DALLAS (NCBWA) – In times when the NCAA transfer portal and NIL sometimes cause confusion in Division I athletics, the 2024 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Preseason All-America teams, presented by The Game Headwear, reflect loyalty to contending universities and some of the nation’s most talented diamond standouts.
West Virginia’s J.J. Wetherholt, Preseason Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, and Jac Caglianone, Southeastern Conference standout and fellow 2023 Dick Howser Trophy presented by The Game Headwear finalist, head a solid list of returning post-2023 NCBWA All-America selections.
Wetherholt earned consensus DI A-A laurels with a nation-leading .449 batting average, 101 hits in 225 times at-bat, 24 doubles, 16 home runs, 60 runs-batted-in and 36 stolen bases (tied for 10th nationally).
Caglianone posted similarly exceptional numbers with a .323 batting average, 738 slugging percentage, 91-for-282 plate work with 33 home runs (tops nationally), two triples, 14 doubles, 90 RBI, 74 runs, and four stolen bases. The 2023 ABCA Position Player of the Year also was a weekend starting hurler for the Gators with 18 starts, a 7-4 mound mark, 4.34 ERA, .190 opponents’ batting average, and 87 strikeouts over 74-2/3 innings pitched for the 2023 NCAA runnerup to LSU.
Pitcher Josh Hartle of NCBWA-No. 1-ranked for 2024 Wake Forest, leads the first team starting pitchers with an 11-2 mound mark, 2.81 earned run average, 102-plus innings pitched over 17 starts, 140 strikeouts, 91 hits allowed and just 24 walks for just 2.1 walks per nine innings.
The five starting pitchers on the NCBWA first team had a combined record of 43-9 with 536 strikeouts in 443-plus innings while the exemplary relief corps compiled a composite 36 saves and average over one strikeout per inning pitched.
Some other returnees of note on the NCBWA dream team are Texas Tech catcher Kevin Bazzell with a .348 average, 10 homers and 62 RBI; Hartle’s Wake Forest teammate 1B Nick Kurtz with a .353 hitting norm, 24 dingers and 69 RBI; Oregon State 2B Travis Bazzana with a .374 average, 11 homers. 55 RBI and 36 stolen bases; and outfielder Charlie Condon (2023 SEC Freshman of the Year) with a .386 average, 25 homers (tops among all NCAA Division I freshmen in 2023) and 67 RBI.
Defending NCAA champion LSU suffered some extensive player losses from ’23 but still boasts returning All-America 3B Tommy White with a nation-co-leading 105 RBI, 198 total bases (third nationally) 102 hits (sixth in DI) and 24 home runs (tied for 11th in the country).
In all, there are 45 different schools and 16 DI conferences represented on the 2024 DI All-America teams, which also have individuals honored from 22 teams ranked in various preseason polls.
Previous NCBWA postseason All-America teams from 1996-2023 have featured the likes of several Dick Howser Trophy presented by The Game Headwear recipients: RHP Paul Skenes of LSU, 3B Kris Bryant of San Diego, P Stephen Strasburg of San Diego State, 1B Mark Teixeira of Georgia Tech, RHP Mark Prior of USC, SS-2B Rickie Weeks of Southern U., 3B Alex Gordon of Nebraska, P David Price of Vanderbilt, C Buster Posey of Florida State, catcher Mike Zunino of Florida, OF Andrew Benintendi of Arkansas and 1B-P Brendan McKay of Louisville, among others.
