AMERICAN ATHLETIC
Trey Yesavage - East Carolina
A consensus All-American in 2023 and preseason All-American in 2024, Yesavage was lights-out in his sophomore season in Greenville. The right-hander owned a 7-1 record with a 2.61 ERA, also striking out 105 batters in 76.0 innings. Yesavage held batters to a .193 batting average against last season, also picking up a save out of the bullpen. The 2024 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List member had a 1.35 ERA in two starts for the red, white, and blue last summer.
CONFERENCE USA
Ryan Johnson - Dallas Baptist
Becoming the Friday night ace midway through the season for Dallas Baptist, Johnson had a standout season in 2023. The Red Oak, Texas, native showed serious swing-and-miss stuff, punching out 116 batters in 87.1 innings of work last season. The honors have continued to roll in for the right-hander, as he was named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List in addition to being tabbed the C-USA Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Johnson made three appearances (two starts) for Team USA in 2023, going 1-1 with a 3.48 ERA.
Nick Wilson - Dallas Baptist
Wilson transferred to Dallas Baptist from Southern, where he posted a 6-2 record with a 3.22 ERA and struck out 101 batters in 86.2 frames in 2023. He was twice named the SWAC Pitcher of the Week during his strong 2023 campaign which earned him a spot on the Collegiate National Team, where he made one appearance for the stars and stripes.
ACC
Seaver King - Wake Forest
King, a Wake Forest transfer after spending two seasons at Wingate, had a strong 2023 campaign at the plate when he compiled a .411 batting average with 90 hits, 11 home runs, 53 RBIs, and a .699 slugging percentage. The 2024 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List member collected First Team All-SAC and NCBWA First Team All-Region honors at third base after putting together a 47-game hitting streak–which was the third-longest streak in Division II baseball history–and led Wingate in 22 different offensive categories. With last year’s Collegiate National Team, the Athens, Georgia, native made nine starts in 10 games and batted .250 with eight hits and five RBIs.
Michael Massey - Wake Forest
Prior to joining the Collegiate National Team last summer, Massey was a part of Wake Forest’s College World Series semifinal run as he turned in a 2.59 ERA and 3-1 record in 41.2 innings pitched on the year. He was named to the 2023 Winston-Salem Regional All-Tournament Team when he tossed one hitless inning against Maryland with three strikeouts, and was tabbed a Preseason All-American by D1 Baseball ahead of the 2024 season. With the stars and stripes, Massey made a combined four appearances in their series with Chinese Taipei and Japan.
Griff O'Ferrall - Virginia
O’Ferrall, who was named a Brooks Wallace Award semifinalist, started all 65 games a shortstop in his sophomore season at Virginia. He collected First Team All-ACC, ABCA First Team All-Region, and ABCA Third Team All-America honors after batting .396 and breaking the program’s single-season records for hits (108) and runs scored (76). The Richmond, Virginia, native played a vital role in his team’s run to the College World Series and Team USA’s 7-3 combined record against Chinese Taipei and Japan as he held a nine-game hit streak and led the team with 19 hits. O’Ferrall was named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Fran Oschell III - Duke
Oschell was named an All-American by three major publications after going 6-0 with a .69 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 22 relief appearances. He finished the season by earning the win in game one of the Charlottesville Super Regional and did not allow a run to score in his final 14 innings of the year. During his stint with the Collegiate National Team, he was credited with the win on June 30 when he tossed 2.1 hitless innings in relief against Chinese Taipei. Heading into the 2024 season, the Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, native was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List and a Preseason All-American by NCBWA and DI Baseball.
Jay Woolfolk - Virginia
Woolfolk led the Cavalier pitching staff in appearances for the second consecutive season with 30 and recorded nine saves with a 2.91 ERA. Thanks to his efforts on the mound, the Chesterfield, Virginia, native was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award Preseason and Midseason Watch Lists. With Team USA last summer, he compiled a 1.93 ERA in four appearances and was credited with the win in the Collegiate National Team’s walk off win over Chinese Taipei on July 4.
BIG 12
Ben Abeldt - TCU
After collecting Big 12 All-Freshman Team and First Team Freshman All-America honors from DI Baseball and Baseball America in 2023, Abeldt earned Preseason Big 12 All-Conference Team recognition ahead of the 2024 season. He played a vital role in TCU’s Big 12 Tournament title by tossing a combined five scoreless innings in two relief appearances, which earned him a spot on the Big 12 All-Tournament Team. He additionally was a key piece of the Horned Frogs’ College World Series run last year as he surrendered just three earned runs in 14 innings during the postseason. With the 2023 Collegiate National Team, the McKinney, Texas, native made four appearances in Team USA’s series against Chinese Taipei and Japan and tallied 11 strikeouts in 6.1 innings of work.
