10 College Baseball Teams That Just Missed The Preseason Top 25


Image credit: Ben Abeldt (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos)
Baseball America yesterday released our 2025 Preseason Top 25, a moment that truly tends to usher in the college baseball season.
But, as is the case every year, the list was far from universally agreeable, with several fanbases making cases for their teams to have been included. Some had very good ones.
Here are 10 teams BA staffers debated at length in the Top 25 process and effectively finished as the first teams out of the rankings. Teams are listed alphabetically:
Arizona State
If you scroll through Baseball America’s list of 2025 draft prospects, you’ll notice that nearly half of the first 10 who are set to play in the Big 12 this year will suit up for Arizona State. That’s a high volume of talent for a team that wasn’t included in the preseason rankings.
But the Sun Devils have missed the NCAA Tournament in all three years under head coach Willie Bloomquist, despite last year ranking second in the Pac-12 in scoring and home runs and first in total hits. In short, ASU’s omission from the Top 25 was largely due to the need for it to prove that it can turn pro potential into on-field results.
Outfielders Brandon Compton, Kien Vu and Isaiah Jackson and lefthanded starter Ben Jacobs make up ASU’s impressive core. Players like first baseman Jacob Tobias, who posted a career year in 2024 when he hit .322/.418/.621 with 32 extra-base hits and 58 RBIs, second baseman Kyle Walker, a transfer second baseman from Grambling State who showed off his bat-to-ball skills with an 89% zone contact rate, 17.8% chase rate and 7.0% strikeout rate, surround them to form what appears to be the Sun Devils’ most complete roster since 2021.
Whether or not ASU can demonstrate marked improvement on the mound after finishing the 2024 season ranked second-to-last in the Pac-12 in ERA could be the difference in its pursuit of its first tournament berth under its current leadership.
Auburn
It was difficult to justify ranking Auburn after it finished the 2024 campaign with its lowest conference win total (eight) since head coach Butch Thompson took over the program in 2016. That being said, the Tigers are an early contender for most improved after they signed the No. 5 portal class in the country, which was headlined by five top 100 transfers: lefty Cade Fisher (No. 5), outfielder Bristol Carter (No. 14), middle infielder Eric Snow (No. 75), righty Sam Dutton (No. 86), and catcher Lucas Steele (No. 97).
The aforementioned players join star catcher Ike Irish, slugging first baseman Cooper McMurray and 2024 SEC all-freshman team outfielder Cade Belyeu, boosting the Tigers’ upside.
Jumping from two games above .500 overall (27-25) and just 8-21 in conference games to a ranked contender is a massive undertaking. If there’s any team in the country that appears to be in a position to at least have a chance, BA’s staff likes Auburn.
Coastal Carolina
Coastal Carolina is entering a new era in 2025, as it marks the first time since 1994 that anyone other than Gary Gilmore will coach the program. The Chanticleers went with the logical choice to replace him, though, as they hired long-time assistant Kevin Schnall.
While there could be growing pains for Schnall, who has no prior head coaching experience, the 47-year-old is plenty familiar with how to generate success in Conway, SC, having worked with Gilmore from 2001-12 and again from 2016-24.
The challenge will be whether or not the first-year coach can overcome reasonably significant losses on both sides of the ball.
Coastal Carolina saw four of the six players from its 2024 roster who recorded at least 50 hits either graduate or get selected in the draft, including batting leader Sam Antonacci, who was a fifth-round pick by the White Sox. On the mound, the Chanticleers parted ways with three of their top-five inning-eaters, including lefty Henry Weycker, their only arm who posted a sub-4.45 ERA (3.23), regardless of number of innings.
The returns of catcher Caden Bodine, second baseman Blake Barthol and righty Riley Eikhoff, as well as the addition of Virginia transfer righty Cullen McKay, should help offset the impact of departures and made it more difficult to leave the Chanticleers out of the Top 25. Still, they’ll need to prove it, especially on the mound, to crack the rankings.
Nebraska
Nebraska head coach Will Bolt is coming off his fourth and best season in Lincoln, as the Huskers won 40 games and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021. Bolt has since made strides to capitalize, returning a large portion of the team that accomplished those feats and adding a handful of key newcomers, namely former South Dakota State corner outfielder Cael Frost and former Creighton catcher Hogan Helligso.
Even with so many familiar faces and the handful of newcomers who joined them, it’s hard to overlook what Nebraska lost: ace Brett Sears, who was one of the most dependable starters in the country last season and earned Big Ten pitcher of the year honors, and catcher Josh Caron, who led the team in homers.
If the Huskers can replace those losses—which is far from unreasonable considering how much they brought back—Bolt could definitely be looking at the first back-to-back tournament appearances by Nebraska since it reached in four straight years from 2005-08.
Oklahoma
There were two main factors that worked against Oklahoma when considering its Top 25 candidacy: its move from the Big 12 to the SEC and lack of returning offensive production.
