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2018 NCAA Baseball Tournament Preview: Road to Omaha

By Neil Harrington

OMAHA, NE - JUNE 27: The University of Florida players run onto the field in celebration after defeating Louisiana State University 6-1 in game two of the Division I Men's Baseball Championship held at TD Ameritrade Park on June 27, 2017 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
OMAHA, NE - JUNE 27: The University of Florida players run onto the field in celebration after defeating Louisiana State University 6-1 in game two of the Division I Men's Baseball Championship held at TD Ameritrade Park on June 27, 2017 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Justin Tafoya/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) /
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Gainesville Regional

  1. Florida  (42-17) RPI: 1 — SEC regular season champs (2017 NCAA Baseball Champions) 
  2. Jacksonville (39-19) RPI: 21 — At-large bid Atlantic Sun (Last bid 2011)
  3. Florida Atlantic (40-17) RPI: 33 — At-large bid C-USA (Last bid 2016)
  4. Columbia (20-28) RPI: 185 — Tournament champs from the Ivy League (Last bid 2016)

The Florida Gators are the overall number one seed in the 2018 NCAA Baseball Tournament and rightfully so — winning the SEC East and overall regular-season title. Keep an eye on the SEC pitcher of the year Brady Singer (projected top-5 pick), who guided the Gators to the 2017 College World Series crown.

He should be well rested, after missing the past few weeks with a tweaked hamstring, and you can’t buy experience like his. Florida won 17 straight SEC series until Mississippi swept them to conclude the regular season.

The Gators followed that up by winning a single game in the SEC tournament. Count on the team that dominated most of the regular season to return to correct form once Friday arrives.

Out of the Atlantic Sun, the Jacksonville Dolphins are no slouch; boasting non-conference wins against the West Virginia, South Florida, and the top-seeded Florida Gators. Jacksonville State will not be scared and could be a tough out — lead by their stout weekend rotation of

  1.  Chris Gau (8-3, 2.65 ERA)
  2.  Tyler Santana (10-1, 3.29 ERA)
  3.  Spencer Stockton (8-5, 3.57 ERA)

Their closer Chris Mauloni ranks among the nation’s best with 20 saves. But, they are not all about pitching, with a team batting average of .291, but lack the power and speed to rely solely on their offense.

Meanwhile, the Florida Atlantic Owls should be grateful to be invited — somehow stealing a bid from the second-place team in the Conference-USA Louisianna Tech.

None of that matters now, but do the Owls have what it takes to win a game or more in this regional? The only chance they have is to hit the long ball, where they rank in the top 15 nationally in home runs hit, with 72 collectively.

Their shortstop, Tyler Frank (.315/.459/.586) with 13 home runs is a sleeper player to watch in the tournament.

Last, and certainly least are the Columbia Lions of the Ivy League, who outlasted Yale in the conference championship series. They do have a few potent bats in the lineup with Liam McGill (.319/.400/.503), Joe Engel (.316/.391/.380), and Chandler Bengtson’s 10 home runs.

But, their team ERA of nearly 6.00 will spell doom in regional stacked with solid offensive squads.

CTTP’s prediction: Florida

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