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Rank the Top 10 college baseball programs OF ALL-TIME

Posted on 7/1/23 at 10:01 pm
Posted by MrWalkingMan
31st Parallel North
Member since Aug 2010
6348 posts
Posted on 7/1/23 at 10:01 pm
Past history is the only thing that counts. Who ya got?

1.) USC
2.) LSU
3.) Texas
4.) Arizona State
5.) Arizona
6.) Miami
7.) Cal State Fullerton
8.) Stanford
9.) South Carolina
10.) Oklahoma State
This post was edited on 7/3/23 at 11:47 am
Posted by SWLA92
SWLA
Member since Feb 2015
1896 posts
Posted on 7/1/23 at 10:07 pm to
USC was dominant in the 70s but they haven’t won one since 98 I don’t see how they can be above us. They haven’t been relevant in over a 2 decades that should mean something
Posted by Datsmoneydude
Member since Jun 2021
1751 posts
Posted on 7/1/23 at 10:08 pm to
As bad as this kills me to type, you have to put Oregon state in there somewhere. 3 titles is 3 titles
Posted by TigerintheNO
New Orleans
Member since Jan 2004
41195 posts
Posted on 7/1/23 at 10:10 pm to
quote:

10.) (tie)* Oklahoma State, Florida State *Tie due to incredible decades-long histories but no natty to separate them


Ok State has won a CWS, and were runner-up 5 times.
Posted by lsu711
Member since Sep 2003
13047 posts
Posted on 7/1/23 at 10:17 pm to
I’d bet a decent amount that the next 5 national champs will come from this group:

1. LSU
2. Texas
3. Vanderbilt
4. Florida
5. Arkansas
6. Miss State
7. TCU
8. Tennessee
9. Oregon State
10. Miami
Posted by drizztiger
Deal With it!
Member since Mar 2007
37073 posts
Posted on 7/1/23 at 10:22 pm to
quote:

USC was dominant in the 70s but they haven’t won one since 98 I don’t see how they can be above us. They haven’t been relevant in over a 2 decades that should mean something
USC's run in the 70s was remarkable, even in a different era. I believe 5 titles in a row and 6 of 7. I think they also still own the highest winning percentage in CWS history - and by a good margin.

I think OPs list looks good. 1 through 7 would be the same for most lists, even if the order is changed. 8-10 is probably open for more variance.
Posted by CP3LSU25
Louisiana
Member since Feb 2009
51150 posts
Posted on 7/1/23 at 10:29 pm to
LSU should have beaten USC in 1998
Posted by drizztiger
Deal With it!
Member since Mar 2007
37073 posts
Posted on 7/1/23 at 10:38 pm to
quote:

LSU should have beaten USC in 1998
That still pisses me off to a decent degree.

We beat them in game 1 and went through the bracket to the driver's seat. Then they beat us twice.

Then they put up 21 in the Championship game.
Posted by ATCTx
Member since Nov 2016
1055 posts
Posted on 7/1/23 at 10:40 pm to
USCs baseball run in the 70s is a bit like UCLAs basketball run in the 60s/70s. Neither has been a major power since.

Not many people cared about college baseball until ESPN started showing games in the early 80s. I'd argue LSU's 7 were harder to win than USC's 12.
Posted by Tigercruiser56
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2020
118 posts
Posted on 7/1/23 at 10:45 pm to
That cold front cooled off our bats.
Posted by drizztiger
Deal With it!
Member since Mar 2007
37073 posts
Posted on 7/1/23 at 10:59 pm to
quote:

USCs baseball run in the 70s is a bit like UCLAs basketball run in the 60s/70s. Neither has been a major power since.
Good point and I agree. It's still difficult for me to dismiss their accomplishments being how dominant they were on that level of playing field.

quote:

Not many people cared about college baseball until ESPN started showing games in the early 80s. I'd argue LSU's 7 were harder to win than USC's 12.
I wouldn't argue against this.

