College Baseball Preview Week heads east today, as we move on from the Pac-10 to the Big 12. We will be sure to catch you up on the Big West later, but in 2006, it only seems natural to segue from USC to Texas. Sorry, Rich.

Howdy, my name is Ryan and I been running a website called Texas A&M & Baseball In No Particular Order for about 3 years now. I won't bore you with my life story so I'll catch you up to speed really quickly....I love Aggie baseball and Bryan and Rich have kindly invited me to say a few words about the Big XII and the fast approaching season.

One last thing before I get into it....keep supporting collegiate baseball. It's a great thing and I'd love to see it continue to grow, so get out to the ballparks near you and watch it on TV (you can even play the video game now). Bryan & Rich do a great job keeping the college game on their minds and in their writing and I tip my cap to them for that.

In the words of my boy, Pat Green, "Here we go"....

Texas

2005 Season: 58-15; National Champions (def. Florida)

Preseason Rankings: #1 Baseball America, #1 Collegiate Baseball, #1 NCBWA

Preseason All-Americans: Adrian Aleniz-SP (CB-2, NCBWA-1), Jordan Danks-OF (BA-3) Kenn Kasparek-SP (CB-3), Kyle McCulloch-SP (BA-2, CB-1, NCBWA-1), Drew Stubbs-OF (BA-1, CB-1, NCBWA-1)

Coming off of their second National Championship in 4 years, Texas is only losing 3 arms from a pitching staff that was one of the elite in the nation last season. They're returning a weekend rotation of Kyle McCulloch (138.2 IP, 2.92 ERA, .267 BAA, 99 SO, 45 BB), Adrian Alaniz (108.0/2.67/.235/94/32), & Kenn Kasparek (73.0/2.10/.214/46/31) which is just scary. They only had 3 pitchers with ERAs over 3.00 and two of them aren't returning. As an Aggie, it hurts me to type that out.

Offensively, they're only returning 6 of 14 players with >10 ABs from last season but this wasn't a team that relied on hitting the tar out of the ball. They're also bringing in OFer Jordan Danks who is one of 9 true freshmen to be named to Baseball America's Preseason All-American team since 1983 (which was 3 years before Danks was even born).

Drew Stubbs is getting the most preseason hype but he got the same thing last preseason. He really reminds me of Vince Young heading into this past football season ... a freak of an athlete with a huge upside who has had a couple pretty good seasons but has yet to put it all together and earn his All-American hype. Head coach Augie Garrido has it right when he says that Stubbs is the best athlete he's ever coached but won't say he's the best baseball player he's ever coached. Stubbs hit .301/.372/.474 as a freshman & .311/.384/.527 as a sophomore with 8 & 11 HRs, respectively, in his career. Like I said, good but not Golden Spikes good.

One thing that always impresses me is that Texas has no problem scheduling strong opponents in non-conference play. They start the season in the Astros College Classic with games against Rice & Tulane. They have 3 game series with both Stanford and Long Beach State plus 2 more weeknight games with Rice and a single game against Arizona State.

After coming away with two rings on three consecutive trips to the championship game Garrido continues to build his legacy as one of the greatest collegiate baseball coaches ever. Looking into the future it doesn't appear things will drop off too terribly much. The horns continue to restock with talent and win with great fundamentals and great coaching.

Nebraska

2005 Season: 57-15 (19-8; T-1st), Big XII Tournament Champions, CWS Appearance

Preseason Rankings: n/a Baseball America, #4 Collegiate Baseball, #5 NCBWA

Preseason All-Americans: Joba Chamberlain-SP (BA-2, CB-1, NCBWA-2), Johnny Dorn-SP (CB-2, NCBWA-2), Brett Jensen-RP (CB-1, NCBWA-2)

I can't believe that Baseball America doesn't have Nebraska in their Top 25. The Huskers are going to field a good ball club even after losing the 3/4 of their infield in Alex Gordon (2005 Golden Spikes winner), Joe Simokitis, & Curtis Ledbedder as well as OFer Daniel Bruce (OF). Those 4 made up all of Nebraska's offensive 1st or 2nd team All-Conference players. They do return 2Bman, Ryan Wehrle (.275/.377/.329), who was named All-Big XII Honorable Mention last season as a freshman.

Their pitching staff was phenomenal in 2005 and they're returning 9 of their 11 pitchers with 10+ IP led by their All-Americans Joba Chamberlain (118.2 IP, 2.81 ERA, .218 BAA, 130 SO, 33 BB), Johnny Dorn (104.0/2.16/.199/75/21) & Brett Jensen (46.0/1.96/.207/46/9). Of the 9, only two had an ERA over 3.00 and only one was higher than 3.35. That's sickening.

In the end, pitching takes you to the postseason and this team certainly has that. On a side note, it will be interesting to keep an eye on their pitching staff after losing pitching coach Rob Childress who took over the head coach job for my Texas A&M Aggies.

Baylor

2005 Season: 46-24 (19-8; T-1st), CWS Appearance

Preseason Rankings: n/a Baseball America, #23 Collegiate Baseball, n/a NCBWA

Preseason All-Americans: n/a

Even coming off of an exciting College World Series season I would be surprised to see Baylor make it through the Regionals in 2006. The Bears lost 2 of their top 3 hitters (Michael Griffin & Josh Ford) from a lineup that was, to put it quite simply, bad. The Bears hit .269/.341/.398 as a team in 2005. They do return All-Big XII DH, Zach Dillon (.304/.379/.417), who will probably suit up behind the plate fulltime now that Ford is gone.

In 2005 the Bears got by on their good pitching, even more than Texas did, but only Cory VanAllen (107.1 IP, 4.02 ERA, .286 BAA, 68 SO, 38 BB) will return to their starting rotation along with relievers Ryan LaMotta (79.2/.221/27/23), & Jeff Mandel (66.0/1.91/.221/27/23). But man, they lost so much pitching ... 49% of the team's innings will not return including the staff's 3rd, 4th, 5th, & 6th lowest ERAs, respectively (only relievers LaMotta & Mandel were better).

