Editor's note: We're joined by guest writer, Jackson Fryburger from Southern Slams, for a breakdown of Georgia and Georgia Tech Baseball. After a long offseason, #3 Georgia and Georgia Tech began the 2020 college baseball season Friday with a pair of wins in the Peach State. The Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets will look to build off top seeds in the NCAA Tournament last season, hoping to advance all the way to Omaha this time around. Georgia, winner of 46 games last season, rallied to victory against the Spiders of Richmond on Opening Day. The Bulldogs trailed the Spiders 6-2 halfway through the game, before battling back to get the score to 6-5 entering the Bottom of the 9th. That goes without mentioning the success of relief pitcher Ryan Webb, who tossed 5 scoreless innings with 3 hits and 11 strikeouts to keep the Dawgs alive. Georgia then used a late-game rally led by Garrett Blaylock to tie the game in the 9th, before the always clutch Cole Tate hit the game-winning single to give the Bulldogs the victory. Saturday was a lot less eventful in Athens, as Georgia managed to cruise past Richmond this time around. The Bulldogs defeated the Spiders 9-3 in Game 2, clinching their first series win of the season. Ben Anderson and Cam Shepherd got the bats going early before Tucker Bradley blasted a two-run shot off the scoreboard to put the Dawgs up 3-0. It was all smooth sailing from there, as Georgia never looked back. Richmond was able to pull within four runs when the Spiders made it 7-3, with a plethora of runners left on base. However, that was as close as the team from Virginia would get in Game 2. After clinching the series victory, Georgia found itself in some trouble on Sunday, trailing 3-0 early on in the game. Not to worry, the Bulldogs again rallied to take the lead, this time needing only 2 innings to fix their problems later on. With Richmond leading 4-1 heading into the Bottom of the 5th, the Dawgs scored a pair of runs in both the 5th and 6th. From there, Georgia held on to escape with a 5-4 victory and a series sweep. The Bulldogs will continue their season at 6:00 ET Wednesday, with a road game against an undefeated Kennesaw State team. After returning from the midweek matchup, Georgia will play host to a red-hot Santa Clara squad in Athens this weekend in a four-game series. The Dawgs will likely return to junior Emerson Hancock, sophomore Cole Wilcox, and junior C.J. Smith against the Broncos, though a fourth starter is unknown at this time. Meanwhile, freshman Garrett Brown will get the start on the mound in Kennesaw, hoping to keep the Bulldogs’ perfect record in tact. Now, on to The Flats. Georgia Tech started its season off with a lot less drama than Georgia, winning its first two games of the year in rather easy fashion. Tech played host to 3 teams over the weekend in the Atlanta Challenge. The tournament featured a trio of hometown teams in Tech, Georgia State and Kennesaw State hosting St. Peter’s, St. John’s and Cincinnati. The Yellow Jackets pounded the Peacocks of St. Peter’s on Friday, en-route to a 7-0 win. Four freshman pitchers helped the White and Gold shut out their opponent, all while holding St. Peter’s to just 3 hits in the victory. On Saturday, the Jackets would take on the Bearcats, coming back from an early 1-0 deficit to outlast the Southern Ohio squad. Tech trailed 1-0 heading into the 5th inning, before piling on 4 runs to take a 4-1 lead. The Jackets would tack on 2 more in the 7th to make it 6-1, before the Bearcats closed the gap in the 8th. Cincinnati cut the lead to 6-4, but was unable to complete the comeback on The Flats, as Georgia Tech grabbed yet another win. Unfortunately for the Jackets, Sunday was not too kind, delivering an 11-1 beatdown at the hands of St. John’s. Tech was unable to get the scoring going on the final day of the Atlanta Challenge, plating just 1 run on 5 hits. After a disappointing loss to end the Atlanta Challenge, Tech traveled South to Statesboro for a midweek game against a talented Georgia Southern team Tuesday. Grabbing an early 1-0 lead, the Jackets quickly found themselves down 3-1, but epicly rallied to defeat the Eagles 4-3. The Yellow Jackets trailed 3-2 entering the 9th, before Jackson Webb drew a leadoff walk to start the comeback. Webb scored on a fielder’s choice, which could have ended the game for Georgia Southern. However, a two-out Michael Guldberg single scored Austin Wilhite to give the Jackets the lead for good, before Sam Crawford sent down three Georgia Southern batters to close the game. Tech improves to 3-1 on the season with three big games against Ohio State in Atlanta coming up. At 3-0 and 3-1 overall, the pair of Peach State foes look to be right on track heading into their monster clash in a couple weekends. The Bulldogs will play host to the Jackets on Friday, the 28th before Tech hosts Game 2 on Saturday. Meanwhile, the finale of Clean Old-Fashioned Hate will take place on Sunday at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, the home of the AAA Gwinnett Stripers. We appreciate you stopping by. Thanks for reading Jackson Fryburger's break down of Georgia and Georgia Tech Baseball! Want to chat college baseball and our College Baseball Top 25? Head over to our forum. Follow College Baseball Nation on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! 