2026 Preseason Picks: Locking in an Omaha 8

Picking an Omaha 8 just about never goes according to plan as games are played on baseball fields rather than paper.

Every season, programs that are considered to have the best roster, the best player, the best coach, or even all three aren’t always the last ones remaining nor hoisting the NCAA Championship Trophy on national television.

I dove into some basic yet recent history trends while making my College World Series selections for this season, and here is what I came up with. Since 2016 (excluding 2020) –

• An average of two programs return to Omaha after playing there the season prior.

• An average of 5.78 teams were both ranked in the preseason as well as making it to the College World Series (so let’s just call it 5).

• There were zero returning programs in 2025 from the 2024 College World Series field, the last time that occurred was back in 1957.

• The number one preseason ranked team has made Omaha 66% of the time, though they’ve only made it twice since 2021.

All that said, let’s begin.

* Note: all programs are listed in alphabetical order.

Arizona State Sun Devils

_{2025 Record: 36-24 (18-12 Big 12)}

_{Last CWS Appearance: 2010}

We begin this list with a program that perhaps is the boldest of the bunch in Arizona State. Going into year five under head coach Willie Bloomquist, it’s been steady progress as the seasons have gone on. The wins specifically, going from 26-32-32-to 36 in 2025 with 18 wins in conference leading to a NCAA regional appearance.

The roster is exciting as it’s filled with returning journeymen and impact transfers. Offensively, the Sun Devils lost over half of their production though welcome in a bunch of boppers.

Sophomore outfielder Landon Hairston looks to be atop the order along with returning infielder Nu’u Contrades and Virginia Tech transfer Garrett Michel.

Coach Bloomquist and company refused to stop there with additional offensive acquisitions, with Cal transfers Dominic Smaldino and PJ Moutzouridis, Dominic Longo (Utah Valley), and 2025 Mountain West Co-Player of the Year Dean Toigo (UNLV).

One other bat to highlight is Matt Polk, a career .295 college hitter in three seasons at Vanderbilt, who has over 100 starts under his belt and the ability to hold down any of the three outfield positions for Arizona State.

As for the pitching, it’s no secret all arrows point towards Cole Carlon. Everything starts with him, whether his role continues to be a long reliever, transition into the rotation, or even both as the season unfolds overtime.

Carlon dominated in 2025, pitching 54 innings to a 3.33 ERA in a hitter dominant conference, muting opponents to a .167 BAA and a 3.44 K-BB.

Returning Sun Devils Derek Schaefer and Josh Butler look to be pillars for this staff and take the next step, to which Arizona State will need.

The Sun Devils also added several arms through the portal, notably Kole Klecker from TCU.

His role in 2026 will be an intriguing storyline over the course of the season, tossing nearly 100 innings as a freshman including two starts in Omaha, but hasn’t quite rediscovered that form over the past two seasons.

Overall, Arizona State have the bats to get where they want to go, that’s clear. The question rather is if they have enough success on the mound behind Carlon. To reiterate, it’s been steady progress with Coach Bloomquist at the helm, therefore I’m banking on them to have enough pieces.

Georgia Bulldogs

_{2025 Record: 43-17 (18-12 SEC)}

_{Last CWS Appearance: 2008}

It’s been back-to-back 43-win seasons under Head Coach Wes Johnson in two seasons, though both have ended in postseason heartbreak at Foley Field.

After being eliminated in the 2025 Athens regional, Georgia wasted no time hitting the portal. It’s the number one ranked portal class via numerous outlets, as they capitalized on both quality and quantity hence over half of the 2026 roster being acquired over the summer.

The lineup looks as one of the most dangerous in the country, as returners Tre Phelps and Kolby Branch are poised to wreak havoc once more and start on the left side of the infield.

Two-way addition Kenny Ishikawa is one of the most intriguing players in the country, projected to hit atop Georgia’s order, play center field, and contribute on the mound come weekends.

Other new faces bound to add significant production are Jordy Oriach (New Mexico), Bryce Calloway (New Orleans), and Michael O’Shaughnessy (Davidson).

One more guy to circle is catcher Daniel Jackson, a superb athlete with twitch and the ability to be a 15 HR/15 SB candidate, how many programs have that?

Shifting to the pitching side, Georgia brings back roughly 15% of its total innings from a season ago, with only two pitchers returning who logged 20+ innings.

The rotation, and its depth, look to be filled with transfers once more. Stanford scoops Joey Volchko and Matt Scott are poised to take the ball two of the games over weekends, with Dylan Vigue (Michigan), Caden Aoki (USC), and Kenny Ishikawa (Seattle) likely to earn starts as well.