Missouri

2005 Season: 40-23 (16-11; 4th), Regional Appearance

Preseason Rankings: #10 Baseball America, #14 Collegiate Baseball, #16 NCBWA

Preseason All-Americans: Max Scherzer-SP (BA-1, CB-1, NCBWA-1), Hunter Mense-OF (BA-3, NCBWA-2)

It was unfortunate that Mizzou had to travel to Cal-State Fullerton for Regionals in '05 because they had a pretty good little team last year. The Tigers are returning All-American Max Scherzer (106.1 IP, 1.86 ERA, .163 BAA, 131 SO, 41 BB) as their Friday starter as well as 3 other 1st or 2nd team All-Conference players -- OF-Hunter Mense (.327/.440/.473), SP-Nathan Culp (92.2/3.50/.287/63/31), & RP-Taylor Parker (50.0/2.88/.193/42/23).

On the offensive side of the ball, they're returning 10 of their 13 offensive players with 50 or more ABs but did lose their hands-down top offensive player, James Boone, who led the team in BA, RBIs, OBP, SLG, & SB. While the Tigers return Scherzer, Culp and Parker they only return two other arms from their 13 pitchers from last season. Regardless, starting pitching is king in college baseball and Scherzer/Culp should carry them through conference play and into the postseason. If another arm or two step forward this could be another great season for Tiger fans.

Oklahoma

2005 Season: 35-26 (14-13; 5th), Regional Appearance

Preseason Rankings: n/a Baseball America, #29 Collegiate Baseball, #28 NCBWA

Preseason All-Americans: n/a

New head coach, Sunny Golloway, emerges as one of two new head coaches in the Big XII this season. Golloway was promoted from within after a messy "resignation" from head coach Larry Cochell and a confusing soap opera with Wichita State's longtime head man, Gene Stephenson (funny). Golloway takes over an incredibly experienced roster as the Sooners are returning 10 of their 13 players who had 20+ ABs and 7 of their 9 pitchers who threw more than 10 innings in 2005.

Their top returning offensive players are 3Bman, Ryan Rohlinger (.345/.449/.563) who led last year's squad with 11 HRs & 53 RBIs and Freshman All-American OFer, Kody Kaiser (.305/.376/.520) who was the only other Sooner to reach double digit HR numbers with 10 ... the next closest was 6.

Out on the bump they do return a very sizable portion of their pitching staff but it isn't a great staff. Of the 7 returning arms mentioned the lowest ERA of the bunch came from Will Savage (97.1 IP, 3.98 ERA, .292 BAA, 53 SO, 19 BB), who threw mostly out of the bullpen. Their most experienced starters are Brad Burns (66.0/4.50/.288/48/37) & Steven Guerra (85.2/5.91/.298/53/24).

Texas A&M

2005 Season: 30-25-1 (9-18; 5th)

Preseason Rankings: n/a Baseball America, n/a Collegiate Baseball, n/a NCBWA

Preseason All-Americans: n/a

Finally, I am including my Aggies. Coming off of a Super Regional performance in 2004 the Ags suffered through a disapointing season in 2005 and are looking for a big improvement with new head coach Rob Childress. Childress was snatched up from Nebraska where he was the recruiting coordinator and the pitching coach. His arrival in Aggieland, quite simply, makes me giddy as I think about our future. Why shouldn't it? As the recruiting coordinator he brought the Huskers 4 of the last 5 Big XII Players of the Year in addition to 6 Freshmen All-American pitchers over the last 7 seasons.

Unlike OU, our coaching change resulted in a slight bit of attrition but I think we gained more than we lost. Childress will be picking up an offense that at .274/.347/.380 was almost as poor as Baylor's. Add to that the loss of our top two bats (including Cliff Pennington) and you get the feeling that the offense won't be the strong suit of this squad. However, we return 1B/DH Ryan Hill (.317/.386/.399) and catcher Craig Stinson (from a medical redshirt) and have brought in 4 D-I transfers to combine with a group of youngster who were wetting their feet last season. I think things will turn out better than many will expect.

The pitching staff, which has a good mix of experience and youth, should be solid. We return junior Jason Meyer (77.0 IP, 3.04 ERA, .230 BAA, 49 SO, 41 BB) and sophomore Chance Corgan (58.2/4.45/.251/50/28) to our weekend rotation as well as a bullpen led by super-soph (and defensive back for Coach Fran) Jordan Chambless (32.0/2.25/.209/42/19), junior Kyle Nicholson (40.1/3.35/.253/31/8), & junior Austin Creps (40.0/4.28/.263/28/14). Creps, who was a Summer All-American this past summer, will probably get the first look at the third starting spot. Also, keep an eye out for freshman righty Kyle Thebeau.

Looking at the schedule we have games against 4 of the top 5 ranked preseason teams including a huge non-conference trip to Gainesville to take on the Gators in a 3 game set. We also have single non-conference games against Notre Dame & Rice.

I'm really anxious to see what immediate impact Childress will have on the pitching staff. Overall, I would conservatively say that this is a team that should finish in the middle of the pack and should be even fun to watch in 2007 & 2008.

You can read more about the Ags at my website next week as I start my annual week long Aggie Baseball Preview in preparation for the season opener.

The Rest of the League

Oklahoma State (34-25; 12-15; 6th) finished last season amidst a downward spiral losing 11 of their last 17 games. They bring back a good portion of their offense which is lead by NCBWA 3rd Team All-American, Adam Carr (.336/.377/.702), and OFers Ty Wright (.342/.430/.510) & Corey Brown (.360/.496/.691). I should point out that Wright & Carr both hit ~65-70 points below their overall season batting averages in conference play (and that Carr hit only 5 of his 22 HRs against Big XII opponents). Brown hit 30 points higher. On the mound they lost their top two starters and bring back Brett McDonald (17.0/1.59/.169/12/7) as their best returning arm.

Barring the arrival of some incredible transfers or freshmen, Texas Tech (34-25; 9-16; 8th) fans need to prepare for a long season in Lubbock. The Red Raiders lost a ton of players on both sides of the ball. They return 6 offensive players who accounted for less than 40% of last season's at bats and only two of those 6 hit over .300, Joseph Callender (.362/.410/.439) & Matt Smith (.321/.473/.429). On the mound they return 5 pitchers whose collective 2005 ERA was 5.87 and only two of those five had individual sub-5.00 ERAs (and none were below 4.00).

