Thirty to watch: Familiar faces highlight list

The national title can’t be won in September, but there are some teams that will enter fall workouts and the spring with high expectations and a wealth of resources.

There will be other teams with some catching up to do.

LSU captured its sixth national title last season and will look to earn back-to-back titles in the spring. To accomplish that goal, the Tigers must replace key hitters such as Jared Mitchell, Ryan Schimpf and DJ LeMahieu in addition to pitcher Louis Coleman. But the Tigers also welcome back several key cogs, including staff ace Anthony Ranaudo.

Texas, Arizona State, North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia and Cal State Fullerton are other College World Series participants from 2009 that look great on paper for ’10.

With fall workouts already here for some programs and the regular season only five months away, it’s time to look at our 30 teams to watch.

Note: This listing of teams is not in any particular order

Louisiana State – The Tigers may have lost key pitcher Louis Coleman and key hitters such as Ryan Schimpf, Jared Mitchell and DJ LeMahieu, but they shouldn’t skip a beat in the spring. The Tigers have one of the nation’s best staff aces in Anthony Ranaudo, and reliever Matty Ott is as good as it gets. LSU needs to answer some questions about its weekend rotation between now and the spring, but the offense will be fine. The return of senior outfielder Blake Dean is important.

Texas – Unless something drastic changes between now and the spring, the Longhorns will be the nation’s top team. UT’s offense heated up at the end of last season and Kevin Keyes and Russell Moldenhauer will be key to the lineup getting off to a good start in the spring. The offense may still be somewhat of a question mark, but the pitching staff will be incredible. The Longhorns have three ace pitchers in their weekend rotation in Chance Ruffin, Taylor Jungmann and Cole Green. They also have an excellent crop of relievers in Brandon Workman and Austin Dicharry. UT will have arms, arms and more arms.

Arizona State – Sure, the Sun Devils must move on and compete for a national title without ace pitcher Mike Leake and key hitters such as Carlos Ramirez and Jason Kipnis. But just as was the case this past season, the Devils will be just fine without some key players. Senior pitcher Josh Spence will be a preseason All-American, and sophomore Mitchell Lambson blossomed as a freshman last season. At the plate, ASU welcomes back Kole Calhoun, Drew Maggi and others. Don’t look for ASU to take much of a step back, if any.

North Carolina – The Tar Heels won’t be expected to compete for the national title for the first time in a few seasons, but they’ll still have a good team that will compete for the ACC crown. Losing Dustin Ackley, Alex White, Kyle Seager, Brian Moran and Adam Warren hurts, but there are some key returnees. Pitcher Matt Harvey is expected to become the staff ace in the spring. The Heels also welcome back Colin Bates, Patrick Johnson and other talented arms. On paper, UNC is one of those teams that will only get better as the season progresses.

Cal State Fullerton – The Titans have some tough holes at the plate to fill with the departures of Josh Fellhauer, Khris Davis and Jared Clark, but still will be in good shape entering the spring. The Titans welcome back shortstop Christian Colon and versatile Gary Brown. They also welcome back a seasoned pitching staff with weekend starters Daniel Renken and Noe Ramirez leading the charge. The Titans could struggle at the plate to start the season, but much hinges on how the newcomers progress this fall. Look for the Titans to make another run at a national title.

Virginia – After making a statement with the program’s first trip to Omaha last season, the Cavaliers are ready to take yet another step forward. The Cavaliers now have their sights set on winning a national title. The Cavaliers lost a couple key players to the draft, but return the bulk of their team this fall and in the spring. Dan Grovatt, Jarrett Parker and Steve Proscia are the offensive headliners. On the mound, two-way star Danny Hultzen and Robert Morey will spearhead one of the nation’s best pitching staffs. The hype surrounding this team will be unreal.

Arkansas – The Razorbacks surprised everyone by fighting through a tough regional and super regional to reach the CWS last season. The Hogs won’t surprise anyone by accomplishing the same goal in the spring. The Hogs have some tough holes to fill at the plate, but return power hitters Andy Wilkins and Zack Cox. Mike Bolsinger and Brett Eibner are the headliners on the mound. The Hogs also welcome back Drew Smyly, who made 14 starts as a freshman last season. Granted things go smoothly this fall, the Hogs could be a national title contender.

