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Aaron Fitt

2:28

I think there's a real chance, but we've also seen that Vandy has a history of starting out those blue-chip freshman arms in midweek or even bullpen roles early in the year, then transitioning them into weekend starter roles by the first couple of weeks of SEC play. So that could be the play as well. But he sounds like he's ready to hit the ground running, if you ask me.

Guest

2:28

Will andrew ducknayth be a starter to open the season?

Kendall Rogers

2:28

I was actually talking to someone close to the program a couple of days ago about the Titans. It sounds like they definitely made some strides in the fall and should be much better, but how much better? TBD. The Big West desperately needs the Titans to get into a groove. Right now, it's pretty much the UCSB show with a lot of question marks elsewhere.

Alex K

2:28

Is Fullerton back this year or do they need another year?

Aaron Fitt

2:27

Strong recruiting class brought reinforcements, but draft also brought VERY significant losses. Sonny D, Burkhalter, Rambusch, Carson Skipper, Brody Moore -- those were all really really important pieces, so it's not like you're just taking a top 10 recruiting class and adding it to the exact same roster you had last year. All that said, I hated leaving Auburn out of our Top 25, because it feels like this program has a knack for exceeding expectations under Butch Thompson's leadership. Could certainly envision that happening again. SEC is just so very rugged.

Lindsay

2:27

Thoughts on Auburn baseball being outside the Top 25 after a top recruiting class brought reinforcements to an 2022 Omaha team?

Kendall Rogers

2:27

That's a good question, I think the biggest X-factor for me is which ACC team will come out of nowhere to have a strong season. I feel like the ACC always has that one time that kind of shakes things up so to speak. Virginia Tech was that club last year. Who is it this year? Wake is an obvious choice, but that's not going to be a surprise.

Guest

2:27

What do you think the biggest x factor in the ACC title race will be?

Aaron Fitt

2:25

I think it will come down to some combination of Connor Bovair, Dalton Pence and Jake Knapp, and all three of those guys seem plenty talented enough to be quality weekend starter pieces, in my mind. I think UNC's pitching looks considerably improved from a year ago, particularly because I think they've really upgraded the rotation. In the outfield corners, I'm definitely betting on Max Riemer to play left, he feels like a classic veteran breakout guy, kinda like Mikey Madej was last year. Right field could be Joe Jaconski or Casey Cook, unless they wind up sliding Mac Horvath out there, but I think Horvath winds up back at third.

Dave

2:25

What are you expectations on who will be the weekend starters (besides Carlson) and the main bullpen guys for UNC this upcoming season? Also, how do you see the outfield corners shaking out?

Kendall Rogers

2:25

James -- Oklahoma State is definitely the favorite, but TCU is absolutely right there for me. I think the big thing with OSU is the experience gained from last season + a lot of offensive additions + adding Watts-Brown and some others on the mound. As for TCU, Cam Brown is the X-factor for me. Ryan Vanderhei had a massive fall, the offense will be loaded -- but can Cam Brown be that 'dude' for the Frogs. It's in there. If he does it, TCU is not only a Top 10 type of team for me, I think it ends up in Omaha.

James

2:25

How do you break down the Big 12? Is Oklahoma State the clear favorite? If so, what makes them so intriguing heading into the season?

Kendall Rogers

2:22

Jake -- some of those teams would be Texas, Auburn, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Oregon State, Florida State and Arizona. Those would be the first crop followed by GT, UConn, and others.

Jake

2:22

Who were some teams that just missed the top 25?

Aaron Fitt

2:21

OU and Texas were both JUST outside our Top 25, and in fact we had some internal debate about how to line up those Big 12 teams -- I had Oklahoma higher on my board than my colleagues, I believe. I know the Sooners lost a ton, but I love the athleticism in their lineup and the way they can execute Reggie Willits' high-octane running game. And while they lack proven arms, they have a ton of really, really talented power arms that just need to adapt to this level. If you're looking for a deeper sleeper, keep an eye on West Virginia -- feels like the Mountaineers are lying in the weeds a little bit, especially if their talented young arms can mature quickly.

