2022 NCAA Baseball Crystal Ball Predictions
Image credit: Brock Jones (Courtesy Stanford)
Before the first pitch of the season is thrown, Teddy Cahill and Joe Healy look into the crystal ball to make a few predictions for the 2022 season.
Looking for other parts of our annual college baseball preview? Find them below.
Preseason Top 25 | All-Americans | Top 25 Previews, Conference Previews | BA Top 100 Draft Rankings | Preseason Field Of 64 Projection
National Champion
Teddy Cahill: Texas. The Longhorns have the best pitching staff in the country, a veteran lineup and a standout defense. One of the last four teams standing in 2021, Texas has all the pieces it needs to take the next step and win its first national championship since 2005.
Joe Healy: Texas. This feels like a classic Texas team. It has the best pitching staff in the country on paper, a lineup littered with athleticism and premium defensive skill and just enough power sprinkled throughout to keep the offense from getting stagnant.
Omaha Sleeper
Teddy Cahill: Oregon. The Ducks made a big jump in 2021, hosting a regional for the first time since 2013. Oregon has some big holes to fill from that team, but it has a high-ceiling pitching staff. The Ducks will be dangerous if they can replace some key losses in the lineup.
Joe Healy: Dallas Baptist. DBU came up one game short of Omaha in 2021, and at this point, it’s an accepted fact that the program will get there one day. This team will again put the Patriots in position to get there. Now it’s just a matter of taking that next step.
Player of the Year
Teddy Cahill: Brock Jones, OF, Stanford. Jones is one of the most dynamic players in the nation. He hit 18 home runs and stole 14 bases last season while helping the Cardinal reach Omaha.
Joe Healy: Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech.Jung is coming off of a monster season in which he hit .337/.462/.697 with 21 home runs, 67 RBIs and more walks (49) than strikeouts (45).
Pitcher Of The Year
Teddy Cahill: Landon Sims, RHP, Mississippi State. Sims was a lights-out relief ace for last year’s national champions. Now, he’ll move to the front of the rotation, where his fastball/slider combination is electric.
Joe Healy: Blade Tidwell, RHP, Tennessee. Tidwell put up a 3.74 ERA in 98.2 innings as a freshman last season. With a year of experience under his belt, he has the stuff to dominate in a rotation role.
Freshman Of The Year
Teddy Cahill: Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State. The Australia native played in the West Coast League last summer and hit a league-record .429. He’s got plus speed and contact ability, two tools that will play right away for the Beavers.
Joe Healy: Peyton Stovall, 1B, Arkansas. The No. 33 prospect on the BA 500 draft ranking for 2021, Stovall has special offensive tools and is ready to do damage in a Southeastern Conference lineup right away.
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