Rice – The Owls didn’t have ace pitchers Ryan Berry and Mike Ojala at crucial times last season, but still managed to advance to the Baton Rouge Super Regional. Berry has signed and Ojala will spend the fall rehabbing an injury. Despite a few question marks on the mound, the Owls once again are in the driver’s seat to return to Omaha. The offense will be stout with Anthony Rendon, Michael Fuda, Diego Seastrunk and Rick Hague leading the way. That, of course, is in addition to a talented crop of newcomers. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Rice’s pitching staff this fall.

UC Irvine – Replacing seasoned shortstop Ben Orloff won’t be easy, but the Anteaters will have enough pitching to overcome any potential issues at the plate. The ‘Eaters received a huge boost a couple weeks ago when left-handed pitcher and staff ace Danny Bibona decided to return to college for his senior season. Irvine also welcomes back weekend starters Christian Bergman and Crosby Slaught in addition to one of the nation’s best relievers in Eric Pettis. There’s a good chance both the Anteaters and Titans from the Big West make it to Omaha in the spring.

Florida State – The Seminoles lost several key players to the MLB draft two seasons ago, but that surprisingly didn’t affect them too much last season. The Seminoles still managed to reach and host a super regional. With last season serving as a staging point, the ‘Noles are ready to make another run at a national title. Barring a rash of crazy injuries this fall, FSU will enter the spring with an excellent weekend rotation with Sean Gilmartin, Brian Busch and Mike McGee leading the way. The offense also is in good shape with Tyler Holt, Mike McGee, Stephen Cardullo and Stuart Tapley as the headliners. Next season should be great for the ‘Noles.

Mississippi – It will be a very interesting fall for the Rebels. For the first time in a few seasons, the Rebels have some massive holes to fill between now and the spring. They still should be a regional team, perhaps even a super regional contender. The Rebels must replace pitchers Scott Bittle, Brett Bukvich and Phillip Irwin, but welcome back left-hander Drew Pomeranz, who likely will be a preseason All-American. At the plate, the Rebels are without Jordan Henry, Kyle Henson and Logan Power. That means Tim Ferguson, Zach Miller and Matt Smith must rise to the occasion.

Florida – The Gators were a couple wins away from getting to Omaha last season, and hope to accomplish that goal in the spring. The Gators have some holes to fill with the departures of key hitters Avery Barnes and Brandon McArthur in addition to pitchers Patrick Keating, Tony Davis, Billy Bullock and Stephen Locke. They still welcome back a plethora of talent. Preston Tucker, Josh Adams and Matt den Dekker spearhead the offense entering fall workouts. And on the mound, Alex Panteliodis, Nick Maronde and Anthony DeSclafani give the Gators a solid weekend rotation. UF, of course, welcomes an excellent recruiting class to campus this fall.

Clemson – After failing to make a regional two seasons ago, the Tigers responded in a big way last season by recording 44 wins. They will be without several key players from last year’s team, but still are in good shape. Clemson must find a way to replace leading hitter Ben Paulsen in addition to pitchers Chris Dwyer and Trey Delk. They do welcome back a few key players. Pitchers Casey Harman, Kevin Brady and Tomas Cruz are back this fall. At the plate, the Tigers have a solid nucleus of hitters with Wilson Boyd, Mike Freeman, Jeff Schaus and Kyle Parker leading the way. Pitching could be a question mark, but the offense will be in great shape.

Louisville – The Cardinals have another opportunity to make a run at the CWS in the spring. Louisville has the tough chore of replacing ace pitcher Justin Marks and key hitter Chris Dominguez, but also welcomes back several key cogs from last year’s club. The offense is in great shape entering the fall with the returns of Phil Wunderlich, Andrew Clark, Ryan Wright, Adam Duvall and Josh Richmond. The pitching staff also is in good shape with Tony Zych, Dean Kiekhefer and Gabriel Shaw leading the way. Keith Landers also returns this fall. There’s a good chance this will be coach Dan McDonnell’s best Louisville team yet.

Georgia Tech – The Yellow Jackets fell short of making a super regional last season, but should take a step forward in the spring. The Jackets must replace key departures such as Luke Murton and Zach Von Tersch, but welcome back a plethora of key cogs. Tony Plagman, Jeff Rowland, Derek Dietrich and Matt Skole headline the offensive returnees. On the mound, ace pitcher Deck McGuire will be a preseason All-American and Brandon Cumpton returns after starting 12 games and tallying 64 1/3 innings last season. The Jackets will be one of the favorites to lead the ACC in the spring.

