College Baseball's 5 Best Power Hitting Teams
Nothing in baseball beats a towering home run. In the big leagues, the crack of the wood bat offers some of the most excitement in sports. In college, it's the ping of an aluminum bat that sometimes creates jaw-dropping home runs that seem to enter orbit.
Which five college baseball teams have the hottest bats right now? Which ones are the most fearsome at the plate?
To determine this list, we pulled slugging percentages and home runs from the NCAA's stats database. Special consideration was given to teams with especially lethal hitters and their potential, even if they're slightly underdelivering in the stats department.
Texas' Ivan Melendez connects with a pitch early in the Longhorns' season. Melendez has multiple 400+ foot home runs this season.
5. Texas Longhorns
We're already exercising that "underdelivering" clause with the first team on this list. Texas is 34th in slugging nationally (0.497) and tied for 32nd in total home runs (28), but the number-two team in the nation packs a wallop with baseball's biggest home run threat Ivan Melendez.
What's the cause for their slide statistically? One of the nation's toughest schedules, if not the sole toughest. Out-of-conference play against two of the top five teams in ERA nationally and four ranked teams.
4. Old Dominion Monarchs
What happens when you combine 37 home runs (seventh), the third-best slugging percentage, and a favorable schedule into one? You get the nation's fifth-highest scoring team. ODU this team has torn through their schedule like tissue paper, battering every opposing pitching staff.
Andy Garriola and Carter Trice lead the team with nine and seven home runs, respectively. Garriola is also batting .355 on the season with 27 RBI. While their schedule hasn't offered a ton of pitching prowess, the Monarchs are doing what good hitting teams do– take advantage.
3. Virginia Tech Hokies
It's tough sledding in the ACC, but Virginia Tech is shooting the lights out at the plate. The Hokies are second in slugging and third in home runs thanks to the trio of Eduardo Malinowski (nine home runs), Jack Hurley (seven), and Carson DeMartini (six).
Even when they were swept by powerhouse Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech had pop on the bats. They scored 20 runs in the three losses, a valiant offensive effort. At 13-6 on the season, pitching is the main focus in Blacksburg.
This year's hottest rising team, Virginia, celebrates a home run from freshman Griff O'Ferrall (6).
Matt Riley/UVA Athletic Communications
2. Virginia Cavaliers
What a start the Virginia Cavaliers are off to– they're 20-1 on the season and lead the nation in scoring (11.8 runs per game). As a team, they're fourth in slugging (.586) and fifth in team home runs (40). However, their numbers don't come from an outlier series; the Cavs are consistently giving the scoreboard a workout.
Sophomore Jake Gelof leads the nation in RBI with a ridiculous 45 in just 20 games and has added 12 home runs (also most). Gelof's numbers dampen teammate Alex Tappen, who's driven in 31 runs (tied for 10th). No one has shown the ability to stop these guys, not even the top pitching staffs in the conference.
1. Tennessee Volunteers
There really wasn't a question as to who the top power hitting team this season so far is. The Vols lead the nation in both slugging (.707) and home runs (56) by a comfortable margin. Though a standout series against Iona inflated these numbers (Tennessee scored 68 runs in three games), the Vols continue to punish opposing pitchers.
Trey Lipscomb is second nationally in RBI (36) and paces the team with nine home runs. Drew Gilbert– who delivered a walk off grand slam in the postseason– leads the Vols in batting with a .472 average. When your team leads the nation in the two key power hitting stats, you deserve the top spot.
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