Eight in Omaha, The nation's top 10 freshmen

By Bryan Smith

Every other week, SIOC's Bryan Smith checks in with a look across the college baseball universe.

EIGHT IN OMAHA

Arizona State's Ike Davis has been a savior for the Sun Devils, both on the mound and in the batter's box. AP

1. Arizona State (22-1) -- The Sun Devils suffered their first loss of the season to Northern Colorado, which entered the game on an 11-game losing streak. But even in the shadow of their first loss, the Sun Devils are still the nation's best team. Arizona State also lost their closer, Jason Jarvis, after academic questions forced the right-hander to drop out and declare for the 2008 Major League Draft. In his place, head coach Pat Murphy inserted junior southpaw Ike Davis, who in addition to pitching 8.2 scoreless innings this season is hitting .444/.500/.867. The offense as a whole is slugging .583, and for the second consecutive season, should be the most dangerous set of bats in Omaha in June.

2. North Carolina (18-4) -- The bad news is that North Carolina entered ACC play on March 8 having faced a schedule that rarely tested them. And in some of those tests -- against Old Dominion and Coastal Carolina -- the Tar Heels dropped single midweek games. But weekends is where this team thrives, and they bring as much depth to the table as any team in the nation. Highly acclaimed freshman Matt Harvey has hit his stride, and boasts a 1.19 ERA through his first six college appearances. But most admirable has been the play of sophomore Dustin Ackley, hitting .409 after a freshman campaign that was also above .400.

3. Missouri (18-2) -- Beating Missouri in the postseason promises to be a difficult feat, as the Tigers boast the nation's best pitching staff. On Fridays, Aaron Crow is probably the most dangerous pitcher in the nation. The right-hander has command of a 95 mph fastball, an out-pitch slider and he has struck out 25 batters in his last two starts. After Crow, the Tigers throw Ian Berger (one earned run in 30.1 IP) and Kyle Gibson (43 K in 34.1 IP) on the weekends, and prized freshman Nick Tepesch closes things out. The question becomes whether the Tigers will hit, but with sluggers in Jacob Priday and Aaron Senne, they should be fine.

4. Miami (17-2) -- The return of Dennis Raben to this outfield turned this offense from an elite one to the one team that could hit with Arizona State. Since returning from back soreness, Raben has hit four home runs in 18 at-bats, and he joins potential 2008 first-rounders Jemile Weeks and Yonder Alonso in the middle of the lineup. But the Hurricanes find themselves in the top 5 because their pitching staff has been better than expected, with an aggregate 179 strikeouts in 169.1 innings. Friday night ace Eric Erickson is 5-0, and set-up man Kyle Bellamy has yet to allow a run in 12 innings.

5. Arizona (13-5) -- The Wildcats have lost a few more games than their talent dictates this spring, but if there is one program that promises to be a dangerous June opponent regardless of their regular season record, it's Arizona. On the pitching side, Arizona has two of the nation's best relievers in Daniel Schlereth (son of ESPN analyst, Mark) and closer Jason Stoffel. The offense has been fabulous thanks to a resurgence by Diallo Fon, who was benched to start the season but is now hitting .380/.466/.740. Arizona's 28 home runs suggest they can slug with anyone.

6. Long Beach State (16-3) -- On March 11, the Long Beach State offense reached a new low -- they were shutout by Western Illinois, who entered the game 0-6. But since then the Dirtbags are resurgent, and have won 7 straight games, including a sweep of UCLA over the weekend. The team has a cumulative 2.12 ERA, and junior Vance Worley has just started to find his stride. The Dirtbags strength is that they walk very few hitters and draw many walks themselves, but the team has a .383 slugging, and the offense must show some power before they join any top five.

7. Florida State (19-2) -- For the third time in the top eight, we meet a team that hits like crazy -- in fact the Seminoles have the best team numbers of all: .358/.476/.600. Of course, they also struggle from the mound the most, with a 4.43 ERA and 4.4 walks per nine innings. Friday ace and transfer Elih Villanueva has a 5.04 ERA, but the southpaw has proven that he has the potential to pitch with anyone. Sophomore Matt Fairel, who pitches Saturdays, has been the Seminoles most consistent starter. But allowing 5 runs a game doesn't mean much for an offense that scores 10, led by senior first baseman Dennis Guinn (.429/.531/.922).

8. California (15-4) -- The surprise of the season, the Cal Bears seem to be a program that has finally put it all together. California has always produced good pro talent, but it has been years since they were a true Omaha contender. However, with the resurgence of senior Josh Satin, hitting .443/.522/.785 while playing the middle infield, the Bears offense is the best it has been in years. The return of ace Tyson Ross gives this pitching staff, currently sporting a 2.96 ERA, another top arm, and they could be another top pitching staff for the West Coast.

Four that just missed: South Carolina, Mississippi, Rice, UC Irvine.

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