I will be posting a few notes on each conference. Since BetRivers is the only book with all of the conferences available, I will use their odds for regular season winners. These are not official bets.

American

• This is ECU’s conference. The Pirates are aiming for their sixth consecutive regular season title this season. They lost a lot of production from last season to the draft and portal, but this program has done a great job of reloading. The American regular season title runs through The Jungle. However, I believe -200 is a tad too juiced for the amount of questions ECU has to answer this season. Tulane is always a team to keep an eye on as they have won b2b conference tournaments. The Green Wave will likely be in contention once again this season. Wichita State lost to Tulane in the conference championship last season, falling one game short of making their first regional since 2013. I sprinkled the Shockers to win the conference this season. Charlotte added a ton from the portal and will have an eye on a bounce back season. FAU and UTSA are also worth a look.

Pick: East Carolina

ACC

• Virginia is the preseason favorite for the first time since 2015, the year they won it all. The Cavs have one of the best rosters in the country on paper. With their schedule, I like them to win the conference but I am not betting it. ACC preseason favorites have not lived up to the hype in the past couple years: 2024 Wake, 2023 Louisville, 2022 Florida State, 2021 Louisville. The Cavs are going to be great, but they are way too big of favorites for my liking. It’s hard not to like FSU and UNC sitting at +700. I see value in Wake Forest (+900). Walter loves his squad this season after a disappointing 2024 campaign. If a few pieces click, the Demon Deacons will go toe to toe with anyone in the country. There is also value in Clemson at +900. Duke and NC State are also worth it at +1000. I believe ACC is a little top heavy this season as the top 7 in this conference stand out more compared to the others. I don’t see much value in sprinkling other teams to win the conference. Louisville, Va Tech, Ga Tech, and Stanford all have talent on paper, but is it enough to rival the top tier? If you like those teams, I would sprinkle “To Make CWS” instead of winning the ACC.

Prediction: Wake Forest

Atlantic Sun

• I love this conference. Their conference tournament format needs a drastic change, but that’s another conversation for another day. Stetson is your rightful favorite this season as they may be one of the better mid majors in the country. The Hatters had a great 2024 with collecting a ASun championship, wins over UCF, Florida St, and Florida, and a NCAA tournament win over Alabama. While I believe Stetson will repeat similar success, there is no value on the books. Austin Peay lead the country in multiple offensive categories last season. They lost some production, but HC Roland Fanning loves what he sees for 2025. I see some value in the Govs. Florida Gulf Coast has a few questions to answer, but no one would be surprised to see the Eagles come out on top. I have this conference being between Stetson and Austin Peay.

Prediction: Stetson

Big Ten

• Big Ten baseball is on the rise. With the additions of Oregon, UCLA, Washington, and USC, this conference is as deep as ever. Oregon sits as rightful favorites at +100. I wrote up the Ducks in my preseason top 25. There is a lot to like in Eugene. Nebraska is preseason ranked for a reason, as there are high hopes in Lincoln. On the value side, I like Indiana. The Hoosiers return a ton of production at the plate and will have the offense to score with anyone. They will need to answer questions on the bump. The odds on Michigan, Maryland, and Penn State are outrageous. Mayland had a down year in 2024 but has been a really good program the last few years. They will likely bounce back. UCLA and USC have had talented teams in the past. They both have struggled the last few seasons, but will have two of the more talented rosters in the conference. I think Oregon wins this in year one, but not laying it at +100. This is college baseball.

Prediction: Oregon

Big 12

• This conference is going to be fun this season. I wrote up Oklahoma St, Arizona, and TCU in my top 25. It would not surprise me if any of those 3 win it. I like OK State but see little value. There are multiple teams with value such as Arizona State, Texas Tech, West Virginia, Kansas, UCF, and Kansas State. WV made a super last season and returns 7 starters. Kansas stands out as a sprinkle. This team has an experienced lineup with the preseason B12 pitcher of the year. Texas Tech has smashed the baseball since Tadlock took over. If they find pitching, they could be dangerous. Arizona State has a lot of pop in the lineup and headlined with one of the best starters in the conference. No one is talking about UCF at all. The Knights made a regional final last season. They return a ton and hit the portal hard. Love the value here. KSU made supers last season and is sitting at +2500, 9th best in the B12. Texas and Oklahoma are both tough programs to lose, but this conference will step up. Multiple programs are so close to making the jump.

