College Baseball World Series Longshot Odds
January 16, 2024
The 2024 college baseball season is right around the corner and if you know anything about the sport, the SEC is king. Last season, it was an all-SEC CWS final featuring LSU and Florida. It’s no surprise that the Gators and Tigers along with Vanderbilt and Texas A&M are among the favorites to win this year’s College World Series.
What about the longshots? There are other conferences out there with some very good baseball teams heading into the 2024 campaign. Which teams could sneak into the CWS and win it in 2024? Let’s take a look.
Clemson (+4000)
Clemson has a strong reputation in college baseball, but they fell off their winning ways in 2021. The Tigers hired head coach Erik Bakich away from Michigan and led Clemson to a No. 4 overall national seed and a spot as a Regional host last year. The Tigers lost to No. 1 Tennessee but they return a ton of talent this season.
Wake Forest is picked to win the ACC, but Clemson will be right on their heels. The Tigers have a potent pitching staff and two of the best outfielders – Cam Cannarella and Will Taylor – in the ACC. Don’t be surprised when Clemson hosts another regional this season.
Iowa (+7500)
Big Ten baseball? Hey Bakich took Michigan to within one game of a national championship just a few years ago. The next Big Ten team to get back there could be the Hawkeyes. Iowa won 44 games last year, including a 12-4 win over LSU, the eventual national champion.
The Hawkeyes won 44 games last season, including a 12-4 win over LSU, the eventual national champion. Head coach Rick Heller may have the best pitching staff in the Big Ten. Brody Brecht started a conference-high 36 games last year and led the nation in hits per nine innings. Marcus Morgan was second in the Big Ten in ERA.
Kansas State (+12500)
The Wildcats will most definitely be playing like they have something to prove in 2024. Kansas State won 35 games last year, nearly won the Big 12 title, and finished with an RPI of 53. In the end, the NCAA College World Series committee didn’t think it was enough and the Wildcats stayed home for the CWS.
Almost the entire roster from a year ago remains intact. That includes Brady Day, who turned down an offer with the Atlanta Braves. Day, a second-baseman, had the third-best on base percentage of all hitters in the Big 12 last season.
Troy (+15000)
An absolute longshot. Could Troy really win a College World Series? While not likely, anything can happen. The Trojans made the Tuscaloosa Regional last year but lost to Alabama and Boston College. Troy returns a wealth of talent and should win the Sun Belt Conference once again.
OF Shane Lewis hit 27 homers and had 77 RBIs last year. OF Kole Myers had 20 homers and 20-plus steals. The Trojans have a great pitching staff too. They ranked 11th in the nation last year, averaging 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings. Their closer, Noah Manning, returns too. Manning made 34 appearances in 2023 and picked up 11 saves.
