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College  | Rankings | 1/13/2016

2016 Preseason College Top 25

Photo: Tim Casey




Preseason All-American Team | 2016 College Baseball Preview Index

Welcome to the first top 25 team rankings for the 2016 college baseball season and thanks to our friends at Rawlings for presenting our 2016 college baseball preview content. Listed below are the top 25 teams, a list assembled by Perfect Game's Patrick Ebert, Jheremy Brown, Mike Rooney and Andrew Krause. As a unit we hope that this initial ranking proves to be as solid as last year's in which each of the eight teams that eventually made it to Omaha for the College World Series were represented.

For the second year in a row the No. 1 team was an absolute unanimous vote with the Florida Gators getting the nod to open the 2016 season in the top spot. Jeff Dahn will have a feature on Head Coach Kevin O'Sullivan and his Gators on Thursday.

For as much of a slam dunk as the No. 1 team was, the support for the No. 2 Louisville Cardinals was equally concrete. Although Texas A&M wasn't as unanimous it was eventually agreed upon that they were the third best team in college baseball, followed closely by their SEC rivals Vanderbilt and Louisiana State.

A week from today (Wed., Jan. 20) we will follow up with detailed capsules of each of the top 25 teams. The day after that (Thurs., Jan. 21) we will provide the teams ranked 26-40 along with a brief synopsis of each program.

Breakdown by conference:

ACC: 7 teams (Louisville, Virginia, Miami, NC State, Florida State, North Carolina, Notre Dame)
SEC: 6 teams (Florida, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, Louisiana State, Missouri, Mississippi State)
Pac-12: 4 teams (Oregon State, California, Oregon, UCLA)
Big 12: 4 teams (Oklahoma State, Texas Christian, Oklahoma, Texas Tech)
American Athletic: 1 team (Houston)
Big South: 1 team (Coastal Carolina)
Big Ten: 1 team (Michigan)
Sun Belt: 1 team (Louisiana)


Similar to past years we will update the top 25 team rankings every Monday morning during the regular season. Stay tuned to Perfect Game and be sure to Like Perfect Game's College Baseball page on Facebook and follow PG on Twitter for all of the latest information:

@PGCollegeBall | @PGPatrickEbert | @JBrownPG | @Mike_Rooney | @akrausePG



Rk Team '15 Record '15 Rk
2015 Finish
1

Florida
52-18 3 CWS third-place finish
2
Louisville
47-18 8 Louisville Super Regional
3
Texas A&M
50-14 12 Fort Worth Super Regional
4
Vanderbilt
51-21 2 CWS Runner-up
5
Louisiana State
54-12 4 CWS fifth-place finish
6
Oregon State
39-19-1 18 Dallas Regional
7
Oklahoma State
38-20 20 Stillwater Regional
8
California
36-21 NR College Station Regional
9
Virginia
44-24 1 CWS Champions
10
Louisiana
42-23 24
Baton Rouge Super Regional
11
Miami
50-17 6 CWS sixth-place finish
12
Oregon
38-25 NR
Springfield (Mo.) Regional
13
NC State
36-23 NR Fort Worth Regional
14
UCLA
45-16 9 Los Angeles Regional
15
Missouri
30-28 NR SEC Tournament
16
Houston
43-20 17 Houston Regional
17
Mississippi State
24-30 NR Did not make postseason
18
 Texas Christian
51-15 5 CWS fourth-place finish
19
Oklahoma
34-27 NR Big 12 Championship
20
Florida State
44-21 13 Gainesville Super Regional
21
Coastal Carolina
39-20 NR College Station Regional
22
North Carolina
34-24 NR ACC Championship
23
Michigan
39-25 NR Louisville Regional
24
Notre Dame
37-23 NR
Champaign Regional
25
Texas Tech
31-24 NR
Big 12 Championship

