Ranking college baseball teams in order of their odds to win College World Series in 2024

Just under two weeks have passed since the start of the college baseball season, and so far, its top teams are some familiar names.

Wake Forest top the latest USA TODAY Coaches Poll after making their third College World Series (CWS) appearance last year. Reigning national champions LSU are right behind, followed by TCU – a team that also made the CWS in 2023 – and Florida, last year's runners-up.

Top-ranked teams through the first couple of weeks of play don't always indicate top CWS contenders. There is still so much of the season left to play. TCU, for example, was ranked outside of the top 15 in Week 2 last year and dropped out of the top 25 entirely three weeks later. They finished the year ranked seventh and made it to the CWS semifinals.

Through early play so far this season, here's where college baseball teams rank based on championship odds courtesy of BetMGM.

USA TODAY Coaches' Poll: See where top baseball teams rank in latest poll

College baseball power rankings: Week 2

1. Wake Forest (+700)

The team that entered last year's College World Series as the nation's top-ranked team is the early favorite to win it all in 2024. The Demon Deacons have just one college baseball championship in program history, and it was back in 1955. Their appearance in the CWS last year was their first since that championship.

With back-to-back tournament appearances in 2022 and 2023, a regional championship last year and a strong, 7-1 start to this season, Wake Forest is on the right track.

2. LSU (+800)

After two of their best players were drafted first (pitcher Paul Skenes) and second (outfielder Dylan Crews) overall in the 2023 MLB Draft, LSU's roster is slightly weaker. At 7-1 so far this season, they're still among favorites to win it all again this year thanks to some strong reinforcements.

Sophomore first baseman Jared Jones has four home runs in eight games so far this season in his first year taking over the spot from former LSU star Tre' Morgan. Starting pitcher and Alabama transfer Luke Holman has 18 strikeouts, one walk and zero runs allowed over two starts. Freshman left fielder Jake Brown is third on the team in batting average (.368).

T-3. Florida (+1000)

The Gators dropped their season opener to St. John's and their most recent game to Stetson, but they've dominated every other opponent this year after falling just short of a title in 2023. Florida is 5-2 with an average margin of victory of 7.8 runs in their five wins.

Junior first baseman/pitcher Jac Caglianone continues to look like one of college baseball's top prospects so far. He had seven strikeouts, two walks and two hits allowed against 11 batters (.182 average) in his first start of the season on Sunday. At the plate, he leads the Gators with a .481 average and is second on the team with a 1.230 OPS.

T-3. Arkansas (+1000)

After a strong 2023 regular season, the then-No. 3 Razorbacks fell twice to TCU in their super regional to miss out on a CWS berth. This year, they're 6-2 and most recently blew out Grambling State in a 21-1 run-rule win in seven innings.

For most of the year so far, it's the pitching that has been dominant for Arkansas. The team has allowed as many as five runs just once: a 15-5 run-rule win over JMU in their second game.

There is no better example of Arkansas pitchers' dominance than that of junior starting pitcher Hagen Smith. The Texas native tied a single-game program record with 17 strikeouts in the Razorbacks' 5-4 win over Oregon State on Friday. He only needed six innings (18 outs) and 78 pitches to accomplish the feat.

5. Tennessee (+1500)

The Vols finished the 2023 season as the No. 4-ranked team in the country after their elimination at the hands of LSU in the second round of the CWS. This year, they're off to an 8-1 start with their only loss coming in extra innings in the second game of the season.

Tennessee's record so far this season is a product of solid pitching and an excellent lineup with pop. Six lineup regulars – juniors Billy Amick, Christian Moore and Robin Villeneuve as well as redshirt sophomore Kavares Tears, sophomore Dalton Bargo and freshman Dean Curley – have an OPS over 1.000.

Villeneuve, a junior-college transfer, has been particularly impressive with his .563 average (9-for-16), five walks and two home runs in seven games (six starts).

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T-6. Vanderbilt (+1800)

T-6. Oregon State (+1800)

T-8. TCU (+2000)

T-8. Texas A&M (+2000)

T-10. Clemson (+3000)

T-10. Virginia (+3000)

T-10. Texas (+3000)

T-10. South Carolina (+3000)

T-14. UCLA (+3500)

T-14. East Carolina (+3500)

T-14. Duke (+3500)

T-17. Stanford (+5000)

T-17. Oregon (+5000)

T-17. Alabama (+5000)

T-17. North Carolina (+5000)

T-17. Auburn (+5000)

T-17. N.C. State (+5000)

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When is the 2024 College World Series?

The 2024 college baseball postseason will begin with regional matchups from May 31-June 3. Super regionals will run from June 7-9 or June 8-10.

College World Series games will begin among qualified teams June 14 with the finals taking place June 22-23/24.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College baseball power rankings based on College World Series odds