By George Watson
In just a few days, the 2022 Division I collegiate baseball season will get underway across the country, with intriguing matchups and top-flight tournaments giving fans what they’ve been longing for since last June.
But as the 2022 season commences, it’s important to note there have been numerous changes in the offseason, and the game continues to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which still affects every corner of the U.S. But the game proved in 2021 that it could effectively navigate those hurdles and give fans the kind of season they are used to, with a full slate of games and memorable moments.
So, as the season approaches, let’s take a look at some of the storylines to follow for 2022.
Can Mississippi State repeat?
One of the most fervent and dedicated fan bases in all of college baseball was finally rewarded for its loyalty when the Bulldogs captured the school’s first College World Series title in its 12th appearance in Omaha. A star-studded group from Starkville pulled off the feat in the third season under Chris Lemonis and ended one of the longest title droughts among college baseball’s bluebloods.
Getting there is one thing. Winning it is another. Repeating that feat? That could be easier said than done, but if any team is primed to do it, it would be Mississippi State. The Bulldogs have plenty of holes to fill from last year, but do have some key pieces back that will be a good foundation to build around while newcomers step into those roles.
Leading the way for the Bulldogs is a solid group of infielders in catcher Logan Tanner, maybe the best catcher in the nation, and corner infielders Luke Hancock at first and Kamren James at third. James and Hancock each finished with 60-plus RBI while Tanner had 53 and was the glue of the 2021 lineup. An interesting name to look out for will be Mercer graduate transfer R.J. Yeager at second base.
While Lemonis has to rebuild his starting rotation, the back end of games should be no problem with outstanding closer Landon Sims back in the mix. Sims was 5-1 with a 1.44 ERA and 13 saves in 2021, walking just 13 and striking out 100. If the other pieces can fall in line quickly, the Bulldogs will be right back in the mix for another title.
If not the Bulldogs, then who?
The short answer to that is easy – Texas. By all accounts, the Longhorns are the overwhelming preseason favorite, topping the early polls by Collegiate Baseball, D1 Baseball and Baseball America and coming in at No. 2 in the Perfect Game poll. Texas also tops the inaugural College Baseball Hall of Fame Preseason Power Poll.
The Longhorns return the bulk of a team that finished in the CWS semifinals last season and return experience up and down the lineup and pitching staff. Texas will boast one of the top 1-2 starting combination in lefthander Pete Hansen (9-1, 1.88 ERA, 80 K) and right-hander Tristan Stevens (11-3, 3.31 ERA, 77 K) and two of the top relievers in the nation in righthanders Tanner Witt (5-0, 3.16 ERA, 73 K) and Aaron Nixon (4-3, 2.12 ERA, 35 K), and they are just the top of a deep Longhorns staff.
Texas’ real strength comes in its lineup, where head coach David Pierce must replace only two starting spots — first base and center field. But he has experience to move into those spots in junior Ivan Melendez (.319, 13 HR, 51 RBI) moving from DH to first and sophomore Douglas Hodo III (.281, 5 HR, 44 RBI) moving from right to center. Also back in the fold are shortstop Trey Faltine (.249, 5 HR, 37 RBI) and second baseman Mitchell Daly (.316, 2 HR, 31 RBI), and oft-injured Austin Todd is back for his fifth season to retake right field. Texas also got a big boost when Kansas graduate transfer Skyler Messinger, one of the best players in the Big 12 over the last couple of years, moved to Austin and will take over at third base after hitting .324 with two home runs and 39 RBI last year.
Arkansas also has a chance to unseat Mississippi State with a solid nucleus of returning players, led by the middle infield tandem of second baseman Robert Moore (.283, 16 HR, 53 RBI) and shortstop Jalen Battles (.269, 6 HR, 43 RBI) to go with third baseman Cayden Wallace (.279, 14 HR, 44 RBI) and outfielder Brady Slavens (.284, 14 HR, 63 RBI). But the Razorbacks will be relying on several transfers to fill in holes left by graduation.