Baron

2:21

What's up guys! Excited for another great college baseball season. Talk us through the Big 12. OkState, TCU and Tech all ranked with OU and Texas missing out. How do you see the Big 12 shaking out this year? Champ? Sleeper team? Tourney teams?

Aaron Fitt

2:22

I'll follow up, my four would be Oklahoma, Auburn, Mississippi State and Arizona, in no particular order. Florida State also very much in that mix for me.

Kendall Rogers

2:21

I'll see if Aaron wants to put his personal four teams here, but here would be mine in order. We will reconvene as a team and hash out our next 10-12 teams soon. As for me:

* Texas
* Auburn
* Mississippi State
* Oklahoma

Big12Fan

2:21

If you had to extrapolate out, who would be teams 26-30 in your poll?

Kendall Rogers

2:19

I'm going to go with Louisville or Southern Miss. The questions about U of L are warranted, particularly on the mound. But this is a loaded offensive lineup that has a lot of experience fresh off a Super Regional swing. As for USM, I love the fact it has so many old pieces in the lineup (that really matters in college baseball). It also has a bonafide ace in Tanner Hall.

Guest

2:19

What team not in your top 10 has the most Omaha potential in yalls eyes?

Aaron Fitt

2:18

I really love the Southern Miss position player group -- very experienced, very physical, lots of power, should be a sound defensive outfit. I think the offense will be the team's biggest strength, aside from Tanner Hall, who is one of the best aces in the country. The rest of the pitching staff has some upside but has a lot to prove, but I saw very good stuff out of Nico Mazza and Matt Adams this fall, and those guys have a chance to be really nice weekend rotation pieces. JB Middleton is an electric freshman too, I'd expect him to be a huge piece of that retooled bullpen. I'm not completely sold on the 'pen, but they have some options back there, and I think it will be good enough to make this a regional team, given the position players.

Jordan

2:18

What do you like about Southern Miss this year? Do you think they can rebuild the bullpen? Man, imagine what USM could be if they didn’t lose Waldrep and the rest to the draft.

Kendall Rogers

2:17

I don't know if down year is the right way to say it -- more like an unknown type of year. For instance, Oregon State lost some big arms, but there are a lot of reasons to believes in the Beavs. Arizona is another team that I could easily see in the Top 25 sooner rather than later this spring. I have my eye on California and Washington, too. The Huskies, with the rise of Kiefer Lord and others, could be a big, big surprise in this conference.

Greg D.

2:17

Thanks for the rankings and write ups! Does it look like the Pac 12 is going to have a down year? Any Pac teams on the fringe of rankings?

Aaron Fitt

2:15

Agree that Watts-Brown will be the Friday ace, and I think he could be a first-team All-American, it's that kind of upside. After that, I'm betting on Janzen Keisel (a BYU transfer with a huge arm, pretty electric fastball/slider combo), and then I think it's wide open still. Maybe the freshman lefty Brennan Phillips, maybe St. John's transfer Brian Hendry, maybe a guy like Ryan Ure. Plenty of competition for those jobs, which is not a bad thing.

Levi

2:15

Big Oklahoma State fan here, curious what you guys think the rotation looks like behind Watts Brown who I think for sure is the Friday night guy?

Kendall Rogers

2:11

AJ -- I don't think the gap is that big at all. If anything, the gap between Tennessee and LSU for me is pretty small. Tennessee has the best pitcher in college baseball, a strong rotation and a balanced offensive lineup. LSU has a very strong weekend rotation, one of the better pitchers in Paul Skenes and has a loaded lineup as well. I think the differentiator for me is just having guys like Crews/White/Morgan at the top. I like Tennessee and LSU a step above teams like Ole Miss and A&M. There's a gap for me there.

