2024 College Baseball Preview: SEC

The SEC will look different in 2025, thanks to the impending addition of Texas and Oklahoma, as well as a new post-season conference tournament that will feature all 16 teams. But before then, we have to get through 2024 first. Here’s our 2024 season preview of the SEC.

Alabama

We start off our 2024 SEC baseball preview with Alabama, a team marred by Brad Bohannon’s gambling scandal but still managed to do damage after his dismissal last year. Things have changed since their exit in the Super Regionals, as former Maryland boss Rob Vaughn has taken over and several star players from their 2023 team defected to other SEC schools.

Vaughn did a strong job building a contender in Maryland. But, it won’t be easy in the SEC. There are some new faces aside from Vaughn, including former Ole Miss outfielder TJ McCants and former Texas prep star Zane Adams. Ben Hess, who missed most of 2023 thanks to a flexor strain but pitched very well when on the mound, is on Alabama’s roster for his junior year.

Arkansas

The Razorbacks are among the early preseason favorites to not just win the SEC, but the 2024 NCAA title. Offensively, the Razorbacks will look towards Kendall Diggs, who belted 12 home runs last year, to help boost their offense yet again. Catcher Ryder Helfrick and left-hander Hunter Dietz, two standout high school commitments from 2023, will join the Razorbacks for their freshman season.

And for MLB Draft prospect followers, left-hander Hagen Smith, who struck 109 batters last year, will look to cement his status as a likely first-round pick.

Auburn

Auburn went 17-13 in conference play last season in the SEC. Heading into 2024, it won’t be easy to repeat that feat in a deep conference.

There are some new faces with the Tigers. Deric Fabian, who played with Florida last season and hit well in the Cape Cod League, is now with the Tigers after he entered the transfer portal. Freshman Griffin Graves, who made the Perfect Game Class of 2023 Top 100, is also with Auburn.

Florida

The Florida Gators came just short of the College World Series title in 2023. Even though Florida won’t have Hurston Waldrep or Wyatt Langford in 2024, the Gators will have two-way star Jac Caglianone for his junior year. A rare breed with plus power and a high-90s fastball, Caglianone is a likely first-round pick in 2024 after a 33-home run campaign last season.

The Gators were rated #2 by D1Baseball heading into 2024, largely thanks to their depth. Aside from Caglianone, Cade Kurland and Luke Heyman — a duo that hit 29 home runs last year — are back for their sophomore seasons.

Georgia

Next up in our 2024 SEC baseball preview is the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs were not ranked in the top 25 by several outlets but there will be one name that’ll get plenty of eyeballs this spring. That individual would be 1B/OF Charlie Condon, who was rated as the fourth-best MLB Draft prospect by MLB.com. Condon and his 6’6” frame belted 25 home runs for Georgia last season, as well as a 1.284 OPS.

Georgia does have some new blood, highlighted by Tre Phelps, who was one of Perfect Game’s top 100 Class of 2023 players. Middle infielder Kolby Branch, who hit .326 and posted a .939 OPS with Baylor in 2023, is now with Georgia.

LSU

The reigning national champions will look different in 2024, as LSU won’t have stars Paul Skenes, Dylan Crews, or Ty Floyd. However, the team from Baton Rouge, which ranked #3 by Perfect Game heading into 2024, should be very competitive without those two stars.

Star slugger and likely 2024 MLB first-round pick Tommy White belted 24 home runs in his first season in Baton Rouge and he’s set to lead a deep LSU offense this season that also includes Paxton Kling, Jared Jones, and returning catcher Hayden Travinski. As far as pitching goes, potential first-round picks Thatcher Hurd and Alabama transfer Luke Holman lead the charge.

Kentucky

The next stop in our 2024 SEC baseball preview is Kentucky. Kentucky lost five players to the MLB Draft last season but did return Devin Burkes and Grant Smith, who finished second and third among Wildcats in home runs last year, respectively. Travis Smith, who’s received attention for the 2024 MLB Draft, is also back.

Catcher Eli Small is one of the notable freshmen on Kentucky’s 2024 roster.

Mississippi State

Mississippi State has been a baseball powerhouse for decades. MSU’s produced a plethora of pro talent and Dakota Jordan could be the next to follow. Jordan hit .307 with 10 home runs last year with MSU and followed it up with a strong, yet brief run in the Cape.

Jordan will help anchor the MSU offense along with Hunter Hines, who hit 22 home runs for the Bulldogs in 2023.

Missouri

It’s a new era in Missouri, as this will be the first year for their new manager, former MLB Draft League president Kerrick Jackson. After a 29-25 campaign in 2023, there will be some returning faces. One of those players is right-hander Logan Lunceford, who led the Tigers in strikeouts last season but also walked 32 over 54 frames in 2023.

Among the new faces for Missouri in 2024 are Danny Corona, who hit well with Wake Forest last year, and former Texas Tech outfielder Jeric Curtis.

Ole Miss

The 2023 campaign was not kind to 2022 NCAA champion Ole Miss, who went 28-27 and couldn’t take advantage of Jacob Gonzalez‘s final season. Outfielder TJ McCants also transferred out of Ole Miss.

There are some new faces for 2024, as head coach Mike Bianco worked the transfer portal to bring in infielder Luke Hill from ASU and infielder Andrew Fletcher from Duke.

South Carolina

South Carolina landed two players on the D1Baseball‘s 2024 NCAA Preseason All-American First Team: catcher Cole Messina and outfielder Ethan Petry. Petry isn’t eligible for the MLB Draft until 2025 but will be a name to watch then. The sophomore racked up the accolades in his first college season with USC after he batted .376 with 25 home runs last year.

Matthew Becker, who struck out 71 over 54 innings, returns for his junior season.

Tennessee

Last season, it seemed likely that Chase Burns would assume the ace role from Chase Dollander after 2023, But after Burns was exiled to the bullpen and transferred to Wake Forest in the summer, that’s no longer the case. Luckily, the Volunteers are still deep.

Right-hander Drew Beam is a potential first-round pick after a strong 2022 campaign. And on the offensive side of things, Billy Amick, Dylan Dreiling, and Christian Moore are set to play key roles down in Knoxville.

Texas A&M

The Aggies were rated in the top 10 by D1Baseball to begin 2024 and Braden Montgomery will be front and center. A two-way player, Montgomery, who hit 35 home runs in his first two years, transferred from Stanford and will now look to bring his prowess to Texas A&M.

Montgomery is set to join a team that also includes Jace LaViolette, who hit 21 home runs in his freshman season.

Vanderbilt

We end our 2024 SEC baseball preview with college powerhouse Vanderbilt. The Commodores are well-known for their ability to produce pitching. For 2024, the onus of the Commodores’ pitching staff will fall on flamethrower Greysen Carter and left-hander Carter Holton.

Holton’s a major question mark, as he’s had problems staying healthy. But Holton isn’t the only interesting name to watch. Freshman Ethan McElvain has flashed good stuff to this point.