The bullpen is one area I believe being overlooked. The Bulldogs now have multiple options capable of both pounding the strike zone and generating key outs while presenting different angles to hitters.

Jordan Stephens and Brad Pruett (East Carolina) will play obvious role, but left-handers Bradley Stewart and Andrew Behnke (Tennessee) also are bound to be used in important situations also.

Coach Wes Johnson and Georgia have the bats again this year to go as far as anyone, but it will come down to their success on pitching and executing in high-leverage situations.

There’s no weak point on this roster, littered with depth and experience everywhere you glance; it’s Omaha or bust for Georgia in 2026.

LSU Tigers

_{2025 Record: 53-15 (19-11 SEC)}

_{Last CWS Appearance: 2025 (Champions)}

The 2025 National Champions are included on this list, even though no defending champion has returned to Omaha since 2018. If there’s a coach bound to break this streak, it’s Jay Johnson, who’s won two titles in four seasons at LSU.

It’s a balanced roster on paper, but the offense specifically has a chance to be really fun. Outfielder Derek Curiel will lead the charge as well as making the transition from left to center.

Steven “Monster” Milam will slide over to shortstop for LSU after manning second base in 2025, while Jake Brown is back for year three and will be penciled in at right field while hitting in the heart of the order for the Tigers.

The incoming transfers are legit, headlined by Zach Yorke (Grand Canyon), Brayden Simpson (High Point), and Trent Caraway (Oregon State) set to round out the infield with Milam.

LSU will have the arms to compete with anyone, featuring depth that blends firepower, experience, and impactful underclassmen.

Casan Evans is set to be the new weekend workhorse followed by William Schmidt poised for a year two breakout and Kansas transfer Cooper Moore, who threw nearly 90 innings last season.

The bullpen is bound to be amongst the best in the country, as Gavin Guidry returns and now back to initial form.

Swiss army knife Zac Cowan also returns, who saved games, spot started and came into situations to either eat innings or escape jams.

Other arms worth noting are Mavrick Rizy, Cooper Williams, as well as Devin Sheerin who missed all of 2025 with an injury.

Freshman Marcos Paz is another arm to keep in mind here, a freshman that dominated this fall and will undoubtedly toe the rubber as early as opening weekend. The names continue throughout the roster, as there are over a dozen arms that could get significant outs for LSU today.

When evaluating this roster, it’s built with durable and adaptable guys, some also with a fresh championship pedigree who understand what it takes to finish the season in Omaha.

It’s obvious they have more than enough to beat anyone on the road or rather in Alex Box; it’s just a matter if they can do it again.

NC State Wolfpack

_{2025 Record: 35-21 (17-11 ACC)}

_{Last CWS Appearance: 2024}

NC State has been a model of consistency, winning 35 or more games every year since 2014 and haven’t missed the NCAA Tournament since 2009.

Head Coach Elliott Avent has been a legend in Raleigh, winning 1,071 games and making the NCAA Tournament over 75% of the time.

It appears that the Wolfpack already have the opening weekend rotation set with Ryan Marohn, Heath Andrews, and Jacob Dudan (in some order). Marohn is everything you want in a game one weekend starter, as he went 8-3 in 2025 leading the ACC in FIP while tossing over 85 innings.

Andrews didn’t have the most appealing season stat line in 2025, though got great experience over the season while pitching significant innings for NC State as they went on.

The fascinating name here is Dudan, a dominant reliever over his collegiate career and seems to be making the change to start. Coming off an injury, he didn’t start until the midst of their season though tossed 30 innings and throwing his slider nearly 70% of the time.

Anderson Nance is a bigtime returner in the bullpen, throwing 54 innings to a 3.50 ERA. Other notable pitchers to mention both new and familiar are Tristan Potts, Landon Carr, and Ryder Garino (South Carolina).

The Wolfpack return a fair number of experienced sticks as well, headlined by leadoff man Ty Head and first baseman Chris McHugh.

Head is what you want at the top of the order, a guy with plus plate awareness and feel for the barrel, expect him to play every day in centerfield.

As for McHugh, he had a career year, hitting .365 with a .462 OBP and led NC State in hits (72).

Second baseman Luke Nixon also is back, as he tallied over 20 XBH and led the team in stolen bases (14). In addition, NC State picked up some nice pieces over the summer, headlined by Dalton Bargo (Tennessee), Wyatt Peifer (James Madison), and the X-factor for this year’s squad, Mikey Ryan (LSU).