2:11

Thanks for doing this. How big was the gap between LSU and Tennessee/the rest of the top 5?

Aaron Fitt

2:11

GCU was on our list of about 40 teams in strong consideration for Top 25 spots, so we could certainly see the Lopes cracking the rankings before too long. Obviously it's nice to build your team around one of the best players in the nation, at a premium position no less, in Jacob Wilson. And we're pretty high on the weekend pitching too.

Jay

2:11

Where would you rank Grand Canyon going into the season? Do they have an argument for a potential top 25 school early in the season?

Aaron Fitt

2:07

Yeah, this ranking is a vote of confidence in the South Carolina pitching staff, which I truly believe has a chance to be elite. I like how they supplemented that exciting core of power arms by loading up on physical mature veterans in the transfer portal -- Kingston said they were trying to follow Texas A&M's playbook in that regard, and I think they pulled it off. Remember, A&M went from outside regionals to making it to Omaha in one year, so it can be done.

Spencer

2:07

I was surprised to see the Gamecocks crack the preseason top 25 after a very disappointing 2022 season. Was this ranking based on the talent and upside of their pitching rotation? How do you see their arms stacking up against the rest of the SEC?

Aaron Fitt

2:06

Arizona was probably our unofficial team No. 26 -- in fact, we went back and forth between Oregon and Arizona for that last spot. I think Mike Rooney, who is working on our Pac-12 preview, might lean toward Arizona, particularly because he's bullish on Tony Bullard and TJ Nichols, among other reasons. Wildcats have a chance to be quite good.

BaseballFan

2:06

How far out was Arizona in the T25

Kendall Rogers

2:06

Ragin -- a few teams were considered for those spots. We discussed Coastal Carolina and Texas State, along with Georgia Southern and Louisiana. I saw the Cajuns in the fall, and I really love the position player group. I'm a little more iffy on the pitching staff as a whole, but man, that's a special position player group. They will be very good. In the end, Southern Miss was the lone Sun Belt team. I love USM's blend of solid arms in the rotation (an All-American) + a lineup loaded with ultra-experienced players. That league is going to be very, very good for years to come.

RaginCajun

2:04

Were any Sun Belt teams in consideration for a Top 25 spot?

Aaron Fitt

2:03

Hi everybody, welcome to our first chat of 2023. Let's dive in!

Connecting…

stark dawg

7:28

how close is msstate to being ranked and what do you think their ceiling is?

Gage

9:10

He said we were last 5 out

Gage

9:10

Of the top 25

Lindsay

8:05

Hey Aaron! Curious to hear your thoughts on this year's Auburn team - unranked after losing eight or nine players to MLB, but a great recruiting class and some good transfers should let the reload in fairly short order.

Johnny

8:16

What does Mississippi State’s weekend rotation look like to you?

baseballfan

8:19

What's your outlook for the Auburn Tigers this spring? Lost a good amount of innings in terms of starting pitching, but should be able to swing it.

Chad

8:26

Looking at your ranking of freshman classes, would you view that list as the ranking that will also be most impactful? If not, what freshman group is likely to have the biggest impact on their team?

Jason

8:26

I think we can all agree Tennessee will have the best weekend rotation if healthy But how does their bullpen stack up?

Guest

8:34

I feel this pitching staff as a whole for Vandy could be the best it’s seen, possibly ever. Thoughts on that?

Guest

8:47

I think this seasons’ Vanderbilt pitching staff, as a whole, could be the best they’ve had possibly ever. Thoughts on that?

Guest

8:51

What are some underrated non conference series y’all are looking forward early in the year m?

Guest

8:51

I think this seasons’ Vanderbilt pitching staff, as a whole, could be the best they’ve had possibly ever. Thoughts on that?

Gage

8:52

SEC top 10 as of now?

Guest

8:53

Fsu weekend rotation(besides crowell)?

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