The College Baseball World Series is upon us, and it’s time to look back at some players that the Orioles drafted and how they completely took over the event.
I took a few things into consideration when making this list. Firstly, I expanded outside of just the Omaha version of the College World Series because the options of just doing Omaha made it very difficult, and the choices were limited.
The other consideration I took was that the player needed to be in the Orioles organization currently. Former draft picks like Blaine Knight and Cadyn Greiner were big College World Series pieces but are currently not in the organization any longer.
Without further ado, let’s get into it.
ANTHONY SERVIDEO: 2019 – OLE MISS
Servideo was an energetic infielder at Ole Miss from 2018-2020, and he was the definition of efficiency at the plate and on the base paths. Servideo’s 2019 season as a whole was solid, with a .287 average and an OPS over .800. But his 2019 College World Series was something else.
Ole Miss entered as the 12th seed overall in the tournament and the one seed in the Oxford Region. The Rebels would roll through the Oxford Region, going 3-0 behind the hot bat of Servideo, who went 4-for-7 with four RBIs, a home run and five walks.
Ole Miss would then face the five seed overall, Arkansas, when they would not be so lucky. They would lose in the Super Regionals in a three-game series, and Servideo’s bat would go cold, only compiling two hits in nine total at-bats.
Servideo’s full stat line for the 2019 College World Series would go .375/.583/.750 with a 1.333 OPS in six total games. He tallied seven runs, six RBIs, four singles, two home runs, eight walks, four strikeouts and went 2-for-3 in stolen bases.
The Orioles would draft Servideo in the third round of the 2020 MLB Draft. The now 24-year-old is currently in Double-A Bowie, where his defensive talent has shown off.
Although his bat hasn’t translated to pro ball quite yet, Servideo is resembling the play of top-30 O’s infield prospect, Joey Ortiz, who started his pro career quiet at the plate but later found his offensive spark, while keeping his above average glove in the middle infield.
DONTA’ WILLIAMS: 2021 – ARIZONA
I would like to believe that we have all seen the acrobatic plays Williams has made in center field this year, as he might be one of the most underrated outfield prospects defensively in the entire minor leagues. But his 2021 College World Series shows that he can be clutch in big situations.
Williams, during his time with the University of Arizona between 2018-2021, started out pretty slow. His 2021 season, however, was nothing less than spectacular. Holding a .342 average with an OPS over one during the entire season was something that made Williams break out and help Arizona clinch the fifth overall seed in the College World Series.
Arizona dominated the Tucson region, going 3-0 behind Williams’ big bat and impeccable speed. Williams went 5-for-13 with two runs, one RBI, three singles, a double, a walk and went 3-for-3 in stolen bases.
Williams, in the next round, would go 8-for-14 with six runs, seven RBIs, three singles, two doubles, a home run and two walks. His bat would help lead Arizona over Ole Miss in the Super Regional and move the Wildcats on to the 2021 College World Series in Omaha. He would calm down offensively after that, only getting one hit in 10 at-bats, as Arizona would go winless and be eliminated after two games.
Williams would have a .358 average and an OPS of 1.024 in eight games. He scored 10 runs and tally eight RBIs, four doubles, two home runs and four walks. Williams would be drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 draft, and as we have seen this year with Bowie, he makes some insane catches like this.
HESTON KJERSTAD: 2018 – ARKANSAS
I would say that the 2018 College World Series is the wake-up call on how good Heston Kjerstad truly is. Kjerstad was just a freshman during the 2017-2018 season, and with his impeccable season, he would be the SEC Freshman of the Year and someone to look forward to watching during the College World Series.
Kjerstad would have a .332 batting average and an OPS over 1.000 throughout the entire season. He would also hit 14 home runs and walk 26 times, as Arkansas would enter the 2018 College World Series as the five seed.
The Razorbacks dominated the Fayetteville Region, going 3-0, and Kjerstad went off. Going 5-for-10 with four runs scored, five RBIs, three singles, two home runs and a walk. Arkansas would then plow through South Carolina in the Super Regional, taking two out of three, as Kjerstad slowed down a little, going 3-for-11.
In the College World Series, Kjerstad and Arkansas would go on a tear throughout the tournament. Arkansas would make it all the way to the championship without losing a game and would win the first game of the series before losing the next two and losing the series overall. Kjerstad, though, would be solid, going 6-for-24 at the plate with four RBIs and would make the All College World Series Team.
Kjerstad would be the second overall pick of the 2020 draft, and while everyone stated that the Orioles reached on him, he has shown that the Orioles did anything but reach. Kjerstad is now the fourth overall prospect in the organization and is the 51st best prospect in the sport.
ADLEY RUTSCHMAN: 2018 – OREGON STATE
The Orioles’ star catcher was once a College World Series Champion and player of the tournament back in 2018. Rutschman is one of the best college prospects in recent history and was the consensus top pick of the 2019 draft. His 2018 season as a whole was filled with accomplishments and broken records.
Rutschman’s 2018 consisted of a .408 average, with a school record 102 total hits and 83 RBIs. He also had 22 doubles, three triples and walked 53 times while striking out just 40 times. His time in June during the College World Series experience would be legendary and is still talked about today.
Oregon State entered as the three seed overall, and like Arkansas, that same year, never let go of the gas. Oregon State would go 5-0 through the Regionals and Super Regionals behind the hot bat of Rutschman, who went 8-for-24 with seven RBIs, four runs, four singles, two doubles, one home run and two walks.
When Oregon State made Omaha, Rutschman would have one of the best eight-game stretches that baseball will ever see. He would go 17-for-30 (.566 average), scoring eight runs and tallying 13 RBIs, 13 singles, two doubles, two home runs, seven walks and four strikeouts. Rutschman’s 17 hits would be a College World Series record, and it would help lead Oregon State to becoming the 2018 NCAA Baseball Champions.
Rutschman would be drafted in 2019 with the number one overall pick and would fly through the minor leagues. Rutschman would debut on May 21, 2022, and have such a great season that not only would he be second in AL Rookie of the Year voting but would also receive AL MVP votes.
As the 2023 College World Series encompasses the sports world, we might see yet another player who the Orioles draft in 2023 be dominant in June and help grow the depth of the organization even more.
Who stood out to you on this list? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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