Strengths, weaknesses of all 8 Omaha teams

The 2024 College World Series begins Friday when North Carolina takes on Virginia in the afternoon game at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska.

It will be a two-conference CWS bracket with SEC teams Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas A&M and Florida and ACC teams North Carolina, Florida State, NC State and Virginia.

Every Omaha team except Florida has hosted a regional, which is the most host regional to reach the final eight since 2013.

Here are the biggest strengths and weaknesses of each team in the field:

No. 1 Tennessee

Where it excels: Tennessee has arguably the best lineup in the country with eight players with double-digit starts. But it’s not all about power: The Vols are hitting .417 and led the SEC in doubles.

Where it could be fought: Tennessee has only one true starting pitcher, Drew Beam, and he’s more of a steady presence than a true ace. The bullpen has been good enough to put things together, but it remains to be seen if that will work every game against the top arms in the country.

no. 8 Florida State

Where it excels: Florida State has star power everywhere. Jamie Arnold is arguably the best starting pitcher in Omaha and is joined by two likely first-round picks in the lineup in James Tibbs and Cam Smith.

Where it could be fought: The Seminoles fair struggled with walks. Only two pitchers with more than 10 plate appearances have walked fewer than four batters per nine for Florida State, and that could become a problem.

no. 4 North Carolina

Where it excels: Vance Honeycutt is one of the most electric players in Omaha, the only player in the country with more than 25 home runs and stolen bases. He is the defensive anchor for a Tar Heels staff that led the ACC in ERA and has one of the best bullpen shortstops in the country in Dalton Pence.

Where it could be fought: North Carolina has trailed in four of its six NCAA Tournament games, with three wins in the ninth inning or later. The Tar Heels’ penchant for living on the edge could come back to bite them.

No. 12 Virginia

Where it excels: Virginia’s lineup led the ACC in all three of batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. It’s a strong lineup that doesn’t rely heavily on home runs, so the Cavaliers should still find ways to score in cavernous Charles Schwab Field.

Where it could be fought: Evan Blanco carried the load for the rotation, but Virginia struggled to find reliable starters behind him. Jay Woolfolk, who started the second game of the super regional, has a 5.95 ERA.

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No. 2 Kentucky

Where it excels: Kentucky’s unique style of play has blown opponents away all season. Instead of relying on home runs, the Wildcats look to get on base, steal bases and put pressure on the defense. It’s a style that should work very well in Omaha.

Where it could be fought: Raw talent and star power often wins in the postseason, and the Wildcats can’t match up in that department to most teams in Omaha.

No. 10 NC States

Where it excels: Super-experienced uber-seniors Sam Highfill, Alec Makarewicz and Garrett Pennington led NC State to the postseason. Makarewicz is the active Division I leader in career games played, and Highfill passed Jack Leiter in Omaha in 2021.

Where they might fight: The Wolfpack have Makarewicz, Pennington and Jacob Cozart at the top of their lineup, but there isn’t much depth behind them. If any of the three go down, it could be difficult for NC State to score.

No. 3 Texas A&M

Where it excels: Texas A&M combines a fearsome lineup with a true ace in Ryan Prager and one of the best bullpens in the country. If the Aggies get a lead, Evan Aschenbeck and Chris Cortez will be there to shut things down.

Where it could be fought: Texas A&M is hit. Star outfielder Braden Montgomery suffered a season-ending broken ankle during the super regional and lefty Shane Sdao left the early start with an injury.

Florida

Where it excels: There is star power here with two-way sensation Jac Caglianone and closer Brandon Neely. Many of the core pieces on this team have experience in the situation they lacked in Omaha a year ago, so they won’t lack for motivation either.

Where it could be fought: The Gators nearly missed the NCAA tournament due to a lack of pitching depth. No Florida pitcher with at least 10 innings has an ERA under 4.00 and only three have an ERA under 5.00.

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or on Twitter @aria_gerson.