College Baseball · 11 hours ago

D1Baseball: Predicting College Baseball’s Omaha 8 Picks For 2026

SportsGrid Contributor Just Baseball

Host · Writer

The D1 Baseball 2026 Finish Line
While the SEC remains the heavy favorite to produce a champion, the 2026 Road to Omaha runs through UCLA and Texas. With historical trends suggesting only two teams will return from the 2025 field, the turnover will be high—but the talent has never been more concentrated.
The "Paper vs. Field" Reality
Picking an Omaha 8 almost never goes according to plan. Games are played on dirt, not paper, and the "best" roster rarely guarantees a trophy. To find an edge, we look at the historical trends that define the road to Nebraska:
- The Return Rate: An average of two programs return to Omaha from the previous season.
- Preseason Reliability: On average, 5.78 teams (let’s call it 5) ranked in the preseason Top 25 actually make it to the CWS.
- The Drought Factor: In 2025, zero programs returned from the 2024 field—a rarity not seen since 1957.
- The #1 Curse: Preseason #1 teams make Omaha 66% of the time, though they’ve only punched their ticket twice since 2021.
Thanks to Just Baseball for the stats, analysis, and insights for this slideshow article.
Arizona State Sun Devils
The Verdict: Year five under Willie Bloomquist is all about steady progress, following a 36-24 campaign in 2025.
- The Lineup: ASU welcomes a "bopper" heavy group featuring Garrett Michel (VT transfer) and Landon Hairston at the top of the order.
- The Ace: Everything starts with Cole Carlon, who dominated in 2025 with a 3.33 ERA and a .167 BAA.
- Transfer Depth: The Sun Devils added TCU’s Kole Klecker, who brings Omaha experience from his freshman season.
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Georgia Bulldogs
The Verdict: After back-to-back 43-win seasons, Wes Johnson landed the #1-ranked portal class in the nation.
- The Left Side: Returners Tre Phelps and Kolby Branch are poised to wreak havoc once more in the infield.
- The "Cheat Code": Two-way star Kenny Ishikawa is one of the most intriguing players in the country, projected to hit leadoff and pitch on weekends.
- Pitching Overhaul: Only 15% of innings return, meaning transfers like Joey Volchko and Matt Scott (Stanford) must carry the load.
UCLA Bruins
The Verdict: The Preseason #1 team in the country returns 80% of its innings and eight starters from a 2025 Omaha run.
- The Best in the Country: Shortstop Roch Cholowsky is the #1 prospect in the country, coming off a season with 80 runs scored and a 1.190 OPS.
- The RBI King: First baseman Mulivai Levu finished second nationally with 85 RBI a season ago.
- The Freshman Prize: Angel Cervantes turned down a seven-figure MLB signing bonus to join the rotation behind ace Logan Reddemann.
LSU Tigers
The Verdict: The 2025 National Champions look to break the "repeat" drought under Jay Johnson, winner of two titles in four years.
- The Core: Derek Curiel moves to center field, while Steven "Monster" Milam slides to shortstop with two .900-plus OPS seasons already under his belt.
- The Arms: Casan Evans is the new weekend workhorse, supported by a bullpen featuring Zac Cowan and a returning Gavin Guidry.
- Freshman Watch: Right-hander Marcos Paz dominated this fall and is expected to toe the rubber opening weekend.
NC State Wolfpack
The Verdict: A model of consistency under Elliott Avent, the Wolfpack haven’t missed a tournament since 2009.
- The Rotation: Ryan Marohn leads the staff after going 8-3 in 2025 and leading the ACC in FIP.
- The Tablesetters: Leadoff man Ty Head and first baseman Chris McHugh (.365 AVG, 72 hits) anchor an experienced lineup.
- The X-Factor: LSU transfer Mikey Ryan joins a deeper offensive unit that looks primed for three-game sets.
Texas Longhorns (CWS Winner Pick)
The Verdict: Despite a regional exit in 2025, Jim Schlossnagle’s squad won 44 games and an SEC title in their first year in the conference.
- Returning Virility: Texas brings back a massive 76.2% of its innings, headlined by lefties Dylan Volantis (1.94 ERA) and Luke Harrison (3.06 ERA).
- Portal Power: The lineup adds Carson Tinney (.753 SLG) and Seton Hall’s Aiden Robbins (.422 AVG) to the heart of the order.
- Dual-Sport Impact: Outfielder Jonah Williams, a blue-chip football defensive back, provides elite athleticism in the corner.
Virginia Cavaliers
The Verdict: New Head Coach Chris Pollard (four Super Regionals since 2018) takes over a roster that retained its biggest stars.
- The Draft Darling: Shortstop Eric Becker (.368 AVG) is a projected early first-round pick in the 2026 Draft.
- The Reinforcement: Outfielder AJ Gracia (Duke transfer) joins as the #2 player on Just Baseball's Top 100 Prospects board.
- The Returnee: Harrison Didawick looks to return to his 2024 form, where he slugged 23 bombs.
Vanderbilt Commodores
The Verdict: It’s been five years since Tim Corbin was in Omaha, but 2026 features his strongest pitching staff in half a decade.
- The Ace: Connor Fennell returns after a 6-0, 2.53 ERA season in 2025.
- The Speed: Mike Mancini and Rustan Rigdon return after combining for a third of Vandy’s stolen bases.
- The Bullpen: Miller Green is poised to keep the closing role for an elite relief unit that misses bats at an SEC-high rate.
The D1 Baseball 2026 Finish Line
While the SEC remains the heavy favorite to produce a champion, the 2026 Road to Omaha runs through UCLA and Texas. With historical trends suggesting only two teams will return from the 2025 field, the turnover will be high—but the talent has never been more concentrated.
The "Paper vs. Field" Reality
Picking an Omaha 8 almost never goes according to plan. Games are played on dirt, not paper, and the "best" roster rarely guarantees a trophy. To find an edge, we look at the historical trends that define the road to Nebraska:
- The Return Rate: An average of two programs return to Omaha from the previous season.
- Preseason Reliability: On average, 5.78 teams (let’s call it 5) ranked in the preseason Top 25 actually make it to the CWS.
- The Drought Factor: In 2025, zero programs returned from the 2024 field—a rarity not seen since 1957.
- The #1 Curse: Preseason #1 teams make Omaha 66% of the time, though they’ve only punched their ticket twice since 2021.
Thanks to Just Baseball for the stats, analysis, and insights for this slideshow article.