RADIO
Omaha, Nebraska. The home of the men's NCAA College World Series. Teams will compete for the next five months to get to this place to square off in an eight-man double-elimination tournament. For college baseball players, this is where all hope to end their season hoisting a national championship trophy.
For some, making it to Omaha is an expectation and a disappointment if their season ends elsewhere. For others, it is a dream, a once-in-a-lifetime moment, a true Cinderella story. For you and me, it is a city in the middle of the country known for its steaks. I had the opportunity to play here back in 2012 for the Kent State Golden Flashes. Outside of my marriage and the birth of my child, it is my life's greatest accomplishment.
Today, we will predict which teams I think will have the opportunity to make it to Omaha and those who I believe can not only make it but outlast the other seven teams in their path. Betting on futures is a skill and can be the most wrongfully bet on market in sports. Today, I will lay out my entire card and show you the best way to return money in the futures market. Not to mention, I nailed last year's National Champion, LSU, in this very article.
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World Series Winners
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+750, FanDuel SportsBook)
My first lesson for those new to betting futures is that people will get too obsessed with numbers and betting big numbers to return vast amounts of money. Here's the best advice I can give you today. Bet the teams that you think will win. That is where we start our 2024 card. The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are the best team in College Baseball, and frankly, it's not close.
In 2023, Wake Forest went 54-12, including 22-7 in the ACC, earning the number one national seed come tournament time. They lost to the eventual National Champion in the semifinals of the College World Series after getting beat by number one overall pick Paul Skenes. This is a new-look Wake team, but thanks to reloading in the transfer portal and elite player development, they are primed for a repeat season in 2024.
Wake Forest is led by the three-headed monster of a rotation. The front end of this staff has big leaguer after big leaguer, and all three of these arms would be Friday starters for almost every team in the country.
Josh Hartle will return to the rotation and most likely get the ball on Friday night, headlining this elite staff. Last season, he was 11-2 with a 2.81 ERA and a 140-24 K-BB. As if he couldn't get any better, Hartle has seen a jump in fastball velocity and has been up to 92-94 from the left side. He has elite command and is one of the most advanced pitchers in college baseball regarding his ability to pitch and not just rely on stuff.
The most significant addition to the pitching staff and maybe the most impactful transfer in college baseball this offseason was the addition of Tennessee righty Chase Burns. Burns is a very physical righty who will run his fastball up to 102 MPH. Burns was 5-3 last season with a 4.25 ERA and a 114-22 K-BB. He has made some significant adjustments in the country's best pitching labs and is my pick to win ACC Pitcher of the Year and be the first pitcher off the board come July in the MLB Draft.
Michael Massey, a staple in the Wake Forest bullpen last season, will return to the rotation in 2024. Massey transferred into Wake Forest last season after holding a rotation spot for Tulane as a freshman, so he is familiar with this role. Last season, he went 3-1 with a 2.59 ERA and a 76-16 K-BB in only 41 2/3 IP. Massey will run his fastball in the mid to high 90s with an elite, hard-breaking ball. His command is an asset, and like Hartle, he can pitch and not just rely solely on stuff, although it's elite.
The bullpen is filled with just as many elite arms. Cole Roland is set to anchor the back end of games after a 2-1 season with a 2.05 ERA, two saves, and a 54-14 K-BB in 30 2/3 IP last season. His Curveball is one of the best in college baseball, and he throws it often, as it had a 58% Whiff the previous season. Maryland transfer David Falco, who posted a 2.88 ERA with nine saves in 48 2/3 IP last season, will anchor the back end of the pen with Roland.
The position player group has some new faces but is loaded with talent, starting with ACC Player of the Year candidate Nick Kurtz. Kurtz slashed .353/.527/.784 last year with 24 HR and 69 RBI. He was hurt in Omaha the previous year with a rib injury but is ready for another big 2024 season.
My pick for the ACC Player of the Year rests in transfer Seaver King, who comes from Division II Wingate. King slashed .381/.449/.640 with four HR and 44 RBI at the Wingate. He earned a spot last summer on Team USA and was recognized by Larry Lee as one of the best players on the roster. King hit .424 in the Cape last summer as well. He is a small, scrappy dirtbag who will hit for power and be a catalyst at the top of the Wake order.
The lineup has some holes and will be led by five transfers. There is much experience in this order from top to bottom and star power with King and Kurtz.
That said, the lineup is not why we're betting on Wake to win the World Series. This is the best rotation in college baseball. There are two quality arms at the back end of games and plenty of depth to fill in the holes between them.
Wake will be my heaviest bet on a team, and because they are at the top of the odds board, we will only have one more bet on a team to win the College World Series.
TCU Horned Frogs (+2000, DraftKings SportsBook)
I cannot believe I am writing another team up here that is not from the SEC, but here we are. The Big 12 favorite TCU Horned Frogs are my second pick in the preseason to win the College World Series. If not for an incredible catch in deep center field by Florida's Michael Robertson off the bat of Brayden Taylor in the semifinals of last year's College World Series, this team could have played for a national championship last season. TCU was 44-24 and 13-11 in the Big 12.
TCU is led by another three-headed monster in their starting rotation and one of the best closers in college baseball. Two-way star and Wichita State transfer Payton Tolle will headline the weekend rotation for TCU this season after going 9-3 with a 4.62 ERA and a 97-19 K-BB last year for the Shockers. Tolle slings it from the left side and is a physically 6-foot-6, 250-pound thoroughbred who will run it up to 93 mph.
