College baseball was once a national sport. There was regional balance and power programs on both coasts. The West Coast produced six national champions between 2006 and 2013.
But conference realignment has essentially turned the College World Series into an SEC showcase. The Southeastern Conference has produced the last five national champions and 45% of the entrants in the past five World Series held in Omaha.
So, is it a given that this year’s champion will come from the SEC? Not necessarily. Let's dive into my college baseball futures and NCAA baseball picks for the 2025 College World Series.
College Baseball Futures, Picks
I examine four elements before backing a long shot to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament: pitching, path, slugging percentage and road record.
Oregon has the starting pitching to hold up in next month’s NCAA Tournament.
Lefty Grayson Grinsell is the ace of their staff and effectively mixes four pitches to flummox opposing batters. His velocity range is what gives hitters real problems. His fastball tops out at 91 MPH, while his breaking stuff dips into the lower 70s.
This explains why he strikes out so many batters despite his average top-end velocity. His 3.4 K/BB ratio and microscopic WHIP (.98) have him in line to vie for All-American honors. I feel confident with him on the hill.
Grinsell is joined by the absurdly tall Jason Reitz. At 6-foot-11, he has the extension, arm angle and a plus fastball (97 MPH) to shine on the biggest stage this sport has to offer. His sweeping slider has helped him win five straight starts, including a gem against nationally ranked Oregon State.
If a team has two reliable stars in its rotation, it has a chance to advance from the NCAA Regionals.
That brings us to the second element of this future: the Ducks’ path.
Barring an early exit from the Big Ten Tournament, Oregon is in line to host a Regional in Eugene. The Ducks made it to the Super Regionals last summer without the benefit of home-field advantage, but they’ll have time to prove that they’re road warriors on this run.
Hosting a Regional would give them a huge boost because they’ve been nails on their home diamond in 2025. Oregon has dropped just one home series all season, and even then, it still outscored Ohio State by four runs in that three-game set.
Pitching? Check. Path? Check. How about power in the lineup?
Let’s start with the college baseball home run leader, Mason Neville. The Arkansas transfer has blossomed in the Pacific Northwest. He’s taken 26 pitches yard this season, and he’s done so without sacrificing much of his average, which sits at .322.
He’s becoming so fearsome at the dish that five separate teams have issued him three or more walks this season. He’s gone from SEC bust to fringe first-round pick in the MLB Draft.
As a team, Oregon ranks 22nd in slugging, seventh in home runs, and it rarely has an off-night. The Ducks have been held to two runs or fewer just once in the past month.
The final piece to this puzzle is their road record.
This is the real reason I’m enamored with UO. The Ducks have gone 10-5 away from Eugene and have spent the majority of the season inside the top 10 in terms of road RPI.
Toss in the fact that the Ducks are 9-1 against Quad 1 teams, and it’s clear as day that they’re undervalued at 50-1.
If they build off of their postseason success from last season, this ticket will be a license to print money from a hedge perspective should they punch the program’s first ticket to the College World Series since 1954.