Kansas State (30-25; 8-19; 10th) is returning a bunch of guys but according to head coach, Brad Hill, will be filling holes at SS and OF with 3-4 freshmen. They do return 2/3 of their weekend rotation in Adam Cowart (100.2/3.93/.267/70/15) & Chase Mitchell (87.0/4.45/.264/61/32). In addition to those two, and in paying homage to The Three Amigos, they have a plethora of bullpen guys coming back. The plethora really isn't as bad as I thought they'd be as they posted a 3.91 ERA in 165.1 IP last season.

Big thanks go out to Ryan for this fantastic preview. As with all our Designated Hitters, we urge you to support Ryan by reading his site, Texas A&M & Baseball In No Particular Order. You won't be disappointed.

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When it comes to baseball, the Pacific-10 Conference is really a misnomer. The University of Oregon dropped baseball 25 years ago. Accordingly, for the purposes of baseball, the conference is really the Pac-9.

Baseball was Oregon's oldest athletic program (dating back to 1877), but it was eliminated from the school's athletic program in 1981 because of budget reductions in the aftermath of Title IX. Although it took awhile for Oregon State to pick up the slack, the Beavers made the state proud last year by winning the conference, hosting a Regional and Super Regional, and earning one of the eight spots in the College World Series.

OSU was joined in postseason play by fellow CWS participant Arizona State, Arizona, Stanford, and USC--making it the second straight year and fourth time overall that five Pacific-10 teams made the NCAA Tournament. The Pac-10 has produced a World Series participant each year since 1996 and has made it to Omaha 24 times overall since Arizona and Arizona State joined the league in 1979.

The 24-game conference schedule begins March 17. The winner and as many as five other schools could earn a postseason bid this year.

The teams are presented in the projected order of finish in the Pac-10 preseason poll among coaches.

1. Oregon State

2005: 46-12 | College World Series | 7th in final poll | 9th RPI
Coach: Pat Casey (341-234-4, 11 years)
Preseason Rankings: (8th by Baseball America, 3rd Collegiate Baseball and NCBWA)

A "feel good" story last year, Oregon State now has to live up to the huge expectations placed upon the program. Picked by the coaches to finish eighth in the league before the year began, the Beavers surprised everyone by winning the conference with a school-record 46 wins and advancing to the College World Series for the first time since 1952.

Led by one of the best pitching staffs in the country, OSU was selected by seven of the nine coaches to capture the Pac-10 title this year. The team's three starting pitchers--Dallas Buck (12-1, 2.09 ERA with a .194 BAA), Jonah Nickerson (9-2, 2.13 with a nearly 4:1 K/BB ratio), and Anton Maxwell (11-1, 4.33)--return for their junior years. Ace reliever Kevin Gunderson (6-4, 14 saves, 2.76)--all 5-foot-8, 155 pounds of him--is back as well.

Buck wasn't as sharp in the Cape Cod League as he was the summer before but is still expected to be no worse than a mid-first round selection in the June draft. Nickerson and Gunderson, meanwhile, pitched for Team USA last summer.

Whether Buck, Nickerson, and Maxwell can combine to go 32-4 again will be largely determined by how well the offense performs this year. Senior Tyler Graham (.307 with 0 HR and 21 SB), a speedster who was drafted in the 15th round by the Chicago Cubs, takes over for first-round draft pick Jacoby Ellsbury in CF and at the top of the lineup. Sophomore shortstop and Pac-10 Freshman of the Year Darwin Barney (.301, 2 HR, 44 RBI), sophomore catcher Mitch Canham (.325 with a team-leading 8 HR), and senior third baseman Shea McFeely (.319, 5 HR) will be asked to generate power in the middle of the order.

Put it all together and the Beavers are not only the favorite to win the Pac-10 title but are a legitimate contender for the national championship.

2. USC

2005: 41-22 | Super Regional | 17th in final poll | 11th RPI
Coach: Mike Gillespie (738-438-2, 19 years)
Preseason Rankings: (17th by Baseball America, 21st Collegiate Baseball, and 25th NCBWA)

USC missed the College World Series last year by one game, falling in the rubber match to conference rival Oregon State in the Super Regionals at Corvallis. Coach Mike Gillespie, one of only two men (along with Arizona's Jerry Kindall) to both play for and coach an NCAA championship baseball team, loses Jeff Clement, the third overall pick in last year's draft, but returns junior right-hander Ian Kennedy, possibly the top hurler in the country.

Kennedy (12-3, 2.54 ERA, 12.2 K/9), who led the nation in strikeouts with 158, is a consensus first-team All-American. He was named Pac-10 Conference Pitcher of the Year and has pitched for Team USA with success in back-to-back summers, including last year when he allowed just 11 hits in 28 innings while striking out 35. Look for the 6-foot, 195-pound starter, possessor of a low-90s fastball and outstanding command of four pitches, to go in the top five next June unless Ian's advisor and agent-to-be Scott Boras scares off potential suitors.

In addition to Kennedy, the Trojans have seven starting position players, as well as junior closer Paul Koss (4-1, 14 saves, 2.81 ERA), back in the fold. The offense will be spearheaded by sophomore third baseman Matt Cusick (.311, 4 HR), junior outfielder Cyle Hankerd (.298, 1 HR), and senior second baseman Blake Sharpe (.297, 5 HR). Hankerd was selected the number one prospect in the New England Collegiate League last summer, falling two RBI short of the Triple Crown (.383, 9, 36). He also hit a home run in the All-Star game, two more vs. Team USA in an exhibition game, and slugged a couple in a two-game sweep in the finals.