Although Tille will get the ball on Fridays, Kole Klecker is arguably the better arm on this staff and will get the ball on Saturdays. Klecker served as the Friday starter in 2023 and went 10-4 with a 3.72 ERA and a 72-30 K-BB in 962/3 IP. The true freshman had sensational outings in the NCAA tournament, including two starts in the College World Series. The experience will pay dividends heading into the postseason for this team.
Ben Abeldt will pitch at the back end of games for the Horned Frogs and will be a staple in the pen for TCU. The lefty will run his fastball in the low to mid-90s and was 3-4 with a 3.60 ERA and a 71-24 K-BB in 55 IP last season.
The position player group is led by depth and star power. Anthony Silva will be a first-round pick in July. He slashed .330/.416/.471 with seven HR and 50 RBI in his freshman campaign. He is known for his elite glove and is ready to take on the role of carrying the load on offense. Sophomore catcher Karson Bowen is the other anchor in the position player and provides power in the lineup after slashing .350/.420/.502 with six HR and 46 RBI.
Last but not least is Payton Tolle, who will DH for the Horned Frogs when not pitching on Fridays. Tolle slashed .311/.361/.538 with 13 HR and 50 RBI for the Shockers in 2023.
TCU is loaded from top to bottom and has no glaring spots. The rotation has high-end pitch ability, draft talent, and a deep bullpen. The offense has star power, and the defense is elite. The Frogs have the experience of last year's run, and I believe they can win a National Title in 2024.
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To Make the College World Series
South Carolina Gamecocks (+300, DraftKings SportsBook)
The last time South Carolina made the College World Series, Christian Walker was playing first base, Grayson Greiner was catching, and Michael Roth and Jordan Montgomery were toeing the rubber.
This year's team is built much differently than that 2012 World Series team, but it does not lack the star power that team had. The Gamecocks have one of the best offenses in the country, and if they look to return to Omaha, it will be on the shoulders of their position players, specifically their stars.
Ethan Petry returns after a tremendous first year in Columbia. Petry slashed .376/.471/.733 with 23 HR and 75 RBI. Junior catcher Cole Messina, arguably the country's best backstop, and senior Gavin Casas, younger brother to Red Sox's slugger Triston Casas, will join him. Messina slashed .306/.427/.612 with 17 HR and 65 RBI. Casas added 19 HR as well, along with transfer Kennedy Jones. The middle of this lineup is loaded.
The rotation of Eli Jones, Matthew Becker, and Roman Kimball is underrated. There is elite stuff in this group, and it is enough to get by because of the elite offense the Gamecocks possess. The Gamecocks are good enough to be a national seed in 2024, and if all goes right, the road to Omaha will run through Columbia.
Duke Blue Devils (+500, DraftKings SportsBook)
I will start by saying Duke is the ACC's second-best team. This is a program with a ton of steam, and Chris Pollard is one of the best coaches in the country. Duke has not gotten to Omaha since 1961 but has been on the doorstep over the last five years, reaching a super-regional in three of those, including last season's run.
Duke is led by one of the deepest pitching staffs in the country. Outside of Wake Forest and Arkansas, this is the best staff in college baseball. Jonathan Santucci is a bonafide ace and is ready for a return after missing the second half of 2023. Santucci is a long lefty who will run his heater up to 96 with a nasty slider and a good changeup.
Andrew Healy will return to the rotation after going 5-1 with a 2.32 ERA and a 45-7 K-BB in 42 2/3 IP in 2023 for the Blue Devils. Healy was elite in the first half of 2023 but seemed to lose some steam in the second half of the season. Duke limited his fall work to ensure he was ready for the spring. Fran Oschell was a weapon for Duke last season out of the pen but will be relied upon in a starter role this season. Oschell is a big righty who throws in the upper 90s and was 6-0 with a 0.69 ERA and a 66-18 K-BB in 39 1/3 IP. The stuff is elite.
The wildcard is freshman Kyle Johnson, who has a chance to earn a starting role on the mound for Duke and will also start in the outfield. The bat is as good as the arm, and Johnson is a surefire bet to win ACC Freshman of the Year. James Tallon returns at the back end of the bullpen after tallying 12 saves in 23 appearances with a 1.64 ERA and a 54-11 K-BB.
The offense is the wildcard, but Alex Stone is one of the best backstops in the ACC after slashing .315/.379/.579 with 17 HR and 62 RBI last season. Four transfers and two freshmen are projected to start for the Blue Devils, so a lot will depend on how the newbies transition to the ACC. The benefit of having one of the nation's best staff will help with that transition so look for the Blue Devils to break through in 2024.
East Carolina Pirates (+500, DraftKings SportsBook)
We are staying in the Carolinas for our third and final bet on our 2024 preseason futures card. This time, we head to the American conference for a mid-major with power five talent. ECU is another team that's been on the doorstep of breaking through to Omaha, and with the experience, this team will return. I believe this is the year they can get there.
Trey Yesavage is one of college baseball's premier starting pitchers. He is a first-team All-American who has first-round potential come July. He throws in the upper 90s with a wipeout slider and elite command. Yesavage was 7-1 with a 2.61 ERA and 105-23 K-BB in 14 starts last season.
The position player group returns its top four bats to the lineup and will be led by seven upperclassmen. The experience in this lineup will pay dividends come tournament time. Second baseman Jacob Starling slashed .311/.436/.506 with 10 HR and 52 RBI last season. He also stole 19 bags. Justin Wilcoxen is an elite backstop who slashes .318/.384/.538 with nine HR and 49 RBI.
Skipper Cliff Godwin has been knocking on the doorstep since he took over ECU nine seasons ago. With Trey Yesavage and the experience from his position player group, this will be the year the Pirates make their first-ever trip to Omaha.
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