South Carolina – The Gamecocks were a win away from reaching a super regional last season and hope to take a step forward in the spring with the return of several key players. The Gamecocks could’ve been hammered by the MLB draft, but escaped in good shape. Ace pitcher Sam Dyson is back this fall and power hitter Nick Ebert returns to spearhead the offense. The Gamecocks also welcome back hitters Jackie Bradley, Whit Merrifield and Parker Bangs and a few pitchers with upside. Look for the Gamecocks to take a step forward if fall workouts progress well.

Oregon State – There’s a good chance the Beavers will compete with Arizona State for the Pac-10 title. OSU returned to the postseason last year after failing to make a regional two seasons ago. They ended the year in the Fort Worth Regional. OSU should return to hosting a regional if everything goes as planned this fall and in the spring. The Beavers must replace position players Ryan Ortiz and Joey Wong and pitcher Jorge Reyes, but otherwise are in good shape. The pitching staff will be excellent with Sam Gaviglio, Kraig Sitton, Tyler Waldron, Kevin Rhoderick and Greg Peavey leading the way. The offense is a question mark, but freshman Andrew Susac is expected to be a solid replacement for Ortiz. It should be an exciting fall.

Miami, Fla. – The Hurricanes lost several key players two seasons ago and still managed to finish last season with a 38-22 record. That bodes well for the ‘Canes entering the fall and the spring with only a few key players to replace. Key cogs to replace include position players Chris Herrmann, Jason Hagerty, Dave DiNatale and Ryan Jackson. The ‘Canes also must replace All-American pitcher Kyle Bellamy. Still, the pitching staff is in great shape with the returns of Chris Hernandez, David Gutierrez and Eric Erickson, who missed last season because of an injury. This team could be a national title contender if the offense rises to the occasion.

Ohio State – The Buckeyes took a step forward last season by reaching the Tallahassee Regional final, but they enter fall workouts with higher aspirations. Ohio State is a northern team that has the ability to get to Omaha. The Buckeyes welcome back a plethora of talented hitters, including Dan Burkhart, Ryan Dew, Zach Hurley, Michael Stephens and Cory Kovanda. On the mound, they lost stud reliever Jake Hale to the MLB draft this summer, but welcome back ace pitcher Alex Wimmers, who has a 3.27 ERA in 104 2/3 innings last season. They also return Drew Rucinski and Eric Best.

Texas A&M – The Aggies were expected to be a national title contender last season, but fell well short of meeting expectations. They actually failed to even reach the super regional round. With last season a distant memory and without ace pitchers Brooks Raley and Alex Wilson, the Aggies hope to rebound in the spring. A&M welcomes back weekend starters Barret Loux and Ross Hales. Hales, though, may not be available until April because of an arm injury. The Aggies also welcome the addition of John Stilson, who was one of the nation’s top JUCO pitchers last season. Offensively, the Aggies should be improved with the return of Brodie Greene and others.

Texas Christian – The Horned Frogs took a giant step forward last season by winning a regional and advancing to play Texas in the Austin Super Regional. But now the Frogs want to take the next step, which is reaching the CWS. The Frogs must find a way to replace top three hitters Matt Carpenter, Matt Vern and Chris Ellington, but still welcome back Taylor Featherston, Jason Coats and Matt Curry, among others. The pitching staff is in great shape. Weekend starters Paul Gerrish and Kyle Winkler hope to build off impressive campaigns and Tyler Lockwood has the ability to be dominant. The Frogs also welcome first-round pick Matt Purke to the pitching staff.

East Carolina – After taking another step forward last season with a super regional appearance, the Pirates hope to finally make a trip to Omaha in the spring. They once again have the squad to accomplish that goal. The Pirates lost Stephen Batts, Chris Heston and Ryan Wood to the MLB draft, but welcome back several key cogs. Trent Whitehead, Austin Homan, Devin Harris, Kyle Roller and Jared Avchen will lead the offense entering fall workouts. The pitching staff also is in good shape with the return of Brad Mincey, Kevin Brandt, Seth Simmons, Seth Maness and Patrick Somers.