Kaelen Culpepper - Kansas State
Culpepper started 40 games at third base for the Wildcats and batted .325 with eight doubles and 10 home runs. In Big 12 play, the Memphis, Tennessee, native slashed .290/.390/.522 with four doubles, four home runs, and 14 RBIs to earn a spot on the All-Big 12 Honorable Mention Team. During Culpepper’s stint with the 2023 Collegiate National Team, he was one of the top hitters with a team-leading .471/.526/.853 slash line, two triples, and three home runs in nine starts. Ahead of 2024, the infielder was named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List.
Tyson Neighbors - Kansas State
Neighbors had an impressive junior season with K-State, as he was named a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year Award Finalist, picked up All-America recognition from seven major publications, and earned First Team All-Big 12 along with American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) First Team All-Central Region honors. On the bump, he set a school record for the lowest ERA (1.85) and most saves (11) by a sophomore in 25 appearances out of the bullpen. He made four appearances with Team USA last summer and allowed just three hits during his 3.2 innings out of the bullpen. Neighbors is the only reliever on the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List.
Kyle Robinson - Texas Tech
Robinson made five starts and 18 total appearances on the mound during his sophomore season, and earned All-Big 12 Tournament team honors after fanning a career-high eight batters across five shutout innings against Oklahoma State in the semifinals. As a part of the Collegiate National Team last summer, he made two appearances, including one start, in the squad’s series against Chinese Taipei and Japan.
JJ Wetherholt - West Virginia
Wetherholt, who hails from Mars, Pennsylvania, had an impressive sophomore season with the Mountaineers, as he was tabbed the 2023 Big 12 Player of the Year and a unanimous First Team All-American after he led the nation with a .449 batting average. Additionally, he was named a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award and a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy and Bobby Bragan Award. As a member of Team USA last summer, he made seven starts in eight appearances and led the team in RBIs (11) and home runs (3). Wetherholt was named to the 2024 Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List.
BIG TEN
Christian Coppola - Rutgers
Coppola turned in a stellar freshman campaign at Rutgers, collecting Freshman All-America honors from three major publications and becoming the first freshman in program history to be named to the All-Big Ten First Team after leading all Big Ten starting pitchers with a 3.68 ERA in 13 starts. With the Collegiate National Team, Coppola made three appearances out of the bullpen and tossed a combined 3.2 innings.
Omar Melendez - Maryland
A Cayey, Puerto Rico, native, Melendez was at Alabama State in 2023 and finished with a 12-0 record in 16 appearances. He compiled a 2.52 ERA across 93 innings and tossed four complete games out of the 15 he started in to be named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Pitcher of the Year and earn All-America recognition by three major publications. As a part of the Collegiate National Team last summer, Melendez threw an inning on July 2 to help the stars and stripes earn a 10-0 win over Chinese Taipei.
BIG WEST
Matt Ager - UC Santa Barbara
Ager was one of the top pitchers in the Big West Conference last season, ranking second in the league with 92.1 innings pitched and 115 strikeouts in 15 starts to earn a spot on the All-Big West First Team, ABCA All-West Second Team, and NCBWA All-America Third Team. With last year’s Collegiate National Team, he made three appearances in relief and turned in a 3.52 ERA in 7.2 innings pitched. Heading into the 2024 season, Ager was tabbed a Preseason All-American by NCBWA, was named to the All-Big West Preseason Coaches’ Team, and earned a spot on the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List.
Ryan Stafford - Cal Poly
Stafford collected All-Big West Second Team honors in 2023 after batting .313 with a team-leading 20 doubles, seven home runs, and 44 RBIs. He recently was named to the 2024 Big West Preseason Coaches’ Team as he has been recognized as one of the top catchers in the league. During his time with the stars and stripes last summer, he made six starts behind the plate and tallied three hits.
PAC-12
Duce Gourson - UCLA
During his freshman season in which he set the program record for most doubles by a freshman (23), Gourson was a key part of UCLA’s lineup in 2023, batting .319 with 10 home runs and 48 RBIs. The infielder was named to the 2023 Pac-12 All-Conference Team after his sophomore season and again appeared on the 2024 Preseason All-Pac-12 Conference squad. Gourson played in six games for the United States during its 2023 summer slate, picking up a pair of hits and scoring three runs.
Rodney Green Jr. - California
An All-Pac-12 First Team member after a dominant year in 2023, Green Jr. was named a Preseason All-Pac-12 mention ahead of the 2024 season. Green has batted .293 in each of his first two collegiate campaigns, adding power to his repertoire last season to the tune of 14 home runs. Green Jr., who was named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List in 2024, got six starts with the stars and stripes last summer and socked a home run while driving in six runs.
Malcolm Moore - Stanford
After leading Stanford to a Pac-12 title in 2023, Moore was a unanimous Freshman All-American in addition to being named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. This season, the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List member was also named to Baseball America’s Preseason All-America First Team. He batted .311 with 15 homers and 63 RBIs a season ago, and racked up 20 doubles and scored 50 runs. For Team USA, Moore appeared in six games and tallied three hits while serving as one of the team’s two catchers.
