The opening weekend of the college baseball season was crazy. Seeing the top two teams in the country, according to our preseason poll, each lose multiple games in the first few days of the season was quite a surprise. However that showed us a few teams we ranked a bit further down the polls may be better than we initially thought.
Similarly to the top two teams in the preseason scuffling a bit, the top two players on the draft board had varying results as well. Georgia right hander Emerson Hancock struggled, giving up six runs in his first action of the year. Meanwhile Arizona State slugger Spencer Torkelson had success at the dish, but saw his team drop a pair of games, with their vaunted lineup scoring just 11 runs over four games, three of which came against a weak Villanova team.
Beyond Vandy and Louisville getting upset, we saw Nick Gonzales continue to hit a ton, Kumar Rocker pick up right where he left off in June, and freshmen like Texas Tech’s Nate Rombach not only force their way into crowded lineups -- but end up being among the biggest stars of the weekend.
On the flip side since our last poll some not so positive news has emerged across the country. Oregon State star pitcher Kevin Abel (injury) and Boston College outfielder Chris Galland were left off their team’s rosters for the season, shutting them down for 2020. Miami lost Freddy Zamora to suspension, then 24 hours later to an injury for the year. North Carolina lost Gianluca Dalatri to yet another injury, while Tennessee’s Garrett Crochet sat out the weekend with a minor injury.
Dropped Out:
16.Oklahoma State 1-2
Others Receiving Votes:
UC Santa Barbara 7, Southern Miss 4, Tennessee 2, Oklahoma State 1, Ohio State 1, Florida International 1, Dallas Baptist 1