One thing that I remember is ESPN would rarely show games in prime time. Often they would have a 2:00am replay slot for LSU vs. (let's say Wichita State) - and you'd have to catch replays.
Posted by Hold That Tiger 10
Member since Oct 2013
21063 posts
Posted on 7/1/23 at 11:12 pm to
quote:

I'd argue LSU's 7 were harder to win than USC's 12.


shite USC's 12 and our first 5 were nowhere near as difficult to win as our last 2.

JJ is a great coach, and I think LSU is extremely lucky to have him. I don't expect him to coast on this 1 NC for a few years, and become relaxed like Mainieri did. However, a type of run we had under skip, or USC had, would be 100 times more impressive than what either have done. It's just not realistic to expect to happen in today's game.
This post was edited on 7/1/23 at 11:14 pm
Posted by drizztiger
Deal With it!
Member since Mar 2007
37073 posts
Posted on 7/1/23 at 11:23 pm to
quote:

shite USC's 12 and our first 5 were nowhere near as difficult to win as our last 2.
This couldn't be understated enough IMO.

Not only has the game gained more popularity and resources from ADs, the formats have changed drastically.

Go from 6 team regionals, to 4 team regionals, super regionals, and then best of 3 for championship series. The game has changed a lot.
Posted by CDawson
Louisiana
Member since Dec 2017
16416 posts
Posted on 7/1/23 at 11:42 pm to
NIL has changed the era again.
Posted by Who_Dat_Tiger
Member since Nov 2015
17446 posts
Posted on 7/1/23 at 11:54 pm to
Hard to rank someone ahead of us that hasn’t even qualified for the postseason but twice in the last two decades plus. There’s a reason USC didn’t even make D1baseball’s top 100 current college baseball programs that keeps getting shared on here from last offseason.

As others said USC benefitted from championships before college baseball was popularized by LSU. I think of them as a Ivy League football program. Historically significant, but don’t belong on the list of college baseball blue bloods anymore. Just like when someone asks you who are college football’s blue bloods Yale and Harvard are not the programs that come to mind.
Posted by drizztiger
Deal With it!
Member since Mar 2007
37073 posts
Posted on 7/2/23 at 12:10 am to
That’s why these discussions get convoluted and messy in a way.

IMO everyone with a good perspective understands the differences in time and era.

If I had to rank I’m easily going LSU. But I like to put into an overall, like OP intended.
Posted by olgoi khorkhoi
priapism survivor
Member since May 2011
14857 posts
Posted on 7/2/23 at 5:27 am to
Objectively,Texas is ahead of LSU all-time. LSU has one more title, but Texas has 19 more CWS appearances. Unless titles are all that matter, in which case ranking them doesn't take much thought.
Posted by Scoob
Near Exxon
Member since Jun 2009
20405 posts
Posted on 7/2/23 at 6:13 am to
quote:

Past history is the only thing that counts. Who ya got?

1.) USC
2.) LSU
3.) Texas
4.) Arizona State
5.) Arizona
6.) Miami
7.) Cal State Fullerton
8.) Stanford
9.) South Carolina
10.) (tie)* Oklahoma State, Florida State
If that's the case, I'd put Wichita State up there somewhere.

8th best winning percentage in D1, even after a decade of slumping badly. 7 CWS, made the finals 4 times; 0-2 against us, 1-1 against the rest.

They're not a top 30 team now, but if past history puts USC at #1, I would think it would put Wichita somewhere around 10.

Posted by Jugular Joe
Member since Jan 2020
4335 posts
Posted on 7/2/23 at 6:17 am to
1) Texas
2) LSU
3) USC

You just can't overlook the fact that UT has a whopping 38 CWS appearances to LSU's 19. The one extra title doesn't do enough to overtake them. Maybe if we got to 9 titles vs their 6 you could then talk about placing LSU ahead of them.

USC has exactly one championship beyond the 1970s. That's one of those huge asterisks type deals.

Posted by TexasTiger08
Member since Oct 2006
25527 posts
Posted on 7/2/23 at 7:00 am to
quote:

You just can't overlook the fact that UT has a whopping 38 CWS appearances to LSU's 19.


Agreed. People want to rank LSU over USC (which I see the argument), but the same logic can be used to have Texas over LSU. UT has been kickass in pretty much every decade, and it’s not like they suck now.

I think 1 more title puts LSU over Texas.
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