This week I turn my attention to some of the top projected teams that stand to make some noise this spring.

Last year I picked the Miami Hurricanes as my preseason number one team, a projection that didn’t pan out as I thought it would. They still managed to make my top 10 this year, but I had to temper my enthusiasm since I don’t know just how well the Hurricanes will be after dealing with several injuries from a year ago, most notably to star second baseman Jemile Weeks.

I think the 2008 season will be particularly interesting to follow given the universal February 22 starting date which will create more mid-week contests for teams and would seem to give the advantage to the clubs that boast an unusually deep pitching staff. We’ll see if that holds true, as we all know it’s one thing to put yourself in a position to make regional action, but it’s another thing completely to have what it takes to book a ticket to Omaha.

1. Rice Owls
Rice had one of the best seasons a year ago in all of college baseball with a 56-14 record and a third-place finish at the College World Series. Most people don’t have the Owls ranked as high as I do due to the losses of key contributors such as Joe Savery, Tyler Henley, Brian Friday, Danny Lehmann and Ryne Tacker. However, they have a wealth of pitching.

Few freshman had as great of an impact as Ryan Berry did a year ago, and this year he assumes the role as the team’s Friday ace. Matt Langwell, Chris Kelley and San Jacinto transfer Lucas Luetge will follow in some order taking the hill in a starting role, while Cole St. Clair should open the season healthy and may see some spot starts if he doesn’t assume his customary role as the team’s closer. Bryan Price should be a factor either as a starter or as a late-inning reliever, while utility players Diego Seastrunk and Jared Gayhart likely will see some time coming out of the bullpen as well.

The offense has more question marks, but Aaron Luna’s lethal bat is back even though he will be playing left field this year. Jess Buenger takes Luna’s spot at second, while Jordan Dodson and J.P. Padron will look to provide some much need run production. A pair of freshmen from Spring, Texas, Rick Hague and Chad Mozingo, look to replace Friday and Henley respectively.

Head coach Wayne Graham always assembles a talented pitching staff, and they start the season against a very tough Long Beach State program a weekend before their annual participation in the Minute Maid Park College Classic. Aside from their deceptively tough Conference USA schedule, they have scheduled some tough mid-week matchups with Texas, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State.

2. Arizona Wildcats
Arizona is considered a favorite by many entering the 2008 college baseball season, and they are the first of four Pac-10 teams I have listed among my top 10. The conference stands to be very tough this season, which alone may mean that one of these teams gets knocked out due to the level of competition.

The Wildcats get the nod for depth to go along with an impressive cast of returning players. The pitching in particular should be very deep, as they like Rice feature four to five arms that could be somewhat interchangeable starting on weekend and weekday nights. Friday ace Preston Guilmet is the best of the bunch, and Saturday starter Ryan Perry has the highest professional potential in the eyes of scouts. Eric Berger returns from injury, while David Coulon, Daniel Schlereth and Mike Colla will all battle for the Sunday and mid-week spots. Jason Stoffel returns as the team’s closer, as he and Schlereth provided a righty-lefty late inning duo that was hard to beat.

C.J. Ziegler, T.J. Steele and Brad Glenn make the offense go, and juco transfer Dillon Baird may just be the best hitter of the bunch. Freshman Bobby Coyle will battle Diallo Fon for time in left. The offense has a very good balance of patience, power and speed to go along with strong defense up the middle. That combination along with the team’s pitching will make them very tough to beat.

3. UCLA Bruins
The 2008 Bruins may be similar to the 2000 Bruins that included names such as Chase Utley, Garrett Atkins and Rob Henkel in that they have quite a few players that are projected to be selected early in the 2008 draft.

Assuming the role of ‘Chase Utley’ is Brandon Crawford, a true five-tool, left-handed hitting shortstop that can dazzle with the glove as well as being a multi-dimensional offensive threat. Jermaine Curtis flanks Crawford to his right at the hot corner, while Ryan Babineau stabilizes the entire infield defense behind the plate. First baseman Cody Decker and right fielder Gabe Cohen supply the power, as the entire lineup has returning players at each and every position.

A weekend rotation of Gavin Brooks, Tim Murphy and Charles Brewer is going to be hard to beat, and Brooks and Brewer in particular are poised to make sure the Bruins success carries into the 2009 season as well. Jason Novak will look to replace Brant Rustich as the team’s closer. There is some uncertainly concerning the week-day starting roles with a pair of freshmen poised to take on those spots, Daniel Klein and Rob Rasmussen, but their trio of weekend starters could allow the team to use more of a staff effort if needed in mid-week games.

People have been pointing to the 2008 season as the year UCLA truly breaks out ever since head coach John Savage inked most of the talent this team boasts from their highly touted 2004-05 recruiting class, and even when that talent has moved on he has done an excellent job making sure that the talent pipeline has been established for lasting success.

