Eight Roads to Omaha, Dozens of Draft Targets

Breaking down every Super Regional matchup and the prospects Braves fans should be watching before the MLB Draft.

Last weekend delivered one of the wildest Regional weekends of the college baseball postseason that I can remember.

The number one overall seed UCLA, led by potential top overall pick Roch Cholowsky, did not even make the Regional final on its own field. Number two overall seed Georgia Tech, featuring two of the premier bats in the 2026 MLB Draft class in Vaughn Lackey and Drew Burress, entered the Regional final from the winner’s bracket and still watched Oklahoma storm back to eliminate them.

Number two seed USC, number three seed Troy, and number four seeds Little Rock and St. John's all punched their tickets to Super Regionals. Along the way, they knocked off perennial powers such as Texas A&M, Florida, Miami, Southern Miss, Virginia, Florida State, and Coastal Carolina.

If last weekend was your introduction to college baseball, welcome aboard. It does not get much crazier than that.

Now we move into Super Regional weekend, where the stakes get even higher. Every matchup is a best-of-three series hosted on campus, creating some of the most electric atmospheres in all of sports. Win two games and you are headed to Omaha and the College World Series. Lose two and your season is over.

For baseball fans, it is one of the best weekends of the year. For Braves fans, it is also an opportunity to get an early look at some of the names that could hear their name called in next month’s MLB Draft. So let’s break down each Super Regional matchup and highlight some of the players worth keeping an eye on throughout the weekend from an upcoming draft perspective.

Cal Poly vs West Virginia

If you’re a college sports fan, you already know there are few environments that compare to Morgantown. West Virginia fans have waited a long time for a moment like this, and this weekend they are just two wins away from sending the Mountaineers to Omaha for the first time in program history.

Cal Poly arrives after pulling off one of the biggest surprises of the entire Regional round. The Mustangs swept through UCLA's Regional, beating Virginia Tech and then Saint Mary's twice after the Gaels stunned the number one overall seed Bruins. The Mountaineers opened by beating Binghamton before falling to Kentucky in a thriller. That loss forced them into a showdown with traditional powerhouse Wake Forest, a game they survived before getting a chance at revenge against the Wildcats. Backed by a packed Morgantown crowd, West Virginia took back-to-back games from Kentucky by a combined three runs to punch its ticket to the next round.

This will be a very fun matchup. West Virginia holds the advantage on the mound, carrying a team ERA of 3.90 compared to Cal Poly’s 4.71. The Mountaineers have enough frontline pitching to handle the Mustangs, although they can become vulnerable once opponents force them deeper into the bullpen. Offensively, these teams are surprisingly similar. West Virginia owns a slight edge with a .860 team OPS compared to Cal Poly’s .848 mark, but neither club is built solely around overwhelming opponents with power.

Prediction: West Virginia (2-0)

Players To Watch:

• Maxx Yehl, LHP, West Virginia

• Paul Schoenfeld, OF, West Virginia

• Carson Turnquist, RHP, Cal Poly

• Griffin Naess, RHP, Cal Poly

• Alejandro Garza, 2B, Cal Poly

Little Rock vs Troy

If you had told me a week ago that Little Rock and Troy would be meeting in a Super Regional with a trip to Omaha on the line, I probably would have laughed. But here we are.

Little Rock has been building toward a breakthrough for a couple of years now. They turned heads last season in the Baton Rouge Regional, but this year they took another step forward. The Trojans swept through the Hattiesburg Regional, knocking off host Southern Miss and beating Jacksonville State twice to earn the first Super Regional appearance in program history. On the other side is a Troy program that seems to find itself in the postseason conversation every year. The Trojans stumbled out of the gate with a loss to Miami, but from that point forward, they looked like a completely different team. They fought through the loser’s bracket by beating Rider, eliminating Miami, and then shocking Florida with back-to-back wins to advance.

