D1Baseball’s Top 25 keeps Duke at No. 12 in latest poll

Duke remains steady at No. 12 in latest D1Baseball poll.

Duke’s season got off to a picture-perfect start this past weekend as they went undefeated in the Baseball at the Beach tournament hosted by No. 25 Coastal Carolina.

Despite Duke’s 3-0 start to their season, even with a win over a top-25 Chanticleers team in their home stadium, D1Baseball didn’t move the Blue Devils up in their latest poll.

At the top, the class of the ACC remains Wake Forest as the Demon Deacons held steady as the No. 1 team in the country after dominating their first three games of the season. Arkansas moved up from third to second, and LSU moved up from fourth to third.

Florida dropped from second to fifth as the Gators lost their only game of the season to St. John’s. Their remaining weekend games were canceled due to inclement weather.

Another ACC foe for the Blue Devils, the Clemson Tigers, stays strong at No.10 after they swept Xavier behind some explosive offense. N.C. State remained at 13 despite a 2-1 weekend, while UNC remained at 15th after a perfect 3-0 weekend.

Duke will get a boost on its NCAA Tournament resume as their opening day opponent, Indiana, vaulted themselves into the Top 25 after a 2-1 showing in Conway, South Carolina. Their only loss was to the Blue Devils on Friday, but they bounced back and beat George Mason and Coastal to wrap up the weekend.

Duke will return to Durham to kick off a 10-game homestand. The first of those ten home games will come Wednesday as they host Liberty. Liberty started their season with a three-game sweep of Quinnipiac. The Flames were also selected to finish second in conference standings in its first season in the league by the head coaches in the 2024 CUSA Preseason Baseball Poll.

Duke baseball looking to clear final hurdle and get to Omaha as 2024 season is set to start Friday

Duke baseball gets set to open their 2024 season. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the Blue Devils’ season opener.

1961. 1961 was the last time a Duke Blue Devils baseball team made the College World Series.

Last year was about showing up every doubter of the Duke baseball program as the team broke every preseason expectation of them en route to a 39-24 record, coming up just one win short of a trip to Omaha, Nebraska.

Head coach Chris Pollard retooled the Duke roster in hopes of clearing that final hurdle and leading his program to heights not reached in over 50 years.

Duke will start the season ranked as the No. 12 team in the country. In short, they will not be sneaking up on anyone this year. And that presents one of many challenges the Blue Devils will face this year: going from solely the hunters to being hunted while still hunting the class of the ACC, Wake Forest, Clemson, and Virginia as they too pursue a trip to Omaha.

The question now is: How does Duke live up to and exceed last year’s results?

It starts with their pitching. Duke’s pitching staff last year was unconventional but highly effective. At season’s end, they had the 18th-best ERA in the country. They’ll need to keep Duke in games as the bevy of transfers and new faces in the lineup, especially around the infield, begin to gel.

The staff’s ace is preseason second-team All-American Jonathan Santucci, a lefty with big strikeout stuff. James Tallon, Fran Oschell, and Andrew Healy are talented pitchers who received preseason award buzz. With that core four of pitching along with reliever Charlie Beilenson, Duke should remain competitive in many games.

They also should get a boost from two-way true freshman Kyle Johnson, who is expected to start in the outfield while contributing a solid number of innings on the mound for the Blue Devils.

Johnson was among the 50 best high school prospects per Perfect Game and was named the number one impact freshman in the ACC during the fall by D1Baseball. Expectations are high, but many around the Duke program believe they are warranted.

Duke’s season will depend on health and how long their revamped infield takes to gel. The Blue Devils lost every infielder from last year’s team that made it to Super Regionals. Some hit the transfer portal, and others were drafted in the MLB Draft last June.

Ben Miller (Penn), Logan Bravo (Harvard), Ben Weaver (Wheaton), and Wallace Clark (Oklahoma) are just a few of the names that transferred in with significant opportunities to start in Duke’s infield. They all have over 50 games of starting experience, so they are far from inexperienced. They’ll need to hit the ground running and quickly find their stride at the plate. As soon as Duke’s nonconference schedule ends, they’ll jump right into conference play, where the ACC is home to five other top-20 teams, and Duke will open ACC play by taking on four of them to start.