Coastal Carolina – The Chanticleers had another impressive campaign and finished last season with 47 wins. But without reaching a super regional, the Chants fell below the radar at the end of the season. Coastal hopes to take its biggest step forward in the spring with a trip to Omaha. The Chants must replace leading hitters David Anderson and Tyler Bortnick and leading pitcher Nick McCully. Otherwise they’re in great shape. Adam Rice, Daniel Bowman, Chance Gilmore, Scott Woodward and Rico Noel will lead the offense. On the mound, weekend starters Anthony Meo, Austin Fleet and Cody Wheeler are the headliners. Offense could be a concern to start the spring, but the weekend rotation will be one of the nation’s best.

Wichita State – The Shockers reached the regional round last season, but still finished the year with an uncharacteristic 30-27 record. There’s no question last season was an aberration. The Shockers will be vastly improved next spring. They welcome back key hitters Clinton McKeever, Tyler Grimes, Ryan Jones and Will Baez. They also welcome back weekend starters Jordan Cooper, Tim Kelley and Charlie Lowell in addition to relievers Remington Johnson and Chance Sossamon. The Shockers have a chance to be excellent next season.

UCLA – The Bruins took a step back last season and failed to make a regional, but they have the personnel to make that campaign a distant memory. The Bruins have the tough chore of replacing key hitters Casey Haerther and Cody Decker, but welcome back Justin Uribe, Blair Dunlap and Chris Giovinazzo. Offense definitely will be a question mark for the Bruins, but the pitching staff should be in good shape entering the spring. Weekend starters Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer will give the Bruins one of the nation’s best one-two punches and Rob Rasmussen had a strong summer and should be vastly improved as the club’s No. 3 starter. The Bruins have a plethora of questions to answer at the plate, but pitching should carry this team.

Vanderbilt – Most observers will assume the Commodores are in trouble without weekend starters Mike Minor and Caleb Cotham, but the team may actually be better next spring. The Commodores will need some pitchers to step up, but Sonny Gray should improve into a front-line ace pitcher and Russell Brewer and Drew Hayes have shown they’re capable of being consistently good. At the plate, the ‘Dores will have a potent lineup with the return of Aaron Westlake, Curt Casali, Jason Esposito, Riley Reynolds and Andrew Giobbi. Pitching is somewhat of a question mark entering fall workouts, but the questions should be answered by spring.

Alabama – The Crimson Tide enter fall workouts with a new coach and may have a new look in the spring with Mitch Gaspard leading the way. The Tide must find a way to replace power hitter Kent Matthes and Brandon May and ace pitcher Austin Hyatt, but still is in good shape entering the fall. Jake Smith, Ross Wilson, Taylor Dugas and Josh Rutledge will spearhead one of the nation’s best offenses and Adam Morgan, Jimmy Nelson and Nathan Kilcrease will carry the pitching staff. The Tide has some questions to answer on the mound, but the offense is in great shape. Sounds like a familiar outlook to us.

Kentucky – Gary Henderson’s second season as coach should end with a better result than his first. The Wildcats finished last season with a 28-26 record, but enter fall workouts with much experience. The ‘Cats must replace Chris Wade, who hit .313 last season. But they also welcome back Chris Bisson, Chad Wright, Braden Kapteyn and Marcus Nidiffer, among others. On the mound, the Wildcats lost Chris Rusin to the draft, but received a huge boost when James Paxton decided to return for another campaign. Paxton once again will team up with Alex Meyer to formulate one of the nation’s best one-two punches. UK should vastly improve.

Middle Tennessee State – The Blue Raiders took a huge step forward last season and will hope to prove that wasn’t a fluke in the spring. The Raiders have several key cogs back this fall. The offenses loses Rawley Bishop and Nathan Hines, but welcomes back leading hitter Bryce Brentz in addition to Tyler Burnett, Blake McDade, Ben Darlington, Stuart Meinhart and Drew Robertson. The Raiders also welcome back ace pitcher Kenneth Roberts and of course Brentz, who had a 4.57 ERA in 88 2/3 innings last season. MTSU should be the cream of the crop in the Sun Belt.

San Diego – Injuries mounted up last season and the Toreros finished the campaign without a regional berth and with a 29-25 record. If they can stay healthy, though, last season will be a distant memory. The Toreros welcome back leading hitters Zach Walters, James Meador and Chris Engell. On the mound, the Toreros are loaded with Sammy Solis returning from an injury, AJ Griffin turning down overtures from MLB to go back to college and the return of Kyle Blair, Matt Hauser and Matt Thomson. The Toreros will be the class of the WCC.