There will be plenty of talk about Cinderella stories this weekend, but one of these teams is guaranteed to be playing in Omaha next week. That’s what makes this series so fun. No blue bloods. No preseason favorites. Just two programs that earned their spot and now have a legitimate chance to keep the magic going.

Prediction: Troy (2-1)

Players To Watch:

• Tommy Egan, RHP, Troy

• Brannon Westmoreland, RHP, Little Rock

St John’s vs Alabama

Much like Little Rock, St. John’s pulled off one of the most improbable runs of the Regional round to earn a spot in Super Regionals. Now, the Johnnies will try to keep the magic alive against an Alabama team that has spent much of the season on an up-and-down rollercoaster. This is the first time the Crimson Tide is hosting a Super Regional in program history.

St. John’s embraced the underdog role from the start of Regionals. Despite entering as a four seed, the Johnnies swept through the Tallahassee Regional, knocking off Northern Illinois and then beating Florida State twice by a single run. Alabama's path was much less dramatic. The Crimson Tide handled business the way a host should, beating Alabama State, USC Upstate, and Oklahoma State to advance without much trouble.

On paper, this looks like Alabama's series to lose. They hold a slight advantage offensively, posting an .815 team OPS compared to St. John’s .800 mark. The Johnnies do make more consistent contact, carrying a .281 team batting average versus Alabama’s .257, but Alabama possesses more overall offensive firepower. The bigger difference comes on the mound, where Alabama enters with a 4.29 team ERA while St. John’s sits at 5.41. That said, if this past weekend has taught us anything, it’s that anything can happen in college baseball.

Prediction: Alabama (2-1)

Players To Watch:

• Justin Lebron, SS, Alabama

• Zane Adams, LHP, Alabama

• Tyler Fay, RHP, Alabama

Oklahoma vs Kansas

The Jayhawks are hosting the first Super Regional in program history, and if their Regional round was any indication, the atmosphere in Lawrence is going to be incredible. The fans showed up in a big way last weekend, and you can expect that energy to be turned up another notch with a trip to Omaha on the line.

Oklahoma’s path to this point was anything but easy. The Sooners opened the Atlanta Regional with a comfortable win over The Citadel before running into one of the tournament favorites in Georgia Tech. After falling to the Yellow Jackets, Oklahoma responded by rolling through The Citadel again before taking down Georgia Tech in back-to-back games, including a dramatic walk-off home run in the winner-take-all finale. Meanwhile, Kansas looked every bit like a team that believed it belonged. The Jayhawks cruised through their home Regional, defeating Northeastern before taking down powerhouse Arkansas twice to advance.

Kansas has some talented arms, but depth is not necessarily its strength. Oklahoma has a deeper staff overall, although the Sooners have shown a tendency to allow traffic on the bases throughout the season. That could become a problem against a Kansas lineup that has been aggressive and confident at the plate during this postseason run. I expect fireworks in Lawrence.

Prediction: Kansas (2-0)

Players To Watch:

• LJ Mercurius, RHP, Oklahoma

• Camden Johnson, 3B/OF, Oklahoma

• Brendan Brock, C/OF, Oklahoma

• Deiten Lachance, C, Oklahoma

• Jaxon Willits, SS, Oklahoma

• Tyson LeBlanc, SS, Kansas

• Dominic Voegele, RHP, Kansas

• Brady Ballinger, 1B, Kansas

Oregon vs Texas

If you are a fan of elite pitching, the Austin Super Regional may be the matchup for you. While many of the premier arms in this series are not draft eligible until 2027, there is no shortage of professional talent on either side. In fact, this may be the most talent-rich pitching matchup of the entire Super Regional round.

Oregon finally broke through in its home Regional after several years of disappointment. The Ducks made quick work of Yale, Washington State, and rival Oregon State, outscoring the three opponents by a combined 22-3. Texas was equally dominant. The Longhorns rolled through Holy Cross, Tarleton State, and UC Santa Barbara, winning by a combined score of 41-7.

