2026 College World Series Futures

It's finally the week college baseball starts!

I've been twiddling my thumbs waiting for this to start, and we're just about there. Earlier this week, I published my favorite plays for regular season conference winners. As we move on down the board, we're picking my Omaha 8.

"To Make the College World Series" is another new market offered (in its third year). It's a market to determine who will be one of the final eight teams in June. Because it's new, the odds aren't really as good as you would hope. Sportsbooks have made it tricky to find value for this wager. Still there are some teams to highlight before first pitch. Let's take a look at my Omaha-bound squads. 

All odds via DraftKings. Check out the DraftKings college baseball offering this season and cash in on the DraftKings promo code for a Bet $5, Get $150 in Bonus Bets offer.

2026 College World Series Picks

Texas Longhorns +175

Some of these teams you already have seen a preview on. Texas is one of them. I'm loving the Longhorns in 2026 as a legitimate College Baseball World Series contender. Despite some key departures after 2025, HC Jim Schlossnagle went to work in the transfer portal nabbing some big time bats. 

Although the Horns had a talented lineup in '25, it definitely did not live up to their projected productivity, averaging 7.0 runs per game, which was 111th in the nation. This season features several bona fide studs joining the program. Last season, C Carson Tinney hit .348 with 17 bops and a 1.251 OPS at Notre Dame, while OF Aiden Robbins smashed a .422 average with six homers and a 1.189 OPS at Seton Hall. They added others who are expected to be solid contributors like Temo Beccera (Stanford), Josh Livingston (Wichita), and Dariyan Pendergrass (Charleston) to name a few.

The real prize last year was the pitching, ranking as one of the most dominant in the country. Despite losing ace Jared Spencer, it's a staff that is ready to be among the nation's elite once again. Ruger Riojas (3.76 SIERA) and Luke Harrison (3.06 ERA) remain as starting pitchers, but the big X-Factor is going to be star closer-turned-starter Dylan Volantis. Volantis is a freakish 6'7" lefty with a steady heart rate and insane combination of breaking/off-speed stuff. The heater was low-90's last year, but should tick up this season. If he makes a smooth transition to the weekend rotation, Texas is going to be VERY DIFFICULT to beat.

Of course the bullpen is stacked again too. Overall, it's one of the most balanced and deepest rosters in the NCAA, along with top-tier coaching. I think Texas is ready to perform a little better in the postseason after last year's premature exit. 

The Horns are one of my favorite teams to win it all.

Oregon State Beavers +400

Oregon State was one of the main teams in my 2024 betting portfolio, of course letting me down. Last year, I wasn't in on them and made several enemies because of it. I'm back in on the Beavers in 2026. There are currently serious questions on the effectiveness of their lineup after losing pretty much all of their firepower. SS Aiva Arquette, OF Gavin Turley, C Wilson Webber, and 3B Trent Caraway are out. They had to replace a lot of the production through the portal.

The only productive returning starters are Jacob Krieg (14 homers), AJ Singer (.312 avg, .802 OPS, and Easton Talt (.893 OPS, 8 HR). Newcomers like Cooper Vance (.316 avg, .908 OPS, 6 HR) from Eastern Michigan, Tyler Inge from Michigan), Nyan Hayes (10 HR, .910 OPS) from Grambling State, and Eli Gries-Smith (.325 average .862 OPS) from UAPB have to play a big part. Surely the offense will be ironed out to be good enough.

The pitching was a menace last year, and I'm expecting the same thing again. Superstar sophomore Dax Whitney will be the cream of the crop in the 2027 class as one of the first arms off the board. Very comparable to Dylan Cease, Whitney has excellent swing-and-miss stuff behind his high-90's heater and sharp breakers. After a stellar freshman campaign (120 K/37 BB, 2.22 SIERA, 76.2 IP), he'll need to continue developing and delivering for this ORST squad as the Friday night guy. Another stud returner is Ethan Kleinschmit, coming off a 2.82 SIERA, 113 K/36 BB, 91 IP season. These two form one of the top 1-2 punches in the sport. Rounding out the staff is Eric Segura (.349 SIERA, 78 K/38 BB in 58.1 IP).

The bullpen brough a lot of transfers in, while also returning key arm Wyatt Queen (47.2 IP, 2.73 SIERA, 61 K/19 BB). Ultimately, there are at least two reasons why the Beavers will be a contender again. First: the pitching is obviously great again. Second: they don't play in a conference, so they have an absolute layup of a schedule. After a 48-win season, they should be able to tally 40+ wins in 2026.

Assuming this team gets a national hosting spot again, the regional is likely going to be favorable thanks to being a West Coast team. That leaves having to win the supers to get in and cash the bet. If the offense is even solid, there's a great chance that happens.

At 4/1, this is certainly one of the better bets to take. 

UCLA Bruins +175

Like Texas, you've probably seen an extensive look at UCLA. The roster is loaded and they play in an easy conference. Like Oregon State, the schedule is a virtual gimmie and clear path to 40 or more wins. 

