In what was an incredible year for the ACC, let's look back on the 2024 season and grade each Atlantic team on how it went. The Atlantic as a whole had a good year but also had two of its seven teams miss the ACC Tournament in Charlotte. Florida State was the last ACC team standing while NC State was one pitch away from a completely different Omaha experience.
Boston College: C-
2024 saw a lot of change for the Eagles. With a new head coach and some key pieces to replace from a 2023 team that should have hosted a regional, it was a very bumpy 2024 season. Giving Boston College a good grade cannot be done when this team not only failed to replicate the 2023 season, but failed to make the ACC tournament and finished with the worst record in the conference.
There were bright spots for Boston College as the rotation was pretty solid. John West was the heart of the staff and posted a Top 20 ERA in the conference. Cameron Leary was by far the best player in the lineup for BC, though we saw some real promise from the likes of Adam Magpoc & Nick Wang this season. Overall, this Boston College team was near the bottom of most categories, but I attribute a lot of that to the growing pains that come with a new coach. Though BC did not grade out well this season, I do expect a potential "Most Improved Team" award for them next year.
Clemson: B+
Let me be honest. This grade is a bit harsh. The Tigers hosted a Regional and a Super Regional this season. They were Top 3 in the conference for most starting pitching categories and had an electric lineup. The "Cardiac Cats", as some labeled this 2024 Clemson team, knew how to battle to the last pitch. This grade mainly comes from the high expectations of reaching Omaha. It felt like this Clemson team was going to do it. There are a lot of "what ifs" that have me wondering if luck was a big part of why the Tigers didn't reach their ultimate goal.
In 2024, Clemson had three guys in the Top 20 in batting avg, two in the Top 20 of Slugging PCT, and three in the Top 18 of total hits. The offense was the highlight of this team but that should not overshadow a rotation led by Aidan Knaak. The freshman had an argument to be considered for ACC Pitcher of the Year. Despite how good the rotation was, down the stretch we saw Ethan Darden struggle as a key piece in one of the better starting pitching staffs in the ACC. With the bullpen being the Achilles' Heel of this team, expect what Clemson did in the portal to only make them better and hopefully an "A" student next year.
Florida State: A
After suffering its first ever losing season in 2023, the 'Noles responded in an incredible way. The 2024 Florida State Seminoles were the last remaining ACC team in Omaha and one of the final four teams still playing. Led by ACC Player of the Year James Tibbs III and ace Jamie Arnold, the 'Noles had arguably the best pitcher and hitter in the conference. The biggest weakness for this team, however, was the bullpen. Once Cam Leiter went down, it became a rotation by committee. Unfortunately for FSU, their bullpen arms were very hot and cold so you often didn't know what to expect.
In 2024, Florida State had two great starters in Jamie Arnold & Carson Dorsey. Those two were Top 20 in the ACC in ERA, Opponent AVG, & Innings Pitched. Arnold had the most wins of any ACC Atlantic pitcher with 11 and had the most starts of any ACC Atlantic pitcher with 17. Joe Charles & Brennan Oxford were work horses for the bullpen with each making 29 appearances over course of the season. Tibbs, Cam Smith, and Jaime Ferrer were arguably the best trio of bats in the conference. This 2024 FSU team laid a foundation that will probably lead to regular trips to Omaha again. Who knows, maybe 2025 is the year?
Louisville: C
Louisville gets a passing grade, as they were a win or two away from being a Field of 64 team. For the second consecutive season the Cards have missed the NCAA Tournament. The biggest question mark is the future of this program. In 2024, the Cards were once again good offensively with JT Benson, Zion Rose, and Gavin Kilen all playing big roles. Even though Louisville didn't have a real weak link in the lineup, they had ZERO players in the Top 20 of the ACC in average, slugging, and hits.
The reason for such a low grade lies in the bullpen. You could tell there were only a few arms that this program trusted. Tucker Biven was the best arm out of the bullpen and Louisville had a good starting rotation. In the modern era of the sport you need a bullpen you can trust. Sebastian Gongora and Evan Webster were each Top 20 in the conference in innings per game which shows how Louisville relied on those guys to carry the team. Sometimes it felt they were left out there just a little too long.
In short, the 2025 season will be a "show me" year for Louisville. I love what they have added in the portal and the pieces they are bringing back. I love this Louisville program and hope this tough love and barely passing grade can be some extra motivation to be my "Most Improved Team" in 2025.
NC State: A
There's nothing better than seeing Wolfpack Nation in Omaha. I am still so frustrated that NC State got the best game Kentucky played all season and was still one pitch away from a very different trip to Omaha. The Wolfpack get my best grades across the board, as it felt this team was very complete. The rotation led by Sam Highfill was great, the bullpen was the best in the ACC Atlantic, and the offense was very good. It is hard to be critical of this team. They were an excellent group and I love the future this program has.
In 2024, NC State had the best midweek starter in freshman Ryan Marohn, who had the 8th best ERA of qualified pitchers in the ACC. He has not been talked about enough and will be huge for the 2025 edition of NC State baseball. The Wolfpack also had two starters with Top 10 opponent batting averages (Highfill & Dom Fritton). Offensively, the Wolfpack had the two leaders in doubles with Garrett Pennington leading the charge with 26 and teammate Alec Makarewicz right behind with 25. A-Mak was 2nd in total hits & RBIs in the conference and this NC State lineup had guys in the middle-to-back half who could really step up in key situations. I will miss watching this Wolfpack team and it was a pleasure to follow their journey.
Notre Dame: C
I am going to be honest. I was generous with this Notre Dame grade. I think the fact I watched them throw a no-hitter against Boston College in person swayed this grade more than it should have. Notre Dame on the road would be the lowest graded team in the conference. The Irish won ZERO ACC road games. To be honest this team was about as average as Power 5 program can be. That being said they showed a ton of potential. They had series wins over Wake Forest & Miami and there are reasons to be optimistic in 2025.
The highlight of the 2024 season for Notre Dame was how good they were defensively. That category wasn't on our report cards, but they would be an A+ if it was. Their .985 fielding percentage and league low 27 errors was best in the conference. They committed 8 less errors than the 2nd best fielding team (Virginia Tech) did. They turned 46 double plays which was 2nd most in the conference behind Virginia's 52. Estevan Moreno is still one of the better players in the conference and will be a Preseason First Team All-ACC selection for me.
Wake Forest: B
In 2023, the "Just Means Less ACC" team had a blast covering the Deacs all the way to Omaha. However, 2024 was pure disappointment. It was hard not to be harsher on Wake Forest, as they were the unanimous #1 team in the preseason. In a postseason where the Deacs were wrongfully sent on the road for regionals, they not only were the first ACC team eliminated, but were also in the regional that saw 4-seed Evansville advance. That is a tough pill to swallow after the expectations that were put on this program in the preseason.
That being said, Wake Forest was still an incredible team. The Deacs had an incredible lineup with Nick Kurtz, Seaver King, and Marek Houston. The rotation was still solid with Chase Burns, Josh Hartle, and Michael Massey. Injuries and inconsistency from the bullpen were key in some of the struggles the Deacs had. The good news is, 2025 should be another great year for the Deacs. I love what this staff is doing in the portal and don't be surprised when the Deacs are in a Super Regional and a win away from Omaha in early June 2025.
The 2024 ACC season was incredible to cover. THANK YOU to the fans, teams, and SIDs for all their support this season. I cannot wait for 2025 and to see more ACC teams in Omaha. Feel free to message me @Micah_CBC or @FQACC with your feedback on the coverage or just my postseason report card grades. Appreciate you all!
Comments