T3. Stanford

2005: 34-25 | Regional | 38th in RPI
Coach: Mark Marquess (1224-590-5, 29 years)
Preseason Rankings: (25th by Collegiate Baseball and 29th NCBWA)

Stanford, which failed to earn a Top 25 ranking by Baseball America for the first time since 1981, is coming off its poorest conference record (12-12) since 1993. The Cardinal could find the going tough this year, trying to replace a couple of first rounders (John Mayberry Jr. and Jed Lowrie) and its two best starting pitchers.

Three-time NCAA Coach of the Year Mark Marquess, however, is not without talent. Seven starters return on offense. Sophomore outfielder Michael Taylor (.289, 4 HR), selected the top prospect in the Alaska League last summer, is an emerging star. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound behemoth has the offensive and defensive tools, including surprising speed, to become one of the top picks in the 2007 draft.

Seniors John Hester (.282, 5 HR), picked by Baseball America to be the catcher on the All-Conference team, and Chris Minaker (.291, 3 HR), a slick-fielding shortstop, add experience and leadership, while junior third baseman Adam Sorgi (.322, 5 HR) provides another potent bat. Junior right-hander Greg Reynolds (2-3, 5.08 ERA) has the most potential among the pitchers and is expected to become the team's "Friday Night" starter. At 6-foot-7, 230 pounds, Reynolds has the size and the stuff (90-95 mph fastball and hard curve) to be considered as a first round draft choice if he can improve his command and throw more strikes than he has in the past.

T3. Arizona State

2005: 42-25 | College World Series | 6th in final poll | 13th RPI
Coach: Pat Murphy (443-221-2, 11 years)
Preseason Rankings: (16th by Baseball America, 12th Collegiate Baseball, and 10th NCBWA)

Arizona State begins the year ranked in Baseball America's Top 25 for the 20th consecutive season, the longest streak in the country. The Sun Devils surprised host Cal State Fullerton in the Super Regionals last year, reaching the College World Series for the 19th time in school history.

After losing six starters, Coach Pat Murphy reloads with 20 letter winners plus the second-ranked recruiting class in the nation. The influx of talent includes five recruits who were drafted last year, yet opted to attend school in hopes of winning a sixth national championship during their stay at ASU.

Newcomers Preston Paramore (NYM, 22nd round), Brett Wallace (TOR, 42nd), and two-way player Ike Davis (TB, 19th) are expected to replace the departing Tuffy Gosewich, Jeff Larish (fourth in the country with 23 HR), and first round draftee Travis Buck at catcher, first base, and DH/OF, respectively. Freshman shortstop Matt Hall (LAA, 8th) is also slated to fill in for Andrew Romine, who will redshirt this year after doctors found a blood clot in his chest.

Junior outfielder Colin Curtis (.342, 2 HR, 17 SB), a first-team preseason All-American, will lead the offense, while junior right-handers Pat Bresnehan (5-4, 5.60 ERA) and Zechry Zinicola (4-4, 5.48) plus senior Brett Bordes (5-7, 4.24) will provide mound experience for the Sun Devils.

T5. Arizona

2005: 39-21 | Regional | 12th in final poll | 30th RPI
Coach: Andy Lopez (141-95-1, 4 years at U of A)
Preseason Rankings: (31st by Collegiate Baseball)

Arizona lost more talent than any team in the conference. Four players were drafted in the first five rounds last June, including first rounder Trevor Crowe, the co-Pac-10 Player of the Year. All three weekend starters will need to be replaced as well.

Coach Andy Lopez, who guided Pepperdine to a national championship in 1992 and has twice been been named National Coach of the Year, will have just three regulars back from last year's squad. Fortunately, both middle infielders return. Shortstop Jason Donald (.288, 5 HR), a second-team preseason All-American, and second baseman Brad Boyer (.285, 3 HR) form the best double-play combo in the conference.

Team USA closer Mark Melancon (4-3, 11 saves, 2.58 ERA), a junior RHP, becomes the number one starting pitcher this year and sophomore left-handers Eric Berger (6-2, 3.84) and David Coulon (3-3, 5.50), coming off strong summers in the Cape, fill out the weekend rotation.

T5. California (34-23)

A team that should have made the field of 64 last year returns seven regulars, headed by three All-Americans--outfielders Brennan Boesch and Chris Errecart plus right-hander Brandon Morrow. Boesch (.355, 7 HR), Errecart (.298, 8 HR), and Morrow (0-1, 9.36 ERA) are all potential number one draft choices in June.

Morrow is much more of a project. The 6-foot-3 junior can hit the upper 90s on the radar gun but has battled control problems in limited duty as a Golden Bear. Coming off a big summer in the Cape, Morrow has the ability to be "one of the most dominant pitchers in the country," Coach David Esquer told Baseball America.

7. Washington (33-22)

Tim Lincecum (8-6, 3.11 ERA with 131 Ks in 104 IP) is the story here. A draft-eligible sophomore last year, Lincecum wasn't taken until the 42nd round by the Cleveland Indians because he reportedly was looking for a seven-figure contract. He went to the Cape and led the league with a 0.69 ERA while striking out more than half the hitters (69 of 134) he faced. Lincecum has a major league-quality fastball and curveball but his 6-foot, 160-pound frame may prevent him from ever being drafted as high as his stats might otherwise suggest.

8. UCLA (15-41)

Eight regulars, including the top six hitters in the lineup, return for a UCLA team that went 4-20 in conference action last year. The Bruins have three junior pitchers--starters Hector Ambriz (3-7, 3.94 ERA) and David Huff, a UC Irvine transfer via Cypress JC, and closer Brant Rustich (2-7, 5.23)--who could gain the attention of scouts this spring, as well as the fifth-ranked recruiting class in the country.

9. Washington State (21-37)

The Cougars went 1-23 in the Pac-10 and have finished in last place in the conference every year since 1999. Six regulars return, plus the team's winningest pitcher (Wayne Daman, 7-6, 4.91 ERA). Daman will be joined in the rotation by junior transfer Mike Wagner, who went 4-0 with 66 strikeouts in 63 innings in a two-year stint at Vanderbilt.

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Hooray! Baseball is upon us. Yes, the college baseball season is underway. It's not even February, yet the first pitches of 2006 have already been thrown in several warm-weather locales.