| 2024 NCBWA DIVISION I PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM | ||||||
| Pos. | First Team | School | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | Hometown |
| C | Kevin Bazzel | Texas Tech | 6-1 | 205 | So. | Rockwall, Texas |
| 1B | Nick Kurtz | Wake Forest | 6-6 | 235 | Jr. | Lancaster, Pa. |
| 2B | Travis Bazzana | Oregon State | 6-0 | 199 | Jr. | Sydney, Australia |
| SS | JJ Wetherholt | West Virginia | 5-10 | 190 | Jr. | Mars, Pa. |
| 3B | Tommy White | LSU | 6-0 | 236 | Jr. | St. Pete Beach, Fla. |
| OF | Charlie Condon | Georgia | 6-5 | 216 | r-So. | Marietta, Ga. |
| OF | Braden Montgomery | Texas A&M (Stanford) | 6-2 | 220 | Jr. | Madison, Miss. |
| OF | Ethan Petry | South Carolina | 6-4 | 235 | So. | Land O' Lakes, Fla. |
| OF | Nolan Schubart | Oklahoma State | 6-5 | 233 | So. | Durand, Mich. |
| DH | Derek Bender | Coastal Carolina | 6-1 | 235 | Jr. | Murrells Inlet, S.C. |
| UT | Jac Caglianone | Florida | 6-5 | 250 | Jr. | Tampa, Fla. |
| SP | Drew Beam | Tennessee | 6-4 | 207 | Jr. | Murfreesboro, Tenn. |
| SP | Brody Brecht | Iowa | 6-4 | 235 | Jr. | Ankeny, Iowa |
| SP | Josh Hartle | Wake Forest | 6-5 | 200 | Jr. | King, N.C. |
| SP | Dominic Niman | Kentucky (Central Connecticut) | 6-3 | 220 | Gr. | West Hartford, Conn. |
| SP | Trey Yesavage | East Carolina | 6-4 | 225 | Jr. | Boyertown, Pa. |
| RP | Brandon Neely | Florida | 6-3 | 210 | Jr. | Seville, Fla. |
| RP | Tyson Neighbors | Kansas State | 6-2 | 220 | Jr. | Royse City, Texas |
| RP | Fran Oschell III | Duke | 6-7 | 230 | Jr. | Phoenixville, Pa. |
| RP | james Tallon | Duke | 6-5 | 195 | So. | Arlington, Va. |
| Second Team: C Caden Bodine, Coastal Carolina, So.; C Ike Irish, Auburn, So.; 1B Ethan Anderson, Virginia, Jr.; 1B Anthony Martinez, UC Irvine, So.; 2B Chase Mora, Texas State, So.; 3B Billy Amick, Tennessee (Clemson), Jr.; 3B Carson DeMartini, Virginia Tech, Jr.; SS Wehiwa Aloy, Arkansas (Sacramento State), So.; SS Griff O’Ferrall, Virginia, Jr.; OF Lawson Harrill, Campbell, r-Sr.; OF Anthony Donofrio, UNC, Gr. (Quinnipiac); OF Cam Cannarella, Clemson, So.; OF Porter Brown, Texas, Sr.; OF Mike Sirota, Northeastern, Jr.; DH Alex Lane, Northeastern, r-Sr.; DH Slade Wilks, Southern Miss, Sr.; UT Justin Murray, Houston, Sr.; UT Payton Tolle, TCU (Wichita State), Jr.; SP Chase Burns, Wake Forest (Tennessee), Jr.; SP Reese Dutton, Kansas, (USC Upstate), Sr.; SP Sebastian Gongora, Louisville, (Wright State), Sr.; SP Kole Klecker, TCU, So.; SP Hagen Smith, Arkansas, Jr.; RP Austin Anderson, Oregon, Sr.; RP Hudson Barrett, UC Santa Barbara, So.; RP Joshua Romero, CSUN, Sr.; RP AJ Russell, Tennessee, So. | ||||||
| Third Team: C Cole Messina, South Carolina, Jr.; C Jacob Cozart, NC State, Jr.; 1B Gavin Kash, Texas Tech, So.; 1B Sam Kulasingam, Air Force, Sr.; 2B Christian Moore, Tennessee, Jr.; 2B Jacob Starling, East Carolina, Sr.; SS Jake Rainess, Houston, (Maine), Sr.; SS Anthony Silva, TCU, So.; 3B Brandon Eike, VCU, Sr.; 3B Jay Thomason, Air Force, Sr.; OF Daalen Adderly, Loyola Marymount (TX Southern), Jr.; OF Treyson Hughes, Ole Miss, (Mercer), Jr.; OF Seaver King, Wake Forest (Wingate), Jr.; OF Jace LaViolette, Texas A&M, So.; OF Shane Lewis, Troy, Jr.; OF Cam Maldonado, Northeastern, So.; DH Ryan Cesarini, Saint Joseph’s, Jr.; DH Jack Hay, Alabama State, Sr.; UT Cole Mathis, Coll. of Charleston, Jr.; SP Matt Ager, UC Santa Barbara, Jr.; SP Aiven Cabral, Northeastern, So.; SP Andrew Healy, Duke, So.; SP Lebarron Johnson Jr., Texas, r-Jr.; SP Michael Massey, Wake Forest, Jr.; SP Mason Molina, Arkansas, (Texas Tech), Jr.; RP Ben Abeldt, TCU, So.; RP Micah Ashman, Utah, Jr.; RP Chris Lotito, Jacksonville, r-Jr.; RP Noah Manning, Troy, Sr.; RP Mason Moore, Kentucky, Jr. | ||||||
Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball. Membership is open to writers, broadcasters and publicists of the sport. For more information about the NCBWA, visit the association's official website www.ncbwa.com. The preseason All-America squads are considered the first step toward the eventual selection of the 2020 Dick Howser Trophy presented by the Game Headwear and voted upon for 23 seasons by members of the NCBWA.