THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,804 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,804 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
College  | Rankings | 6/29/2018

Final 2018 College Top 25

Photo: Adley Rutschman, Kevin Abel (Oregon State Athletics)
 



2018 CWS Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8
CWS Finals Recaps: Opportunistic Hogs take Game 1
 | Beavers re-capture Omaha magic | Eager Beavers win it all
2018 Honors: Vaughn leads '18 college awards | College All-Americans | Freshmen All-Americans

If you had any doubts about whether or not the two top teams from the 2018 college baseball season made it to the College World Series Finals, the three-game series quickly quelled those doubts. Both teams proved to be incredibly opportunistic as two well-matched squads battled to the end. While Kevin Abel put the finishing touches on Oregon State's third CWS championship with his complete game effort, it's hard not to think woulda/coulda/shoulda in regards to the catch that wasn't made in Game 2 that would have secured Arkansas' first baseball championship.

The championship is the third for the Beavers under the guidance of Pat Casey and their first since their back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007. Adley Rutschman was named the Most Oustanding Player in Omaha for his incredible overall offensive production, while both Abel and Trevor Larnach were also deserving of consideration for their contributions.

In the process Oregon State finished what they had set out to do a year ago, although they did it the hard way by emerging through the loser's bracket after falling in the very first game of the 2018 College World Series to North Carolina. They ended up playing six elimination contests in Omaha, winning all six of them by ending the seasons of Washington, North Carolina, Mississippi State, and ultimately, Arkansas.

Prior to the College World Series Oregon State had ended the season of LSU – returning the favor after the Tigers did the same to the Beavers a year ago – in the Regional round and Minnesota in Super Regionals. Oregon State opened the year, as well as the postseason, as Perfect Game's No. 2 overall team, spending the majority of the season in that spot behind the top-ranked Florida Gators.

Arkansas opened the year sixth, and they entered the preseason as the fifth-ranked team in the country. The Hogs' path through Omaha was much easier than the Beavers, needing just three games to advance to the finals while beating Texas and Texas Tech before eliminating the top-seeded Gators.

Of the six other teams that made the 2018 College World Series, five of them were ranked among the Preseason Top 25: No. 1 Florida, No. 4 Texas Tech, No. 7 North Carolina, No. 23 Texas and No. 25 Mississippi State. Washington was the only team among the final field of eight that was not ranked in the preseason.

Congratulations to all of the teams that made it to the College World Series, especially the champion Beavers. Stay tuned to Perfect Game as Mike Rooney will provide a look ahead to 2019 in the coming days to try and predict next year's field after accurately predicting five of the eight teams that made it this year (Oregon State, Arkansas, Florida, Texas Tech and North Carolina) at this time a year ago.


Prev. = Previous Ranking; Pres. = Preseason Ranking; Post. = Postseason record


Rk Prev. Pres. Team Overall Post. Finish
1 2 2
 Oregon State
55-12-1 11-2 College World Series Champion
2 5 6
 Arkansas
48-21 9-3 College World Series Runner-up
3 1 1
 Florida        
49-21 7-4 College World Series
4 9 7
 North Carolina
44-20 6-2 College World Series
5 11 4
 Texas Tech
45-20 6-3 College World Series
6 16 23
 Texas
43-23 5-3 College World Series
7 NR 25
 Mississippi State
39-29 8-4 College World Series
8 8 NR
 Minnesota
44-15 3-2 Corvallis Super Regional
9 3 11
 Mississippi
48-17 2-2 Oxford Regional
10 4 10
 Stanford
46-12 2-2 Stanford Regional
11 NR NR
 Washington
35-26 5-3 College World Series
12 7 24
 Clemson
47-16 2-2 Clemson Regional
13 15 NR
 Stetson
48-13 3-2 Chapel Hill Super Regional
14 18 20
 Duke
48-18 5-3
Lubbock Super Regional
15 19 28
 Auburn
43-23 4-2 Gainesville Super Regional
16 23 NR
 Tennessee Tech
53-12 5-3 Austin Super Regional
17 6 5
 Florida State
43-19 0-2 Tallahassee Regional
18 10 27
 Southern Miss
44-18 1-2 Fayetteville Regional
19 12 NR
 Georgia
39-21 2-2 Athens Regional
20 13 13
 NC State
42-18 2-2 Raleigh Regional
21 14 NR
 East Carolina
44-18 1-2 Greenville Regional
22 17 38
 UConn
37-22-1 2-1 Conway Regional
23 NR 36
 South Carolina
37-26 4-2 Fayetteville Super Regional
24 NR 30
 Vanderbilt
35-27 4-2 Nashville Super Regional
25 NR 19
 Cal State Fullerton
36-24 4-2 Fullerton Super Regional

Dropped Out:
 Coastal Carolina (20), Louisville (21), Missouri State (22), South Florida (24), UCLA (25).