The pitching was shaping up to be a big strength for the Razorbacks until it was announced in mid-January that Peyton Pallette, a sophomore who is considered one of the top 2022 draft prospects in the nation, would miss the year after having reconstructive elbow surgery. That leaves head coach Dave Van Horn leaning on newcomers and returning players who didn’t log many innings in 2021.
Next in line to claim the title likely will be Vanderbilt. The Commodores are in the chase every year no matter how many players do or don’t return from the previous campaign, and this year head coach Tim Corbin is looking at a team that has plenty of Division I experience, but not a whole lot of playing time.
The Commodores will be led in 2022 by the three-headed monster of catcher Dominic Keegan (.345, 15 HR, 57 RBI), third baseman Carter Young (.252, 16 HR, 52 RBI) and speedy center fielder Enrique Bradfield (.336, 38 RBI, 47 stolen bases). Third baseman Parker Noland is another nice piece back in the mix after hitting .260 with seven homers and 43 RBI.
Corbin will have to rebuild his weekend rotation after losing the sensational duo of Jack Leiter and Kumar Rocker to the draft. How quickly the new names take hold of those roles and flourish will determine much of Vanderbilt’s fate.
Old names in new conferences
There was plenty of conference realignment talk during the offseason, and many of the big names will be moving in the near future, such as Texas and Oklahoma going to the SEC and being replaced in the Big 12 by BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston. The American Athletic Conference also added several teams, but the exact dates for those moves have yet to be determined.
For 2022, however, there will be plenty of old faces in new places.
The Western Athletic Conference had the biggest expansion for the 2022 baseball season. Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin left the Southland Conference for the WAC, and Central Arkansas traded the Southland for the Atlantic Sun Conference. Northern Colorado, an associate member of the WAC for baseball, left for single-sport membership in the Summit League.
Speaking of the ASUN, it also added Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State from the Ohio Valley Conference.
Three members left the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M are now part of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, while North Carolina A&T now belongs to the Big South Conference.
Transfer madness
At one point in the offseason, there were roughly 2,000 collegiate baseball players in the Transfer Portal looking for new places to play. And there were some big names in that portal as well, some with recent College World Series experience.
Here is a look at some of the top transfers and where they ended up.
Jacob Berry, IF, LSU (from Arizona): Berry was the biggest name in the offseason after establishing himself as part of Arizona’s College World Series run. In 2022 he hit .352 with 17 home runs and 70 RBI, but when the Tigers hired Arizona skipper Jay Johnson away from the Wildcats following the retirement of Paul Mainieri, one of his first signings was Berry, who will anchor a rebuilding LSU lineup.
Micah Dallas, RHP, Texas A&M (from Texas Tech): One of the more surprising names to hit the portal was Dallas, who had established himself as of the top pitchers in the Big 12 but could never settle on a role, switching back and forth between starter and reliever in his three years in Lubbock. But when Jim Schlossnagle was hired to take over the Aggies after building a successful program at TCU, one of his first signings was plucking Dallas out of the portal. In 2021, Dallas was 4-3 with a 3.51 ERA in 17 appearances (10 starts) with 79 strikeouts.
Jace Bohrofen, OF, Arkansas (from Oklahoma): Bohrofen immediately entered the lineup for the Sooners and was one of their better hitters and someone it appeared OU could build around. But after a summer in the Cape Cod League, Bohrofen announced his intention to transfer and now will occupy a spot in the outfield at Baum Stadium in Fayetteville. As a freshman, he hit .252 with two HR and 18 RBI.
Victor Mederos, RHP, Oklahoma State (from Miami): With a need to fill in some major holes left by graduation and the draft, Oklahoma State dipped into the transfer portal and plucked out Mederos, who showed flashes at Miami but was never able to put it all together as a freshman. But a summer with the Chatham A’s in the Cape was enough to convince OSU of his potential.
Troy Claunch, C, Texas A&M (from Oregon State): Another one of the many transfers signed by Schlossnagle, Claunch should give the Aggies stability behind the plate and a solid bat in the middle of the order. Claunch was an All-Pac-12 selection last year after hitting .305 with four home runs and 30 RBI and took a huge step forward from his junior to his senior year.
Preseason Eight for Omaha
Texas, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Stanford, LSU, Florida State, Florida