As the Blue Devils ready themselves for a weekend slate of games in the Baseball at the Beach tournament hosted by No. 18 Coastal Carolina, they do so knowing that this season won’t be easy. They open up this weekend with Indiana, George Mason, and Coastal Carolina.

The possibilities for this team can be sky-high, but things could get scary if their pitching, health, and offense don’t gel in unison. Nonetheless, this team is talented enough to get to Omaha. Will they?

We’re about to find out.

2024 NFL Draft prospect Grayson McCall talks what he brings to the table, 2023 season for Coastal Carolina

Crissy Froyd sat down with Coastal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall ahead of the 2023 season.

Grayson McCall has been known as one of college football’s most electrifying players within Coastal Carolina’s RPO-hybrid offense since he first took the field.

But the Chanticleers signal-caller is looking forward to expanding upon his game under new head coach Tim Beck with a different offense, showing some additional things in his toolbox that he feels people haven’t quite seen yet while being surrounded by a roster he says includes 50 new faces.

That comes down to the relationship he has with Beck and some of the differences in the way the Chants plan to do things offensively this season. McCall has also spent some time talking to current Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary, who he says has been helpful in the adjustment process after playing under Beck at NC State.

“Coach Beck has developed a lot of really good college quarterbacks into professional quarterbacks,” McCall said. “He’s going to allow me to put some new things on tape this year and throw it around a lot more and get on the center and do some pro style stuff that I haven’t really put on tape yet.”

McCall says he sees some differences between the way things are run, but a lot of it is familiar to him at the exact same time. What he’s called upon to do pre-snap is one of those things.

Obviously, McCall has to identify the front for the offensive line and for himself, along with identifying the defensive structure and the coverage.

But there’s more responsibility being leaned on him at the line of scrimmage after what he showed the coaches in the spring, McCall says.

It’s something that bodes well for him in the future.

“Just being able to get under center and make those checks and get in the profile system and just show the next level coaches that I can command a huddle and lead guys and make the guys around me better,” McCall said.

While McCall has received plenty of support and hype throughout the year, one of the biggest narratives he’s up against outside of that of the “level of competition” narrative is the idea that he doesn’t have adequate arm strength for the NFL level on top of question on how he’s going to fare through the season coming back from torn rotator cuff repair in his throwing shoulder.

It’s worth noting that several record-setting quarterbacks and even just those who have had solid college and professional careers did not have an absolute Howitzer for an arm.

While McCall isn’t going to blow anyone away with his arm strength the way  an Anthony Richardson or a Will Levis might, the film still reflects that he has adequate zip on the ball.

“A lot of people doubted my arm strength and thought that I lost some of that arm strength,” McCall said.

Adding some weight and with a productive offseason, McCall feels like he’s gotten stronger and that if anything, he’ll be even more impressive as a passer than he was in 2022.

“I feel like the ball’s coming out of my hands faster with more authority and I feel confident that I can make all the throws on the field,” McCall said. “So you can go back and forth about the arm strength thing all day. It’s a great thing to have a strong arm, but I don’t think it’s completely necessary to be able to succeed at the quarterback position.”

McCall and the Chanticleers opened up the 2023 season on Saturday evening with a matchup against a tough UCLA Bruins team that most analysts had ranked in the top third of the FBS.

While McCall put on a gritty performance and helped to keep his team in the game despite not coming out on the right side of the win column as the Bruins won it, 27-13. McCall finished out the contest 27-of-42 passing for 271 yards with a rare two interceptions.

While this may not look like the most impressive stat line at first glance, McCall’s ability to stand in and take several rough hits really shone through as he was covered in grass.

Beck had nothing but praise for his quarterback following the contest.

“I love that kid,” Beck said. “I know right now, he’s probably beating himself up because he probably thinks he could have done better, and I’m just proud of the way he played. I’m proud of the way he stood in there.”

Look for McCall to bounce back and continue increasing his draft stock as Coastal Carolina faces Jax State on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT.

Countdown to Kickoff: 7 best Group of Five players

The countdown to kickoff continues with the seven best Group of Five players in the country.

Through College Sports Wire’s countdown to kickoff, the Power Five has been overwhelming the focus, and rightfully so. It’s time to look at the Group of Five and its top seven players entering this fall.

