10 best college baseball teams of all time ft. 2024 Tennessee
The rich history of college baseball includes some amazing teams. Aside from the sport's annual champion, there are some teams that don't just win the title, they also dominate the opposition.
Massive winning streaks, future MLB talent and big-game performance are just three indicators of college baseball greatness. Here are 10 of the best to ever play the game.
Ten best college baseball teams of all time
#10 1947 California
There's something to be said for being the first, and the Golden Bears won the very first College World Series.
A 31-10 Cal team was led by future MLB All-Star Jackie Jensen. We can give Cal a little extra credit for the win. After all, they beat Yale and first baseman/future US President George H.W. Bush, who was waiting on deck when Cal recorded the final out.
#9 2017 Florida
Kevin O'Sullivan's Gators had suffered from close-but-not-quite status, but they didn't in 2017, when the 52-19 Gators won the College World Series.
The Gators won their first title when they took down fellow SEC foe LSU in the Finals in two games. Future MLB Rookie of the Year Jonathan India was among the notable Gators who won the crown.
#8 2013 UCLA
The Bruins are the last team to have a perfect College World Series run to nab a title. They finished 49-17 overall and sent seven picks into the 2013 MLB Draft.
It's certainly notable that a great pitching staff, led by future MLB pitcher Adam Plutko, allowed just four total runs in five games of College World Series play. That's an all-time college baseball performance.
#7 2011 South Carolina
The Gamecocks get forgotten in these discussions, but all they did was take a defending title team and run the table a second time with a perfect CWS performance.
USC finished 55-14 and led by Jackie Bradley Jr., refused to lose, counting a 13-inning and an 11-inning win among their CWS triumphs. An amazing team that had an overall 11 straight CWS wins.
#6 1973 USC
Many pick the 1974 USC team, but the 1973 team was simply more dominant. With a 51-11 overall record, the Trojans were tough.
Future MLB star Fred Lynn patrolled their outfield. While USC had an unbeaten 11-0 postseason to win the title, they won nine of those games by three runs or less, including five by a single run. The Trojans were clutch.
#5 2024 Tennessee
With a 60-13 mark, Tennessee earned its spot. The Vols won the SEC regular season title, won the SEC Tournament and won the NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 overall seed for the first time since 1999.
Only once all year did Tennessee lose consecutive games, on March 16 and 17. Christian Moore and a bevy of future stars will help UT's "GOAT" bonafides.
#4 2000 LSU
The Tigers won the College World Series title with a team studded with future MLB players, if not stars.
LSU was 52-17 and went 19-2 in a star-studded SEC. But its claim to fame is a perfect postseason: 4-0 in the SEC Tournament, 3-0 in regional play, 2-0 in super regionals and 4-0 in the College World Series. It's difficult to argue with that kind of college baseball dominance.
#3 1995 Cal State Fullerton
CSF has many of the same attributes as the other great college baseball teams. College World Series champions? Check.
Team of future big leaguers? Check, led by outfielder Mark Kotsay. Impressive conference record? 18-3. But CSF's unique factor is that they lost only a single-digit total of games with a 57-9 mark. Astonishing.
#2 2012 Arizona
The Wildcats had an impressive regular season, with a 48-17 mark, including a 20-10 performance in conference play. But where Arizona defined itself was the NCAA Tournament.
It raced through a 10-0 postseason string, including allowing just eight runs in five College World Series games. The WIldcats produced six MLB draft picks and blazed through college baseball.
#1 1983 Texas
Cliff Gustafson's legendary Texas team had it all. They finished 66-14, went a mind-blowing 24-0 and swept unbeaten through the College World Series to top it off.
How'd they do it? Having an ace pitcher named Roger Clemens certainly didn't hurt their chances, but on the whole, Texas had everything going its way.
Which college baseball teams do you think were the best ever? Weigh in below in the comments section: