Five sleepers that could make a run to the College World Series in Omaha
The 2023 NCAA Tournament will get underway on Friday, with each of the 16 regionals beginning play. As we get ready for the road to Omaha, some sleepers could emerge and make “surprise” runs to the College World Series.
For the most part, the 16 regional hosts, and especially the top eight overall seeds, are the favorites to go on a run. They will be playing within the comfort of their home ballpark, and have that early advantage as the postseason gears up.
But the favorite doesn’t always win. Oklahoma finished as the national runner-up after being a No. 2 seed in the Gainesville Regional. And Ole Miss won the national championship despite being the No. 3 seed in the Coral Gables Regional. Five teams stand out as sleepers to potentially make it to Omaha on a similar type of run this season.
You can find the full NCAA Tournament bracket HERE. The schedule and TV designations have also been set for Friday’s opening round of regionals.
The five sleepers to make it to Omaha
Tennessee has gone 38-19 this season, which includes a 16-14 mark against SEC opponents. The Volunteers are the No. 2 seed in the Clemson Regional, which also includes No. 1 Clemson (No. 4 overall seed), No. 3 Charlotte and No. 4 Lipscomb.
The talent on Tennessee’s roster is undeniable. While the Vols have been inconsistent at times throughout the season, they are still capable of hanging around, and beating, any team in college baseball. Tennessee also has some of the top arms in the country, including Chase Dollander, Drew Beam, Zander Sechrist and Andrew Lindsey, among many others. In a regional-type setting, Tennessee could be well-positioned as pitching becomes more valuable.
Another factor that makes Tennessee a potential sleeper for Omaha is the fact that the Clemson Regional is matched up with the Auburn Regional. Southern Miss, who will be mentioned below, is very capable of winning that regional, which could set up an interesting Super Regional scenario should Tennessee advance. Beating Charlotte will not be easy for Tennessee, and Clemson is obviously a tough test as well. But if Tennessee’s talent comes up when it matters the most, they are more than capable of going on a run.
Campbell put together an impressive resume this season that was very deserving of hosting a regional. But they did not get that opportunity, and instead head to South Carolina as the No. 2 seed in the Columbia Regional. Also in Columbia is No. 3 NC State and No. 4 Central Connecticut State.
Arguably the best No. 2 seed this season, Campbell is capable of hitting with anybody in the nation. The Fighting Camels are hitting .318 as a team with 116 home runs on the season, with six players having at least ten long balls. Not many teams have as much strength in the middle of the lineup as Campbell does. They also have a quality pitching staff, led by starter Cade Kuehler, who carries a 2.82 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP across 67 innings pitched into the postseason.
If Campbell gets by NC State, they could match up well with South Carolina, a team that has struggled down the stretch. Potentially going to Florida for a Super Regional would be a challenge, but Campbell has the talent to compete with anybody in the nation.
Like Campbell, Southern Miss had a pretty strong case to host a regional of their own. Instead, they join No. 1 seed Auburn in the Auburn Regional, in addition to No. 3 Samford and No. 4 Penn. The Golden Eagles have gone 41-17 this season, including a 22-8 run in the Sun Belt. They are 10-5 in Quad 1 games as well, suggesting that they are more than capable of beating anybody.
Southern Miss’ offensive stats won’t jump out at you, with a .285 team average to go along with 78 total home runs on the season. But Slade Wilks has emerged as one of the top power hitters in the country with 20 home runs on the year. The top end arms on the Southern Miss pitching staff are also very strong. Tanner Hall stands out above the rest, as he has started 15 games this season, pitching to a 2.23 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in 97 innings. Having that kind of arm readily available makes this team very dangerous in a regional.
If Southern Miss wins the Auburn Regional, they would face the winner of the Clemson Regional with a trip to Omaha on the line.
West Virginia was in the hosting conversation right up until the last week of the season, sitting in position for a potential top eight overall seed at one point. But the Mountaineers were not able to hold onto that spot, instead heading to the Lexington Regional as the No. 2 seed alongside No. 1 Kentucky (12th overall seed), No. 3 Indiana and No. 4 Ball State.
Getting past Indiana will be a challenge on Friday, but West Virginia is definitely capable of winning this entire regional. They have a solid pitching staff, led by bullpen arm Carlson Reed, who has a 1.50 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP across 36 innings. Starter Blaine Traxel should also play a big role, and he has a 3.79 ERA on the year in 99.2 innings.
Offensively, West Virginia has one of the top hitters in the country in JJ Wetherholt. He is hitting .443 on the season with 15 home runs and 56 RBI, and he has walked 25 times compared to just 21 strikeouts. Getting on base more than half of the times he comes to the plate, Wetherholt can singlehandedly be a game-changer in this regional.
The Lexington Regional is paired with the Baton Rouge Regional, which is a tough matchup. But West Virginia could surely go on a run as one of the top Omaha sleepers if they get hot again.
North Carolina is one of the most interesting teams in this field. The Tar Heels were once a bubble team that seemingly played their way into a No. 2 seed, but ultimately found themselves as the No. 3 seed in the Terre Haute Regional. They are joined by No. 1 seed Indiana State (No. 14 overall seed), No. 2 Iowa and No. 4 Wright State.
Right off the bat, North Carolina will face a tough test against the stout Iowa pitching staff. But the Heels, who will be without star center fielder Vance Honeycutt, can still hit. Third baseman/outfielder Mac Horvath is one of the top hitters in the country, with a .305 average to go along with 22 home runs and 62 RBI. The depth from 1-9 in the lineup, even without Honeycutt, is still impressive. The biggest concern with North Carolina is pitching, as the staff has struggled with inconsistency throughout the season.
Regardless, the Tar Heels could be well-positioned to win this regional if they come out strong on Friday against Iowa. Indiana State is just 2-9 in Quad 1 games this season, so that could be an interesting matchup should both teams see each other.
The winner of the Terre Haute Regional will move on to face the winner of the Fayetteville Regional, and if North Carolina gets hot in the postseason, especially if Honeycutt is able to return, they can definitely be considered one of the biggest sleepers fro Omaha.