Baseball America and USA Today differ in the rankings, with BA putting Virginia first while the latter has Cal State Fullerton as the preseason top dog. I decided to go over the top five teams on these lists to give a brief preview.
VIRGINIA (BA #1, USA #6)
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| Brandon Waddell (Photo by Tony Farlow) |
There were six Cavaliers in the NECBL last season, including three on my hometown Mountaineers. Baseball America puts two of them as starters, headlined by Kenny Towns at third base and Nathan Kirby in the rotation. Virginia looks really solid as they're deep, balanced and talented and have seven juniors. They have a formidable center of the lineup with Mike Papi, Derek Fisher and 2013 freshmen all-american Joe McCarthy. They have a roster filled with guys in their second-years on the team and with one of the most stable, experienced coaching staffs, Virginia is poised to make a run.
OREGON STATE (BA #2, USA #3)
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| Andrew Moore |
The Beavers strength lie in their pitching. Andrew Moore was a first-team All-American as a freshman after going 14-2 with a 1.79 ERA. He has a four-pitch mix including a 87-93 MPH fastball. His sophomore sidekick Ben Wetzler is just as tough to face. Wetzler went 10-1 with a 2.25 ERA as a member of the deepest pitching staff in the nation. The Beavers offense isn't too shabby either, anchored by juniors Michael Conforto and Dylan Davis. Conforto is an elite hitter while Davis features massive raw power. Oregon State has strong pitching and two beasts in the lineup make for the chance at a third national title for the Beavers.
INDIANA (BA #3, USA #11)
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| Dustin DeMuth (Photo by Andrew Woolley) |
Once again, several Hoosiers found there way to the NECBL this past summer. Scott Donley and Nick Ramos were Mountaineers and now are key components of the Hoosiers lineup. Donley is a line-drive machine and hit .358 last year. He's joined by Ramos and Dustin Demuth in an elite lineup. With the exception of Aaron Slegers, last years Big Ten pitcher of the year, the Hoosiers return a solid rotation. Senior Joey DeNato (10-2, 2.52 last season) and Kyle Hart lead an all-lefty staff. Most of Indiana's College World Series team returns and forms a talented and experienced squad that are a major player in the race for a title.
CAL STATE FULLERTON (BA #4, USA #1)
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| Thomas Eshelman (Photo by Larry Goren) |
The Titans have a less-potent offense after losing four main components but they still have considerable talent. A trio of juniors- Matt Chapman, Clay Williamson and Austin Diemer- lead the way. The lineup focuses on Chapman and JD Davis, who combined for 87 RBIs last year. The pitching is really where the Titans step up. Thomas Esheleman (12-3, 1.48 last year), Justin Garza (12-0, 2.03) and Grahamm Wiest (9-3, 3.27) form a talented rotation. Freshman Phil Bickford, the No. 10 overall pick, wasn't even included in BA's list as he's a midweek starter despite having an explosive 96 MPH fastball. They finished the No. 10 team last year after being outplayed by UCLA in the super regionals- and haven't made it to the CWS since 2009. This could be the year to break that drought.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE (BA #5, USA #9)
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| Jake Fincher (Photo by Andrew Woolley) |
The Wolfpack are headlined by one of the nation's top players, Trea Turner. He hit .368 as a sophomore with 42 RBIs and 30 stolen bases and gets this offense started. Turner is joined by talented center fielder Jake Fincher, who hit .313 last year and added 29 RBIs. Three new starters join the lineup with a pair of freshman and a transfer, but the core remains. The rotation is talented as well, headlined by Carlos Rodon who went 10-3 with a 2.99 ERA last season. He struck out 184 batters in 132 innings as he has a strong fastball, an even better slider and a strong changeup. Rodon and Turner lead this competitive Wolfpack squad who have a shot at ending the ACC's six-decade national title drought.
NEXT TEN (BA's rankings)
6. Florida State
7. South Carolina
8. Mississippi State
9. Louisiana State
10. Vanderbilt
11. Oregon
12. UCLA
13. Clemson
14. Louisiana-Lafayette
15. Rice
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