Both staffs rank among the top 15 in the country in ERA, strikeouts, and batting average against. Runs are going to be difficult to come by, which means every mistake will be magnified throughout the series. The difference, at least on paper, comes offensively. Texas enters with a .940 team OPS compared to Oregon’s .890 mark. The Longhorns have shown throughout the season that they can beat teams in a variety of ways, whether that is by manufacturing runs or simply overwhelming opponents with power.

For me, the biggest question is whether Oregon can get to the front end of the Texas pitching staff. Dylan Volantis, Kyle Harrison, and Ruger Riojas have been a major reason why the Longhorns are still playing, and if they pitch to their capabilities, Texas will be extremely difficult to beat. That said, Oregon has the arms to make this a battle. If the Ducks can scratch out a few early runs and force Texas into uncomfortable situations, they absolutely have the pitching depth necessary to win this series and head to Omaha themselves.

Prediction: Texas (2-1)

Players To Watch:

• Cal Scolari, RHP, Oregon

• Ryan Cooney, 2B/SS, Oregon

• Maddox Molony, SS, Oregon

• Ruger Riojas, RHP, Texas

• Thomas Burns, RHP, Texas

• Aiden Robbins, OF, Texas

• Carson Tinney, C, Texas

Southern California vs North Carolina

In recent years, North Carolina has been one of the more consistent programs in the country, routinely finding itself in the national conversation. Historically, though, it’s Southern Cal that carries the heavier trophy case. The Trojans own 12 national championships, and they suddenly look like a legitimate threat to add another banner.

USC's Regional run was nothing short of remarkable. After dropping its opener to Texas State, they responded with one of the most impressive loser's bracket runs of the postseason, beating Lamar, Texas State, and host Texas A&M twice while scoring an eye-popping 55 runs over those four games. The Tar Heels hosted what many considered the toughest Regional in the country and proceeded to make it look easy. After shutting out VCU 8-0, they beat East Carolina twice by a combined eight runs to advance comfortably to Super Regionals.

The real story of this series will be the pitching. Mason Edwards versus Jason DeCaro in game one has all the makings of an instant classic. In the second game, Grant Govel versus Ryan Lynch is not far behind. Those are the types of matchups that make college baseball fans clear their schedules. The numbers back it up as well. Southern Cal enters with the third-best team ERA in the country at 3.48, while North Carolina ranks seventh at 3.87. Both staffs have been elite all season long, and there is very little separating them.

The difference may come down to which version of USC shows up. For much of the regular season, offense was the biggest question surrounding the Trojans. During Regionals, however, they looked like an entirely different lineup. If that offensive explosion continues, Southern Cal has the talent to beat anyone left in the field. North Carolina’s answer is depth. The Tar Heels have quality arms throughout both the rotation and bullpen, something that becomes increasingly valuable in a best-of-three series.

Prediction: USC (2-1)

Players To Watch:

• Mason Edwards, LHP, Southern Cal

• Grant Govel, RHP, Southern Cal

• Jack Basseer, OF, Southern Cal

• Ryan Lynch, RHP, North Carolina

• Jason DeCaro, RHP, North Carolina

• Jake Schaffner, SS, North Carolina

• Erik Paulsen, 1B, North Carolina

• Gavin Gallaher, 2B,3B, North Carolina

• Macon Winslow, C, North Carolina

Ole Miss vs Auburn

If you are looking for an old-fashioned SEC heavyweight fight, this is the series for you. Two talented teams, two passionate fan bases, and a trip to Omaha on the line. It does not get much better than that.

Ole Miss entered the Lincoln Regional as a two seed, but played like the best team in the field from the opening pitch. The Rebels opened with a one-run victory over Arizona State before knocking off top-seeded Nebraska and then beating Arizona State again in the Regional final to advance.

The Tigers entered the postseason with arguably the best pitching staff in the country, only to get punched in the mouth immediately by four-seed Milwaukee in a 13-8 loss. For a moment, it looked like Auburn might become another host sent home early. Instead, the Tigers responded exactly how elite teams do. They survived a slugfest against NC State before their pitching staff settled in and carried them through the rest of the Regional, beating UCF and then Milwaukee twice by a combined score of 16-4.