The Group of Five’s place in today’s college football landscape is interesting. Thanks to the transfer portal, many of the top players from Group of Five player programs eventually end up at Power Five programs. This was one major worry about the transfer portal and its potential impacts.

There are Groups of Five stars who still have chosen to stay at their respective programs – which is excellent news for college football. While the Group of Five has rarely produced true competitors for national championships, it remains a vital part of college football and what makes the sport special.

This caliber of players choosing to stay at Group of Five programs will only ensure that college football, despite widespread changes, remains healthy from top to bottom.

Honorable mentions for players who just missed the cut in today’s list include Southern Mississippi’s Frank Gore Jr., Colorado State’s Tory Horton, and Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley,

Alabama Baseball lands Coastal Carolina transfer catcher Kameron Guangorena

Coastal Carolina transfer catcher Kameron Guangorena is transferring to Alabama. Guangorena began his career at Cal-State Fullerton before transferring to Coastal Carolina.

Coastal Carolina transfer catcher Kameron Guangorena will be transferring to Alabama with two years of eligibility remaining.

Guangorena began his college career at Cal-State Fullerton in 2019. The California native spent two seasons with the Titans.

As a true freshman, Guangorena held a .261 batting average with one home run and 26 runs batted in.

Guangorena’s second season with the Titans was shortened due to COVID-19. In 2021, Guangorena was given a medical redshirt due to injury.

Following his junior season, Guangorena transferred to Coastal Carolina. During his first season with the Chanticleers, Guangorena made 30 starts while finishing with a .282 batting average. He also hit two home runs and drove in seven runs.

In 2023, Guangorena hit .242 batting average with two home runs and seven runs batted in. He made six starts behind the plate and played in 45 games.

Alabama saw catcher Dominic Tamez sign with the Chicago White Sox in the offseason. The Tide will return starting catcher Mac Guscette and have brought in Ole Miss transfer catcher Will Plattner.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama baseball program and its involvement in the NCAA transfer portal.

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Oklahoma Baseball lands in Charlottesville Regional, face ECU Friday

Oklahoma baseball makes it back to the NCAA Tournament as they sneak in as an at-large team and will take on the ECU Pirates.

The wait is over. The Oklahoma Sooners baseball team has found its way back into the NCAA Tournament. The journey was never easy and was full of ups and downs, but the Sooners earned an at-large bid after selections were announced on the official selection show Monday. Oklahoma received the next to last at-large bid per the show’s hosts.

Oklahoma (31-26) will play in the Charlottesville regional with the University of Virginia (45-12) as hosts. Their first opponent will be the ECU Pirates (45-17) out of the American Athletic Conference. The Pirates won the regular season crown but fell short in the conference tournament as the Tulane Green Wave, who finished second to last in the conference, pulled off an incredible run to win the tournament title. ECU’s failure in the tournament effectively pushed ECU out of potentially hosting a regional.

Oklahoma’s inclusion into the field was in real doubt as of Friday night. The Sooners were at No. 40 in the NCAA’s RPI after bowing out of the Big 12 tourney.

With no overly impressive resume, Oklahoma needed serious help. They were only 11-13 in conference play and made no run in the conference tournament. One positive Oklahoma had going forward, which undoubtedly played a large role in its selection, was their strength of schedule.

While Oklahoma struggled, they also played a grinding schedule that battle-tested them. For a team that lost a significant number of key players from the 2022 run, earning a postseason berth should be commended.

It remains to be seen if they can replicate the magic of getting all the way to the championship series like they did last year, but getting in is the first step.

The fourth and final team in the region is Army West Point (38-16). If the Sooners make it out of the regional, they would take on the winner of the Conway regional hosted by Coastal Carolina, which features Duke, UNC Wilmington, and Rider.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Tigers offer talented edge rusher in the transfer portal

Josaiah Stewart could be taking his talents to Baton Rouge after a massively productive two seasons at Coastal Carolina.

In the new transfer portal era, you have the opportunity to land players who saw things not work out at their previous schools for one reason or another. However, you also have some players coming off massive years at smaller programs looking for a more significant challenge.