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At 21-11, the Big West has started the 2020 season at an impressive pace. Once a perennial multi-bid league, the Big West has sent only one team to the NCAA Tournament each of the last two years. That looks to change this season as several Big West teams are off to a hot start. #21 UCSB leads the way in the Big West. The Gauchos traveled to Sacramento State in the Opening Weekend where they took two out of three games against the preseason favorite in the WAC. UCSB followed up the series win with a Monday night victory over Cal, a team expected to finish in the top half of the Pac-12. #22 Cal State Fullerton also impressed as the Titans traveled to Stanford for a three-game set. Fullerton won the first two games of the weekend to clinch the series against a Stanford team that should be in the top tier in the Pac-12. The Titans won in dominating fashion, allowing only four runs all weekend. #23 Cal Poly had the most surprising result of Opening Weekend. Not only did the Mustangs blank UConn to begin their stay at the MLB4 Tournament, but they also defeated then #2 Vanderbilt in a wild 9-8 game. Their 2-1 start propelled the Mustangs into the top 25. Long Beach State started the season off against Cal with a series victory under first year head coach Eric Valenzuela. The Dirtbags will play Washington, Wake Forest, San Diego, Mississippi State, and San Diego State over their next nine games and will have several opportunities to prove their mettle. Other notable results include Cal State Northridge's sweep of San Francisco and UC Davis's series victory over Pac-12 foe, Utah. Though the season is young and there are plenty of games to be played, all early signs point to a banner year for the Big West. Head over to our forums to discuss these teams and more! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

Opening Weekend in college baseball has officially come to a close. What started out as a slow Day One transpired into a productive start for the Big 12. Seven out of nine teams took their opening series, two by way of the sweep and one by way of a four game two-way split. Here is how opening weekend treated all nine Big 12 programs, in order of record. Before we get into things, many people reading this may not know me. My name is Nick Cooper, and I write about all things Big 12 baseball over on my blog big12roundup.wordpress.com and post anything and everything on my Twitter @NickCooperCBSB. Game recaps, frequent updates, stats, standings, and everything in-between. Make sure to follow me to stay informed on everything happening within the Big 12 and on Big 12 Roundup! #1 Texas Tech (4-0)- There’s one word to describe how Texas Tech started the season: hot. Tech outscored opponents Houston Baptist and Northern Colorado 65-11 over the three day stretch and were led by a mix of veteran returners and impressive freshmen. One name that stands out in particular is Nate Rombach. The true freshman DH/Catcher is hitting .500 (7-14) with 5HR and 15RBI to lead the conference throughout the first series. As a team, the Red Raiders hit .438 and slugged .792 with 12 long balls. Needless to say, you’ll need to throw everything you have their way to have a chance to catch them. Also, all four starting pitchers earned a W to boost their confidence heading into a profound period in their schedule at the Round Rock Classic. Tech has lived up to the hype so far, but did they use it all up in the first weekend? Time will only tell. #25 TCU (3-0)- TCU was an unpredictable team heading into the new year. Many people had their doubts that the Horned Frogs wouldn’t show out and that they would have a fluke season. The exact opposite occurred. Three strong victories (the sweep) over SEC contender Kentucky proved to silence critics and put an even bigger chip on their shoulder. Junior Gray Rodgers led the way on offense, totaling a .543 average and slugging 1.000. Senior Gene Wood hit two clutch long balls as well to power TCU past the Wildcats. Although not one starting pitcher recorded a W, Charles King and Johnny Ray looked solid in their first two starts respectively. An upcoming road series at Minnesota will have a lot to say about this sneaky hot TCU team moving forward. Texas (3-0)- Out of all of the teams I thought would sweep opening weekend, Texas certainly wasn’t one of them. The sweep of the C-USA’s Rice Owls made a statement for Texas baseball. Led by a silent attack of Duke Ellis and Zach Zubia at the plate. Bryce Elder and Ty Madden were shutout on the mound, along with Donny Diaz’ two saves completely locked up Rice’s hitters. As well as being on the road, this opening series sweep looks even more impressive. After this weekend, Texas has drawn me in and has left me wanting to watch more. Wanting to really figure out the true identity of this team. In a little under two weeks, Texas will travel to Minute Maid Park in Houston to compete in the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic alongside OU and Baylor to face LSU, Arkansas, and Missouri. I will 110% be paying attention to those three games, as should you. If they can make it out of that weekend with a positive record, look for Texas to stand out. Baylor (2-1)- It’s a brand new year to prove yourself. Big 12 Preseason POTY on your side, leading you against a challenging Power 5 opponent. In the first inning Friday, Baylor surrendered 11 runs to Nebraska in what would be a 19-9 defeat. The Bears settled down and took control of the series, behind some clutch offense. Other than that first inning, Baylor would use hits from Nick Loftin and Jared McKenzie to carry themselves over a valiant Nebraska squad two games to one. Pitching has been subpar so far, so the Bears need to find someone to rely on in the bullpen going forward. With a team ERA average of 10.42, Baylor has some work to do before they can distinguish from themselves. The Shriners Hospitals for Children for College Classic looms in the distance for Baylor, giving them a big stage to prove how good they really are. Kansas (2-1)- The Jayhawks opened up the season with a series win at Belmont. There is more to the story, however, as KU is only hitting .161 as a team. Ryan Cyr struggled on opening day behind only three hits from the offense… Kansas had a lot of work to do. Winning games two and three (5-1 and 7-6) surely picked up what could’ve