The game of College Baseball continues to grow, and it is amazing to see! One of the biggest examples of the sport’s growth has been the available futures in the NCAA Baseball gambling market. College World Series betting odds have been available all year. However, there’s a few new futures markets that we can get action on. In this article, I’ll provide a College World Series Preview with my NCAA Baseball Power Rankings.
My College World Series NCAA Baseball Power Rankings are now a yearly tradition. When ranking each team, I take into account their lineup/position players, starting rotation, bullpen, and path to the National Championship. I will also provide some best bets in the futures market.
College World Series Betting Odds: NCAA Baseball Power Rankings
There are two 4-team double-elimination College World Series brackets.
Bracket #1: (1) Tennessee, (8) Florida State, (12) Virginia, (4) North Carolina
Bracket #2: (2) Kentucky, (10) NC State, Florida, (3) Texas A&M
Once a winner of each bracket is determined, the College World Series finals will take place in a best-of-three series format.
If you’re looking for daily game-by-game College World Series betting odds and picks, I strongly encourage you to check out the Sports Gambling Podcast Network‘s “The College Baseball Experience.” It’s a podcast that uploads daily betting shows and gives analysis on every game throughout the NCAA Baseball Tournament. Oh, and I host it!
1. Tennessee Volunteers (+290 DK)
Position Players
Five regulars from Tennessee’s lineup are batting above .310 w/ OPS over 1.070. Four of these five players could all be possibly drafted in the first round of this year’s MLB Draft. Not only does this team sit atop the leaderboard of multiple important offensive categories for handicapping, but Tennessee ranks 33rd in Fielding percentage.
2B Christian Moore won the SEC Regular season Triple Crown. He has a .375 average, 1.249 OPS, and 32 homers this season. Robin to Moore’s batman is Blake Burke, a power-hitting, sweet-swinging lefty with a .364 average, 17 HR, 24 doubles, and a 1.115 OPS.
The other two 1st round draft candidates are Billy Amick and Kavares Tears. Amick has 23 homers with a .313 average, and Tears is batting .330 with 18 tanks.
Last but not least, Dylan Dreiling is the other dude from the group of five, with an average of over .320 and an OPS of over 1.060. He was named the Knoxville Regional’s Most Outstanding Player. Dreiling was 7-13 with 2 HR, 5 R, and 3 RBI. After a cold weekend against Evansville, he’ll be aiming to heat back up.
Christian Moore destroys this pitch for his 31st HR of the season 👀🚀pic.twitter.com/thRBs1J6Nl
— Prospect Dugout (@prospectdugout) June 9, 2024
Projected Starting Rotation
GM1: (Opener) Chris Stamos Grad LHP: 3-0, 3.60 ERA (has allowed at least one run in his last 6 apps) / (Long Relief) AJ Causey JR RHP: 12-3, 3.77 ERA, 117 K, 19 BB, 86 IP
SP2: Drew Beam JR RHP: 8-2, 4.44 ERA, 85 K, 23 BB, 93.1 IP (9.69 ERA L3 Starts, 7.41 ERA L5 Starts)
SP3: Zander Sechrist SR LHP: 4-1, 3.21 ERA, 66 K, 14 BB, 66.1 IP, 3.03 SIERA (0.78 ERA L4 Starts)
Bullpen
Tennessee’s top four most-used relievers all have thrown at least 25 innings this season, and they all have sub-4 ERAs. Aaron Combs (2.65 ERA, 37.1 IP, 54 K) is the nastiest out of the pen, and Kirby Connell (3.98 ERA, 43 IP) is the most experienced. Dylan Loy (2.25 ERA, 28 IP) and Andrew Behnke (3.12 ERA, 26 IP) are the other two elite options that not many other teams can match.
2. North Carolina Tar Heels (+750 FD)
Position Players
All nine hitters in North Carolina’s lineup own a batting average of .280 or higher—six of them over .300, four with an OPS over 1.000. The Tar Heels have the best 1-2-3 of any lineup heading to the College World Series in Omaha. Vance Honeycutt, Casey Cook, and Parks Harber all bat 1-2-3 with 26, 18, and 20 taters each. The first five hitters in the lineup all have an OPS over 1.000, and all nine starters have a batting average of over .280.
Honeycutt is the back-to-back ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He is the perfect centerfielder to roam the outfield. The 2024 MLB Draft prospect will be able to run down all the warning track power that this year’s College World Series features. This is a super underrated piece that propped up UNC in my NCAA Baseball Power Rankings.
CHAPEL THRILL DOESNT DISAPPOINT!!!