Superstar SS Roch Cholowsky anchors the whole thing. The likely 1.1 pick this summer has a lot of support in this offense with guys like Roman Martin, Mulivai Levu, Will Gasparino and company. But the pithing has some nice talent and depth with Michael Barnett, Landon Stump, and Wylan Moss. But the big X-Factor is the rookie rocket, Angel Cervantes with his 95 MPH heater and 60-grade change piece at just 18 years old.

I've gone into further depth on this team in my preseason articles, but considering all of the above, it would be somewhat surprising to see the preseason No.1 team not make Omaha again. 

+175 seems like a bargain, but don't forget you can also get them at +120 to win the Big 10.

Georgia Bulldogs +165

I haven't touched a lot on Georgia yet. This program was the talk of the off-season because they ransacked the portal. To be honest, it's probably the reason why they are one of the top favorites. Despite the talent this school has pumped out over the years, they haven't made Omaha since 2008. Head Coach Wes Johnson is standing on business as he tries to change this narrative, grabbing over a dozen transfers for this season, with most of them figuring to be key contributors.

The offense hasn't been the problem in recent years, as it figures to once again be a wrecking ball. It's be the pitching staff that has held this team back. Johnson, the man responsible for giving the world this version of Paul Skenes, hopes his program will feature some serious arms. First off, he grabbed the Friday and Saturday guys from Stanford in Joey Volchko and Matt Scott. He also secured strike-throwing assassin Caden Aoki from USC, Michigan's ace Dylan Vigue, and Seattle's TWP Kenny Ishikawa. 

Outside of Aoki (90 K/14 BB in 97 IP) and Ishikawa (73 K/22 BB in 66.1 IP), he didn't get much in the way of proven strike-throwers. All of these dudes are power arms with shutdown stuff, but harnessing that power is one of the big ifs. The guy that has to take that step is projected first-rounder, Joey Volchko who is pushing triple-digits with wipeout secondaries. If Wes Johnson can find that formula for his staff, we could be looking at one of the elite teams this season. 

On the offensive side, I could literally highlight the entire lineup. But in terms of returning talent, Tre Phelps (.318 avg, 10 HR) and Kolby Branch (.303 avg, 13 HR) are the big dogs. Like the pitching staff, if at least a few of these transfers can pickup where they left off last year, we could see that UGA offense recapture that 2024 magic when Charlie Condon put the country on notice. There's a ton of newcomers, but the one I'm most excited for is 1B Bryce Calloway from New Orleans, where he smashed 18 Jacks, a 1.206 OPS and .390 average.

It's a lot of moving parts, but I really like UGA this season. I believe Johnson figures out the winning formula.

LSU Tigers +105

LSU was one of my main three teams preseason 2025. A huge reason why I love HC Jay Johnson is even though he just won his second title in three years, he goes right back to work in the portal. The Tigers lost a lot of firepower, but Johnson got some notable names to keep the dynasty rolling. 

Though potential top-10 pick Derek Curiel returns, along with Steven "Monster" Milam, LSU brought in Zach Yorke from GCU (13 HR, 1.079 OPS, .339 avg), Trent Caraway from Oregon State (12 HR), Seth Dardar from K-State (.326 avg, 1.026 OPS, and 13 HR), and Brayden Simpson from High Point (.389 avg, 1.250 OPS, 22 HR) to round out what should be another great lineup.

It's true the elite and disgusting 1-2 punch of Kade Anderson and Anthony Eyanson moved onto bigger and better in the MLB, but there's still reason to believe the staff can be great again. Casan Evans was a huge weapon down the stretch for '25's title run, so he will slot in as the Friday guy this year. Of course there is a big difference between the hybrid role/Sunday starter and becoming the Friday night guy in the SEC. 

The tremendously talented William Schmidt needs to take the jump, which I think he does. Cooper Moore was a nice pick up from Kansas (3.11 SIERA, 85 K/19 BB, 88.2 IP). The pen will also be strong again with Zac Cowan (2.61 SIERA, 60 K/12 BB, 52 IP) heading again. The big news is star closer, Gavin Guidry, returns after missing all of 2025. He was a huge piece in that 2023 title run, but his 2024 got cut short after a great start (2.59 ERA, 36 K in 24.1 IP).

It's extremely difficult making it back to Omaha after winning it all, but it's harder betting against Jay Johnson. There's a lot of turnover and new faces that have to step up and shine, but I like what the Tigers have.

Arkansas Razorbacks +140

Same thing as Oregon State. In 2024, my portfolio centered around Arkansas and of course they let me down. Bet against them last year and they fell short. But I'm back in on them for 2026. After a 50-win campaign, Arkansas is ready to have another big season.

Like a lot of top teams - and SEC schools - from the year before, Arkansas lost top-tier production and talent. Wehiwa Aloy, Charles Davalan, and Gage Woods are only three of dozen or so impact players they lost. That means new guys have to step up. 