The schedule picks up steam next Friday with 33 non-conference games, including the defending champion Texas Longhorns at the University of San Diego for a three-game set. Other featured series include Cal State Fullerton at Stanford and the University of Southern California meeting Long Beach State.

Texas beat Florida in the finals of the College World Series last June and has now hooked six national championships, including two of the past four. The Longhorns finished #1 in 2002, #3 in 2003, #2 in 2004, and #1 again in 2005.

Not surprisingly, Texas is ranked #1 in all the preseason polls. The eyes of Texas will be looking for the Longhorns to become the first school to win back-to-back titles since Louisiana State in 1996 and 1997. Stanford won it all in 1987 and 1988. If Texas outlasts everyone this year, talk will quickly turn toward the 'Horns being in the midst of the greatest run of championship finishes since USC won five in a row from 1970-1974.

Augie Garrido has captured five titles and is the only coach to win national championships at two schools--Cal State Fullerton (1979, 1984, and 1995) and Texas (2002 and 2005). He has taken 12 teams to the College World Series and will be seeking his sixth appearance since 2000 with preseason All-Americans Adrian Alaniz (So. RHP, 8-3, 2.67 ERA), Jordan Danks (Fr. OF, Round Rock, TX), Kenn Kasparek (So. RHP, 8-0, 2.10 ERA), Kyle McCulloch (Jr. RHP, 12-4, 2.92 ERA), and Drew Stubbs (Jr. OF, .311/.384/.527) leading the way.

Garrido's Longhorns will have to fend off nearly 300 Division I baseball programs in the country. Like college basketball, 64 teams will make it into postseason play. The 16 Regional winners will advance to the Super Regionals, and the eight teams victorious in the Super Regionals will head to Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska for the 60th College World Series. The winners of the two brackets in the double-elimination tournament will meet in a best-of-three championship series.

We are going to preview the Big West, Pac-10, Big 12, SEC, and ACC over the next five days and conclude our series with the Best of the Rest on Saturday and predictions on Sunday. Our articles will highlight the teams most likely to make the playoffs with a particular focus on All-Americans and potential first- and second-round picks in the amateur draft in June.

With a record number of intersectional games this year, the college baseball season promises to be more exciting than ever. Boyd Nation, an opponent of the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) that the NCAA committee uses to seed schools and select at-large berths for the playoffs, believes that "the Left Coast teams may start being treated more fairly. The RPI's still broken, but teams may be learning to work around it."

Play ball!

[Editor's note: A salute to the legendary Rod Dedeaux, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 91, is in order. Dedeaux, who retired from USC in 1986, won 11 national and 28 conference championships. He was named the head coach of the all-time College World Series team in 1996 and was honored by Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball as Coach of the Century in 1999. Rest in peace, Rod.]

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When moving into a new ballpark, the idea is to follow the Cleveland Indians model. In the seven years prior to changing stadiums, the Indians were one of the American League's worst teams: a 498-636 record. However, the team fittingly left Cleveland Stadium for Jacobs Field at the same time their youth blossomed. In the eight years that followed the move, the Indians made the playoffs six time with a regular season record of 718-509.

Unsurprisingly, the team was no worse than third in AL attendance during this run, drawing over three million fans for six straight seasons. New stadiums add increased revenue, and separately, winning brings in more fans. Add winning and a new stadium, and the results are profitable.

This was the Cincinnati Reds hope following the 2002 season, when they finished 3rd in the National League Central. While the team had flirted with success in the previous decade, they had little to show for themselves since Lou Piniella's 1990 World Series Championship. However, one could argue the pieces were in place after 2002.

Adam Dunn and Austin Kearns had just finished their first full seasons in Cincinnati, and were both extremely productive. Between the two in the outfield was Ken Griffey Jr., who had been great with Cincy previously, but struggled with injuries in 2002. The club's 4.27 ERA had been a product of Elmer Dessens, Chris Reitsma, Danny Graves and Scott Williamson. Heck, Jimmy Haynes had won 15 games.

The Reds were hoping to pull at least a shortened version of the Indians model by winning the division in 2003. They failed, miserably. While the offense regressed by a total of 15 runs, the Great American Ballpark saw the pitching staff give up an extra 112 runs. The club's bullpen had been a success in 2003, but Jim Bowden's rotation was abysmal: Ryan Dempster and Haynes had ERAs above 6.00, and as you surely remember, the Danny Graves starting expirament failed miserably.

It's no surprise that after the 2003 season, General Manager Jim Bowden was out of Cincinnati. The club hired Texas executive, and Doug Melvin/John Hart understudy, Dan O'Brien to fill Bowden's shoes. His job requirements were simple: piece together a viable pitching staff and maximize the potential from the offense.

Bowden certainly could have left O'Brien with worse to work with. Months before leaving the team, Bowden had acquired Aaron Harang for bargain-basement signing Jose Guillen, as well as landing Brandon Claussen from the Yankees. Ryan Wagner had been picked in the previous draft, and expectations were pretty high for all three players.

[Note from Bryan, 1/29/06: Since this article was written, my readers have informed me that (current interim GM) Brad Kullman was the man responsible for acquiring Harang and Claussen. It's no great surprise that two of the best moves the Reds have made in the last five years have had Kullman's stamp. Coincidence, it is not.]

In his first real move as General Manager, nearly two months after having been hired, O'Brien attempted to fill a rotation spot with Cory Lidle. Formerly relatively successful as a member of the Oakland A's, Lidle was coming off a season with Toronto in which he had a 5.75 ERA. Lidle's durability was solid, so you might think he would be a fine addition to the back of a rotation. In Cincinnati, he was near the top.

Besides a signing of Javier Valentin and releasing Russ Branyan, O'Brien went into Spring Training having changed very little about the team Jim Bowden had handled him. However, in Spring Training he made a pair of very interesting moves. On March 25, the Reds signed veteran reliever Todd Jones to a one-year contract. As Jones would take a spot in the bullpen, the next day the club traded Chris Reitsma to the Braves for Bubba Nelson and Jung Bong.