Others receiving consideration: Maryland, Rice, Southern California

College | Rankings | 6/25/2026

College Top 25: Final Update

Vincent Cervino
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With a postseason run for the ages, the Oklahoma Sooners (43-23) took home the National Championship and naturally finish the 2026 season as our No. 1 team in the land.  It is the third national title for the Sooners, playing in their 12th CWS and making their fourth championship series appearance.  They add to previous national titles won in 1951 and 1994 and did it by taking the most difficult path of any team in this year’s tournament.  In the NCAA Tournament, Oklahoma took down national seeds, No. 2 Georgia Tech twice, No. 3 Georgia twice, No. 5 UNC twice, No. 7 Alabama and No. 15 Kansas twice.  This was the second time that head coach Skip Johnson has led the Sooners to the CWS Championship Series since 2022 and the first time he has taken home the crown.  The North Carolina Tarheels (54-14) was one win away from their first national title and finish...
Tournaments | Story | 6/26/2026

Fast and Furia at 14u WWBA

Kinley Kitchens
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Every successful team has talent, but the teams that make great summer ball runs often have something more. For Furia Prospects 2030, that difference has been a consistent commitment to playing for one another. The Texas-based team earned a 4-0 victory over East Cobb Astros 14U to secure their spot in the semifinals, combining dominant pitching with timely offense and another complete team performance. Christian Choe set the tone on the mound, allowing just two hits while striking out three over 4.2 innings before Blaine Jackson closed out the final four outs to preserve the shutout. At the plate, Brody Peterson paced the offense with a 2-for-3 performance and two RBI, while Mark De Leon and Jancarlos Nunez each drove in a run. Through these tournament games, Peterson has emerged as one of the team's most consistent hitters, batting .750 while continuing to deliver in key moments. Yet...
Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 6/26/2026

MLB Draft Reports: 1-99

Michael Albee
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2026 MLB Draft Reports: 100-299 | 200-299 | 300-399 | 400-500 1. Roch Cholowsky, SS, UCLA R-R, 6-2/202, Chandler, AZ Previously Drafted: Never Drafted   Roch Cholowsky has consistently ranked at the top of the class throughout the cycle due to the safety and upside of the profile. Defensively, he is a plus defender at shortstop with soft hands, consistent actions, and quality range. Not only should he stick at the position long term, he should excel there at the next level. Offensively, there is a strong mix of hit and power potential from the right side of the plate. The swing is a bit unorthodox with a shorter finish, but Cholowsky consistently finds the barrel and drives the ball with authority to all fields. He has strong bat to ball skills with impact. He has walked more than stuck out during his collegiate career, giving him a high on-base ability. The run tool is the...
Tournaments | Story | 6/26/2026

15U BCS Championship Returns to Fort Myers

Alyssa Golden
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The 21st annual 15U BCS National Championship will bring together nearly 100 teams from across the country to compete for a national title in Fort Myers, Florida this weekend. From nationally ranked prospects to rising programs looking to make a statement, the five-day tournament will showcase the next wave of talent on the national stage. Running June 27-July 1, the event features a strong collection of nationally ranked prospects from coast to coast. As the summer schedule reaches its midpoint, the tournament offers players an opportunity to compete against elite competition while continuing to establish themselves among the nation’s top underclass talent. The field includes multiple top 100 nationally ranked players, headlined by No. 19-ranked RHP William Miller of Plantation, Florida. The 6-foot-8, 210-pound pitcher is among the highest-upside players in the field with his...
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17u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 3

Perfect Game Staff
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17u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 | Day 2 An extended look at ‘27 RHP Cole Cheatham… 5 IP, 9 K, 0 BB, 3 ER. #WWBA @PG_OhioValley #WVU commit https://t.co/6tfthTsRsW pic.twitter.com/RHfFa3rWps — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 26, 2026 West Virginia commit Cole Cheatham (2027, Liberty, Ind.) came out firing bullets early in the outing and would finish up going five strong innings, allowing three runs and striking out nine. The fastball comes out of the hand easy and got up to 97 mph, working in the mid-90s throughout. He pairs it with a firm changeup at 89-90 with some fading depth to the arm side and also has good feel for a mid-80s slider with quality shape and missed bats with it deep in counts. It’s a power arm here with immense upside and pounded the zone at a 64% clip. A lot of boxes Cheatham checks off as a high school arm and should be a name we hear a...
Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 6/26/2026

