Players to watch

RHP BRADY SINGER, FLORIDA

Singer enters the season projected to be the No. 1 overall pick by the Detroit Tigers in the Major League Baseball draft in June. The 6-5, 210-pound junior made 19 starts, pitched 126 innings and went 9-5 in 2017. He made two starts in the College World Series, winning both and striking out 21 in 14 innings. He set a CWS finals record with 12 strikeouts against LSU in Game 1. Singer and fellow Gator Jackson Kowar, also expected to be a firstround pick, are joined by Tyler Dyson in one of the nation’s most formidable weekend rotations.

LHP SHANE MCCLANAHAN, SOUTH FLORIDA

McClanahan is rated as the No. 1 or 2 draft-eligible left-hander in the college game. The 6-2, 188-pounder came back from Tommy John surgery to strike out 12.32 per nine innings last season, ranking eighth in the country. He also led the American Athletic Conference with a .181 batting average against. With a 97-mph fastball and effective changeup,

INF NICK MADRIGAL, OREGON STATE

At 5-8 and 165 pounds, the junior is out of the mold of 2017 American League MVP Jose Altuve. Madrigal was player of the year and defensive player of the year in the Pac-12 last season. He batted .380 with 20 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs and 40 RBI. He also stole 16 bases in 18 attempts. He split time between second base and shortstop last season and committed just five errors in 233 chances.

OF/RHP MATT WALLNER, SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI

The Golden Eagles’ sophomore star could be the best two-way player in the nation now that Brendan McKay has moved on. The 6-5, 220-pound Wallner batted .336 with 19 home runs and 63 RBI last season. He had a .655 slugging percentage and, after taking 45 walks, a .463 on-base percentage. A hip injury limited him to nine pitching appearances; he was 2-0 with 3 saves and a 1.84 ERA.

SS JEREMY EIERMAN, MISSOURI STATE

Eierman is coming off one of the greatest offensive seasons in Missouri Valley Conference history. The free-swinging junior was fifth in the nation with 23 home runs, led the Valley with 68 RBI, scored 37 runs and had 39 extra-base hits. He also batted a team-high .341 with runners on base, drove in 26 runs with 2 outs and reached base in 33 consecutive games.

OF/1B SETH BEER, CLEMSON

Beer won the Dick Howser Trophy as college baseball’s top player in 2016 and was a semifinalist last year. Remarkably consistent over his 125 career games, with 34 home runs, 30 doubles, 123 RBI and 126 walks. He reached base via a hit or walk in 66 consecutive games with a plate appearance. Last season he batted .298 with 16 home runs, 17 doubles and 53 RBI and was second in the ACC with 64 walks.