The offense will rely on returning stars like C Ryder Helfrick (15 HR, 1.036 OPS, .305 avg), 2B Cam Kozeal (15 HR, .333 avg, .992 OPS), and OF Kuhio Aloy (13 HR, .943 OPS, .317 avg) to fill the void. New faces like Texas Tech's TJ Pompey (.348 avg, 1.021 OPS), Marshall's Maika Niu (15 HR, .903 OPS), and Lamar's Damian Ruiz (.388 avg, 1.119 OPS, 7 HR) will have to be impact players as they were previously. A couple of big freshman like SS Carson Brumbaugh (Perfect Game's #31 SS) and OF Christian Turner (Perfect Game's #76 OF) need to play some sort of contributing role too. 

I'm not worried about the offense though I doubt it's as good as last year's. And the thing to definitely not worry about in a Dan Van Horn program is the pitching. Projected first round Flame-thrower Gabe Gaeckle couldn't successfully make the jump from 2024 to 2025 as a Friday guy - at least once SEC play started. The Hogs need that to change this year. The Gack is the most experienced starter on the team and will be a huge weapon when he clicks. 

After Gaeckle, there's a lot of talent, though most of it isn't proven in a season long weekend capacity. With an array of Southpaws in Cole Gibler, Colin Fisher, and x-factor Hunter Dietz, the rest of the rotation is being ironed out, but there's no question the typical surplus of talent the Razorbacks have.

Combine that with DVH's managing skills, Arkansas is a good bet to return to Omaha in '26.

Florida Gators +450

I stepped away from the Florida Gators after the 2023 season as a futures bettor, but I'm back. Despite a ton of turmoil in 2025, they made a regional and lost to the eventual runner-up in Costal Carolina. The team has a lot of changes and new faces, but it should be back to that Omaha contender.

The pitching features maybe the best 1-2 punch in the nation with Liam Peterson and Aidan King, a couple of likely first-rounders across the next two drafts. They brought in some studs from the portal in Hawaii's Cooper Walls and UCF's Russell Sandefer, both of whom will play a huge factor. Along with a strong pen, we should see the Gators be a top staff in the nation again. 

The offense is different, but I like what they could be. After a lot of key injuries last year, they return a healthy Cade Kurland and Kyle Jones (2024 ASUN Freshman of the Year at Stetson). The big X-Factor is Ole Miss transfer Ethan Surowiec with MAMMOTH pop. Of course, we can't sleep on 3B Brendan Lawson (.317 avg, 10 HR), another possible first-round in 2027. That's just naming a few of the boppers, but UF has a handful of players I didn't even mention that should play a big part in a big year.

UF at +450 is a big number, but I really believe they have the chance to win it all this year. Without question, this is the most slept on team of the preseason. 

Mississippi State Bulldogs +260

I know this a trend at this point, but Mississippi State was actually one of my biggest tickets (along with FSU) in the 2024 season. They let me down, I was out on them in 2025, but now I'm back in for 2026. 

The Dawgs brought in long-time UVA skipper, the accomplished Brian O'Connor. A coach that won a title in 2015 after losing the year before, BOC has turned out some of the best lineups we've seen in recent memory. We're projecting this Dawgs lineup will have some serious firepower. That of course, all starts with potential first-rounder, Ace Reese. If you read my Golden Spikes article, you saw I circled his name. After a sick first season in the SEC (21 HR, .353 avg), Reese should have a monster season in his draft year. DH/TWP Noah Sullivan also needs to continue his raking from a season ago (.345 avg, 15 HR).

Along with Reese are several high-leverage transfers like Seton Hall's Kevin Milewski (.303 avg, 16 HR), Ball State's Blake Bevis (18 HR, .301 avg), Bryan'ts Drew Wyers (.407 avg, 1.231 OPS, 11 HR), and UVA's Aidan Teel (.317 avg, 7 HR) to name a few. I expect big things from this bunch. 

The pitching has been a pain-point for BOC at UVA in recent years. Aside from handing us Connelly Early - who was an ATM to bet on - it's been a little rough. The Daws have some new faces in the mix like UVA Tomas Valincius (2.97 SIERA), South Carolina's Tyler Pitzer (4.98 SIERA), JMU's Jackson Logar (3.53 ERA). And of course, the biggest X-factor is freshman lefty Jack Bauer and his 103 MPH fastball. It's a lot of moving parts on the mound with only a couple main stays returning from last year in Ryan McPherson (2.36 SIERA, 56 K/15 BB) and Ben Davis (3.44 SIERA). Not one full-time weekend piece is returning from last year, as ace Pico Kohn hit the bricks. IF MSU can get this ironed out, they should be a threat in 2026. 

I wouldn't be surprised to see it take some time, but I do expect for them to get there at some point. One can only hope it's anything close to the '24 staff when Khal Stephen and my boy Jurrangelo Cijntje were running point, but we will see.

+260 for this group is solid.

2026 College World Series Sleepers

I didn't pick these teams above, but don't forget about them:

• Georgia Tech
• Florida State 
• Auburn
• Kentucky
• TCU
• North Carolina

Don't forget to follow me all season long on my Breaking Bet podcast and Discord for picks and breakdowns.