As a whole, there’s a lot to fall in love with about this roster. NC State have three guys on weekends they feel that can compete with anybody coupled with a lineup that will arguably be deeper than a season ago.

If Dudan has success in the rotation and the offense continues its roll, there’s no reason the Wolfpack shouldn’t be playing in Omaha as it’s a roster primed for three game sets.

Texas Longhorns

_{2025 Record: 44-14 (22-8 SEC)}

_{Last CWS Appearance: 2022}

Coach Jim Schlossnagle’s first year on The Forty Acres was a success by most measures, capped by an SEC regular-season championship and a top four national seed in 2025. Even so, Texas struggled to close the year, going 2-3 in its final five games with early exits in both the SEC Tournament and its home regional.

Texas returns a ridiculous amount of experience on the bump, headlined by lefthanders Dylan Volantis and Luke Harrison.

Anticipate both of them to start game one and game two for the Longhorns come weekend series and giving the ball to bullpen weapons Max Grubbs, Thomas Burns, and Ruger Riojas.

Of course, pitching coach Max Weiner has new tools in the toolbox this coming year, notably 6’6″ freshman Sam Cozart and transfer Haiden Leffew (Wake Forest), both bound to play key roles as early as opening weekend. Jason Flores and Kade Bing also are back for Texas, as both are bound to start games or pitch significant innings out of the pen on any given weekend.

Offensively, the Longhorns are bound to be better across the board, as they grabbed a crop of elite players via the transfer portal on all levels of the field.

Carson Tinney (Notre Dame) will be the everyday catcher and hit in the heart of the order; Temo Becerra (Stanford) will man the hot corner to fill out a fun infield on the left side with Adrian Rodriguez; and Aiden Robbins (Seton Hall) along with Ashton Larson (LSU) are set to create an outfield with dual sport athlete Jonah Williams that’s full of athleticism and experience.

Even though it’s only year two under Coach Schlossnagle, both the ceiling and expectation with this year’s squad is sky high, as it should be.

They went 22-8 in the SEC and won 44 games a year ago with arguably a lesser talented roster compared to 2026. With how sour last season ended for the Longhorns, both players and staff will be motivated and driven to end their season in Omaha.

One other note, the Longhorns are also my pick to win the 2026 College World Series.

Vanderbilt Commodores

_{2025 Record: 43-18 (19-11 SEC)}

_{Last CWS Appearance: 2021}

Similar to Texas, Vanderbilt’s 2025 season ended on a bitter note. Despite with a 19-11 regular-season record, an SEC Tournament championship, and earning the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Commodores saw their season end abruptly on Hawkins Field.

When evaluating Vanderbilt’s offense and the players creating it, the theme of recent history has been speed, contact, and a sprinkle of sluggers throughout the order. Don’t expect that change in 2026, as it’s equipped with a plethora of athletes.

Brodie Johnston will be the leader in the lineup, coming off a fantastic freshman campaign hitting 30 XBH with an .831 OPS. As for their leader on the field, Colin Barczi also returns and will look to be a staple in the middle-order.

Infielder Mike Mancini is back for his second year with the Commodores, along with sophomore utilityman Rustan Rigdon (both combined for over a third of Vanderbilt’s stolen bases).

Their 2025 leader in average, Braden Holcomb, is also back as he’ll likely play all three outfield spots for Coach Corbin over the course of 2026.

Vanderbilt also added a couple bats in the portal, notably Mark Whitcomb (Tennessee Tech) and 2025 Big West Freshman Field Player of the Year in Carter Johnstone (Cal State Fullerton).

As for the pitching, this is the strength of this team going into the year. Connor Fennell will likely start on Fridays, as he was a crucial part of Vanderbilt’s 2025 success going 6-0 with a 2.53 ERA and 7.64 K-BB.

Austin Nye will join him in the rotation also, as he was Vanderbilt’s midweek starter a season ago, as his profile screams pitchability given his five-pitch repertoire.

The bullpen will be elite, as it’s filled with guys that give opponents different looks and miss bats. Luke Guth, Alex Kranzler, and England Bryan are the main bullpen arms with both above average stuff and success in the SEC, as well as left-hander Miller Green who’s likely to keep the closing role to begin 2026.

One other arm to mention here in this pitching crop is sophomore transfer Nate Taylor (Georgia), who only threw 8.1 innings yet struck out 17 guys in 2025; look for him to be dominant and take a step up with pitching coach Scott Brown.

It’s been half a decade since legendary Coach Tim Corbin and his Commodores have last appeared in the College World Series.

