The College World Series begins Friday, and there’s a lot of talent to keep your eyes out for. This is one hitter and one pitcher from each team who are worth the price of admission.
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West Virginia Mountaineers
Hitter: 2B/C – Gavin Kelly
Kelly has emerged as the projected first overall pick in the 2027 MLB Draft. This season in 59 games, he’s hitting .384 with a 1.204 OPS. He has 21 doubles, three triples, 17 home runs, 57 RBI, and 66 runs scored. In the Super Regionals, he went 4-9 with two doubles, a home run, an RBI, and three runs scored.
Pitcher: RHP – Dawson Montesa
Montesa is the 167th-ranked prospect for the draft. He’s made 18 appearances with 14 of those coming as starts this season, going 5-5 with a 5.78 ERA, a 1.45 WHIP, and 86 strikeouts in 71.2 innings. He didn’t pitch over the weekend and is fresh and ready to go in the CWS.
Oklahoma Sooners
Hitter: C/OF – Brendan Brock
Brock is the 109th prospect for the draft. In 58 games this season, he’s hitting .293 with a .903 OPS. He has ten doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, 52 RBI, 53 runs scored, and 27 stolen bases. He went 4-6 in the Super Regionals with two RBI and two runs scored.
Pitcher: LHP – Cord Rager
Rage this season in 14 starts is 5-3 with a 5.20 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and 81 strikeouts in 64 innings. He pitched the first game of the Super Regionals against Kansas, going six scoreless innings, allowing a hit, a walk, and striking out six.
Georgia Bulldogs
Hitter: C – Daniel Jackson
Jackson is the 39th-ranked prospect ahead of the draft, but after the season he’s having, he may go late in the first round. In 63 games, he’s hitting .396 with a 1.328 OPS. He has 13 doubles, a triple, 31 home runs, 86 RBI, and 86 runs scored. He’s fourth in OPS, third in home runs, second in RBI, and first in runs scored in all of college baseball. He needs four home runs to lead the country in home runs. In the Supers, he went 3-10 with two home runs, three RBI, and four runs scored. He was the SEC Player of the Year.
Pitcher: RHP – Joey Volchko
Volchko is the 73rd-ranked prospect ahead of the draft. In 17 starts this season, he’s 10-2 with a 4.07 ERA, a 1.42 WHIP, and 104 strikeouts in 86.1 innings. He pitched for the Bulldogs on Saturday in the Super Regionals, going five innings, allowing seven runs, four earned on seven hits. He walked two and struck out six.
Ole Miss Rebels
Hitter: INF – Judd Utermark
Uttermark, in 60 games this season, is hitting .312 with a 1.071 OPS. He has 12 doubles, 22 home runs, 53 RBI, and 72 runs scored. In the Super Regionals, he went 3-7 with a double, a home run, four RBI, and two runs scored.
Pitcher: RHP – Cade Townsend
Towsend is the 27th-ranked pitcher ahead of this summer’s draft. Kiley McDaniel has him mocked to be drafted by the Chicago Cubs with the 23rd overall pick. This season in 14 starts, he’s 5-3 with a 3.94 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, and 88 strikeouts in 64 innings. He didn’t pitch in the Super Regionals so he’ll be ready to go in Omaha.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Hitter: INF – Owen Hull
Hull, in 63 games this season, is hitting .390 with a 1.094 OPS. He has 24 doubles, a triple, seven home runs, 81 RBI, and 53 runs scored. He went 9-13 with four doubles, two RBI, and a run scored; he hit the walk-off double that sent the Tar Heels to Omaha.
Pitcher: RHP – Caden Glauber
In 25 appearances with three of those coming as starts, he is 10-0 with a 2.20 ERA, a 1.10 WHIP, and 99 strikeouts in 81.2 innings. He is sixth in the country in ERA. The six-foot-four-inch, 210-pound freshman has electric stuff, and he got the start in Sunday’s game three, going 7.1 innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out a season-high 11 batters.
Texas Longhorns
Hitter: OF – Aiden Robbins
Robbins is the 30th-ranked prospect, and he’s mocked to go 28th overall to the Astros. In 57 games for the Longhorns, he’s hitting .342 with a 1.115 OPS. He has nine doubles, two triples, 24 home runs, 64 RBI, and 65 runs scored. He went 1-6 against Oregon in the Super Regionals with two RBI, a home run, and two runs scored.
Pitcher: LHP – Dylan Volantis
Volantis has appeared in 16 games this season, with 15 of those coming as starts. He is 10-1 with a 2.03 ERA, a 1.01 WHIP, and 126 strikeouts in 88.2 innings. Volantis is tied for ninth in the country in strikeouts and is third in ERA. He pitched Saturday against Oregon, going 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits. He walked four and struck out ten.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Hitter: SS – Justin LeBron
LeBron is the ninth-ranked draft prospect in this year’s draft. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN has him going 17th to the Houston Astros in his mock draft. This season in 59 games, he’s hitting .277 with a .927 OPS. He has 13 doubles, 16 home runs, 48 RBI, and 58 runs scored. He went 3-8 in the Super Regionals, with a double, two RBI, and a run scored.
Pitcher: RHP – Tyler Fay
Fay in 17 starts this season is 11-4 with a 4.37 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and 121 strikeouts in 103 innings. He’s 13th in the country in strikeouts and fifth in innings pitched. Fay pitched on Saturday in the Super Regionals, going 7.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits, walking three, and striking out nine.
Troy Trojans
Hitter: C – Jimmy Janicki
Janicki, in 67 games, is hitting .341 with a 1.061 OPS. He has 24 doubles, a triple, 19 home runs, 85 RBI, and 63 runs scored. Janicki is fourth in college baseball in RBI. He went 1-9 in the Super Regionals with a double and a run scored.
Pitcher: RHP – Tommy Egan
Egan, in 19 appearances with 17 of those coming as starts, is 6-5 with a 5.38 ERA, a 1.41 WHIP, and 99 strikeouts in 87 innings. He pitched on Saturday in the Super Regionals, going 7.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits. He walked two and struck out eight.
