There are 10 days until college baseball’s selection show, but many local organizers have pretty much made up their minds at this point in the season.
But the overall top seed hasn’t won a national title since 1999. In other words, a long, hot pool always offers some attractive prospects.
My favorite is to win the College World Series before Division I regionals begin on May 31st.
University of California, Irvine wins College World Series (60/1, DraftKings)
Anteaters has a Cinderella formula that isn’t all that different from a hardwood mid-major. Their success is based on experience.
They have a veteran team that returns this season with almost the entire lineup intact.
This is a remarkable accomplishment in college baseball, thanks to an early departure for the transfer portal and MLB Draft.
As a result of this continuity, UCI plays great team baseball.
Irvine ranks 10th in fielding percentage, third in on-base percentage, and has six batters in the batting average above .300.
Veteran ace Nick Pinto has started 59 games since 2020 and is one of the most experienced pitchers in college baseball.
The former All-American freshman is the kind of “Friday starter” who can help lead a team to the College World Series.
But Batman the anteater finally got Robin. Freshman Trevor Hansen has emerged as a quality No. 2 in the rotation.
Although he was hit hard early in the season, he was solid in his third consecutive appearance, with 13 strikeouts in his final 12 innings.
West Coast baseball is severely lacking in quality teams, but the Anteeters overcame that by getting a chance to play against another powerhouse in the Pacific.
They won the season series against nationally ranked UC Santa Barbara, which could help the selection committee at the end of the month.
At a time when momentum is everything, a record of 13-2 in the last 15 games is possible.
Speaking of West Coast baseball states, the Pac-12’s papier-mâché tigers, Oregon State and Arizona State, would offer little resistance if UCI were sent to Corvallis or Tucson in an upcoming regional tournament. .
Oregon State’s road issues could ultimately cost the Beavers regular-season honors, and ace Jacob Kumatz has been up and down.
He can perform like an All-American in one game and then come under fire the next.
He recently allowed five earned runs and eight hits against Washington State, but could struggle against a veteran team like UCI that knows how to get runners on base.
Arizona will play almost evenly against UCI.
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The Wildcats are outside the top 125 in slugging power and rely on a talented staff to get through low-scoring games.
Arizona and Oregon State will meet this weekend to decide the Pac-12 regular season crown.
Another factor to consider when playing UCI is whether their game fits the profile of a CWS winner.
The cavernous space of Charles Schwab Field in Omaha favors teams that can generate runs, rather than those that rely solely on the long ball.
This long price is very attractive as this team can connect hits and draw walks at an elite level.
And the final sweetener is that anteaters lead the country to road success.
While the powerhouse teams in college baseball often dominate at home, Omaha has a neutral base, so it’s always worth adding a team with great road success to your future portfolio.
