The College World Series belongs to the SEC. Is Tennessee baseball the next different winner in 2024?
The SEC has cemented itself as the top conference in college baseball − claiming four straight College World Series titles and five of the last six. With other teams appearing in the national polls throughout the season combined with promising young talent on struggling teams, it's not a stretch to say next year's champion could also come from the conference.
Florida (2017), Vanderbilt (2019), Mississippi State (2021), Ole Miss (2022) and LSU (2023) have done their part in bringing the glory to the SEC. But other programs, such as Tennessee and Arkansas, feel on the cusp of adding to the SEC's trophy collection. Here's a look at which other contenders who haven't won titles during the SEC's recent run could come out on top next season.
Tennessee
Wrapping up their season in Omaha after losing 5-0 to CWS champion LSU, the Vols (44-22) finished at No. 4 in the final USA Today Baseball Coaches Poll.
After finding its groove and making pitching rotation adjustments, UT was able to create a successful second half to its 2023 campaign and a strong postseason run. The Vols held the second-best ERA in the country with a 3.63 right behind No. 1 LSU.
If their pitching staff can continue to improve with transfers and signees and their offense can keep up consistently, Tennessee will have a fighting chance for the title in 2024.
Chase Burns and Chase Dollander won't be at Tennessee next year but there is promise with Drew Beam, the expected arrival of AJ Causey and 10 incoming freshman arms. Combined with Tony Vitello's track record of bringing in elite arms, the Vols should be back in the mix next year.
Arkansas
The Razorbacks have to win eventually, right? Arkansas has made 11 CWS appearances and been the runner-up twice. That goes without mentioning the promising seasons − 2023 included with a 43-18 record − that ended short of Omaha.
Coach Dave Van Horn's squad was sharp defensively and managed a 5.22 ERA despite battling injury. The Razorbacks will be right back in the top tier of expectations next year. With good health, and maybe some good luck, Arkansas could get the elusive title.
That is if the portal and draft don't inflict damage on the program. With five eligible draft players and nine from its top-ranked signing class featured in the top 200 MLB prospect list, it is hard to tell who is staying and who is going.
Alabama
The Crimson Tide's (43-21) season featured a pitching staff that finished 16h in the NCAA in ERA (4.26) which ended up being the driving force to a great season.
After winning their Tuscaloosa Regional, Alabama was swept by No. 1 Wake Forest in the Winston-Salem Super Regional. The offseason featured a change at the helm with Rob Vaughn coming from Maryland to replace Brad Bohannon, who was fired in March amid an investigation of suspicious betting activity.
Jason Jackson, Alabama's pitching coach, was promoted to interim head coach after Bohannon's departure. He was retained on Vaughn's staff which is a promising sign for a strong rotation.
South Carolina
South Carolina (42-21) protected a top-25 ranking for the entire campaign while finishing 12th in the NCAA for with a 4.19 ERA. However, with pitching coach Justin Parker departing for Mississippi State, the Gamecocks will need Matt Williams to keep the success going.
The Gamecocks finished 11th in the SEC in batting average, but they took top three in RBI, on-base percentage and runs scored.
The Gamecocks have lost three players to the portal so far but have done extensive recruiting with eight new transfer additions already on the list.
MORE ON SOUTH CAROLINA: Way-too-early 2024 South Carolina baseball predictions from Ethan Petry to NCAA Tournament
Auburn
Auburn (34-23-1) was pretty average from a numbers standpoint. But the Tigers hosted a regional, which they ended up losing to Southern Miss. However, it feels as though coach Butch Thompson is due for a breakthrough.
In eight seasons, Thompson has led Auburn to five NCAA Tournament appearances and two trips to Omaha. The Tigers struggled on the mound, but reports of pitching coach Daron Schoenrock stepping down suggest an improvement could be coming.
Auburn showed a lot of potential toward the second half of the season and took a series from LSU. If Auburns finds a solid starting rotation it might find itself deeper in the postseason in 2024.
As of right now, the Tigers have seven players who are draft eligible and four who no longer have eligibility, leaving quite a few open roster spots that need to be filled.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: College World Series belongs to SEC. Tennessee baseball next in 2024?