been a rough series opener against a Belmont team who was 27-30 in the OVC a year ago. Brenden Sems hasn’t quite caught a break yet either, stunting Kansas’ production. Without a true home game until March 4th, Kansas might be in for a little slower start than the opening series showed. #24 Oklahoma (2-1)- Oklahoma fell victim to yet another opening day loss for the Big 12. And, like many others, stepped up and won two straight for the series. For the Sooners, it was Virginia. Cade Cavalli fell short in his first start of the season, but still put up some good numbers. Other than that day one, the Sooners offense thrived behind Brady Lindsly, Peyton Graham, and Tyler Hardman. Dane Acker had one of the more impressive opening weekend lines, only allowing 1H, 1ER, 0BB, and 6K over just 5.0IP. Oklahoma marches onward to two straight home series before representing the Big 12 alongside Baylor and Texas in the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic. After that is no joke either, as series against San Diego State and Cal Poly also leaves a lot of room for OU to impress. West Virginia (2-1)- Other than giving up a late game go-ahead HR to Jacksonville on Saturday, WVU controlled their opening series. Not much else to say for the Mountaineers, as their starting pitching gave Jacksonville all they could handle. Braden Zarbnisky is seemingly doing it all for the Mountaineers, holding a .462 batting average and recording the lone two saves. True Freshman LHP Jake Carr was the workhorse of the weekend, only allowing 3H and 1ER over 5.0IP in his college pitching debut. Still a lot more to come for Randy Mazey’s young and talented group. Looking ahead, WVU has a great opportunity to gain traction in the standings, with a spot in the Brittain Resorts Invitational against Kennesaw State, Saint Joseph’s, Illinois, and Coastal Carolina. Kansas State (1-2)- Not the start to the year that K-State envisioned. The Wildcats dropped two out of three games (still one to play) to UT-Rio Grande Valley. UTRGV is coming off an impressive 34-21 record from a year ago, so K-State definitely didn’t have it easy. The one thing that has really plagued them has been their lack of offense. Hitting a sparse .132 as a team, The Wildcats need leaders like Caleb Littlejim and Cameron Thompson to step up. On a positive note, Jordan Wicks looked remarkable as always in his Sunday start, only allowing 4H and fanning 7 over 7.0IP, allowing 0ER. The Cats will close out the four-game road set today, with a chance to even the score. A few key upcoming games against Wichita State and Stanford could get K-State back on their feet, but it’s going to take some heart and grit. Oklahoma State (1-2)- I think I speak for everyone when I say I was shocked to see Oklahoma State drop their opening series to Grand Canyon. Like UTRGV for K-State, Grand Canyon is a solid team coming out of the WAC. They posted a 36-24 record last season and appeared in the WAC Championship game. The Pokes’ pitching staff had a rough weekend, but starter Parker Scott and reliever Brett Standlee posted some solid numbers. Offense was active, posting a .260 average and tallying 11 runs on 27 hits. Everybody doesn’t have to start out 30-0 to be a national champion. Selections aren’t being made tomorrow, so there’s way more than enough time for Oklahoma State to shake off the opening series and keep grinding it out; it's the first series! People will be critical, but the sky's the limit for a deep and seasoned Cowboys roster. Make sure to follow me on Twitter @NickCooperCBSB and my blog big12roundup.wordpress.com for everything Big 12 baseball! We appreciate you stopping by. Thanks for reading Nick Cooper's break down of Big 12 Baseball! Want to chat college baseball and our College Baseball Top 25? Head over to our forum. Follow College Baseball Nation on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! 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The 2020 season is less than a month away, so it is time for the preseason power rankings! Louisville starts the season at number one, followed by defending champion, Vanderbilt, at number two. Fellow 2019 College World Series participants, Texas Tech and Arkansas, fill the three and four spots, and Arizona State rounds out the top five. Our 2020 rankings feature nine SEC teams, seven teams from the ACC, three from the Pac-12, two from the Big XII, and one each from the American, Big Ten, Big West, and Sun Belt. Thanks for reading! We appreciate you stopping by. Want to chat college baseball? Head over to our forum. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans! #rankings

College Baseball is upon us! Here are the series that you need to keep an eye on this weekend. #1 Louisville at #12 Ole Miss The highlight of the weekend is top-ranked Louisville's trip to Oxford to take on #12 Ole Miss. The Rebels will try to set the tone early for their 2020 campaign. In particular, be on the lookout for the young guys in the Rebel lineup. There is a lot of talent but not much experience, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out. Louisville will try to cement their role as the preseason favorite to win the National Championship. The rotation should be one of the most feared in the country with Detmers leading the way. A series loss would not be disastrous for the Cardinals, but they will expect to win this series. John's (@johnny_omaha_) Prediction: Louisville wins two out of three Kyle’s (@kylemckelv) Prediction: Louisville sweeps Oklahoma at Virginia Oklahoma versus Virginia is a series between two teams that just missed our preseason top 25. A win in this series may be enough to propel one of them into the rankings. Oklahoma returns both an experienced rotation and lineup and hopes to be in the conversation to win the Big 12. After winning the National Championship in 2015, Virginia has not been back to Omaha since and has not even made a Regional the past two seasons. 