Prediction: Arizona State

Big East

• UConn heads into 2025 looking to five-peat the Big East regular season title with a sixth consecutive appearance in Regionals. After falling short in Supers last season, the Huskies have hopes of making it to Omaha for the first time since 1979. Xavier’s schedule is something to look at if you have not seen it yet. The setup of the schedule alone is enough to convince me that O’Conner is confident in his squad. St John’s, Creighton, and Georgetown have high hopes for 2025, but I’m not betting anything in this conference. It’s hard to take anyone besides UConn. Huskies to make Omaha at +1000 seems like a solid dart.

Prediction: UConn

Big South

• High Point won the conference for the first time in 2024 and is the preseason favorite for 2025. They will have talent on the roster again, but they lost a good amount of production. In HP’s defense, nearly everyone in this conference lost their talent from last season. USC Upstate was talented last year, but lost their HC and multiple guys to big schools in the portal. Presbyterian, Gardner Webb and Winthrop will likely all compete for the crown this season. I’m not betting anything here.

Prediction: Gardner Webb

Big West

• I am a little surprised to see UC Irvine as favorites over UCSB. The Anteaters were snubbed from the tournament a year ago. UCSB hosted but lost out to a red hot Oregon team. It’s a 2 man race this season in my opinion. I would not be opposed to playing both at + $ and leaving with profit.

Prediction: UC Santa Barbara

Coastal

• Similar to the Big West, I have the Coastal being a 2 man race between Charleston and UNCW. Both of these teams have two of the better mid major rosters this season. Charleston was snubbed from the tournament last season after winning 40 games. UNCW made another regional, but came up short. I am not sure what to expect from Northeastern. They are only +350 on the books, but I know they lost some production from last year’s squad.

Prediction: Charleston

Conference USA

• DBU is up to a -275 favorite to win the CUSA. With 7 first team selections, this roster could be a nightmare for CUSA opponents. Hopefully you snagged the -140 when they first released because I have this as DBU’s race to lose. La Tech won the regular season last year, but will be replacing a lot of production. Western Kentucky is a team I have my eye on. They seem to be a pretty balanced squad and I do not mind a sprinkle on the odds. This will be Kennesaw State’s first year in the CUSA, but that program has a rich history of producing talent. Middle Tennessee sits at the bottom of the odds, but has the 2nd most (3) preseason CUSA members with the 2nd highest rated draft prospect in the conference.

Prediction: Dallas Baptist

Ivy League

• Columbia currently sits as -250 favorites to win the Ivy League. The Lions have had the top team in the conference multiple times, but struggle in the conference tournament. They return the weekend rotation along with multiple bats throughout the lineup. Penn struggled last season before catching fire to make their second consecutive regional appearance. Yale will have some deep pitching and returns nearly their entire lineup. They would be my play in this conference.

Prediction: Yale

Missouri Valley

• The MVC has placed a team in Supers in b2b seasons. Last year’s Purple Aces even took a game from Tennessee in Supers. Missouri State sets at the top of the odds for good reason. This lineup has potential to be dangerous. Their pitching and defense were bad last season and will need improvement if the Bears plan on living up to the hype. I like Illinois State. I have them close to Missouri State than what the odds are showing. Illinois State returns a ton, but will need improvement on the mound. UIC returns pitching production, but will have a new lineup. Evansville will have a much younger squad this season, but never count them out. Southern Illinois (+2500) snagged a good amount of talent from the JUCO and NAIA levels. I like Missouri State and I see why they are favorites, but would have to side with the field in this scenario.

Prediction: Illinois State

Ohio Valley

• I gave SEMO out as a play earlier in the week at -150 and it has since moved to -200. The Redhawks ended Arkansas’ season last year and was one win away from winning the Fayetteville Regional. They return nearly everyone from that team. Morehead St is listed as their closest competitor in odds; however they just hired a new HC and lost a lot to the portal. Little Rock won the regular season title last season, but lost a lot too. In my opinion, it’s the Redhawks conference to lose this season.

Prediction: SEMO

SEC

• I could write about this conference for days. D1 currently has 12 regional teams projected, but I would not be surprised to see 13 or 14. At the top, we have Texas A&M, LSU, Tennessee, and Arkansas. These are probably the 4 best teams in the country, and I would be surprised if one does not end up as the 1 seed in Hoover. My pick was LSU, but any fit the narrative. The next tier in odds are Florida, Georgia, Texas, Kentucky. Georgia is worth the value due to the roster talent. I wouldn’t mind Florida too. Texas has too many questions for me, but they have loads of talent. I’m expecting a Kentucky step back after losing a ton of production, but Coach Mingione is one of the best to do it. The next tier consists of Alabama, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt. The odds for Mississippi State and Vanderbilt are disrespectful. Vandy will likely have one of the deepest pitching staff in the conference. Auburn, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Missouri round out the final tier. I am pretty high on Auburn and Ole Miss having bounce back seasons. Do I think they win the SEC? No, but I’m expecting both to find their way into a regional. This conference will contain multiple must-watch series each week. Home field advantage will come into play in nearly every matchup. The SEC regular season title is meaningless as at least 7 of these teams will likely host a regional. I can’t wait.

