Who are the best players at College World Series? Two key performers for every team
Jason Lane’s four home runs and 31 total bases in 1998. Greg Swindell’s 29 strikeouts for Texas in 1985. Mark Kotsay’s both-ways dominance for Cal Fullerton in 1995. Arizona State first baseman Bob Horner’s 11 RBIs in 1977.
The College World Series has been the stage for some of the top individual performances in NCAA history. Last year, LSU righthander Kade Anderson was named the CWS Most Outstanding Player after striking out 10 batters in the opening game of the finals against Coastal Carolina.
This year’s series features a record five teams from the SEC along with North Carolina, West Virginia and Troy.
One player will end up taking the wheel and leading his team to the national championship. Before play begins on Friday, here are the pitchers and hitters to watch heading into the CWS:
No. 3 Georgia: RHP Caden Aoki and C Daniel Jackson
Aoki spent most of the year in the bullpen, earning a finalist nomination for Stopper of the Year honors as the nation’s top reliever, but has delivered 11.2 innings and 20 strikeouts in two starts in this tournament. The first catcher in Division I history to post 25 home runs and 25 steals in the same season, Jackson (.396 BA) won the triple crown in the SEC and is up to 31 homers after hitting a pair in the super regionals against Mississippi State.
No. 5 North Carolina: RHP Jason DeCaro and CF Owen Hull
DeCaro (11-2, 2.28 ERA) is a veteran of this stage after giving up one run and striking out six across four innings of work in the Tar Heels’ win against Virginia in the 2024 CWS. He’ll likely draw the nod for the opener against Mississippi. A transfer from George Mason, Hull (.390, 81 RBIs) had four doubles and the walk-off winning hit against Southern California in the super regionals.
No. 6 Texas: LHP Dylan Volantis and RF Aidan Robbins
A projected top pick in this year’s MLB draft, Volantis (2.03 ERA) is nearly untouchable when on his game and pretty unstoppable even when things aren’t working well; he had a season-high four wild pitches but still struck out 10 in an easy 11-3 win against Oregon in the super regionals. Robbins has continued to mash since joining the Longhorns from Seton Hall, posting a .342 average and 24 home runs with a 1.115 OPS.
No. 7 Alabama: RHP Myles Upchurch and SS Justin Lebron
Just a freshman, Upchurch has battled through some early command issues (40 walks in 70.2 innings) to go 8-3 with 77 strikeouts and a 3.57 ERA while holding batters to a .198 average. It’s been a frustrating year at times for Lebron, who is hitting just .277, down from a .316 mark in his breakout sophomore season. But he’s one of the best base-stealers in the nation (41 steals in 42 attempts) and can make a huge impact even if his bat is missing.
No. 16 West Virginia: LHP Maxx Yehl and UTL Gavin Kelly
Yehl (2.10 ERA) has worked his way back from Tommy John surgery to become one of the top southpaws in the country. He’s given up just two runs on seven hits in his past two tournament starts. Kelly has posted at least one hit in all seven tournament games, pushing his average to .384, and the sophomore brings even more value thanks to his ability to man both catcher and second base at a high level. A strong CWS could vault him to the top of the list among 2027 draft prospects.
Mississippi: RHP Cade Townsend and 3B Judd Utermark
Ole Miss needs more from Townsend in Omaha. While still one of the top college arms in this year’s draft, he’s struggled of late, giving up 14 runs over 12 innings in his past three starts. That’s kicked his ERA to 3.94, up from 2.42 in early May. Utermark (22 home runs) went 3 for 7 with 4 RBIs to pace the Rebels’ two-game sweep of Auburn in the super regionals.
Oklahoma: LHP Cord Rager and C Deiten Lachance
The decision to move Rager from Sunday starter to the top of the rotation for the tournament has paid off for the Sooners. The freshman struck out eight in six innings in the regional opener against The Citadel and then delivered brilliant performance in the Lawrence super regional, holding host Kansas to just one hit in six innings. A junior college transfer this past offseason, Lachance has split time between catcher and first base. His bat travels: Lachance is hitting .332 while leading OU in hits (73), home runs (15) and RBIs (62).
Troy: LHP Hayden Smith and INF Aaron Piasecki
Smith joins Benjamin Stubbs (6-3, 4.93 ERA) and Tommy Egan (6-5, 5.38 ERA) in Troy’s rotation. He pitched four innings of one-run ball to eliminate Florida in the regionals. Piasecki’s elite hit tool has sparked the Trojans’ offense since he joined the program from Central Michigan. The middle infielder is hitting .346 with far more walks (39) than strikeouts (24). Beyond Piasecki, Troy has been boosted by a power surge from designated hitter Jabe Boroff, who is hitting .462 with six homers in the tournament.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: College World Series best players: Two keys for each team in Omaha
