The Blue Workhorse

We’ve previously previewed each of the NCAA college baseball Regionals and the Super Regionals, and with the College World Series set to begin Saturday, it’s time we preview the teams that will be playing at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha for the chance to be crowned national champions.

Today, we preview Bracket One giving you each teams’ projected starting lineup and projected pitching rotation, “Road to Omaha,” and some keys to success:
Miami Hurricanes (52-9)

Projected Starting Lineup:
1. Blake Tekotte (CF)
2. Jemile Weeks (2B)
3. Yonder Alonso (1B)
4. Mark Sobolewski (3B)
5. Ryan Jackson (SS)
6. Denis Raben (RF)
7. Dave DiNatale (DH)
8. Adan Severino (LF)
9. Yasmani Grandal (C)

Projected Pitching Rotation:

…more…

One of the three SEC teams that did not make the national tournament is a Tennessee baseball team that finished 27-29 overall (the first losing season since 2002) and failed to even make the SEC tournament after having previously making the national tournament in three of five seasons from 2001-2005, including twice making the College World Series during that span. As far as this season, many point to this being the first year of a rebuilding project under Coach Todd Raleigh, and it may very well be a couple of seasons before the program can be restored to national prominence.

The question I ask myself, however, is ‘What was wrong with the University of Tennessee baseball program before Raleigh got here? ‘