10 Best Teams in College Baseball History

The College World Series made its debut in 1947.

Every full season since, one team has joined the list of College World Series winners.

However, not all champions are created equal. A select few separate and stand apart.

Greatest CWS Champions of All-Time

Only College World Series champions were eligible for this ranking. Admittedly, that precludes iconic teams such as 1985 Mississippi State (Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro), 2021 Vanderbilt (Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter) and 2023 Florida (Wyatt Langford and Jac Caglianone) from being considered.

These are the best of the best: The 10 greatest College World Series champions of all-time.

The game has changed and the talent level in college baseball has exploded, which is why this ranking has more of a modern-day feel.

10. 2011 South Carolina (55-14)

Ray Tanner’s Gamecocks remain the most recent team to win back-to-back CWS titles.

The 2011 team did it by committee — and with a target on their back the entire season. Jackie Bradley was the Gamecocks’ best player — and only first-round pick — but 11 other position players went on to play professional baseball.

Seven Gamecocks were named to the 11-player all-College World Series team.

Most impressive? South Carolina went 10-0 in the NCAA Tournament, including 5-0 in the College World Series.

9. 2019 Vanderbilt (59-12)

Tim Corbin’s Vandy Boys were in full juggernaut mode by the time the 2019 season arrived. Vandy had won a CWS title (2014) and produced a steady stream of early-round MLB picks, including Dansby Swanson, the 2014 CWS Most Outstanding Player and No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft.

The 2019 team featured freshman phenom Kumar Rocker, who threw a no-hitter with 19 strikeouts in the Super Regionals to help get Vandy to Omaha.

An astounding 26 players on the roster were drafted at some point — either as a high school player or after helping the ‘Dores win their second CWS title. Five of them have made the major leagues, including Rocker and outfielder JJ Bleday, the No. 4 overall pick of the 2019 MLB Draft.

(Notably, Vandy’s 2021 team might have been even better. That team, led by Rocker and Jack Leiter, featured arguably the best 1-2 starting pitching combo in college baseball history. Both were taken in the top 10 of the 2021 MLB Draft. That team reached the CWS Finals but lost to Mississippi State in Game 3.)

8. 2017 Florida (52-19)

Florida’s first College World Series championship team had the ideal blend of next-level hitting and pitching talent.

Six Gators — 3 pitchers and 3 position players — eventually made the major leagues. An astounding 27 players were drafted at some point in their baseball career.

All of that talent and experience was on display throughout the NCAA Tournament as Florida had to rally from the loser’s bracket to win its regional, Super Regional and, eventually, the College World Series.

Both pitchers on the all-CWS team were Gators: Alex Faedo and Brady Singer. And Faedo was named the College World Series Most Outstanding Player.

7. 1975 Texas (59-6)

Legendary coach Cliff Gustafson’s squad featured 8 Major League Draft picks, including slugger Keith Moreland.

How loaded was Texas? Four Longhorns were named to the 11-player all-CWS team — and Moreland wasn’t one of them. Moreland, however, was so dominant throughout his career that he was named to the all-1970s College World Series.

The Longhorns finished with just 6 losses — the fewest by any CWS champion that played more than 35 games.

6. 2024 Tennessee (60-13)

Tony Vitello’s Vols had been knocking on the door for years before finally — and emphatically — breaking through in 2024.

Eight Vols — led by No. 8 overall pick Christian Moore — were selected in the first 8 rounds of the 2024 MLB Draft.

Several others are projected early-round MLB Draft picks in 2025, most notably shortstop Dean Curley, who was named to the 2024 All-CWS team.

In 2030, we might look back on this team as the most talented CWS champion in SEC history.

5. 1983 Texas (66-14)

Where to begin?

How about with Roger Clemens, an eventual 300-game winner in the Major Leagues?

Clemens was the Longhorns’ ace in 1983 — and one of the most dominant pitchers in college baseball history — but four other pitchers on this staff also made it to the majors. That includes Calvin Schiraldi, who was named the 1983 CWS Most Outstanding Player.