[autotag]Josaiah Stewart[/autotag], a talented edge rusher from Coastal Carolina who entered the transfer portal on Tuesday, falls squarely into the latter category. The sophomore and former three-star recruit is coming off an incredible two-year campaign in Conway with the Chanticleers, and he picked up an offer from LSU on Friday.

In two seasons, the Everett, Massachusetts, (by way of the Bronx) product totaled 80 tackles, 16 sacks and four forced fumbles. He received multiple all-conference and national all-freshman honors last season in addition to being named the Sun Belt Defensive Lineman of the Year.

However, after totaling 12.5 sacks and three forced fumbles as a true freshman in 2021, he saw his production drop off quite a bit this season. He’s looking for a change of scenery to help get back to his previous production, and an LSU team that will likely lose [autotag]BJ Ojulari[/autotag] and [autotag]Ali Gaye[/autotag], in addition to [autotag]Desmond Little[/autotag] in the transfer portal, could be a great fit.

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Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Tyler to continue the conversation on Twitter: @TylerNettuno

2024 WR prospect ‘loved everything about Clemson’ visit

A 2024 wide receiver prospect took his first unofficial visit to Clemson in the Tigers latest win over Miami last weekend and shared his experience with The Clemson Insider. In his first visit to Tiger Town, Calvary Christian’s (Clearwater, Fla.) …

A 2024 wide receiver prospect took his first unofficial visit to Clemson in the Tigers latest win over Miami last weekend and shared his experience with The Clemson Insider.

In his first visit to Tiger Town, Calvary Christian’s (Clearwater, Fla.) Caleb Goodloe had nothing but good things to say about his experience.

“I loved my visit; it was the best experience I’ve had,” Goodloe told TCI. “Something that stood out to me was the time and attention recruiters and coaches had towards me, they were amazing and made me feel welcomed. I’m really impressed with the programs graduation rate and the commitment to the scholar as well as the athlete.

“From the minute we got on campus, the whole environment felt like one big family. The energy of the fans and players was indescribable especially at the beginning of the fourth quarter. It was incredibly organized and well run.”

The 6-foot-1, 170-pound wideout spent most of his time with offensive graduate assistant and former Clemson receiver Artavis Scott, who he says really showcased the lifelong relationships tied to being a part of the Clemson family.

“I spent the bulk of my time with Coach Artavis Scott,” the receiver said. “He took me on a great tour of the facilities and explained how each place we visited helps develop not only the best athletes, but also the best possible scholars and men. They really want to make each player the best person they can be.

“Coach Scott also made me see how much the staff and coaches care about the academics and how they support the players to be successful on the field, in the classroom and in life. After talking with him, it’s clear that being a part of the Clemson family doesn’t end when you take off your pads for the last time. It’s a lifelong relationship.”

Goodloe’s parents accompanied him on his visit with the Tigers, both coming away with the same family feeling as Goodloe.

“They were both very impressed with Clemson,” he said. “Dad loved the rehab/prefab facilities. My Mom always says she hopes I end up playing with a team that feels like family at a school that feels like home. She said it definitely felt warm, inviting, fun, and full of joy… like home.”

Following the visit, Clemson and Coastal Carolina look to be early favorites for the Florida native, who says the Tigers will be hard to top as he looks ahead to the rest of his recruitment.

“I’d have to say Clemson and Coastal Carolina are the top of my list right now, but I’m planning to visit more schools this spring and during camps next summer,” Goodloe said. “Clemson is pretty hard to top, though!

“I loved everything about Clemson and being recognized and getting an offer from a top-notch program would really be a dream come true. They are my favorite school right now!”

Don’t miss Cyber Week Deals at Dear Old Clemson’s online store.  Deals will run through midnight Monday. 

  • Footballs signed by the Clemson 2022 class discounted by 30%.
  • Free Avengers unsigned poster with the purchase of a signed Avengers football
  • Free signed Myles Murphy 8 by 10 picture with the purchase of Myles Murphy signed card
  • Free 2022 class unsigned poster with purchase of signed Avengers poster
  • Free #Team 4 unsigned poster with purchase of any signed softball
  • Free unsigned Valerie Cagle card with purchase of any signed softball poster
  • Free unsigned Bakich to Omaha poster with purchase of any signed baseball

Do your part to help support Clemson student-athletes!