4. Vanderbilt Commodores
The Commodores were the story of the 2007 season, featuring Golden Spikes award winner and the number one overall pick from last year’s draft, David Price, as well as the eighth overall selection in the draft, former closer Casey Weathers.

That may make some wonder how Vanderbilt has a chance at repeating their success, but this is a team that returns almost all of their other key contributors and it is also important to mention that Tim Corbin is going to have this team prepared and hungry after getting knocked out of the regionals, of which they hosted in Nashville, by upstart Michigan.

Mike Minor, who thrives on command and poise, moves from Saturday to Friday, with talented junior Brett Jacobson assuming the Saturday role. Nick Christiani returns to give the team experience and veteran leadership, while the strong-armed freshman Chase Reid will do his best to replace Weathers as the team’s stopper. The mid-week starters aren’t as clear at this point in time, but there is enough returning talent to assemble the rest of the staff while retaining a high level of competitiveness.

Pedro Alvarez stands to be the next Commodore drafted early, as his big bat will find it’s usual position in the middle of the lineup. His infield mate Ryan Flaherty will hit in front of him, with Dominic de la Osa returning for his senior year to hit behind Alvarez. This team had no problem scoring runs a year ago and have a tremendous amount of positional talent, starters and reserves alike, to tap into.

5. North Carolina Tar Heels
I admit I’m not as confident about the Tar Heels chances in 2008 after losing two members of their starting staff in Robert Woodard and Luke Putkonen, closer Andrew Carignan as well as three of their more talented bats on offense in Josh Horton, Reid Fronk and Drew Poulk. However, North Carolina has always been one of the deepest and most cohesive units in all of college baseball.

And they have the talent to fill those holes. Rob Wooten should have no problem replacing Carignan after serving as one of the bullpen’s more consistent contributors the past few years. Alex White and Adam Warren return giving the weekend rotation two proven contributors, with sophomore Rob Catapano and freshman sensation Matt Harvey competing for the Sunday spot. Harvey could very well be the second coming of Daniel Bard, who made immediate contributions as a freshman during the 2004 season.

Dustin Ackley will carry the offense with his smooth left-handed stroke while anchoring the infield defense at first. Catcher Tim Federowicz has a knack for big hits and also will serve as a pitcher out of the ‘pen. Chad Flack returns for his senior season to man third, while Garrett Gore moves from second to short to replace the departed Horton. Tim Fedroff and Seth Williams give the outfield two proven contributors as this team looks to return to the College World Series championship.

6. Arizona State Sun Devils
Despite losing Eric Sogard, Andrew Romine, Matt Spencer and Tim Smith, the Sun Devils still are going to score a ton of runs. The lineup is anchored by three former Aflac All-Americans in Brett Wallace, Petey Paramore and Ike Davis. Davis also has value coming out of the bullpen, while transfer Jason Kipnis and freshman Matt Newman will replace some of the outfield production.

Despite fielding the best defensive unit in college baseball a year ago, the defense could be a little shaky up the middle and at third base this year, with a new middle infield tandem and Brett Wallace moving across the diamond to third.

While ASU has always been known for their offense, don’t look past the pitching. Shorter southpaw Josh Satow returns for his senior year after a stellar junior campaign, and is joined by sophomore Mike Leake, with the two of them forming a solid weekend duo. Hard throwing Jason Jarvis resumes the closer role and could be joined by talented new recruit Seth Blair, who could also vie for a weekday starter’s spot.

Pat Murphy is one of the best in the business, and with a taste of Omaha in his mouth from a year ago you know he’ll have this seasoned club prepared to make some noise despite a tough schedule from beginning to end.

7. San Diego Toreros
Pitching, pitching and more pitching. Head coach Rich Hill has assembled his club with an emphasis on strong pitching and defense, and so far that recipe has worked quite well for him, and he has shown early on the past two seasons that his team is well equipped to slay some of the bigger national giants, most notably Texas, in non-conference play.

Brian Matusz, Josh Romanski and Matt Couch all return to form one of the nation’s best weekend rotations, and the depth continues with transfer Matt Thomson and freshmen Kyle Blair and Sammy Solis. That trio of newcomers should round out a very deep staff that will allow them to compete seven days a week if they needed to. A.J. Griffin is one of the nation’s top closers, and there are enough other arms in place to create a more than serviceable bullpen.