Clemens and Schiraldi both were first-round picks in the 1983 MLB Draft, too.

The Longhorns could hit, too. Shortstop Mike Brumley was 1 of 3 position players who played in the Major Leagues.

4. 1978 USC (54-9)

There is a fierce and worthy debate among Trojans faithful that the 1978 champions weren’t even the best team in program history. That will happen when you win 7 College World Series crowns in 11 years while establishing yourself as the sport’s first dynasty. USC has won 12 CWS titles, most in the sport’s history.

The 1978 team gets the nod for several key reasons:

Notably, the Trojans went 8-0 in the NCAA Tournament, including 5-0 in the College World Series. They didn’t allow more than 3 runs in any game in Omaha.

They beat defending champion Arizona State twice — first in pool play (5-2) and then again in the national championship game (10-3). That Arizona State team featured the No. 1 overall pick (Bob Horner) and No. 3 overall pick (Hubie Brooks) in the 1978 MLB Draft.

Finally, the Trojans had 11 players from this team selected in the MLB Draft, including 7 who played in the Major Leagues.

Pitcher Rod Boxberger was named the CWS Most Outstanding Player and was 1 of 5 Trojans on the all-CWS team.

3. 1995 Cal State Fullerton (57-9)

The Titans lived up to their mascot’s name in becoming the first — and still only — CWS champion to finish a season with fewer than 10 losses since 1978, when USC (54-9) pulled off the feat.

The Titans were 8-0 in the NCAA Tournament, including 4-0 in the College World Series.

Mark Kotsay became just the third player in college baseball history to win the Golden Spikes Award as the nation’s top player and the College World Series in the same season.

Kotsay did it all with his bat and arm. He hit .422 with 21 home runs and 90 RBIs at the plate, and then served as the Titans’ closer, registering 11 saves with a 0.31 ERA.

Baseball America named the 1995 Titans the best team of the 20th century. We think there was one even better.

2. 1977 Arizona State (57-12)

Double A teams in the minor leagues would be fortunate to have as much talent as Jim Brock had on his 1977 Sun Devils team.

Arizona State’s lineup featured 4 players who were eventually selected in the first- or second-round of the MLB Draft. Six players reached the Major Leagues, and two others made it to Triple A.

Arizona State’s entire infield was named to the 11-player all-College World Series team.

Bob Horner was the sophomore star, blasting 22 home runs with 87 RBIs. Horner won the Golden Spikes Award the following season, when USC outslugged Arizona State in the championship game to prevent a repeat.

Horner and catcher Chris Bando were named to the all-1970s College World Series team.

Horner and Hubie Brooks were the No. 1 and No. 3 picks, respectively, in the 1978 MLB Draft and became All-Stars in the major leagues.

1. 2023 LSU (54-17)

Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews made history by becoming the first set of teammates to go No. 1 and No. 2 overall in the same MLB Draft.

Crews joined Rick Monday as the only 2 players in college baseball history to win the Golden Spikes Award and the College World Series in the same season.

Skenes captured every major pitching award.

But … wait, there’s more.

Tommy White solidified his “Tommy Tanks” legend with several late-game home runs — none bigger than his walk-off home run to eliminate Wake Forest and send the Tigers to the CWS Finals vs. Florida.

Ty Floyd struck out 17 Gators to help win Game 1 of the best-of-3 finals. After Florida dominated Game 2, Crews and White each had 4 hits to power a no-doubt 18-4 victory in Game 3 to seal the championship and the Tigers’ legacy.

Seven Tigers were named to the 11-player all-CWS team.

Six everyday position players are playing professional baseball in 2025, including Crews, who already is in the major leagues.

Skenes got the majors first … and was named the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year. Four other members of the Tigers’ pitching staff also played in the minor leagues in 2024 — meaning 11 Tigers on the 2023 national championship team already are playing professional baseball.

Chris Wright

Managing Editor

A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.