Fansided

7 bold predictions for the 2019 college baseball season

By Cody Williams

OMAHA, NE - JUNE 28: Oregon State's Kevin Abel (23) pitching against Arkansas during the third game of the finals in the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. Oregon State beats Arkansas 5 to 0. (Photo by John Peterson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
OMAHA, NE - JUNE 28: Oregon State's Kevin Abel (23) pitching against Arkansas during the third game of the finals in the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. Oregon State beats Arkansas 5 to 0. (Photo by John Peterson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The opening weekend of college baseball is upon us and the early favorites are clear, but what could shake up the 2019 season on the diamond?

On Friday, Feb. 15, the 2019 college baseball season will officially get underway. Fans certainly hope that the excitement that ended the 2018 campaign with an unforgettable College World Series will carry into this year. After all, the College World Series Final win by the Oregon State Beavers was one for the ages.

After having already won in elimination games six times prior to the Final, the Beavers lost to the Arkansas Razorbacks in Game 1. Not only that, but they found themselves trailing 3-2 with two outs in the ninth inning. They then capitalized on a monumental defensive error that led to a three-run rally to force Game 3. In that decisive game, Oregon State handled business with a dominant 5-0 win to capture the title, their first since 2007.

In that decisive game, one of the likely stars for the 2019 season emerged as then-freshman pitcher Kevin Abel tossed a two-hitter in the shutout win. Abel and the Beavers figure to be in the mix to make it to Omaha once again this year as one of the top teams in the country.

Having said that, the bulk of the favorites to dominate the 2019 college baseball season come out of the SEC. Traditionally a force in the sport, that figures to again be the case as the likes of Vanderbilt, LSU, Florida and even Mississippi State all rank inside the top 10 of Baseball America’s preseason top 25 poll. The ACC is no slouch either with North Carolina and Florida State also coming in as top-10 teams.

However, we aren’t here to talk about who the favorites are in the 2019 season, at least not on the whole. Instead, we’re going to get bold and talk about some potential surprises. With that, let’s make seven bold predictions about the 2019 college baseball season.