Prediction: LSU

Sun Belt

• The Sun Belt is the most competitive non P4 conference in baseball. 4 teams made a regional appearance last year, which was the 3rd highest among all conferences. I like Southern Miss a lot this here and have a ticket on them to make Omaha; however +125 is too big of a favorite for my liking especially in a conference like the Sun Belt. With 5 preseason all conference members, there is a lot to like with the Golden Eagles. I will likely be betting on Troy at +400. The Trojans are ranked by D1 and I have no idea how they did not receive anyone on the preseason all-SBC team. This conference usually gets crazy, so I do not mind a few sprinkles here. Coastal Carolina lost their long time HC, but will have a lineup with pop featuring the preseason player of the year. Louisiana will once again have a top team with the preseason pitcher of the year. Georgia Southern hosted a regional a few years ago before having down season last year. Texas State has been a good program and I expect them to also bounce back in the right direction this season. James Madison made the dance last season and is projected 6th, but +2000 on odds. Old Dominion is another team expected to make a jump forward. This conference is full of good baseball. If you get the opportunity to catch a series in person one weekend, I would recommend it.

Prediction: Southern Miss

West Coast

• San Diego is another west coast program that has found success. They finished 41-15 last season and returns a good amount of production. The Toreros are rightful favorites at -250. Even if they fail to win the conference tournament, they will be in a good position to get an at-large bid with their schedule. Portland is projected to finish 2nd (again). The Pilots have been close, but can’t get over the hump to clinch a Regional. They will have a talented team this year headlined by preseason conference pitcher of the year. Gonzaga (+1500) is your best bet at a long shot. They feature an experienced lineup with a few arms with huge upside.

Prediction: Gonzaga

WAC

• We had madness in the WAC tournament last season. Tarleton State won the tournament during their reclassification period, which prompted regular season champion, Grand Canyon to receive the bid. Grand Canyon has found themselves in a regional play in 3 of the last 4 seasons. The Lopes are headed to the Mountain West next season so this will be their final year in the WAC. This year’s team will once again have the top of the line talent in the conference. With Grand Canyon being a huge favorite, I believe it leaves value on Abilene and Cal Baptist. Cal Baptist donated money to the program this offseason. Their lineup will feature a a projected first rounder. Abilene will have a deep rotation that will allow them to compete on the West Coast. They will need to answer a few questions in the lineup. Tarleton State does not return much from their 2024 squad, but you have to think they reload.

Prediction: Grand Canyon

Atlantic 10

• VCU sits on top but lost their head coach to Liberty after last year’s regional run. However they are the listed favorites and will have nearly an entire new roster. Saint Louis won the regular season last year, but also must replace a ton of production. Richmond is the preseason pick to win it. They have solid value at +300. I also like Davidson at +500. Davidson finished in the top two in 2022 and 2023 before struggling in 2024. They return a deep lineup that features D1’s preseason A10 player of the year. For a long shot, St Bonaventure looks like a team that could make some noise.

Prediction: Davidson

Mountain West

• Last year’s MWC champions, Fresno State, are the favorites to run it back this season. Their roster has the D1 preseason MW player of the year and pitcher of the year. They lost a few guys, but should be able to replace to remain atop the conference. I don’t have another team here that I like, but I’m not laying the +100 on Fresno. UNLV can swing it and may be worth a sprinkle but a lot can happen in this conference.

Prediction: Fresno State

SoCon

• 5 of the 8 teams in the conference have odds at +600 or better. This is usually a fun conference to keep up with during the season. Samford is your favorite after a successful last few seasons. D1 wrote that Samford did not look out of place in the fall in scrimmages against SEC teams. Samford has a lot of newcomers and will have the top talent, but need to mesh. UNCG returns a lot but will need to replace their star player. ETSU also returns a ton, including a very good rotation with a balanced lineup. Mercer has pieces to like including D1’s preseason player of the year.

Prediction: ETSU