2020 looks to be the year where Virginia will turn things around, and Opening Weekend will be an early litmus test. John's Prediction: Oklahoma wins two out of three Kyle’s Prediction: Virginia wins two out of three #23 UCSB at Sacramento State #23 UCSB versus Sacramento State is a sneaky good match up between two teams who won 40 games a season ago. These schools are two of the most consistent on the West Coast in recent years, and there's a little bit of bad blood between them as Sacramento State eliminated UCSB from the Stanford Regional last year. Sacramento State returns several excellent arms, including RHP Scott Randall who threw 93.2 innings and put up a 2.59 ERA in 2019. The Gauchos of UCSB will be hard-pressed to beat Sacramento State on the road. John's Prediction: Sacramento State wins two out of three Kyle’s Prediction: UCSB wins two out of three Indiana at #13 LSU This is also a sneaky good matchup at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, as the 2019 Big Ten Regular Season winner takes on the balanced Bayou Bengals. LSU will have an excellent rotation, returning Cole Henry and Landon Marceaux from last year. Paul Maineri’s club will be ready for a battle against Indiana. The 2019 Big Ten Coach of the Year, Jeff Mercer, led the Hoosiers to a Big Ten Regular Season title in his first year and he looks to continue his hot streak in a deeper-than-usual Big Ten. The offense might not have as heavy of bats as last year, but Junior 3B Cole Barr should have another good year at the plate. John's Prediction: LSU wins two out of three Kyle’s Prediction: LSU sweeps #20 Oklahoma State at Grand Canyon Oklahoma State’s offense in 2019 was as electric as they come, finishing fourth in the country in HR%. Their pitching should be improved after underperforming last year, as the Cowboys bring in the eighth-ranked recruiting class that features some powerful arms. This series is in Phoenix at GCU’s home field, so the ball should fly all weekend, led by GCU 1B, Cuba Bess. The Antelopes were the coaches’ pick to win the WAC and the fact that they return their whole starting rotation from last year gives them a good chance in this series and on the season as a whole. John's Prediction: Oklahoma State wins two out of three Kyle’s Prediction: Oklahoma State wins two out of three Cal State Fullerton at #16 Stanford Cal State Fullerton finished 2019 at a disappointing 27-26 but should be better than they were a season ago after replacing members of their coaching staff. The Titans will face off against a familiar foe in Stanford, a team that made it to a Super Regional in 2019. Pitching will be the theme of the weekend as two of the best teams on the West Coast duke it out. John's Prediction: Stanford sweeps Kyle’s Prediction: Stanford wins two out of three Kentucky at TCU Despite having a losing record in 2019, Kentucky was still 51 in RPI and finished four spots ahead of TCU (55). That likely says more about the RPI algorithm than it does the quality of these teams, but regardless, Kentucky will be a challenge for the Horned Frogs. RHP Charles King will anchor the rotation for TCU, but the biggest wildcards will be LHP Russell Smith and RHP Caleb Sloan who both return from Tommy John surgery. John's Prediction: TCU sweeps Kyle’s Prediction: TCU sweeps MLB4 Tournament #2 Vanderbilt, #15 Michigan, UConn, and Cal Poly will all battle it out in Scottsdale to start the season. The marquee game will be when Vanderbilt and Michigan faceoff on Friday night in a rematch of last year’s National Championship series. Vanderbilt will be the favorite to win all of their games and the tournament. Winning this tournament would keep Michigan in the national conversation, and UConn and Cal Poly will not be easy outs either. Expect to see competitive games all weekend in this tournament! John's Prediction: Vanderbilt wins the tournament at 3-0 Kyle’s Prediction: Vanderbilt goes 3-0 and Michigan goes 2-1 Head over to our forums to discuss these teams and more! Read all of our 2020 team previews here! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

We're making our best guesses at who will come out on top in each of the Power 5 Conferences plus the American! The ACC is poised to be particularly strong in 2020. Louisville should lead the way in the Atlantic, but Florida State, NC State, Wake Forest, and Clemson will likely all be Regional teams. In the ACC Coastal, Miami will look to build upon their 2019 season. The Hurricanes are our preseason favorite, but Duke will bring back most of a team that almost eliminated Vanderbilt in the Nashville Super Region last season. While we are picking ECU to win the America, we don't expect the Pirates to run away with the conference like they did in 2019. Houston should be improved from a year ago, and Tulane, UConn, and UCF are positioned to compete for Regional berths. The Big Ten should again be led by Michigan who brings back a talented team. Minnesota (with a much more manageable schedule than last year) will compete at the top of the conference, along with Ohio State, Indiana, and Illinois. The Big XII will likely be one of the most balanced conferences in 2020. Texas Tech, an Omaha staple as of late, is the preseason favorite. Teams two through six in the Big XII could finish in any order, but we like the Oklahoma schools at second and third. Will we see a return of Arizona State in 2020? That is what we are predicting. The Sun Devils' offense should be prolific and their pitching will be improved. Arizona is our dark horse pick as the Wildcats should feature one of the most lethal offenses in the country. The SEC East could feature three Regional (or even Super Regional) hosts in 2020. It's hard to pick against Vanderbilt, but both Georgia and Florida should have rotations that can get them to Omaha. The SEC West is the deepest division in College Baseball. Arkansas is the early favorite, but the division likely has six Regional teams that could all compete for a division title. It is anyone's guess who will come out on top of this blood bath. Head over to our forums to discuss these teams and more! Read all of our 2020 team previews here! Thanks for reading! Want to submit a fan perspective for your team? Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