Thanks to some increased health, good revivals from Sean Casey and Barry Larkin, and great power from Adam Dunn and Wily Mo Pena, the Cincinnati offense improved by more than 50 runs in 2004. Griffey even had 300 at-bats during the season. However, by scoring 750 runs, the club was asking for a reduction of 136 runs from their pitching staff to have a pythagorean record of even .500. Rather than shaving off 136 runs, the staff gave up 21 more.

As one might guess, the Cory Lidle signing was no great success story, as he put up a 5.32 ERA in 149 innings. Also, young pitchers Jose Acevedo and Claussen were abysmal in a combined 41 starts. Simply put, Paul Wilson and Aaron Harang were simply not good enough -- aces with 92 and 82 ERA+s, respectively -- to offset horrendous performances from the likes of Todd Van Poppel, John Reidling and Phil Norton.

The one positive in my mind from O'Brien's first season at GM was the way he handled his first two real signings, Lidle and Jones, trading each around deadline time. Magically, O'Brien was able to convince the Phillies to give up a combined five players for two months worth of two mediocre pitchers. Of the group, O'Brien was notably able to land Anderson Machado, Josh Hancock and Javon Moran. So, O'Brien did make up for his trading gaffe of Reitsma with these two.

This is where, my friends, O'Brien left us with very little to compliment him on. Again, he entered the 2004-2005 winter with the goal of creating a better pitching staff, of dropping about 150 runs in that department. Ownership even gave him a little bit of money to spend to do so. So, naturally, O'Brien began by awarding Paul Wilson for his mediocre season (hadn't he learned the Jimmy Haynes lesson) by giving him a two-year, $8.2 million contract. Without spoiling the ending, I'll say this: the Reds will be paying Wilson money in 2006, but after 2005, expectations will be pretty low.

His next move was trading prospect (and I use that word loosely here) Dustin Moseley to the Anaheim Angels for Ramon Ortiz. I actually liked this move at the time, thinking Ortiz had a bit of an upside, despite pretty bad seasons in 2003 and 2004. Still, the cost was very little, and at worst, the team could ship him to the bullpen. However, both I and O'Brien didn't quite note the flyball issues that Ortiz had, which would not be helped by a move to the Great American Ballpark.

Next on the docket was the bullpen, for which O'Brien signed veterans Dave Weathers and Kent Mercker. Both essentially got two-year contracts, Weathers at a total of $2.75 million, and Mercker at $2.6 million. It's dangerous to be signing multi-year deals on players like this, but with the cost low and some previous success on their resumes, O'Brien could have done worse with these deals.

Having released Russ Branyan, quit on Brandon Larson, and discovered that Ryan Freel didn't slug like a third baseman, O'Brien's next move was signing Joe Randa to a modest one-year, $1.3 million contract. This isn't a move with a lot of upside -- a theme of last year's offseason -- but again, he could do worse. Eventually, I'd like to note, Randa would get traded midseason for two pitching prospects. If we say anything good about Dan O'Brien, it must be that he's quite skilled at persuading others on just how valuable two months of cheap mediocrity is.

Still, the Reds were missing one thing: an ace. And O'Brien had nearly $9 million to spend on acquiring one. While a player like Kevin Millwood was signed relatively inexpensively a year ago, the Reds opted on Eric Milton. Like all of O'Brien's acquisitions, Milton had a history of durability, a stamp of mediocrity, and the ability to allow the home run. In the minds of the Reds front office, this was worth a three-year, $25.5 million deal. Horrendous.

In 2005, the Reds scored 70 more runs than the previous season. They allowed, somehow, 18 less runs. However, they lost three more games last season, as the team ERA of 5.15 still didn't get the job done. Felipe Lopez broke out, Griffey was healthy, and the offense performed admirably. But led by Milton's 6.47 ERA and Wilson's 46.1 innings pitched, the pitching staff was again a failure. Besides trading Randa and stealing Allan Simpson from Colorado, O'Brien was quiet while his team self-destructed.

To make matters worse, for the third straight season, attendance fell at the Great American Ballpark. In fact, it fell below the two million mark, nearing Cinergy Field numbers.

This was seen as a very important winter for the Cincinnati Reds. The team was finally able to trade one of their many outfielders for some pitching, but besides that, was set there. And considering that Harang and Claussen had successful seasons, and Milton is tied up, O'Brien was left with patching up just two rotation slots.

Following a season in which he hit .312, but was sapped of all power, O'Brien decided Sean Casey was the best member to trade from his depth. One could argue that a player like Austin Kearns would be better, given Casey's presence in the PR department as well as Kearns' numerous suitors. However, O'Brien found something he liked: a left-handed, durable (well, sorta), home run prone, mediocre starting pitcher. In exchange for Casey, the team acquired Dave Williams, coming off a 4.41 ERA season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. This wasn't a horrendous move, but I certainly contest that the team could have done better.

In a very odd turn, on the day in which the Casey deal was consummated, O'Brien also felt the need to add a second baseman. Why, you might ask? Don't the Reds have Ryan Freel? Apparently Freel's .371 OBP isn't better than the speed and veteran leadership that Tony Womack provides! Oh, by the way, this is a player whose OBP has never topped .350. While this deal isn't up to Milton-esque proportions, O'Brien was able to stand on the other fence of a meaningless one-year acquisition. Especially when, weeks later, the team would re-sign Rich Aurilia to a one-year contract.

This is where the story ends for Dan O'Brien. Shortly after taking ownership of the Reds, Robert Castellini fired O'Brien, putting Brad Kullman in the interim GM role while he searches for the next person to lead this team. O'Brien's legacy is not a very good one, arguably one without a vision but rather the obsession with mediocrity.

I'd like to think there is still some potential to be found within the depths of this Red team. If in charge, I would trade both Jason Larue and Austin Kearns for pitching. In their spots, Javier Valentin takes over the catcher role, while Pena plays in right field. In center is a split between Chris Denorfia and Freel, while Aurilia mans second base for one more season. Add the two starters that those two veteran hitters provide to a rotation of Williams, Harang and Claussen, and things could be worse.

But no matter which action the next leader of the Reds takes, it must be one with a clear vision. The team must maximize the potential of its young offensive players, build a farm system from nothing, and of course, add pitching to a staff that has barely seen it in a decade.

