Austin Nye will join him in the rotation also, as he was Vanderbilt’s midweek starter a season ago, as his profile screams pitchability given his five-pitch repertoire.
The bullpen will be elite, as it’s filled with guys that give opponents different looks and miss bats. Luke Guth, Alex Kranzler, and England Bryan are the main bullpen arms with both above average stuff and success in the SEC, as well as left-hander Miller Green who’s likely to keep the closing role to begin 2026.
One other arm to mention here in this pitching crop is sophomore transfer Nate Taylor (Georgia), who only threw 8.1 innings yet struck out 17 guys in 2025; look for him to be dominant and take a step up with pitching coach Scott Brown.
It’s been half a decade since legendary Coach Tim Corbin and his Commodores have last appeared in the College World Series.
The main question of this team will be the bats, as the offense hit .264 with 66 home runs in 2025. I’m anticipating an upward spike on both datapoints come this year, coupled with a lineup bound to give opponents headaches week after week.
Virginia Cavaliers
2025 Record: 32-18 (16-11 ACC)
Last CWS Appearance: 2024
It was a rollercoaster 2025 in Charlottesville, from not starting the season off on the highest note to their head coach departing after seasons end. But no need to fret, enter Head Coach Chris Pollard, who has appeared in an NCAA Super Regional four times since 2018.
Sure, when coaching changes happen, a significant portion of the roster will head for a fresh change or follow their initial staff they got recruited by, though it needs to be recognized that this new staff held onto some important pieces.
Notably Eric Becker, a shortstop who batted .368 with over 30 XBH and will be one of the first college shortstops taken in the 2026 Draft. Outfielder Harrison Didawick also stayed put after a tough 2025 campaign, as he’ll look to return to his 2024 form where he hit .292 and slugged 23 bombs.