The team’s ability to score runs is in question, as replacing the numbers of the West Coast Conference’s player of the year from the 2007 season, Shane Buschini, will be no easy task. The progression of freshmen Victor Sanchez and Steven Kaupang, who will man the infield corners, could likely determine just how good the offense is. Josh Romanski will play centerfield on days he doesn’t pitch and will serve as the team’s catalyst. Add catcher Logan Gelbrich and middle infielders Sean Nicol and Kevin Hansen and this team will be solid up the middle offensively and defensively. Two-way contributor James Meador, transfer Ryan Davis and freshman Sequoya Stonecipher round out the players the Toreros will look to for significant offensive contributions.

8. Texas Longhorns
Texas is the first team on this list that I feel is weak in pitching, but there is no way I’m betting against Augie Garrido, who always puts the Longhorns in a great position to contend for the Big 12 title and a trip to Omaha.

Despite losing third corner infielders, Brad Suttle and Chance Wheeless, to professional baseball, scoring runs will not be a problem. 2007 home run champ Kyle Russell returns, as does defensive stalwart Preston Clark behind the plate. Jordan Danks will roam center, while talented juco transfer Brandon Belt will replace Wheeless at first. A pair of transfers will also play up the middle in Michael Torres and David Hernandez. Returnees Russell Moldenhauer and Travis Tucker will receive more playing time, while former Aflac All-Americans Kevin Keyes and Cameron Rupp could be forces to reckon with early in their college careers.

The starting staff may be a work in progress, with only one returning player, savvy lefty Austin Wood. Towering righty Kenn Kasparek is expected to return after missing the 2007 season due to injury, and he has the added benefit of being a member of the 2005 team that won the national championship. Returning lefties Riley Boening and Kyle Walker will fill in some of the gaps, while newcomers such as transfers Casey Whitmer and Garrett Clyde as well as freshmen Brandon Workman and Cole Green will be asked to make immediate contributions. Belt and Patrick McCrory could help the team with both their bats and their arms.

9. Oregon State Beavers
I promised myself that I wouldn’t leave the Beavers off of this list after they won their second consecutive national championship, even if I feel they have lost too much talent to overcome. However, I felt the same way a year ago after they lost Cole Gillespie, Tyler Graham, Dallas Buck, Kevin Gunderson and Jonah Nickerson, and they dealt with losing Jacoby Ellsbury just fine the year before that.

Which reinforces the fact that Pat Casey is doing an excellent job recruiting talent to Corvallis.

This year he will look to returning starters Jorge Reyes and Mike Stutes to shoulder the load, of which they’re more than capable of doing. A pair of talented recruits will be asked to serve as the team’s Sunday starter and closer, righties Greg Peavey and Kevin Rhoderick. Peavey has more than enough experience and moxie pitching with and against some of the best talent in the nation to amply handle such a responsibility, while Rhoderick has nasty stuff that makes him a natural to close games.

The lineup has quite a few question marks after losing Mitch Canham and Darwin Barney. Joey Wong moves from second to short, and Ryan Ortiz may be held in the same regard as Canham a year from now. Freshman Garrett Nash should be a pest on the basepaths and Jason Ogata has the potential to bring the thunder. The rest of the lineup does have experience, with returnees Jordan Lennerton, who will be asked to carry much of the offensive load, Chris Hopkins, Lonnie Lechelt and Braden Wells filling key spots on the field.

10. Miami Hurricanes
As noted above, I had Miami ranked as my number one team at this time last year. I thought several key youngsters would step up as well as a few integral transfers, but the pieces did not fall in place for Jim Morris’ Hurricanes as much as I thought they would.

Second baseman Jemile Weeks should be fully healthy and he makes the offense go with an exciting combination of speed and pop that should make him the nation’s most dynamic table-setter. Centerfielder Blake Tekotte may get the nod as the team’s leadoff hitter for his patient eye and game changing speed, as Yonder Alonso, Mark Sobolewski and Dennis Raben, one of the nation’s most dangerous three through five trios, will have plenty of opportunities to drive them in. Ryan Jackson’s glove is one of the best at shortstop, as he along with Tekotte, Weeks and talented freshman Yasmani Grandal should give the Hurricanes an incredibly solid defense up the middle.

The questions lie in the pitching staff, although Eric Erickson and Enrique Garcia, who thrived upon being moved from the team’s closer to the weekend rotation, return. A pair of Tommy John surgery survivors, Carlos Gutierrez and Jason Santana, also return and will likely assume significant roles with the ’08 ballclub. Dennis Raben likely will continue to be used as a two-way threat coming out of the bullpen.

Miami hopes that at least one of a pair of talented freshmen southpaws, Chris Hernandez and Adam Severino, will step up as Erickson did a year ago.

Next week I will continue my college spotlight by profiling six teams that just missed this list and six more that everyone should keep an eye on.

The thoughts and opinions listed here do not necessarily reflect those of Perfect Game USA. Patrick Ebert is affiliated with both Perfect Game USA and Brewerfan.net, and can be contacted via email at pebert@brewerfan.net.