And, more than anything else, put fans in the seats. It's too late to follow the Cleveland Indian method, but the mantra that winning adds attendance applies even in a stadium's fourth year.

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I'm sorry to report that our guest columnist stiffed us for the second week in a row. He was originally scheduled for last Thursday but asked if he could push it back a week after I had sent out a reminder a few days ahead of the publication date. Well, this week is now upon us with nary a story or a word from the man who was so "eager to contribute."

We were bailed out last week by Jeff Sullivan. The creator and primary author of Lookout Landing turned in his article a week early. The piece was posted as if it had been slated for that day all along.

Do not despair. The Designated Hitter series is in great shape. We have a couple of new columnists for our College Baseball Preview slated for next week, followed by Will Leitch of Deadspin and Patrick Sullivan of The House That Dewey Built. We also have two nationally known writers booked for March.

Thanks to our guest writers, the momentum has been built. We appreciate the time, thought, and energy that has gone into every column. The series is approaching its one-year anniversary, and it has become one of the must reads in the baseball blogosphere.

In lieu of today's feature, please take the time to peruse the "Designated Hitters" section in the sidebar on the left. Feel free to click on a link to any article you may have missed or perhaps re-visit one of your favorites. There are 44 different columns in all, ranging from sabermetric studies to player profiles, baseball history, and those with a personal touch.

Enjoy!

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We're not talking about Kobe's latest offensive burst. That would be One on Five. Instead, we're dusting off a favored format of ours. One on One, a chance to talk about the offseason - including free agent signings and trades - plus a sneak preview of the year at hand.

The break isn't over. But we're getting close, folks.

Bryan: Congratulations Rich, we did it. We made it through the winter. Just a few more weeks until baseball is back.

Rich: Promise, Bryan? (As I cross off another day on my calendar, waiting for pitchers and catchers to report)

Bryan: I do, just 22 more days. That should be exciting, but I'm really excited for what happens about five weeks from now. Spring Training is fun and all, but this inaugural WBC has me giddy.

Rich: Oh, I didn't realize boxing had another title fight at hand.

Bryan: Don't be sarcastic Rich, we finally have a World Cup of our own! I mean, passionate baseball in March? I'm a bit worried about the impact this might have on the season, but really, good baseball should outweigh political complaining.

Rich: All right. I'll come clean with you. I bought a strip of tickets for three games at Angel Stadium the minute they went on sale.

Bryan: Now that's more like it. What team are you most excited to see, it seems like a few have murderer's rows and rotations of aces.

Rich: Heck, I don't even know who is playing, much less who is playing for whom? I mean, is A-Rod in or out or in?

Bryan: Who knows. Last I heard he was talking to Castro about playing for Cuba. Apparently his great uncle had a Cuban friend once.

Rich: Does smoking a Cuban cigar qualify as well? Look, I don't know if I should root for the good ol' USA or return to my roots like the players and side with Germany, Ireland or Sweden.

Bryan: That's very Piazza-ish of you. Speaking of Mike, word is that he's been talking to the Phillies this week. Platoon a bit with Ryan Howard, give Mike Lieberthal time off. Is this a good fit?

Rich: Mike is from Norristown, Pennsylvania, so he might get a nice welcome home party from his family and friends. But, other than that, I wouldn't be overly excited for either side. Let's face it, Piazza is a much better fit for an AL team.

Bryan: I agree. I thought it might be the Orioles or Twins, but those two seem content with Javy Lopez and Rondell White, respectively. I still think Minnesota should bite.

Rich: How 'bout the Yankees? Alex Belth is clamoring for the guy. If New York is going to live with Jason Giambi in the field (which I think is a disaster waiting to happen), then why couldn't Mikey DH and spell Jorge Posada once a week behind the dish?

Bryan: Not sure New Yorkers - at least those in the Bronx - would like Piazza in a Jim Leyritz role, he's not quite as lovable. But really, it's a far better bet for anyone in the AL than National League teams. I would say Oakland, but the Frank Thomas situation is the worst kept secret in baseball.

Rich: I don't want to pull a Yogi Berra here, but if the Big Hurt ain't hurt, what would it hurt to sign him?

Bryan: It wouldn't, as long as Beane doesn't think that signing him would be enough of a reason to trade away Jay Payton, who would then be out of a starting spot. Signing Frank is a good move, depending on him is not.

Rich: I agree. But I'm not worried about the A's depth. They have a lot of chips at their disposal. Trading for a DH is a lot easier than finding a good CF or SS. Hint, hint.

Bryan: Yeah, sometimes you're left with Alex Gonzalez. And that's no longer even close to a compliment.

Rich: The good news for Boston fans is that this version doesn't have a middle name. He can pick it a bit and should suffice in the ninth hole, provided they consummate that deal with Cleveland. Are you koo-koo for Coco Crisp?

Bryan: Opinions about this possible trade seem to be all over the map. Some Bostonians think that Crisp will be some great improvement upon Johnny Damon, and others think he isn't even worth Edgar Renteria, er, Andy Marte. Covelli is a fine player, and should modestly succeed in Boston, but I don't think he's a budding All-Star.

Rich: I fooled around on the Sabermetric Baseball Encyclopedia and came to the conclusion that Crisp's 2005 looked a tad like Damon's 24-year-old season in 1998 and Marquis Grissom's 25-year-old campaign in 1992 (without the SB). As a result, I think he is a suitable option for the Red Sox. They need a CF and there aren't too many options, if the truth be told.

Bryan: Good point. I do think that this puts the Red Sox back in the AL East argument. The Yankees are much the same team they were, and probably due for a bit of regression. The Blue Jays are much better, but have not pulled ahead of the top two. So now, Boston should be able to get away with a bit of regression and still be in the race.

Rich: I haven't been overly worried about Boston. Everyone seems focused on what they need rather than how much they have improved themselves in certain areas. If healthy, they should be just fine. What I'm not so sure about though is whether the second-place team in the AL East will earn the Wild Card berth this year.