Early season round-robin tournaments have become a key part of teams' non-conference schedules. They provide the opportunity to play a variety of teams at a neutral site which can boost the crucial RPI metric. The recent success of these tournaments has led to their growth over the past few years, including the introduction of the MLB4 Tournament last year and the Round Rock Classic this year. We're compiling a list of all of the early season college baseball tournaments and who is competing in them. Currently we have details for 31 tournaments in 2020. Check back here as teams are announced, and message us if you have any details about the tournaments! Angels College Classic When: February 14th-16th Where: Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Arizona Who: Minnesota, Oregon, Pepperdine, San Diego Atlanta Challenge When: February 14th-16th Where: Russ Chandler Stadium & GSU Baseball Complex in Atlanta, Georgia Who: Cincinnati, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Saint Peter's, St. John's Brittain Resorts Baseball at the Beach When: February 14th-16th Where: Springs Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina Who: Coastal Carolina, San Diego State, UNCG, Virginia Tech MLB4 When: February 14th-16th Where: Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona Who: Cal Poly, Michigan, UConn, Vanderbilt Texas Tech Tournament When: February 14th-16th Where: Dan Law Field Lubbock, Texas Who: Houston Baptist, Northern Colorado, Texas Tech USA Baseball Complex Tournament When: February 14th-16th Where: USA Baseball Complex Cary, North Carolina Who: Bucknell, Monmouth, NJIT, Penn State Wake Forest Round Robin I When: February 14th-16th Where: Couch Ballpark in Winston-Salem, North Carolina Who: Milwaukee, Illinois, Seton Hall, Wake Forest Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic When: February 14th-17th Where: Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona Who: BYU, Gonzaga, New Mexico, Oregon State Snowbird Classic When: February 14th-16th Where: Multiple stadiums in Punta Gorda, Florida Who: Iowa, Kent State, Pittsburgh, Saint Joseph's Alamo Irish Classic When: February 20th-22nd Where: Nelson-Wolff Stadium San Antonio, Texas Who: Incarnate Word, Notre Dame, Toledo, UTSA Kleberg Bank College Classic When: February 20th-23rd Where: Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi, Texas Who: Kansas State, Missouri, Texas A&M-CC, Utah Brittain Resorts Invitational When: February 21st-24th Where: Springs Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina Who: Coastal Carolina, Kennesaw State, Illinois, St. Joseph's, West Virginia, Western Carolina Campbell Invitational When: February 21st-23rd Where: Jim Perry Stadium, Buies Creek, North Carolina Who: Campbell, Maine, Purdue Villanova Hughes Bros. Challenge When: February 21st-23rd Where: Brooks Field, Wilmington, North Carolina Who: Bowling Green, Butler, Marshall, UNCW Round Rock Classic When: February 21st-23rd Where: Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas Who: Houston, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas Tech South Alabama Invitational When: February 21st-23rd Where: Stanky Field in Mobile, Alabama Who: Indiana, Siena, South Alabama, UT-Martin Stephen F. Austin Tournament When: February 21st-23rd Where: Jaycees Field in Nacogdoches, Texas Who: Stephen F. Austin, UT-Arlington + TBA Tony Gwynn Legacy Tournament When: February 21st-23rd Where: Tony Gwynn Stadium in San Diego, California Who: Arizona, Iowa, Nebraska, San Diego, San Diego State, Seattle, Southern Illinois, USC ACC/Big Ten Challenge When: February 28th - March 1st Where: U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota Who: Duke, Iowa, Minnesota, NC State, North Carolina, Purdue Armed Forces Invitational When: February 28th - March 1st Where: Segra Stadium in Fayetteville, North Carolina Who: Air Force, Army, Campbell First Pitch Invitational When: February 28th - March 1st Where: Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina Who: Ball State, Kansas, Michigan State, Western Carolina Florida State Round Robin When: February 28th - March 1st Where: Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida Who: Florida Atlantic, Florida State, Texas Tech Frisco College Baseball Classic When: February 28th - March 1st Where: Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas Who: Illinois, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, UCLA Keith LeClair Classic When: February 28th - March 1st Where: Clark-LeClair Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina Who: ECU, High Point, Indiana, Ole Miss Shriners College Classic When: February 28th - March 1st Where: Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas Who: Arkansas, Baylor, LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas Wake Forest Round Robin II When: February 28th - March 1st Where: Couch Ballpark in Winston-Salem, North Carolina Who: Brown, La Salle, Sacred Heart, Wake Forest Diamond Invitational When: March 6th-8th Where: TBD in Jacksonville, Florida Who: Louisiana, Michigan State, Samford, Troy Jacksonville Round Robin When: March 6th-8th Where: TBD in Jacksonville, Florida Who: Illinois State + 3 teams TBA Snowbird Classic II When: March 6th-8th Where: Multiple stadiums in Punta Gorda, Florida Who: Army, Georgetown, Iowa, Western Michigan Southern California College Baseball Classic When: March 6th-8th Where: Jackie Robinson Stadium and Dedeaux Field in Los Angeles, California Who: TCU, UCLA, USC, Vanderbilt Nuxhall Classic When: April 14th-15th Where: Oxford, Ohio Who: Cincinnati, Miami (OH), Wright State, Xavier Thanks for reading! Excited for the 2020 season? So are we! Read our 2020 team previews here! Want to talk college baseball? Join the conversation on our forums! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