Penn State bowl projections heading into Week 7

Latest bowl projections see some interesting matchups for Penn State in a NY6 bowl.

Midway through the season, Penn State is sitting in a favorable spot for a good bowl game at the end of the season. The Nittany Lions are 5-0 with a monster three-game stretch beginning this week that could have a dramatic impact on Penn State’s bowl outlook. A win this weekend at Michigan would have a big impact on the Big Ten bowl picture and put a trip to the Rose Bowl within reach for the Nittany Lions, if not more.

The Orange Bowl is currently a trendy pick for Penn State based on the latest bowl projections, but it is not a consensus pick. Far from it, actually. The Cotton Bowl has a few projections on the radar for Penn State, where the opponent would be the top Group of 5 conference champion. And guessing which Group of 5 team emerges this season is still a wild guessing game at this point.

Here is a sampling of some of the latest bowl projections from a variety of media outlets as Penn State prepares for its big road game at Michigan.

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players

Coastal Carolina College Football Preview 2022: Team breakdown, season prediction, keys to the campaign, and what you need to know

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Preview 2022: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Coastal Carolina season with what you need to know and keys to the season.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

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Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Preview
Head Coach: Jamey Chadwell, 5th year at Coastal Carolina, 30-19
13th year overall, 90-54, 2021 Preview
2021 Record: Overall: 11-2, Conference: 6-2
Keys To The Season | Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Coastal Carolina Top 10 Players | Schedule

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Preview 2022

And now the real work begins.

Coastal Carolina proved the 2020 breakthrough season wasn’t a fluke with a fantastic 11-2 run that might have fallen short of a Sun Belt title, but was still impressive.

Not only did the Chanticleers keep it all going, and not only did they win a bowl game, but those two losses came by a grand total of five points.

That was amazing, but now the Sun Belt is stronger, Coastal Carolina is a circle game on the schedule, and there’s a whole lot of experience and talent to replace on both sides of the ball.

Head coach Jamey Chadwell has the right offensive system, and he’s got the quarterback in Grayson McCall. Other than that, the program has as big a rebuild as any in college football.

It might be a fight to come close to the success of the last two years, but with McCall, and with the systems in place, Coastal Carolina might still be one of the stars of the Sun Belt.

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Preview 2022: Offense

Grayson McCall might not have been the pro prospect many are/were projecting, but his decision to return for another year means the high-powered offense has its guy to make all the new guys better.

Coastal Carolina led the nation in third down conversions and passing efficiency, and was fifth overall averaging 495 yards per game. The downfield plays should still be there, and the running game will still bust off big plays with the big holes the offense creates. But it all comes down to McCall. As long as he’s running the show, the O will work. But …

Who will McCall throw to? Leading receiver Jaivon Heiligh is done, and TE Isaiah Likely is about to be a factor for the Baltimore Ravens. RB Braydon Bennett is the leading returning receiver with 24 grabs. but no one else returning caught more than six passes.

The offensive line should be a positive with some time. All-star guard Willie Lampkin is the anchor, and the good depth of last year should be able to take over right away – these guys know the system. 1,040-yard rusher Shermari Jones is done, but Bennett can handle a bigger role and speedy Reese White ran for 515 yards last season.

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Preview 2022: Defense

The offense gets all the headlines and love, but the Coastal Carolina defense has done its part, too. It allowed fewer yards per play than the 2020 version, it gave up more than 25 points just four times, and held teams to under 100 rushing yards five times in the last ten games.

But like the offense, there are wholesale changes with the back seven gutted. However …

The line is okay, even with the loss of star DT CJ Brewer. Josaiah Stewart had a huge freshman season with 12.5 sacks, there’s size on the inside with 345-pound Jerrold Clark on the nose, and overall there shouldn’t be a big step back in production. But …

Just about every key tackler from the linebacking corps is gone. The group isn’t totally starting from scratch – a few guys who saw time last year are around – but this will be one of the team’s biggest areas of early concern.

D’Jordan Strong is one of the Sun Belt’s best all-around corners. He’s back along with three good backups from last year who should be able to step up and produce without a problem.

Keys To The Season | Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Coastal Carolina Top 10 Players |
Schedule

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats NEXT