It’s not a stretch to say that the ACC could be the most intriguing conference in all of college baseball in 2024. The conference is littered with talent, highlighted by a team considered by many to be the best heading into the season. Here’s our 2024 ACC baseball season preview.
Related: 2024 College Baseball Season Preview: Sun Belt
Boston College
We start our 2024 ACC baseball season preview with the Boston College Eagles. The past few months have been one of change for BC, as longtime head coach Mike Gambino left to head to Penn State. On the roster side of things, Joe Vetrano and Travis Honeyman went pro after 2023.
New head coach Todd Interdonato has some work to do in what will be a tough ACC this season. However, there are some interesting names to watch. Among those include deceptive righty Joey Ryan and Eric Sogard clone Adam Magpoc.
Clemson
Six ACC teams were ranked in the top 25 of the inaugural USA Today/Coaches preseason poll. Clemson, which came at #9, was one of those teams. Erik Bakich’s first season as Tigers manager went well, as Clemson finished second in both the Atlantic Division and overall in the conference. The Tigers, though, lost Cooper Ingle and Caden Grice to the pros and infielder Billy Amick to Tennessee.
Despite those losses, the Tigers still boast a strong squad. Innings leader Austin Gordon is back for 2024, as is Ethan Darden. Darden struck out 45 in his freshman season. And in the lineup, the Tigers boast one of the strongest outfields, led by sophomore Cam Cannarella and junior Will Taylor. Cannarella batted .388 as a freshman, while Taylor — a potential early-round pick in 2024 — batted .362 in 2023.
Duke
A lot is expected out of the Duke Blue Devils in 2024. One year after Duke advanced to the Super Regionals, the Blue Devils began the 2024 campaign at #14 in the USA Today/Coaches poll.
The 2024 Duke roster includes a strong crop of freshmen, including top recruits Macon Winslow (#81 on Perfect Game‘s Class of 2023), Kyle Johnson (#91), and AJ Gracia (#200). Senior catcher Alex Stone, who led Duke in home runs (17), is back for 2024. And on the mound, Jonathan Santucci and Fran Oschell both could pitch their way into Day 1 of the 2024 MLB Draft.
Florida State
Powerhouse Florida State had an uncharacteristic 2023, to say the least. The Seminoles went 23-31 overall and 9-21 in ACC play, the worst record out of all the teams in the conference. But heading into 2024, the Seminoles have a shot of righting some wrongs.
FSU does have some fresh faces, including former USF bat Daniel Cantu and two top 100 players in Perfect Game’s Class of 2023: Justin Best (#83) and Cal Fisher (#94). The Seminoles have a ton of hitting prowess, led by Jaime Ferrer, James Tibbs, and Cam Smith. Tibbs and Smith both cracked double-digits in home runs last year and both did well in the Cape this past summer.
Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech did not have a strong 2023 campaign. The Yellow Jackets finished just a 12-18 record in conference play, the second-worst in the ACC Coastal.
The Yellow Jackets did bring in several players from Perfect Game’s top 200, including Tate McKee (#123), Michael Graziano (#145), and Ryan Jaros (#147). And there are some interesting names to watch on this year’s roster, including infielder Carsten Sabathia, who was a top high school prospect just a little over a year ago.
Louisville
Two seasons ago, the Louisville Cardinals finished first in the ACC Atlantic with a 17-11-1 record. But things can change on a dime in sports and that’s exactly what happened to Louisville in 2023. The Cardinals finished with a 10-20 conference record, second worst in the ACC Atlantic and ahead of just Florida State.
The good news for the Cardinals is that two players from Perfect Game‘s top 100 from 2023, pitcher Colton Hartman (#42) and catcher Zion Rose (#75), join the team. Eddie King, Patrick Forbes, and Carson Liggett are among the notable players to return.
Miami
The Miami Hurricanes finished just behind Virginia in the ACC Coastal last spring. However, Miami will look very different in 2024. Yohandy Morales, C.J. Kayfus, and Dominic Pitelli, arguably the three best bats on the Hurricanes, are all gone.