VANCE HONEYCUTT WALK OFF PIMP JOB. NORTH CAROLINA WINS GAME 1#CollegeBaseball #GoHeels #RoadToOmaha
— Noah Bieniek (@NoahB77_) June 8, 2024
Projected Starting Rotation
SP1: Shea Sprague JR LHP: 3-1, 4.00 ERA, 64 K, 16 BB, 74.1 IP
SP2: Jason DeCaro FR RHP: 6-1, 3.89 ERA, 72 K, 40 BB, 85.2 IP, 4.48 SIERA
SP3: Aidan Haugh JR RHP: 4-2, 4.53 ERA, 58 K, 24 BB, 51.2 IP, 3.66 SIERA, (8.12 ERA L3 Apps)
Bullpen
North Carolina’s arm barn has been awesome this season, with the 9th-best bullpen ERA at 3.97. Dalton Pence (9 SV, 2.04 ERA, 53 IP), Matthew Matthijs (3.65 ERA, 56.2 IP), and Matt Poston (5.25 ERA, 50 K, 36 IP) lead the Tar Heels in appearances from the pen. All three of them offer higher than 9 K per nines.
3. Kentucky Wildcats (+500 FD)
Position Players
Kentucky is an all-around great team. They don’t excel at anything with the sticks or on the mound, but they consistently get that clutch hit. They run the bases extremely well, aren’t afraid to lay a bunt down, and can also hit the long ball. UK is 19th in steals per game and T-38th in wRC+ with a 117. Nationally, the Cats have the 13th-best fielding percentage.
Nicky Lopez was a First Team ALL SEC Player. He’s an excellent defender, hit .369, with a 1.016 OPS, 54 R, and 49 RBI in the regular season. Leading the team in the power department is Ryan Waldschmidt and Ryan Nicholson.
Waldschmidt tore his ACL in the Cape last summer, and he has been a tremendous comeback story, hitting .359 with a 1.139 OPS and 14 homers. Nicholson, who was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Lexington Regional, leads the team in homers with 20.
Projected Starting Rotation
SP1: Trey Pooser Grad RHP 7-1, 3.46 ERA, 79 K, 33 BB, 83.1 IP, 3.78 SIERA, (0.47 ERA in Postseason)
SP2: Mason Moore JR RHP: 9-3, 4.93 ERA, 80 K, 51 BB, 87.2 IP, 4.36 SIERA, (0.38 ERA in NCAA Tournament Career)
SP3: Dominic Niman JR RHP: 8-4, 6.24 ERA, 66 K, 25 BB, 70.2 IP, 3.99 SIERA, (13.54 ERA L4 ST)
Mason Moore is a PROBLEM in the NCAA tournament 😤
🔵 20.1 IP
🔵 0 R
🔵 10 H
🔵 18 KCan the @UKBaseball righty continue his success in super regionals?
🔗 https://t.co/ncq87bVzt2 pic.twitter.com/rPVF91suPK
— D1Baseball (@d1baseball) June 5, 2024
Bullpen
Kentucky has a 4.91 Weekend Bullpen ERA. Johnny Hummel and Robert Hogan are two of the go-tos out of a bullpen. Hummel has 7 saves with a 3.49 ERA, 38 K, in 28.1 IP. Hogan also tallied 38 K this season in 38.1 IP with a 2.58 ERA.
4. NC State Wolf Pack (+1200 BetRivers)
Position Players
When the Wolf Pack are at the plate they don’t give you any freebies. This team is top 30 in walk percentage and strikeout percentage. Then, when they make a mistake, they punish it. They have 99 home runs, which puts them 33rd in the college baseball landscape.
Alek Makarewicz and Garrett Pennington form a top-notch duo at the top of the order. AMak leads the Wolf-Pack with a .379 average, a 1.178 OPS, and 20 homers. Pennington is trailing just behind with a .347 average, 1.088 OPS, and 16 home runs.
Projected Starting Rotation
SP1: Sam Highfill Grad RHP: 7-2, 5.02 ERA, 75 K, 41 BB, 80 IP, 4.50 SIERA
SP2: Dom Fritton SO LHP: 3-5, 6.57 ERA, 67 K, 43 BB, 68 IP, 4.57 SIERA, (8.36 ERA in L5 ST)
SP3: Logan Whitaker SR RHP: 3-1, 6.06 ERA, 59 K, 19 BB, 52 IP, 3.54 SIERA, (5.03 ERA L5 ST)
Bullpen
NC State is 16-5 in their last 21 games. A gigantic reason for that has been their young trio of relief arms: Jacob Dudan, Derrick Smith, and Cooper Consiglio. They have a combined 2.36 ERA in those 21 games (53.1 IP). Specifically, Dudan has a 2.74 ERA in 23 IP, and Consiglio has a 2.30 ERA in 19.2 IP. Smith has stepped up as the closer with a 1.70 ERA in 10.2 IP.