These teams never faced each other during the regular season. Auburn finished conference play with a 17-13 record, while Ole Miss came in at an even 15-15. The Tigers have been one of the nation’s best pitching clubs all season, ranking sixth nationally with a 3.63 ERA while also recording 623 strikeouts. The Rebels enter with a more modest 4.38 team ERA, but they have struck out more hitters than almost anyone in the country, ranking fourth nationally with 672 punchouts.

Both teams CAN hit, don’t get me wrong, but it will be which pitching staff performs the best that advances out of this Super Regional.

Prediction: Auburn (2-1)

Players To Watch:

• Cade Townsend, RHP, Ole Miss

• Taylor Rabe, RHP, Ole Miss

• Landon Koenig, RHP, Ole Miss

• Hunter Elliott, LHP, Ole Miss

• Alex Petrovic, RHP, Auburn

• Chris Rembert, 2B, Auburn

• Eric Guevara, 3B, Auburn

Mississippi State vs Georgia

Pound for pound, I believe this is the best Super Regional matchup in the country. Quite frankly, both of these teams look like Omaha caliber clubs. Unfortunately, that is the nature of the postseason. One of the nation’s best teams will be heading home this weekend while the other moves on with a legitimate chance to win a national championship.

Neither team wasted much time during Regionals. Mississippi State rolled through Lipscomb, Cincinnati, and Louisiana by a combined score of 39-11. Georgia was just as dominant, beating Long Island and Liberty twice while outscoring opponents 30-5.

For the last three seasons, Georgia’s identity under Wes Johnson has been clear. The Bulldogs have consistently fielded one of the most explosive offenses in college baseball. The question has always been whether the pitching staff could hold up in June. This season, Georgia appears to have taken a significant step forward on the mound. The Bulldogs enter Super Regionals with a 4.80 team ERA and 630 strikeouts, the 14th highest total in the country. Those numbers are not elite, but they are more than good enough when paired with an offense that is ranked in the top 5 in the country with a .328 AVG, .442 OBP, .633 SLG, 1.075 OPS, 588 runs scored, 561 RBIs, 699 hits, and 174 home runs.

Mississippi State still gets the edge in the pitching department, though. The Bulldogs rank 20th nationally with a 4.25 ERA and have piled up 662 strikeouts, the sixth most in the country. There is more swing and miss in the staff, and that could become a major factor in a series where every run matters. Miss St enters with a team .317/.415/.558 slash line, a .973 OPS, and 117 home runs of their own. They may not match Georgia’s firepower, but they have more than enough offense to make life difficult on any pitching staff.

One storyline that cannot be ignored is the regular-season series. Georgia swept Mississippi State in Starkville earlier this year, which should give the Bulldogs confidence heading into a home Super Regional. At the same time, beating a quality SEC team five times in a single season is an incredibly difficult task.

The atmosphere in Athens will be electric, and Kudzo Hill will be rocking. Pro Scouts will be locked in. Two bulldogs enter, and only one leaves with a plane ticket to Omaha.

Prediction: Georgia (2-1)

Players To Watch:

• Ace Reese, 3B, Miss St

• Ben Davis, RHP, Miss St

• Noah Sullivan, 1B/DH, Miss St

• Vytas Valincius, OF, Miss St

• Blake Bevis, 1B/OF, Miss St

• Daniel Jackson, C/OF, Georgia

• Joey Volchko, RHP, Georgia

• Dylan Vigue, RHP, Georgia

• Tre Phelps, UTIL, Georgia

• Rylan Lujo, OF, Georgia

• Ryan Wynn, 2B, Georgia

• Matt Scott, RHP, Georgia

• Justin Byrd, RHP, Georgia

• Zach Brown, RHP, Georgia

• Caden Aoki, RHP, Georgia