The college baseball season is a little over a month away. Here is the first edition of the top ten teams in the country this preseason as teams prepare for the road to Omaha and the College World Series.
Head coach Tony Vitello and the Tennessee Volunteers are rightfully ranked first as they begin their 2025 title defense.
The Vols suffered significant losses in their lineup and pitching staff, including Christian Moore, Blake Burke, Drew Beam, and others.
However, Andrew Fischer and Liam Doyle, two Ole Miss transfers, will be crucial in filling the holes in last season’s national championship squad. Tennessee also welcomes back big returners like Hunter Ensley, Dean Curley, and Nate Snead.
Despite the losses in the roster, Vitello will have this team in the top ten and competing for back-to-back national championships during the 2025 season.
Last season, the Aggies were a game away from their first national championship. Despite a coaching change, with Michael Earley now at the helm, Texas A&M returns a ton of talent next season.
Jace LaViolette returns as the arguable front-runner to win the Golden Spikes award. The Aggies also returned one of the best pitchers in college baseball, Ryan Prager. Caden Sorrell and Kaeden Kent are also two key returners to the lineup.
Despite a new head coach, Texas A&M is planning a revenge tour for 2025. The team is ranked second in the country and is considered a heavy favorite to win the national championship this upcoming season.
After winning the national championship in 2023, the 2024 season was not the one LSU had in mind after a quick end to their postseason in the Chapel Hill regional.
However, head coach Jay Johnson worked in the transfer portal and brought in the country’s number-one class. The Bayou Bengals’ portal class features a slew of talent, including Chris Stanfield (Auburn), Zac Cowan (Wofford), and Luis Hernandez (Indiana State).
The Tigers also have plenty of their own talented players returning in 2025, like the power-hitting Jared Jones and talented pitching prospect Chase Shores.
LSU has arguably the most talent out of any team in college baseball. This will be key in chasing down the historic program’s eighth national championship.
The Florida Gators put together a magical postseason run in 2024 after unexpectedly hanging around the .500 mark for most of the regular season.
Head coach Kevin O’Sullivan brings in a top-ten high school recruiting class to Gainesville. The headliner of this class is Aidan King from Bryceville, Fla. He is a freshman right-hander that could make an instant impact.
The Gators also have plenty of great returners, including Colby Shelton, Luke Heyman, Brody Donay, and the talented outfielder Ty Evans, whose 2024 season ended abruptly due to an injury.
O’Sullivan and his Gators have the talent to put together an incredible 2025 season and possibly win a national championship.
Head coach Brian O’Connor has consistently gotten Virginia to the College World Series, advancing that far in three of the last four seasons. With plenty of returners to the lineup, the Cavaliers are poised to do that again.
Jacob Ference, Henry Godbout, and Aidan Teel are just a few of the numerous players returning to the batting order. Evan Blanco and Jay Woolfolk are two big pitchers returning to Charlottesville.
This is an experienced bunch that has already been to Omaha. It is safe to say that this Virginia team will be looking to take the next step and win a national championship in 2025.
Arkansas has been a focal point of great college baseball, which should be the case again in 2025. From this offseason, head coach Dave Van Horn has a healthy mix of big-time returners and the number two overall transfer portal class.
The pitching is loaded for the Razorbacks heading into 2025. Transfers like Zach Root (East Carolina) and Landon Beidelschies (Ohio State) boost the staff, along with some returners like Gage Wood, Gabe Gaeckle, and Will McEntire.
The lineup in Fayetteville is also something to be excited about, with players like Wehiwa Aloy, Kendall Diggs, and Nolan Souza returning. But Arkansas’ pitching looks like it can be the best college baseball has to offer. This alone makes them a solidified top-ten team.
7. Clemson Tigers
Head coach Eric Bakich and the 2025 Tigers have their sight set on one thing and one thing only: Omaha. Clemson has not been to the College World Series since 2010.
The Tigers look more prepped than ever to make that happen. The one-two punch of centerfielder Cam Cannarella and ace Aidan Knaak. Cannarella is a candidate for the Golden Spikes Award, and Knaak returns as a highly regarded pitcher in college baseball.
The supporting cast around these two stars is also strong. Luke Gaffney is a big-time transfer from Purdue who won Big Ten Freshman of the Year. This past cycle, the Tigers also recruited a top-15 high school class.
The Seminoles reached their program’s standard of getting to the College World Series last season. This appearance from head coach Link Jarrett’s squad came after a five-year hiatus from Omaha.
The headlining name returning to Florida State is Jamie Arnold. He is a Golden Spikes Award candidate, arguably the best pitcher in college baseball, and a top-five MLB draft prospect. When he gets on the mound, there is a high chance the Seminoles will win.
Some key bats returning to Tallahassee include Max Williams, Drew Farout, Alex Lodise, and Jaxon West. Myles Bailey is a big-time freshman who can make an instant impact within the lineup.
Jarrett has his Seminoles in a position to make some noise and reach Omaha like they did last season.
Head coach Wes Johnson has Georgia baseball rolling in the right direction. The Bulldogs must replace Charlie Condon, the 2024 Golden Spikes winner, but they have the roster set up to do that.
Johnson brought in the third-highest-ranked transfer portal class, which features talent like Nolan McCarthy (Kentucky) and Ryan Black (UT Arlington). Slate Alford and Kolby Branch are two key infielders who will also return to Athens in 2025.
The pitching looks strong with returners like Kolten Smith and Leighton Finley.
Georgia is poised to take the next step from a season ago and make it to Omaha for the College World Series. This is something they have not done since 2008.
The reigning ACC Tournament champions round out the preseason top ten. The Blue Devils return a lot of pitching talent with arms like Andrew Healy, Gabriel Nard, and Kyle Johnson.
The beef of Duke’s lineup from 2024 returns as well. A.J. Garcia, a freshman All-American, makes for one of the most intriguing hitters in college baseball. The Blue Devils also brought back last season’s hitting leader Ben Miller, and the talented shortstop Wallace Clark.
Duke is among the other top ten teams in WBN’s ranking and is looking to break through and get to Omaha. They have the returning players to make that kind of run this season.
Teams Just Outside the Top Ten