NC State is 16-5 since April 28th
NC State’s young bullpen trio of Derrick Smith, Jacob Dudan, and Cooper Consiglio have a combined 2.36 ERA in the 21 games (53.1 IP)
Dudan (2.74 ERA, 23 IP)
Smith (1.70 ERA, 10.2 IP)
Consiglio (2.30 ERA, 19.2 IP)#CollegeBaseball #Pack9 #MCWS pic.twitter.com/aQ96b2Z3Ly— Noah Bieniek (@NoahB77_) June 12, 2024
5. Texas A&M Aggies (+350 FD)
Position Players
Unfortunately, the FIRST elephant in the room is Braden Montgomery suffering a broken ankle during the Super Regionals. Even without BMont, Texas A&M possesses one of the best top-to-bottom scoring offenses with great defense. Kaedon Kent, Montgomery’s substitute, just happens to be former MLB MVP Jeff Kent’s son. During Saturday’s Super Regional game, Kent blasted a Grand Slam.
The Aggies will be just fine offensively. Seven hitters in the lineup have batting averages over .285. Gavin Grahovac and Jace LaViolette both have hit 20+ homers, with averages above .305 and OPS over 1.030.
Projected Starting Rotation
Unfortunately, the SECOND elephant in the room is (SP2) Shane Sdao’s arm injury he suffered during the Super Regionals. Texas A&M’s biggest hole was its starting rotation. They do have an Ace that not many other CWS attendees have, Ryan Prager. The southpaw is a strike thrower and does well-limiting damage.
Justin Lamkin and Tanner Jones were solid during the beginning of the year. They fell off during the back end, and the fan base has completely lost faith in the duo. I think there is a possibility that Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle will dip into his elite bullpen to find another candidate to start.
SP1: Ryan Prager SO LHP: 8-1, 2.53 ERA, 113 K, 19 BB, 85.1 IP, 1.99 SIERA, (0.91 ERA at HOME)
SP2: TBA, Justin Lamkin (5.73 ERA) or Tanner Jones (6.33 ERA)
Game 3: TBA, Justin Lamkin (5.73 ERA) or Tanner Jones (6.33 ERA)
Bullpen
This pen is outstanding and ranks 4th in the nation with a 3.68 ERA. Chris Cortez has outstanding stuff and can run it up there at triple digits sometimes. He has 89 K in 57.1 IP. Evan Aschenbeck has appeared the most of the pen and is super reliable. Aschenbeck is a finalist and probably a frontrunner to win Stopper of the Year with a 1.66 ERA.
Top-ranked Texas A&M keeps rolling with a big 5-2 win over Georgia. Ted Burton went 2-4 with 2 HRs, Jackson Appel hit a 2-run HR, and Gavin Grahovac went 1-3 with a solo HR.
Ryan Prager turned in another quality start, and Evan Aschenbeck slammed the door with 2.2 shutout… pic.twitter.com/cBcig43g5Z
— Peter Flaherty III (@PeterGFlaherty) April 27, 2024
6. Florida State Seminoles (+900 FD)
Position Players
Florida State ranks 9th in batting average (.313), 12th with a 126 wRC+, and 19th with 107 homers. The lineup contains seven hitters with batting averages over .295, and seven dudes have double-digit two-baggers. The Noles are also super solid defensively, with a .980 Fielding percentage.
James Tibbs III and Cam Smith are two highly touted 2024 MLB Draft prospects. On the season, though, Tibbs has a .362 AVG, 1.267 OPS, with 25 homers, 84 RBI, and 67 runs scored. Cam Smith has a team-leading .396 batting average and 77 runs scored, supported by a 1.172 OPS, 54 RBI, and 16 HR.
JAMES FN TIBBS III
THE “THIRD” IN HIS NAME STANDS FOR THE AMOUNT OF HOME RUNS HE HAS HIT TODAY!!!#CollegeBaseball #GoNoles #RoadToOmaha
— Noah Bieniek (@NoahB77_) June 8, 2024
Projected Starting Rotation
SP1: Jamie Arnold SO LHP 11-3, 2.77 ERA, 155 K, 22 BB, 100.2 IP, 1.63 SIERA, (4.43 ERA L3 ST)
SP2: Carson Dorsey JR LHP: 7-4, 4.67 ERA, 81 K, 35 BB, 69.1 IP, 3.58 SIERA, (3.60 ERA L3 ST)
SP3: Conner Whittaker JR RHP: 4-0, 4.75 ERA, 43 K, 14 BB, 55 IP, 3.74 SIERA, 2.52 ERA L5 Apps
Bullpen
The top three bullpen arms have ERAs sub-5. Brennen Oxford is the leverage guy for the Noles, 2.94 ERA with 65 K, in 52 IP with four saves. John Abraham and Connor Hults are two other important relief pitchers. Hults leads the team with six saves (4.45 ERA), and Abraham has 42 K in 34 IP.