College | Story | 1/30/2026

Conference Preview: Big West

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  School W L W L Cal Poly 43 19 23 7 Cal State Bakersfield 18 38 9 21 Cal State Fullerton 29 27 19 11 CSUN 15 34 10 20 Hawai'i 35 21 16 14 Long Beach State 22 31 15 15 UC Davis 27 28 13 17 UC Irvine 43 17 24 6 UC Riverside 16 36 5 25 UC Santa Barbara 36 18 16 14 UC San Diego 26 25 15 15 Preseason All Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Nate Vargas UC Santa Barbara Honorable Mention All Big West performer, posted a 306 average with 10 HR’s and 50 RBI. ...
High School | General | 1/31/2026

Preseason HS Top 50

Tyler Russo
Article Image
The start of another high school season is right around the corner in a handful of states and with that, as always, comes our Preseason High School Top-50. A whopping twenty states are represented in the initial Top-50, a number that is staggering when you look at the amount of depth some of these rosters have across the nation. Leading the group is St. John Bosco (CA), a team that brought home a CIF Southern D1 title in 2025 and bring back a strong group of seniors to look to repeat. Stoneman Douglas (FL) is a name most people should know by now in the high school ranks and comes in as our preseason #2 team, looking to win their sixth straight state championship in Florida. Orange Lutheran (CA) had a good case for preseason #1 but come it an No. 3, bringing a roster with seven seniors ranked inside the top-200 in the country to the table. Four other Florida schools are represented...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 1/30/2026

Perfect Game Burst the Bubble

Dave Durbala
Article Image
BURLINGTON, IA - Perfect Game Softball Burst The Bubble Tournament, January 24 - 25, 2026. 15 teams in  this four game guarantee, pool into bracket play tournament, with both a 16u and 18u division contested. In the 16u Division, it was the 09 Midwest Sluggers claiming the Championship over finalist Wisconsin Heat. In the 18u Division it was CIK 08’s taking home the gold rings over finalist Alliance Select Black. The tournament was filled with lots of young talent with big bats, and several players already committed to higher education programs. Below are some of the players that earned their way onto the tournament top performers list. 16U Division  Earning the tournament MVP award was Ruby Stagg (2028 Bettendorf, IA) a solid fielding SS for tournament champion 09 Midwest Sluggers. Stagg, hitting from the right side, sets up in a conventional stance, slightly wide and...
Softball | Softball Tournament | 1/30/2026

Perfect Game Winter Blow-Out 18U Division

Erica Beach
Article Image
Perfect Game Winter Blow-Out 18U Division Burlington, Iowa Jan 17-18, 2026   BURLINGTON, IOWA- The 2026 Perfect Game Winter Blowout, held in the Fun City Turf bubble was competitive from start to finish. Seven teams from three states converged to sharpen their skills and compete for the title. In the end, the Iowa Dynamite 18U took home the hardware, defeating the Alliance Select Harper in the finale. There were some very strong performances on both sides of the ball and below we highlight the top performers from the weekend.     Payton Harris (2028, Mediapolis, IA) of the Black Dragons was lights out on the weekend, batting an impressive .733.  She led the entire tournament in hits, 11 in total showing she was one of the most formidable hitters in her class. She showed her power and ability to drive the ball to all fields, belting four home runs and two doubles on...
High School | General | 1/30/2026

High School Top 50: 10-1

Cam McElwaney
Article Image
High School Preview Index Top 50 Breakdown: 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 10. IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 2025 Record: 24-1 Head Coach: Dave Turgeon Notable Prospect(s): C Dillon Moss (Stanford), RHP Michael Ramsey, C Charles Messina (Northwestern), 1B Cy Chrisman (Oklahoma State), SS Dylan Messina (Pennsylvania), RHP Michael Todero (St. Joseph’s), SS Max Hemenway (Tennessee), OF Kyler Meccage (Mississippi State), OF Sebastian Wilson (Tennessee), 1B Frank Thomas III (Auburn), SS Juan Diaz (Florida State), C Ethan Armbruster (Mississippi State), SS Antonio Chavez (University of California, Berkeley), RHP Henry Britt, OF Aiden Choo IMG Academy rattled off an incredible season a year ago, finishing with a 24-1 record, and ended the season being named the national champion. It’s another year in Bradenton with some of the most talented players in...
College | Story | 1/30/2026