The main question of this team will be the bats, as the offense hit .264 with 66 home runs in 2025. I’m anticipating an upward spike on both datapoints come this year, coupled with a lineup bound to give opponents headaches week after week.

Virginia Cavaliers

_{2025 Record: 32-18 (16-11 ACC)}

_{Last CWS Appearance: 2024}

It was a rollercoaster 2025 in Charlottesville, from not starting the season off on the highest note to their head coach departing after seasons end. But no need to fret, enter Head Coach Chris Pollard, who has appeared in an NCAA Super Regional four times since 2018.

Sure, when coaching changes happen, a significant portion of the roster will head for a fresh change or follow their initial staff they got recruited by, though it needs to be recognized that this new staff held onto some important pieces.

Notably Eric Becker, a shortstop who batted .368 with over 30 XBH and will be one of the first college shortstops taken in the 2026 Draft. Outfielder Harrison Didawick also stayed put after a tough 2025 campaign, as he’ll look to return to his 2024 form where he hit .292 and slugged 23 bombs.

With these two, major reinforcements will join them, headlined by outfielder AJ Gracia (Duke), our number two player in our Top 100 College Prospects Board and 2025 MAAC Player of the Year Joe Tiroly (Rider).

Other notable transfers include Sam Harris (Duke), Noah Jouras (Davidson), and two-way Kyle Johnson (Duke).

Much like the offense, Virginia’s pitching staff will feature a blend of new and returning arms. While the weekend rotation has yet to be sorted out, the Cavaliers should have no shortage of strike-throwers to choose from.

Duke left-handed transfers Henry Zatkowski and Kyle Johnson bring plenty of starting experience, though both combined for an ERA north of 5.00 in over 100 innings a season ago. Lucas Hartman (Western Kentucky) will be a significant addition to this staff, tossing over 53 innings to a 2.70 ERA with 62 punchouts.

Kevin Jaxel is Virginia’s most notable returning arm, as he had a splendid 2025 campaign finishing with a 2.66 ERA in 23 innings thrown.

True freshman Noah Yoder is an arm likely to see action early, as it’s a big arm that’s been up in the high 90’s this past fall.

One last arm to mention here is righthander Matt Augustin, one of Virginia’s main relievers back in 2024 though missed all of last season due to injury.

Virginia has a ton of options, both on the mound and at the plate, and that’s a good thing.

They’ve got the firepower and stars in both Becker and Gracia to lead the way and create a dynamic and fun offense.

The Cavaliers have enough capable arms to match it, though who becomes the staff’s anchor, of catalysts, remains to be determined as the season begins.

UCLA Bruins

_{2025 Record: 48-18 (22-8 Big 10)}

_{Last CWS Appearance: 2025}

The UCLA Bruins round out my Omaha 8 as they are also my second returning program among this group. 2025 was a year to remember for this program, a young team that exceeded expectations and won everywhere they went before getting put out in Omaha.

The offense will be amongst the best in the country again, as eight of its starters from a year ago are back.

The Bruins have the Preseason Player of the Year and the number one player via our Top 100 College Prospects Board in shortstop Roch Cholowsky, who also led the Big 10 in runs scored in 2025 (80). Finishing second in that category was outfielder Dean West (79) who returns also, considered one of the best leadoff hitters in the country as well as leading the UCLA offense in walks (49).

First baseman Mulivai Levu is also back for season three, finishing second in the country in RBI (85) a season ago while slugging to a .911 OPS.

Junior third baseman Roman Martin joins the returning list, as he will play the hot corner for the Bruins, creating possibly the most talented left-side infield in college baseball.

One offensive transfer to highlight here is outfielder Will Gasparino (Texas), a southern California native who started over 110 games in two seasons.

Nearly 80% of UCLA’s innings return in 2026, seeming like a bonkers stat yet accurate. Weekend starters from a year ago Michael Barnett and Landon Stump are two notable arms, as both combined for over 150 innings and 30 starts.

The two names to highlight here are both new; transfer Logan Reddemann (San Diego) and true freshman Angel Cervantes.

Reddemann looks to be the game one guy for the Bruins, with a five-pitch arsenal with plus feel for each offering, while Cervantes turned down a seven-figure signing bonus in the 2025 draft and a result is likely to earn a weekend spot behind Logan.

The bullpen will again be elite, headlined by Jack O’Connor, Wylan Moss, and assumed closer Easton Hawk.

It’s sky-high expectations for Head Coach John Savage and his program heading into 2026, and rightfully so.

Surrounded with elite talent, postseason experience, and athletic depth, the preseason number one team in the country is positioned to make a return to the College World Series for the first time since 2023.