MLB Draft Reports: 100-199

Tyler Henninger
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Draft | Prospect Scouting Reports | 6/25/2026

MLB Draft Reports: 200-299

Michael Albee
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2026 MLB Draft Reports: 300-399 | 400-500 200. Hudson Devaughan, RHP, Mooresville HS R-R, 6-4/195, Mooresville, IN College Commitment: Alabama Hudson Devaughan features a projectable frame at 6-foot-4, 195-pounds. The fastball works up to 96 mph with more to come. It is thrown on a downhill plane. A sharp curveball pairs well off of it and can miss bats. A cutter and changeup round out the pitch mix, but still need to be refined.  201. Cole Stokes, RHP, Florida State R-R, 6-6/230, Redondo Beach, CA Previously Drafted: Never Drafted Cole Stokes is an imposing 6-foot-6 arm with loud stuff too. The fastball works in the upper-90’s with sink. It is paired with a sweeper that can miss bats at a solid clip. Significant command issues will need to be addressed in order for the potential plus stuff to play more consistently.  For more on Stokes, read his college report...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 6/25/2026

PG Stars Over Florida Showcase 18U Division

Erica Beach
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PG Stars Over Florida Showcase 18U Division Clearwater, FL June 13-14, 2026   CLEARWATER, FLORIDA- Perfect Game Softball made its official debut in the state of Florida this past weekend at Eddie C. Moore sports complex. The weather was perfect, and the atmosphere was right for some great softball. We had many college coaches of all levels attend and our National Scouting Director was on hand to evaluate and highlight the athletes. We are excited for future events and the ability to promote and highlight the great athletes in the southeast! Below we highlight the 18U division where multiple athletes stood out.     18UDivision   Oakley Riley (2027, SS/UTL, Dade City, FL) of the Lady Bombers- Bowling was a standout player all weekend. She is an athletic and versatile athlete who is a great combination of speed and power. Offensively, this right-handed hitter has an...
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17u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 2

Perfect Game Staff
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17u WWBA Scout Notes: Day 1 An extended look at '27 LHP Connor Salerno (NC)... #WWBA @PG_Coastal https://t.co/A7OLjivIFW pic.twitter.com/rEA9pMizg8 — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) June 25, 2026 Connor Salerno (2027, Indian Trail, N.C.) looked his usual self, dominant, in his one inning of work on Wednesday afternoon. The big-bodied southpaw got the ball in a short relief outing and continues to show why he’s ranked as the #1 pitcher in the class. The fastball has explosive life out of the hand and comes out easy, working in the 93-95 range, up to 96 mph once. He rounds out the mix with a firm slider in the mid-80s along with a changeup in the same velo range with arm-side fading action. The Mississippi State commit is a proven strike thrower with premium stuff and is one of the highest follows of the summer for professional scouts. Grant Sperandio (2027, Houston, Tx.) was...
Tournaments | Story | 6/25/2026

The Winning Edge

Kinley Kitchens
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Gulf Coast Edge has continued to build momentum in championship play this week, advancing behind a combination of timely offense, strong pitching, and contributions throughout the lineup. After grinding out a 4-3 victory over Canes American 14U to open bracket play, Gulf Coast Edge followed with a dominant 13-1 playoff win against Knights Baseball 14U National to secure their spot in the tournament bracket. The team features nationally ranked talent throughout the roster, but its recent success has been fueled by players embracing their roles and finding ways to contribute in key moments. Two players who embody that balance are outfielder Brayden Nims and fellow outfielder Nolan Richardson. Nims has helped lead the charge offensively as Gulf Coast Edge has advanced through the bracket. One of the most highly regarded players in the country, ranked No. 9 overall nationally and the No. 4...
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