The Sooners were comfortably one of the best teams in their old league in recent years, having finished in the top two twice in the last three seasons, including its final campaign when it was crowned conference champion. Additionally, it’s worth noting that just two Big 12 teams, No. 13 Oklahoma State and No. 22 Arizona, were included in this year’s preseason Top 25.
Now, Oklahoma must contend with a conference that saw 10 of its teams gain entry into the Top 25 and has produced each of the last five national title winners.
Complicating matters for the Sooners is the fact that they brought back just one player who eclipsed 10 home runs last year, raising questions about how effective they’ll be at the plate in a league that requires you to score in bunches to have a consistent chance.
Oklahoma brought back twin brothers Kyson Witherspoon and Malachi Witherspoon, who could provide a safety buffer as the Sooners figure things out at the plate.
South Carolina
South Carolina took what could be a big step toward reestablishing its title-contending ways this offseason when it parted ways with head coach Mark Kingston, who spent the last seven years atop the program, and hired Paul Mainieri, the 2009 title winner and recipient of the 2009 Coach of the Year Award.
Mainieri, who is 1,501-775-8 in his career, now has a chance to do something rather unique: guide a third program to Omaha. It’s something only three coaches—Larry Cochell, Ron Polk and Andy Lopez—have been able to do.
Mainieri secured the critical return of corner outfielder and first baseman Ethan Petry, a first-round hopeful, and brought in Ohio State transfer shortstop Henry Kaczmar, BA’s No. 27 overall transfer after he hit .320/.417/.476 with 10 doubles, seven home runs and 36 RBIs. The Gamecocks also brought in former Clemson outfielder Nathan Hall and third baseman Nolan Nawrocki.
Mainieri and his team have plenty to prove in his return to college baseball after retiring in 2021. South Carolina was a middling team on both sides of the ball last year relative to its SEC peers and will need an uptick in production in both respects to reach the rankings.
Southern Mississippi
Southern Mississippi, TCU and Troy were the three teams that garnered the most consideration to be included in the Top 25, as they were all subjects of debate throughout the process.
There was plenty to like in the Golden Eagles’ case after they returned several key producers, including infielders Ozzie Pratt, Davis Gillespie and Nick Monistere, outfielder Carson Paetow and workhorse reliever Colby Allen, who figures to slide into the rotation this year.
What made them harder to select for a preseason ranking was their starting pitching, as the team will need to replace each of its top three starters. The program brought back just one player, righty Will Armistead, who made at least five starts in 2024.
The Golden Eagles have several arms who successfully worked out of their bullpen last year back in the fold but, as is the case with nearly every team on this list, they’ll need to show that there’s no dropoff to earn a ranking.
TCU
TCU was arguably the closest team to making the top 25 on the list of squads that didn’t ultimately make the cut.
The Horned Frogs put together a strong roster, bringing back projected ace Ben Abeldt as well as a handful of offensive players, even if that group lacks a true standout leader heading into the year. Our biggest concern with TCU was that Abeldt has virtually no starting experience, while the players expected to join him in the rotation are in a similar boat.
It wouldn’t at all come as a surprise to see the Horned Frogs in the rankings this year, but they need to show they belong first with more offensive production than their projected lineup put out last year and a successful transition from closer to Friday night starter for Abeldt.
Troy
The Trojans won 37 total games and 18 in conference action but couldn’t secure one of the four tournament spots that went to Sun Belt teams. Fourth-year coach Skylar Meade brought in a large group of transfers who add experience to Troy’s roster and position it nicely for a second postseason trip in a three-year stretch.
Troy returned catcher Brooks Bryan, who slugged 18 home runs last season, as well as righthanders Garrett Gainous and Luke Lyon, who combined to start 25 games for the Trojans.
It’s Meade’s work in the transfer portal that will make or break this squad, though. The Trojans notable portal additions include Western Kentucky first baseman Blake Cavill, Old Dominion center fielder Steven Meier, Niagara right fielder Gavin Schrader and Bradley righty Noah Edders. Though the unit is older, Troy’s pitching remains a question mark heading into the season. If it performs well, the Trojans could compete in the NCAA tournament once again.
West Virginia
West Virginia arguably enjoyed its best season ever in 2024 when it reached the super regional round for the first time in program history.
It was a nice sendoff for longtime head coach Randy Mazey, who announced his retirement following the conclusion of the campaign and was quickly replaced by Steve Sabins, a tenured West Virginia assistant.
Sabins has a solid offensive core to work with after returning three of the team’s top-four home run hitters from last season’s squad, which ranked sixth in the Big 12 in scoring. The Mountaineers did lose one of the shortstops in the nation, though, first-rounder JJ Wetherholt.
Of greater concern for Sabins entering this season will be his team’s pitching staff, which lost all three of its top starters and strikeout-artist reliever David Hagaman to the draft, creating one of the more uncertain groups on the mound in the country.
If things click, though, West Virginia could again be a force.