Bryan: Well, I think it will be the same as it always is. The Wild Card should be a simple competition between the loser of the AL East and the loser of the A's/Angels. I think the Indians have taken a big step back, and have the White Sox winning the division by over five games.

Rich: Oh, I haven't given up on the Tribe at all. Despite a 22-36 record in one-run outcomes, they missed the playoffs last year by just two games. I think Cleveland will need to be reckoned with, for sure. It's too bad the Indians aren't in the NL. They would run away with the West and could give the Cardinals and the Mets/Phillies/Braves a run for their money.

Bryan: Well, as the official Midwest representative of the group, I'm going to pick on you for pointing out the Cardinals only. After such a lackluster winter, are you really ready to hand them the division?

Rich: St. Louis won 100 games last year, the most in baseball. Will they win 100 this year? No, probably not. But, let's assume they slip back to 90 games. Who else in the division is in a position to win that many?

Bryan: This seems like the argument with the AL Central last year. "Even if the Twins regress..." Now I'm not saying the Cardinals shouldn't be the division favorite, they have certainly earned it. But I wouldn't rule out the Astros, the Cubs, or the Brewers -- my pick -- to win 91 games.

Rich: I've already ruled out the Cubs. So take that. I like the Brewers and wouldn't be surprised in the least if they captured the Wild Card spot in the NL. That is one fun team.

Bryan: I agree. A lot of high ceilings on offense with a good, young pitching staff and a better coach. That's one good formula. Too bad they don't play out West.

Rich: If the Dodgers can give all these players one-year deals, maybe baseball should allow teams to switch divisions for a year. Can you imagine how much a spot in the NL West would bring in an auction?

Bryan: More than the auctions for Jeff Weaver and Bengie Molina, that's for sure.

Rich: Maybe they can both sit out the year and keep in shape by playing pitcher and catcher - the same game I played as a kid - with one another.

Bryan: I mean, it really seems like this is an option at this point. Otherwise, it seems like Molina might have to take a one-year deal with the Blue Jays, and as for Weaver...well, I still haven't heard a team officially associated with Weaver.

Rich: Buster Olney reported that "the Phillies are doing some checking on Jeff Weaver." I gotta tell you, Bryan, I just don't understand these guys. How could Weaver pass up, say, a 3 x $9M offer from the Dodgers? Is it really worth an extra million bucks or so a year to leave your hometown team? I mean, is that incremental money going to have any bearing whatsoever on your lifestyle or your kids or grandkids? Suck it up and be glad you can stay home, play this silly game called baseball, and make more money than you will ever know what to do with.

Bryan: Amen. But if that's your philosophy regarding Weaver, what are your thoughts on Roger Clemens? It almost seems as he's trying to start a bidding war between his two hometown teams to be fought on after May 1.

Rich: I'm not convinced it's as much about money this time around as it is with whether he wants to even play another season. He could retire after the WBC. Picture him winning the championship game. That wouldn't be such a bad way to end things, now would it?

Bryan: Well, I guess it depends how many people confuse WBC with a boxing match, or care about it at all.

Rich: But you could be right. Maybe Clemens is just rope-a-dopin' Drayton McLane and Tom Hicks. In fact, it seems to me that Lloyd's of London just might be paying Roger's salary this year, so help me Jeff Bagwell.

Bryan: Alright Rich, let's go into the lightning round, like before the winter. Where does Sammy Sosa end up?

Rich: Dead, like all of us. How 'bout David Wells?

Bryan: Theo gets back and gets a deal done in a week. Wells back to San Diego. How about any of the Rays left on the trading block?

Rich: Julio Lugo and Aubrey Huff are history. Look for Lugo to end up with the Cubs. Andy Friedman will deal Huff to the highest bidder, but it may not happen until this spring. No way Molina sits out. Four million dollars for one year is much more than zero, no?

Bryan: Molina gets backed into the corner, also known as the city of Toronto. He's definitely an improvement upon Gregg Zaun. And how much colder can we expect Jeff Weaver's surroundings to be?

Rich: I'm pretty sure there is a market out there for Weaver. Unlike Scott Boras, I just don't think it's 4 x $10M. But, if it is, then I guess the Bank of Omar Minaya or Tom Hicks will be the one to foot that bill. Let's end with the ace of the free agent market and WBC. Roger Clemens - in or out?

Bryan: In, but on May 2. Whether that's with Hicks or McLane, I'm not sure.

Rich: When it's all said and done, I think he might be known as Roger Clemency. Let's just hope he bows out on a high note, whether it be in March with the WBC title under his belt or with one last great season in Houston or Texas.

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Ranking farm systems is a practice that I generally avoid. It's simply too difficult to come up with a solid ranking, as one should effectively balance the number of and degree of top-heavy players, the depth in a system, as well as those that have recently graduated and been traded. It's a lot to balance.

Instead, most of the time I like to stick to tiers. We know that at the top of any organizational ranking list, in no particular order, should be the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Marlins and Angels. These come as no surprise. We know about the other good systems: the Devil Rays, Red Sox, Braves, etc. The successes of these teams are well documented.

We criticize General Managers for bad trades, for bad signings, for not making any trades or any signings. We bash managers and players, and after the occasional draft, we criticize scouting directors. However, very seldom do we talk about organizations that need to improve their farm systems.

In the mailbag following my top 75 prospects, I made a chart of the number of prospects that each organization brought to my list. There were no teams that completely missed out; however, six clubs had just one prospect in my top 100 players. Today I'd like to look at those six in more detail in hopes of narrowing down the worst of the bunch. For each of the teams, I will give you the next best three prospects (in my mind), along with a brief look at what else the system provides.

Washington Nationals

Top 100 Prospect: Ryan Zimmerman (12)
Next Best Three : Kory Casto, Clint Everts, Colin Balester

Things were looking really, really bad about eight months ago. Top prospect Clint Everts was injured, Larry Broadway was struggling, and Mike Hinckley was looking like a different pitcher. There was very, very little to like in this system. And then came Ryan Zimmerman, the fourth pick of the 2005 draft. Zimmerman shot through the system, going from the University of Virginia to the Maj