We're taking a look back and a look ahead at college baseball teams from around the country. Next up: the Oklahoma State Cowboys! Two stats that could tell the story of the 2019 offense for Oklahoma State are: 1st in the country in K% and 4th in the country in HR%. This team was electric at the plate, hitting highlight home run after highlight home run; however, they also suffered from the strikeout bug causing them to strike out at a higher rate than any other team. A Look Back at 2019 Oklahoma State finished 40-21 (14-9 in the Big 12), which was good enough to host a regional. However, 12 inches of rain forced the series to be hosted at the site of the Big 12 Championship, where just five days prior, the Cowboys won the Big 12 Tournament. The visiting teams- Harvard, Nebraska, and Connecticut- did not make it easy for the Pokes. Harvard held the vaunted Cowboys offense to two runs and Nebraska made it a close game in their second game. UConn made some Cowboy fans sweat by forcing a game seven, but their pitching would prevail and send Oklahoma State to their third Super Regional in six years and fifth overall. Oklahoma State had the offensive firepower to go to Omaha this year, had they not run into a juggernaut in Texas Tech. Both of these teams had powerful offenses, and the Cowboys pushed the Red Raiders to the brink in Lubbock, but a wild (and very windy) Game Three ended with Tech on top. The Cowboys' offense in 2019 was led by Juniors Trevor Boone and Andrew Navigato and Seniors Colin Simpson and Christian Funk. They all finished with wOBA values in the top 35 in the P5+AAC, helping their draft stock for the MLB Draft. OSU ended the draft with eight players taken, including righthanders Logan Gragg in the 8th round and Petyon Battenfield in the 9th round. A Look Ahead at 2020 To open the season, OSU will travel to GCU for a series and Arizona State for a fun midweek matchup between offensive powers. The Cowboys will make the short 3.5 hour drive down to Frisco, Texas for the Frisco College Baseball Classic. This will be their second time in the Frisco Classic; in 2017, the Cowboys beat Arkansas and Nebraska and lost to Arizona. This year, OSU will play UCLA, Illinois, and former conference foe Texas A&M. Later in the season, in the middle of Big 12 play, Oregon State comes to Stillwater after Oklahoma State went to Corvallis, Oregon and swept the Beavers. Returning for the Cowboys' pitching staff includes some experienced players, even after losing its number one pitcher, Jenson Elliott, an innings-eater in Joe Lienhard, and key bullpen pitcher Peyton Battenfield. The weekend rotation figures to have two spots filled by lefthander Parker Scott and possibly righthander Brett Standlee. As a freshman, Standlee made 12 starts and ended with a 4.46 ERA. There will be some competition for the third spot, however. Josh Holliday and his staff will have to figure out how to handle life after those four aforementioned power bats, but with Carson McCluster, Alix Garcia, and a top three recruiting class, they should get along just fine. (See the top ten recruiting classes here.) Kyle's (@kylemckelv) 2020 Prediction: Oklahoma State will host a Regional I believe Oklahoma State has the offensive firepower and great recruits to help fill in any gaps from players lost to the draft or graduation. Obviously, their big four bats left huge shoes to fill, but I think they'll be able to get it done. Some pitching depth will help them tremendously, so if their staff can produce that, there's a chance they could make some noise in the Tournament and maybe Omaha. Head over to our forums to discuss Oklahoma State and more! Thanks for reading! Want to submit a fan perspective for your team? Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

School has started, and the 2019 recruiting classes are on campus. We compiled recruiting data from three rankings sources to generate the top ten recruiting classes. The usual suspects litter the top ten. Six of the top ten schools hail from the SEC, including the top three classes. The rich get richer as 2019 Champs, Vanderbilt, pulled in the best recruiting class of 2019. Ole Miss looks to continue their upward trajectory after landing the second best recruiting class in the nation. Just behind the Rebels, the Florida Gators come in at number three. The top rated class out of the Big XII hails from TCU. The Horned Frogs look to build off their 2019 return to the NCAA Tournament. Spot number five starts a run of three SEC West schools, beginning with LSU. The 2019 College World Series surprise, Auburn, checks in at number six, while Omaha veteran, Mississippi State, fills the seventh spot in the rankings. Oklahoma State looks to improve on their Super Regional run in 2019 and will do so with the eighth best recruiting class in the country and second best in the conference. The Cowboys should once again be competing at the top of the Big XII. Miami is the only ACC school represented in the top ten, and just behind them, Arizona State is the only Pac 12 team. The Sun Devils hope to bring in some arms to complement their explosive offense. Thanks for reading! We appreciate you stopping by. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

