Happy New Year, and with the new year underway we are only weeks away from the beginning of the college baseball season. There is no uniform start date yet, as several warm weather teams will begin their seasons on Friday, January 26, with many more teams from the West Coast joining them the following week.

A couple of the major college baseball publications have released their early preseason rankings, and Rice has emerged as the early favorite. While Rice no doubt will be strong this year, just as they always are, I have had a number one team of my own in my mind since the end of last season, and I’m going to add nine more teams to make up my own preseason top-10 list. We’ll see how they stack up when it is time for the College World Series in June.

1. Miami Hurricanes

No one expected the success the Miami Hurricanes enjoyed last year. They received impact contributions from several key freshmen after losing their best slugger (Ryan Braun) and ace pitcher (Cesar Carrillo) to the first round of the draft the year before. I personally feel the Hurricanes are the most well-balanced team in the nation, with a little bit of everything: Power, speed, hitting, defense and pitching. Carlos Gutierrez is lost for the season after having Tommy John surgery, but Scott Maine is healthy, and is expected to head a weekend rotation that includes Danny Gil and Manny Miguelez, one of the more underrated college starters in the game. Sophomore sensation Jemile Weeks and speedy centerfielder Blake Tekotte will continue to spark the offense, while Yonder Alonso and Dennis Raben will bring the thunder. Former Aflac All-American transfer David DiNatale (Central Florida) could help replace the departed Jon Jay, while freshmen Mark Sobolewski and Ryan Jackson (another former Aflac All-American) could step in immediately to stabilize the infield. The Hurricanes will be hard-pressed to replace All-American closer Chris Perez, but fire-balling transfer Enrique Garcia (Potomac State) will give it his best. One out of Kyle Bellamy and Eric Erickson will probably serve as the mid-week starter, with the other moving to long relief.

2. South Carolina Gamecocks

The Gamecocks from top to bottom remind me quite a bit of the Miami Hurricanes given their relative youth and diversity. Few programs can match the recruiting efforts of Head Coach Ray Tanner and recruiting coordinator Jim Toman, not only at the high school level, but at the junior college level as well. Projected Friday starter Arik Hempy will miss the first couple of months of the season after having Tommy John surgery, but transfer Jay Brown (Young Harris College) could step up and take his place. Wynn Pelzer is expected to take his electric arm to assume the role as the team’s closer. The offense is powered by two sophomore standouts, first baseman Justin Smoak and shortstop Reese Havens.

3. Rice Owls

The Owls have received a lot of preseason attention, largely due to the number of exciting draft-eligible prospects this team will boast. A healthy Joe Savery is poised to front the pitching staff and serve as the team’s three-hole hitter with both a powerful arm and a fearsome bat, not to mention Gold Glove defense at first. Team USA co-closer Cole St. Clair has been nearly unhittable in his two years at Rice and while pitching for Team USA. Shortstop Brian Friday and second basemen Aaron Luna give the Owls one of the best middle infields in all of college baseball, while centerfielder Tyler Henley will give opposing pitching staff another lethal bat to contend with.

4. Texas Longhorns

Not including the Longhorns when discussing the best college baseball teams in the nation is like betting against the Harlem Globetrotters. Drew Stubbs, the team’s most dynamic offensive and defensive player from a year ago, and right-handed pitcher Kyle McCulloch were both first-round draft picks. Staff ace Adrian Alaniz returns, and Stubbs’ younger brother Clint, a freshman, may just pick up where big brother left off. Former Aflac All-American Jordan Danks and draft eligible sophomores Kyle Russell, Bradley Suttle and Preston Clark stand to fuel the offense.

5. Clemson Tigers

I’m a little tentative putting the Tigers in this position since they aren’t returning a single weekend starter from a year ago, but it’s hard to argue with Clemson’s impressive track record. They do have several experienced pitchers that can step in and assume those integral roles, including right-handers David Kopp, P.J. Zocchi and Sean Clark, and highly touted freshman recruit Josh Thrailkill could also contribute. There was some talk of Head Coach Jack Leggett moving his star closer, lefty Daniel Moskos, to the rotation, but the Tigers seem more intent on keeping Moskos where he is for now. The entire starting infield returns, and only one member of the outfield, Tyler Colvin, has moved on. A lineup highlighted by Andy D’Alessio, Brad Chalk and Taylor Harbin figures to score runs in bunches.

6. Cal State Fullerton Titans

Teams from the West Coast don’t seem to be getting much preseason love, and there is simply no way the College World Series will come and go without a team from either the Big West or the Pac-10 present. Head Coach George Horton leads one of the perennially best teams in the nation, and will trot out Friday ace and proven strike-thrower Wes Roemer to match up with his opponents’ best. The Titans lost a lot of talent from a year ago, particularly in the starting lineup, but a pair of talented freshmen, shortstop Nathan Bridges and outfielder Khris Davis, are advanced enough hitters to make a seamless transition to college ball. Transfers Joel Weeks (Cypress College), Nick Mahin (Cypress) and Jake Vazquez (Texas A&M) should also help lessen the blow from so many lost offensive performers.

7. North Carolina Tar Heels

While high profile pitching stars Andrew Miller and Daniel Bard have moved onto professional baseball as first round draft picks, the starting lineup has remained relatively unchanged, their closer, Andrew Carignan, returns, as does proven weekend starter, senior Robert Woodard. Infielders Josh Horton, Reid Fronk, Mike Cavassini and Chad Flack as well as catcher Tim Federowicz will get the offense started, and they have a number of talented young freshmen that could step up and fill in all facets of the game. While the pitching staff does have two mighty big holes to fill, sophomore righty Luke Putkonen has the talent to emerge as a shutdown Friday ace.

8. Arkansas Razorbacks

Few teams can match the pitching depth of Arkansas, highlighted by their staff ace, “no-hit” Nick Schmidt. Transfer right-handers Jess Todd (Navarro College) and Duke Welker (Seminole State CC), as well as returning weekend starter Shaun Siebert will make the Razorbacks extremely tough to score upon. Slugging corner infielder Danny Hamblin returns and should power the middle of the offense. Head Coach Dave Van Horn has done a great job recruiting young talent while restoring the faith of the Hog Nation.

9. Vanderbilt Commodores

The Commodores are highlighted not only by the projected top prospect for the 2007 draft, left-handed pitcher David Price, but also the projected top prospect for the 2008 draft, third baseman Pedro Alvarez. Another left-handed pitcher, Cody Crowell, gives Vandy another solid weekend starter, while senior closer Casey Weathers is one of the best in the country. The Vanderbilt program has been on the rise for several years now, and continues to draw incredible talent from their recruiting classes over the past three to five years.

10. TCU Horned Frogs

The Horned Frogs are building momentum under Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle, who has done an excellent job recruiting dynamic young talent, particularly in the pitching staff. Leading the way this year is right-handed pitcher Jake Arrieta, who transferred to TCU from Weatherford Junior College a year ago. Joining Arrieta in the rotation is fellow Roger Clemens Award Watch List member Seth Garrison. The back of the pitching staff is just as solid as the front, with electric closer Sam Demel standing as one of the nation’s best stoppers. Catcher Andrew Walker holds the team together, offensively and defensively, as the Horned Frogs have the pitching to compete with anyone.

Next week I will release my preseason college All-American team consisting of former Perfect Game showcase participants.