SEC
Drew Beam - Tennessee
A Preseason All-SEC First Team member in 2024, Beam will be at the forefront of the Vols’ rotation. The Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List member has put up incredible numbers in his first two seasons of college, owning a 17-5 record with a 3.20 ERA and 150 strikeouts over the past two years. In the red, white, and blue last summer, Beam went 2-0 in two starts, posting a 2.25 ERA and striking out seven in eight innings of work.
Jac Caglianone - Florida
Caglianone took the college baseball world by storm last season, dominating on the mound and at the plate en route to being named a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award. He is expected to continue his strong play in 2024, earning spots on the All-SEC First Team as a first baseman and Second Team as a pitcher in addition to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List. After hitting .323 with 33 longballs and 90 RBIs last spring, Caglianone was a unanimous First Team All-American and was a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy, in addition to being named ABCA National Position Player of the Year. The two-way star appeared in all 10 games for Team USA and belted two homers while scoring four runs.
Charlie Condon - Georgia
Following a season in which he was one of the nation’s best freshmen, Condon earned a spot on the All-SEC Second Team ahead of the 2024 campaign. The Marietta, Georgia, native batted .386 with 25 home runs and 67 RBIs to lead the Bulldogs in all three categories, garnering Freshman of the Year honors from Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America, D1Baseball.com, and the NCBWA. Condon–a Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List member–starred for the U.S. last summer, batting .256 with a team-high three homers and 11 RBIs. He earned the organization’s International Performance of the Year Award for his walk-off single against Chinese Taipei on July 4th.
Luke Holman - LSU
Holman was a frontline starter for Alabama for two seasons before transferring to LSU last spring. The righthander held opponents to a .186 batting average against in 2023, going 7-4 with a 3.67 ERA and striking out 87 batters in 81.0 innings. A member of the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List, Holman shined with the stars and stripes last summer. He went 2-0 with a spotless 0.00 ERA, punching out 15 batters in his eight innings of work.
Carter Holton - Vanderbilt
Holton has made 26 starts over his first two seasons at Vanderbilt, pitching to a 3.51 ERA with 153 strikeouts in 130.2 innings. After earning unanimous Freshman All-America honors following his freshman campaign, Holton was named to the Preseason All-SEC Second Team prior to the 2024 campaign. A two-time member of the Collegiate National Team, Holton helped the U.S. earn a bronze medal at Honkbalweek Haarlem with a 0.00 ERA in two appearances in 2022 before making one start against Chinese Taipei in 2023. He was named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List in 2024.
Jace LaViolette - Texas A&M
LaViolette–a Preseason All-SEC First Team selection–burst onto the scene as a freshman in College Station and put together a strong first season in college baseball. The outfielder blasted 21 home runs while driving in 63 runs, batting .287 with a .414 on-base percentage en route to being named a Freshman All-American by many publications. At the conclusion of his freshman campaign, LaViolette continued swinging a hot bat for Team USA; he played in all ten games in the summer of 2023 and picked up eight hits, including two homers. Ahead of the 2024 campaign, the sophomore was named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List.
Braden Montgomery - Texas A&M
Following two standout years at Stanford, Montgomery now calls College Station home after transferring to Texas A&M last summer. In addition to pitching, Montgomery has been superb at the plate through two collegiate seasons, batting .315 with 35 homers and 118 RBIs in 126 games played. The Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List member was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2022 before being a member of the All-Conference Team in 2023. Picked to the Preseason All-SEC Second Team before the 2024 season, Montgomery hit a pair of homers and tossed a hitless frame for the U.S. last summer.
Christian Moore - Tennessee
Moore was named to the Preseason All-SEC Second Team ahead of the 2024 campaign after he batted .304 with 17 homers and 50 RBIs last season. Moore was the NCAA Clemson Regional MVP in 2023 after batting .700 with four home runs and eight RBIs to help eventually lead the Vols to a College World Series appearance. With Team USA, the Brooklyn native appeared in three games, driving in a run and scoring once. He was named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List in 2024.
Brandon Neely - Florida
One of the nation’s top relievers, Neely was named to the Preseason All-SEC First Team ahead of the 2024 campaign. Neely was a lockdown closer for the Gators on their run to the College World Series in 2023, making a team-high 34 appearances and leading the conference with 13 saves (sixth nationally). He was a First Team All-SEC member and was also a finalist for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award. Neely was equally active and dominant for Team USA last summer by shutting opponents down with a 0.00 ERA in four appearances, striking out eight in 5.1 innings pitched.
Hagen Smith - Arkansas
A Preseason All-SEC First Team member, Smith was a huge part of the Razorbacks’ pitching staff in 2023. The southpaw pitched in a hybrid role, making 11 starts in 18 appearances and posting an 8-2 record with a 3.64 ERA. Smith struck out a whopping 109 batters in 71.2 innings of work to lead Arkansas’ staff. With the stars and stripes last summer, Smith had a 1.59 ERA in a trio of appearances, permitting just one run in 5.2 frames. He was also named to the Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List in 2024.