Conference Preview: SWAC

Michael Albee
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order*  Team W L W L Alabama A&M 2 27 10 40 Alabama State 22 10 31 29 Alcorn State 1 29 6 43 Arkansas Pine-Bluff 17 9 19 34 Bethune Cookman 24 5 37 23 Florida A&M 25 5 34 24 Grambling State 18 11 26 28 Jackson State 16 12 30 21 Mississippi Valley State 7 23 12 29 Prairie View A&M 13 14 17 36 Southern 15 14 26 28 Texas Southern 15 15 22 31 Preseason All Conference Team Pos. Name School Stats/Notes C Vinny Saumell Arkansas Pine-Bluff Reliable backstop and offensive...
Juco | Rankings | 1/29/2026

JUCO: Top 500 Prospects

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
JUCO Preseason Top 50 RK Name Class Pos. School State Commitment 1 Carson Bailey SO LHP McLennan TX 2 Bishop Quarles SO OF Florida Southwestern FL 3 Holden Hering FR RHP Weatherford TX Arkansas 4 Mikhai Grant SO RHP Northwest Florida FL 5 Jimmy Anderson SO SS Heartland IL Kentucky 6 Noah Bentley SO RHP Weatherford TX Oklahoma 7 Hayden Morris SO RHP Blinn TX LSU 8 Collin Smith SO RHP Cochise AZ South Carolina 9 Anthony Quigley SO OF/3B Northwest Florida FL 10 Anson Seibert RS FR RHP Johnson County KS 11 Major Osbolt RS FR RHP Walters State TN LSU 12 Ben Polleschultz SO LHP Blinn TX Texas A&M 13 Peyton Firgens RS FR MIF McLennan TX Mississippi State 14 Garrett Mirel FR LHP Golden West CA North Carolina State 15 Kole Fenton SO SS Walters State TN North Carolina 16 Joseph Sandusky FR SS Weatherford TX Texas A&M 17 Caden Mitchell SO C Weatherford TX Oklahoma 18 Easton Davies SO RHP...
Press Release | Press Release | 1/28/2026

2026 Pacific Baseball Championship Set

Perfect Game Staff
Article Image
    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME ANNOUNCES VENUES, DATES FOR   2026 PACIFIC BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP    Elite global talent converges in Southern California, December 26-29, 2026, at the Dodgers’ new ONT Field Stadium and October Empire Complex    Ontario, California (Wednesday, January 28, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced additional details surrounding the 2026 Perfect Game Pacific Baseball Championship (PBC), including official venues, dates and the various nations that players will be coming from,...
Juco | Rankings | 1/28/2026

JUCO Top 50: January 28

Blaine Peterson
Article Image
Welcome to the 2026 Junior College baseball season. Once again, this year will begin for us with annual coverage of the PCB JUCO Classic in Panama City Beach, FL this week. With that we bring you our beginning of season JUCO baseball rankings. Perfect Game JUCO rankings combine all levels of JUCO baseball across the country into one overall ranking.  The top of this year’s beginning of season ranking begins where the D1 NJCAA World Series ended, with Walters State and Salt Lake. Walters State returns several contributing pieces from last season's team and will begin the year in the top spot. Defending D1 JUCO National Champion Salt Lake will slot in at number 2. This list shows the strength of junior college baseball around the country with programs from 16 different state represented in our initial top 25. Six teams from Florida make our initial top 25, four of which will...
College | Story | 1/29/2026

Conference Preview: Southland

Troy Sutherland
Article Image
2026 College Preview Index | Preseason Top 25 | Preseason Collegiate All-Americans For all of Perfect Game's conference previews as part of the 2026 college baseball preview content, the 2025 records and all-conference teams are available for free. The conference top prospects and individual team breakdowns can be viewed with a subscription. 2025 Records Teams are listed in alphabetical order* Team W L W L Southeastern 38 16 22 8 UT- Rio Grande Valley 36 18 22 8 Lamar 40 17 20 10 Northwestern State 35 21 19 11 McNeese 31 17 19 11 Houston Christian 32 23 17 13 TAMU- Corpus Christi 21 31 12 18 New Orleans 28 26 12 18 Nicholls 17 32 10 20 Stephen F. Austin 17 32 9 21 Incarnate Word 17 33 3 27 Preseason All-Conference Team Pos. Player School Stats/Notes C Julius Ramirez UTRGV Huge numbers at the Juco level as a member of New Mexico JC. Impact stick that will force his way...
Loading more articles...