'24 Vols: Greatest offensive team in NCAA baseball history?

[LAVol1]

The Vols, with 126 HR on the season, are averaging 2.625 HR per game. The record for HR in a season was the 1998 LSU Tigers* with 180 HR in 67 games (2.68/g). When you consider the unrestricted bats used in '98 with the BBCor bats of today, the '24 Vols may be the greatest offensive team in NCAA history. Consider also that there was not a 10 run "mercy rule" in 1998 (Vols have 10 games where the mercy rule was invoked). Had the Vols hit just 2 more HR in those 10 shortened games, they would be averaging 2.68 HR/g).

It's projected that the Vols first 6 hitters in the lineup will go in the first 3 rounds of this year's MLB draft. Their #7/8 hitter is a freshman SS hitting .319 with 9 HR. The '98 LSU team's best player was Eddy Furniss. He never made it out of the minor leagues. None of the other offensive players on that '98 team made a notable splash in MLB. So, yeah, the '24 Vols are a better offensive team than the hallowed '98 Tigers, and by a wide margin.

 

[DownTheField]

I don't know the sport of baseball all that well, but it seems to me you could also point to the current state of pitching to further make the point

 

[VolPack22]

LSU was actually 2.69 HR/gm. We were trending at 2.88 after Game 1 of the Missouri series. Game 3 against Florida hopefully got them back on track. It should be noted that Austin Peay is sitting at 130 HR through 46 games (2.83 HR/gm). Austin Peay also leads the country in BA, OBP, SLG, doubles, and runs. I know we play in the tougher conference but that’s mighty impressive for that program.

 

[VolPack22]

I don't know the sport of baseball all that well, but it seems to me you could also point to the current state of pitching to further make the point

Those bats were HOT back in the 90s and earlier 2000s. It’s night and day how far the ball traveled with those bats. In 2001 we lost to Miami 21-13 and turned around and beat Georgia 19-12 in the College World Series. Those numbers are crazy and they had to do something about those bats. The ones made today are closer in line to what a wooden bat is capable of.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

I will settle for "best team of 2024" as in CWS champions, our fans always gotta get greedy. Lol.

 

[AllThingsTN]

LSU was actually 2.69 HR/gm. We were trending at 2.88 after Game 1 of the Missouri series. Game 3 against Florida hopefully got them back on track. It should be noted that Austin Peay is sitting at 130 HR through 46 games (2.83 HR/gm). Austin Peay also leads the country in BA, OBP, SLG, doubles, and runs. I know we play in the tougher conference but that’s mighty impressive for that program.

Lyle Miller-Green is having a heck of a year as well as a few of the other Governors.

 

[first time caller]

Didn't we have the best team in history a couple of years that didn't make the World Series? I think we were eliminated by ND. Let's just let this year play out and see.