We're taking a look back and a look ahead at college baseball teams from around the country. Next up are the Tulane Green Wave! One of the most storied programs in the South, Tulane (32-26, 12-11 American) is looking to return to a Regional in 2020. A Look Back at 2019 In this third season at Tulane, Head Coach Travis Jewett notched the first winning season in his tenure and led the Green Wave to a third place finish in the American Athletic Conference, their best finish since winning the conference in 2016. Highlights from the non-conference slate included a win over Ole Miss and a win over Louisiana-Lafayette. After starting conference play at 7-2, Tulane struggled down the stretch, losing the remainder of their conference series. Of note, the Green Wave avoided being swept in any conference series and were competitive in all series. Tulane earned the third seed in the American Conference Tournament and defeated UCF to open up play. However, subsequent back-to-back losses to Cincinnati and UCF spelled the end of the tournament and the season for Tulane. With a whopping 7.7 runs per game in 2019, the Tulane offense was a beast to behold. The Green Wave offense was led by 3B Kody Hoese, a consensus All-American and the 25th overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft. Hoese hit to the tune of 0.393 and mashed 23 home runs. Beyond their offensive prowess, the Green Wave were also steady in the field. They averaged only 0.8 errors per game, good for 32nd in the country. Along with Hoese, five other Green Wave players were drafted in 2019. The total of six players drafted tied a program record for Tulane. A Look Ahead at 2020 Once again Tulane has scheduled aggressively in non-conference play. Trips to Cal State Fullerton and Dallas Baptists will offer huge early opportunities for the Green Wave, and a midweek at LSU provides a big road test for Tulane right before conference play begins. A road series at Wichita State and a home set against Houston requires a fast start from Tulane if the Green Wave hopes to be competitive in the American. The middle stretch of conference play will likely determine where Tulane finishes in the conference standings. If the Green Wave want to finish in the top half of the American, they will be looking for series wins at home against Memphis, on the road versus USF and UCF, and back home against Cincinnati. The regular season ends with two of the toughest series for Tulane: a home showdown versus ECU and a road trip to UConn. Tulane took a game off both of these teams in 2019 and will look to do the same or better in 2020. The 2020 Tulane team will once again be a major offensive threat. The Green Wave returns Hudson Haskins, the second best hitter in the American Conference from 2019 (see the top ten American hitter here). Add sluggers like Grant Matthews and Jonathon Artigues, and Tulane will again be one of the best offenses in the country. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: I see Tulane as the fourth best team in the American, heading into the season. ECU and Houston stand out as the front runners, and I think UConn is a small step ahead of Tulane. The American has averaged 3.4 Regional teams per year over the last five years (see a full breakdown of teams by conference here), and I could see the conference being a four-bid league in 2020. A few wins in their non-conference matchups would massively upgrade the Green Wave's at-large chances. Tulane will likely be a bubble team all season. Head over to our forums to discuss Tulane and more! Thanks for reading! Want to submit a fan perspective for your team? Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

Tulane had one of the most explosive offenses in the country in 2019. The departure of Kody Hoese, the 25th overall pick in the draft will leave a void in the offense, but Hudson Haskin, second in wOBA in the American will be there to fill his place. Kobi Owen also made the top ten wOBA list for the Green Wave. ECU matched Tulane with three hitters in the top ten in conference: Spence Brickhouse, Jake Washer, and Bryant Packard. Each member of the trio was all selected in the 2019 MLB Draft. Two UCF players, Dallas Beaver and Matthew Mika, finished in the top ten in wOBA in the American. Joe Genord represented USF's only top ten hitter, and Luke Ritter was Wichita State's sole representative. Head over to our forums to discuss this and more! Thanks for reading! Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

We're taking a look back and a look ahead at college baseball teams from around the country. Next up we're doing a quick look at Arizona State, UCSB, Florida State, Texas Tech, and Michigan! Arizona State A Look Back at 2019: After winning their first 21 games of the year, Arizona State (38-19, 16-13) struggled down the stretch against stiffer competition. The Sun Devils were 0-4-1 in their last five series of the year but still earned a spot in the Baton Rouge Regional. The Sun Devils finished the regional 1-2, with Southern Miss defeating them twice. Arizona State's offense was by far their strength, finishing the year averaging 8.2 runs per game (good for seventh in the country). Hunter Bishop, one of the best hitters in the Pac-12 in 2019 (see the full top ten list here), highlighted the draft class for Arizona State as the tenth overall pick in the MLB Draft. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: The biggest positive three factors for Arizona State in 2020 are 1) a huge amount of hitting talent returning, 2) the hiring of Jason Kelly (of renown for his success at Washington) as pitching coach, and 3) lots of talent coming in with their tenth ranked recruiting class (see a full list of the top ten 2019 recruiting classes here). Of course Spencer Torkelson is the most exciting guy in the lineup for the Sun Devils, and Torkelson will likely be a first-round pick in the MLB Draft. Guys to watch on the mound include RHP Boyd Vander Kooi, LHP Erik Tolman, and RHP Tyler Thornton. Vander Kooi's transition to a full-time starter in 2019 was not without hiccups, but he finished strong down the stretch and will bring back experience in the rotation. Thornton, an immediately eligible transfer from Saint Mary's, was the NCBWA Freshman Pitcher of the year a season ago and should greatly factor into the Sun Devil's success in 2020. All signs point to a return to prominence for the Sun Devils in 2020. I see them as a top-eight seed in the NCAA Tournament. UCSB A Look Back at 2019: At 45-11 (19-5 Big West), UCSB was one of the most dominant teams on the West Coast in 2019. Heading into the last weekend of the regular season, the Gauchos were on a 13-game winning streak and in position to host a Regional. A series loss to Cal Poly dashed those hopes, and UCSB was sent to the Stanford Regional as the second seed. There they faced and lost to Fresno State, one of the toughest three seeds in the NCAA Tournament, and Sacramento State, one of the toughest four seeds in the Tournament. The Gauchos had ten players selected in the MLB Draft. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: The Gauchos bring back a host of excellent pitching talent in 2020. LHP Rodney Boone and RHP Michael McGreevy were both tabbed as Freshmen All-Americans by multiple sources; both pitchers had sub 3.0 ERAs and they pitched a combined 141.1 IP. As of now, the Gauchos are the favorites in the Big West. It will be fascinating to see if Cal State Fullerton can bounce back from their worst season in decades, but for now, I am picking UCSB. I see the Gauchos as a two-seed in a Regional in 2020. Florida State A Look Back at 2019: In Mike Martin's last season at the helm of Florida State (43-23, 17-13 ACC), the Seminoles put together one last run to Omaha. After being on the bubble for much of the season, Florida State earned the three-seed in the Athens Regional. A six-game winning streak saw the Seminoles sweep through Florida Atlantic and Georgia in the Regional and LSU in the Super Regional. The Seminoles' walk-off win of LSU was voted on by fans as one of the best moments from the 2019 NCAA Tournament (see the full list of best moments from the NCAA Tournament here). After defeating Arkansas to open up the College World Series, losses to Michigan and Texas Tech spelled the end for Florida State. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: The dugout won't look the same without Mike Martin in it, but the expectations will be the same in Tallahassee. 2019 Florida State was an incredibly young team, as evidenced by the fact the Seminoles only lost seven players to the draft or graduation. The do lose offensive talent like IF Drew Mendoza but will return an exceptionally talented pitching staff. RHP CJ Van Eyk, a ten-game winner in 2019, highlights the staff and has a good shot at being a first-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. I like the Seminoles to compete for a Regional host site in 2020. Texas Tech A Look Back at 2019: 2019 brought the longest postseason run in Texas Tech (46-20, 16-8 Big XII) history. A regular season Big XII Championship helped earn the Red Raiders the eighth overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. They swept the Lubbock Regional and defeated conference foe, Oklahoma State, in the Super Regional. The Red Raiders went 2-2 in Omaha, taking down Arkansas and Florida State while losing to Michigan twice (a team they swept earlier in the season). Texas Tech saw eight players get drafted in the MLB Draft, including slugger Josh Jung who was selected eighth overall. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: The Red Raiders should be the favorites in the Big XII heading into 2020. They lose some important bats, but will bring back key contributors like IF Brian Klein who hits for average and has already been given preseason All-American honors. RHP Micah Dallas and RHP Bryce Bonnin both return from the starting rotation and notched ERAs just above 4.0 in 2019. They also have RHP John McMillon who can touch 100 mph with his fastball in the bullpen. If Texas Tech can once again take care of business in the Big XII, it is hard not to see them as a top eight seed in the NCAA Tournament. Michigan A Look Back at 2019: Many saw Michigan (50-22, 16-7 Big Ten) as a top 25 team heading into 2019, but few predicted that the Wolverines would be one win away from a National Championship. A run in the Big Ten Tournament saved the Wolverines' season and sent Michigan to the Corvallis Regional, which they won without having to play host, Oregon State. In the Super Regional, Michigan defeated number one overall seed, UCLA, in three close pitchers' duels, sending the Wolverines to Omaha. Michigan swept through their bracket at the College World Series and won the first game of the National Championship Series before dropping two straight to Vanderbilt. Five Michigan players were selected in the 2020 MLB Draft. John’s (@johnny_omaha_) 2020 Prediction: There is reason to think that Michigan will continue to be a force in 2020. OF Jordan Nwogu was the third best hitter in the Big Ten in 2019 (see the full top ten list here), and he will be back to provide stability to the lineup. RHP Jeff Criswell and his sub-3.0 ERA from a year ago will return to start Friday nights for Michigan, and RHP Willie Weiss was one of the most dominating relievers in the Big Ten with 50 strikeouts in 39.1 innings of work. The Wolverines will be the favorite in the Big Ten heading into 2020 and will be in competition for a Regional host site. As of now, I think they will just miss the cut and end up as a two seed. Head over to our forums to discuss these teams and more! Read all of our 2020 team previews here! Thanks for reading! Want to submit a fan perspective for your team? Message us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or email us at collegeballnat@gmail.com. Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patron. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!