7 bold predictions for the 2019 college baseball season
4. North Carolina makes it to the College World Series Final
The North Carolina Tar Heels made it to Omaha last year and seemed like they could make a run all the way to the College World Series Final. In fact, they even topped the eventual champions, Oregon State, in their opening game. However, the Heels followed that with an unfortunate trend of letting down in big moments, losing two in a row, falling to Mississippi State and then in a rematch with the Beavers, to get eliminated.
This year, however, the Heels are going to get back to the College World Series Final. Everything is in place for it to happen as North Carolina returns almost the entirety of their core from last season to make a run in the 2019 college baseball season. Led by budding star Michael Busch and a stable rotation, the Heels will be playing for a title in Omaha.
3. Arkansas finishes sixth in the SEC
While Oregon State faced adversity to make it to the College World Series Final last year, the Arkansas Razorbacks cruised on their way to the season-ending series with four-straight victories. And, as stated, they had the National Championship in hand before a string of miscues and horrible breaks ultimately took it from them and left them as the runners-up.
Coming into the 2019 college baseball season, this Arkansas team looks completely different than they did last season as they will be led largely by a crop of up-and-coming players. There is great talent with this group as Heston Kjerstad and Casey Martin can make a big impact. Having said that, the inexperience of the Razorbacks is going to bite them in conference play, leading to a middling finish in the loaded SEC.