me that awesome story to write!” In Myself.
McDaniel: Florida was an inconsistent team this year that started the regionals as a third seed, but I have the Gators up there with rivals Florida State and Tennessee as well-balanced teams that are hot at the right time. With Florida only in Group 2, while FSU and Tennessee are in Group 1, I have the Gators going to the MCWS Finals.
Rooney: You want boldness. Here you have. In the stadium of the worst hitters in all of college baseball (Charles Schwab Field), Caglianone will hit four home runs and tie him with Georgia's Charlie Condon for the national lead. Condon's season ended with supers and he has 37 home runs. “Cags” will need four bombs to catch him. That's a great question. But Caglianone has used legendary heaters before. His 2024 season includes a 30-game hitting streak and a nine-game home run streak. The latter is a college baseball record. “The Chuck Box” is a huge park, but not big enough to house this guy.
Burke: This is the last time we see Caglianone pitch. Throughout his career we've compared Cags to Shohei Ohtani and dreamed of the potential of the game's next big two-way star. Well, as his career has developed, the offense has completely eclipsed the pitching to the point where I think this MCWS will be the last time we see Cags in the slump. What a good run it has been, since he's been so good at both for so long, but it looks like his days as a pitcher are numbered. So let's enjoy our latest look at one of the college game's greatest two-way talents.
5. Who is your pick to win it all?
McGee: In a field severely lacking in “been there, done that,” it's hard to look at Florida, which took LSU to a third game in last year's championship series, and not think that will be worth something a year later .
McDaniel: I think whoever wins Box 1 between Tennessee and Florida State will win the title. I'm going to lean toward Tennessee because I think he's too deep at a time of year when that's crucial and he has experience in Omaha.
Rooney: The Vols lead the nation with a staggering 173 home runs. The first three hitters (Christian Moore, Blake Burke, Billy Amick) are the most difficult part of any lineup in college baseball. But it's more than the power… it's the pedigree of the program. The Vols return to Omaha for the third time in four seasons. The team that missed the College World Series (2022) won 57 games before losing in Game 3 of a super regional. Tennessee has earned the No. 1 overall seed to the NCAA Tournament in two of the last three seasons. This program has been operating at the top of the sport for four years. It's time for a supreme achievement.
Burke: To this point, the Vols have responded to every challenge that has come their way. I think the easiest prediction is that they will continue like this in Omaha. If they do, the first place baggage will finally disappear! Sleeper's Choice…Virginia. I love the way this team plays offense and after three trips in the last four years, I wouldn't be surprised if this is the Hoos' moment.