The good news for Miami is that Gage Ziehl, who was drafted by the Cubs last July, did return for 2024. Infielder Blake Cyr, who hit very well for Miami in his freshman season, is also back. The Hurricanes also have two highly touted freshmen: infielder Antonio Jimenez and pitcher Brandon Olivera.
North Carolina
The North Carolina Tar Heels went 36-24 during the 2023 season and made it to the big dance last May. However, the Tar Heels could not advance to the Super Regionals. UNC will look to change that in 2024.
All eyes will be on outfielder Vance Honeycutt, a five-tool player who hit 25 home runs and stole 29 bases as a freshman back in 2022. A back injury limited him in 2023 but the tools could make him a top-five pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. The return of starter Jake Knapp and a strong crop of freshmen are among the other storylines to watch in Chapel Hill.
NC State
In what is a deep ACC, North Carolina State will be a team to watch. The Wolfpack, who were bounced in the regional round last year, opened up at #16 in the USA Today/Coaches poll, right behind old nemesis UNC.
NC State welcomes a strong recruiting class, headlined by Perfect Game top 100 players Chance Mako and Alex Sosa. Matt Willadsen is back for his senior season, and catcher Jacob Cozart returns to NC State after he hit .301 with 10 home runs last spring.
Notre Dame
In the same division as Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina State, and Wake Forest, the 2024 campaign won’t be an easy one for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
There are some new faces in South Bend, including former Michigan outfielder Tito Flores and St. John’s outfielder David Glancy. Notre Dame will also welcome catcher Carson Tinney, rated as the 183rd-best player in the Class of 2023 per Perfect Game.
Pittsburgh
If there’s one team that’s had an incredibly rough go of it in the ACC in recent years, it’s Pittsburgh. The Panthers have finished at or near the bottom of the ACC Coastal Division in each of the last three years. Given the stiff competition, the 2024 campaign may not be a turn in the right direction.
The Panthers will see outfielder C.J. Funk, who led Pittsburgh in home runs (13), return for 2024. Right-hander Jack Sokol, who struck out 69 over 68 last year, returns for his senior season.
Virginia
The Virginia Cavaliers were one of two ACC teams to make it to the College World Series last June. However, the Cavaliers lost some key pieces to that 2023 roster. Kyle Teel and Jake Gelof were both taken on Day 1 of the 2023 MLB Draft, while ace Connelly Early was drafted in the fifth round by Boston.
Still, Virginia came in at #11 on the coaches poll to begin 2024. Aside from a recruiting class that included Perfect Game top 200 player Bryson Moore, Virginia will see Ethan Anderson and Griff O’Ferrall return to campus. Both dominated at the plate last season and the two sit in the top 50 of MLB.com‘s 2024 MLB Draft prospect list.
Virginia Tech
In what was a deep ACC last year, the Virginia Tech Hokies couldn’t find much traction in the conference. Even though the Hokies went 30-23 overall, Virginia Tech went just 12-17 in conference play.
The Hokies couldn’t get highly touted commit Blake Dickerson, who was drafted in the 12th round by the Padres in 2023, to campus. However, Virginia Tech will have 2023 leading hitters Chris Cannizzaro, Christian Martin, Garrett Michel, and Carson DeMartini back. DeMartini began 2024 as the 43rd-best MLB Draft prospect per MLB.com.
Wake Forest
We end our 2024 ACC baseball season preview with Wake Forest, the team that heads into 2024 as the early favorite to win the College World Series. The preseason USA Today/Coaches poll and others have the Demon Deacons at #1 to begin the season.
Wake Forest lost Rhett Lowder and Brock Wilken after a heartbreaking end to the 2023 season in Omaha. The Demon Deacons, though, still have plenty of talent. Nick Kurtz and Seaver King are leading the charge in the lineup, two likely first-round picks. And on the mound, electric right-hander Chase Burns comes over from Tennessee to join likely first-round pick in 2024 Josh Hartle in the rotation.