When the 2023 DI baseball tournament gets underway with the first pitches at noon ET on June 2, we can expect some offensive fireworks almost right away.
Here's a look at some of the best lineups 1-9 in the field, listed in alphabetical order.
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Campbell
The numbers speak for themselves with the Camels. An offense that leads the field of 64 in a number of offensive categories like OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging) and total runs scored (555). The argument of poor strength of schedule is moot, as Campbell has been putting up numbers like those consistently against out-of-conference opposition.
All of Campbell's nine regular starters hit over .250 at the plate and six different Camels have double-digit home runs. Lawson Harrill leads the team in homers, RBIs and is second in average at .374. He's behind Tyler Halstead, who also leads the Camels with over 30 stolen bases. Campbell as a team has the third most stolen bases in the field.
And for what it's worth, the Camels also lead the country in batters hit by pitches. Any way to get on base goes a long way when the rest of the lineup is so capable of driving in runs.
No. 2 Florida
The Gators are no strangers to running up the score, and although they don't lead the country in any one stat, UF is among national leaders in plenty of categories — slugging percentage (.555), home runs (116) and total runs scored (478).
The obvious headliner is Jac Caglianone, who has been stealing headlines all season long with his two-way play. At the plate, Caglianone has launched 28 homers and drove in 76 runs. Wyatt Langford gets on base in over half of his plate appearances and Josh Rivera is always a tough out.
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No. 5 LSU
Despite the Tigers' struggles of late, there is no denying the star power and devastating hitters in this lineup.
Starting with SEC Player of the Year Dylan Crews and his batting average north of .400 and on-base percentage approaching .600 — he's reached base safely in literally every game this season — Crews is as much of a guarantee at the plate as anyone in the country.
Slugging Tommy White follows soon after, with a BA in the high .300s, 20 home runs and 91 RBIs, he's a nightmare to face. The lineup is dangerous 1-9 and any opponent's best bet is to slow them down rather than shut down.
As a team, LSU hit .311 at the plate with an OBP of just under 1.000. As long as they find their early season form again, the Tigers will have a say in the national title picture.
Maryland
The Terrapins offense has been the Big Ten's most prolific all season, on both a team and individual level. A team average over .300, one of two teams in the field with an OPS of 1.000, top-3 in runs and the most long balls of any team in the field.
The advanced stats back them up, too. Maryland's strikeout-to-walk ratio is top-3 in the nation, and behind only Wake Forest among teams in the tournament.
Nick Lorusso is the Terps' triple crown leader on the plate, and his 99 RBIs lead all of DI — a Big Ten single-season record and one away from being the first DI player in 20 years with 100 RBIs in a season.
No. 1 Wake Forest
At this point, everyone knows about the arm talent in Winston-Salem, but the lineup deserves love. The Deacons have a team OPS up there with LSU, Maryland and Campbell. The advanced numbers love Wake as well. As mentioned above, the Deacs' K-to-BB ratio is best-in-class.
Half the lineup hits well over .300, two players have hit 20 home runs in Nick Kurtz and Brock Wilken, who both reach base in half their PAs and have slugging percentages over .800. Even if someone can rattle the Deacons' starters and bullpen, good luck outscoring the No. 1 overall seed.
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No. 7 Virginia
The Cavaliers subscribe to a different definition of a high-powered offense. The long ball is not as common in Virginia games as it is with other national seeds, but the Hoos more than make up for it with efficient hitting. The .334 team batting average is the best in the country with an OBP that's top-5 in the tourney.
UVA also leads the country in doubles and strikes out just 15% of the time. Want an advanced metric? How about a BABIP (batting average on balls in play) of .375. The ball may stay in the yard more often than with other teams mentioned here, but the Cavaliers know not just how to hit, but where to hit.
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