7. Virginia Cavaliers (+1000 DK)
Position Players
Virginia ranks inside the top 15 of many impressive offensive categories. They are 2nd in batting average (.336), 4th in OPS (1.004), 4th with a 134 wRC+, 5th in OB (.428), 4th in slugging percentage (.575), 11th most home runs with 116, and that’s just naming a few.
This lineup is so deep. All nine of the lineup’s regulars are batting over .295, and eight of them have double-digit doubles. Harrison Didawick leads the Hoos with 23 dingers, Henry Ford has 17, Jacob Ference has 17, too, and Casey Saucke has 14.
Projected Starting Rotation
SP1: Evan Blanco SO LHP: 8-3, 3.69 ERA, 95 K, 25 BB, 95.2 IP, 3.28 SIERA
SP2: Jay Woolfolk JR RHP: 4-1, 5.95 ERA, 64 K, 37 BB, 59 IP, 4.15 SIERA, 3.31 ERA L3 Apps
SP3: Joe Savino Grad RHP 3-2, 3.18 ERA, 23 K, 10 BB, 28.1 IP, 4.11 SIERA, 4.03 ERA L4 ST
Seven-straight retired by Evan Blanco, now up to 7 Ks!
📺 ESPN2 | #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/OzkXbDeK6U
— Virginia Baseball (@UVABaseball) June 8, 2024
Bullpen
The bullpen could use some work (5.94 Weekend ERA). It didn’t bite them in Regionals, but the lack of pitching has been Virginia’s Achilles heel all season long. As we once again enter the double-elimination 4-team pool play format, if UVA falls into the loser’s bracket, they may not be equipped to stay afloat.
8. Florida Gators (+1500 BetRivers)
Position Players
Power hitting and power pitching is the name of the game for the Gators. They have hit 125 home runs, which is the 6th most nationally. On the mound, Florida is striking out just over 25% of the hitters they face (18th).
Jac Caglianone is the dude for Florida. He leads the team both at the plate and on the mound. Being left off the Golden Spikes finalists list has amped him up even more this weekend. With the stick, Cags leads the team by far with a .411 average and 1.392 OPS, with 33 home runs.
Ashton Wilson broke out and won Stillwater Regional’s Most Outstanding Player. So far in the NCAA Tournament, Wilson is 12-27 (.414) with 2 HR, 9 RBI, and 7 runs scored
Projected Starting Rotation
SP1: Liam Peterson FR RHP: 3-4, 5.97 ERA, 72 K, 36 BB, 60.1 IP, 3.77 SIERA, 6.21 ERA L3 ST
SP2: Jac Caglianone JR LHP: 5-2, 4.71 ERA, 82 K, 48 BB, 72.2 IP, 4.08 SIERA, 7.62 ERA L3 ST
SP3: Pierce Coppola JR LHP: 0-4, 9.16 ERA, 26 K, 9 BB, 18.2 IP, 3.16 SIERA, 10.80 ERA L4 Apps
“Coach will it be Jac Caglianone tomorrow, on the mound?” –@delatorre
Cags was sitting there like a puppy looking for a treat, waiting for Head Coach Kevin O’Sullivan to say yes 😅#CollegeBaseball #GoGators #RoadToOmaha pic.twitter.com/9ofCmEsH9F
— Noah Bieniek (@NoahB77_) June 9, 2024
Bullpen
Florida fans have Brandon Neely to thank for getting them to the 2024 Mens College World Series. Neely was shaky for the first few months of the season. However, the RHP reliever has been nails in the NCAA Baseball Tournament. He has put the below-average bullpen (5.76 Weekend ERA) on his back. Neely has a 1.69 ERA in four NCAA Tourney appearances this season.
Outside of Neely, the next three best options for the Gators in relief are Fisher Jameson (4.35 ERA, 71 K, 60 IP), Jake Clemente (5.68 ERA, 35 K, 25.1 IP), Ryan Slater (6.70 ERA, 49.2 IP).
College World Series Betting Odds: NCAA Baseball Power Rankings
For more analysis and entertainment on NCAA Baseball gambling, make sure you tune into The College Baseball Experience. During the season, Colby Dant and Noah Bieniek will talk about and pick the winners of each weekend’s biggest series.
