College World Series 2024: Reranking the best NCAA baseball teams in Omaha, from No. 8 to No. 1 (2024)

NC State is the streakiest team remaining in the field. This is a squad that posted losing streaks of four and five games during the regular season but is also one of the hottest teams in the nation with its 12-3 record over the last 15 games — a stretch in which it won series against top-25 teams in Virginia, Wake Forest and Georgia. The meat of the Wolfpack's batting order features talent capable of going toe-to-toe with the best in Omaha in hard-hitting Alec Makarewicz and red-hot Eli Serrano III, but in total, this is probably the most modest roster in the CWS.

Florida's unforeseen run to the College World Series may or may not justify the selection committee's controversial decision to include the Gators in the bracket. From an RPI perspective, Kevin O'Sullivan's team undoubtedly deserved an at-large spot in the NCAA Tournament, but strength of schedule and conference affiliation means little without victories. Florida is racking those up now. Talent was never the issue for this team, which boasts one of the greatest players in the sport in Jac Caglianone and a few other draft-bound prospects. Everything seems to be finally coming together for a team that opened the year as D1Baseball's preseason No. 2 squad. That is a dangerous thing.

The x-factor for Virginia all year, and the determining factor in how long the Cavaliers stay in Omaha, is starting pitching. When Evan Blanco and the host of other arms who moved in and out of the weekend rotation are on — like they have been all tournament — it is extremely difficult to top the 'Hoos. The offense ranks among college baseball's elite and essentially never wavers as a whopping eight regular starters hit well over .300 on the year. Opposing staffs never catch a break when Virginia steps up to the plate, and that could send a couple of CWS teams packing.

Florida State sent a message to the rest of the field in Game 1 of the Tallahassee Super Regional, posting a 24-spot on UConn in the biggest blowout of the NCAA Tournament. Its second victory was much harder-fought and came in a 12-inning battle. The Seminoles proved capable of winning in a variety of ways throughout their perfect 5-0 start to the tournament, which bodes well for a lengthy stay in Omaha. Link Jarrett's lineup goes six deep with .300 hitters, but outside of ace Jamie Arnold and top reliever Brennen Oxford, the pitching staff has some holes upon which FSU's CWS opponents could capitalize.

North Carolina accounted for many of the tournament's biggest fireworks in "Chapel Thrill," winning in walk-off fashion multiple times en route to Omaha. The concern with the Tar Heels is whether or not their narrow victories are sustainable, but winning in such exciting fashion goes a long way in the confidence department, and that is often half the battle in the NCAA Tournament. Vance Honeycutt seems determined to will this team to its first national championship and is one of the hottest hitters in the CWS field after he went 4-9 with two home runs in the super regional round. That was in addition to the two-homer game he logged in the Chapel Hill Regional opener.

With a healthy Braden Montgomery, Texas A&M would have been as strong of a pick to win the national championship as any. The Aggies will miss the projected top-five MLB Draft pick after he sustained a serious ankle injury early in the super regional win over Oregon. This lineup still features two players with at least 20 round-trippers on the year, though, and Montgomery was one of five .300 hitters in the batting order, so plenty of firepower remains. In order for coach Jim Schlossnagle to win his first national title, he needs his typically reliable pitching staff to bounce back after it allowed 15 runs to the Ducks across the last two games.

The race between Kentucky and Tennessee has been neck-and-neck all year, and if not for a regular-season series loss to the Vols, Nick Mingione's squad might have earned itself a No. 1 overall seed. UK looked the part of a championship-caliber team in its sweep of Oregon State, completely stifling one of the nation's most formidable lineups behind the remarkable work of Trey Pooser and Mason Moore on the mound. That duo turned in phenomenal performances in each of their two NCAA Tournament outings, the back end of the bullpen in Robert Hogan and Ryan Hagenow remains unflappable and the ultra-aggressive offense rounds out an elite team that just earned its first CWS berth in program history.

The loss to Evansville in Game 2 of the Knoxville Super Regional raised some eyebrows, but the beauty of the college baseball postseason is that one loss does not define a team's ability to win the national championship. Tennessee is still the most complete team in this field and has far and away the best overall résumé even with that defeat at the hands of this year's Cinderella squad. Tony Vitello is the only coach in the land with more than 50 wins this season, and while his 2024 team may not have the individual star power that some of his other title-contending squads boasted, it is extremely well-rounded and has not lost consecutive games since mid-March.