Preseason Power 25 Countdown: No. 24 Bradford

We might be one year early to the emergence of Bradford as a D-1 threat, so ranking them on our preseason list might seem aggressive, but they’re returning a ton of talent to the field in 2018, albeit mostly from its junior class. They’re light on senior experience and could be one year away from putting it all together, but they have the talent to be one of the frontrunners of the Southeast.

Pitching will be a big strength for the Red Devils as they return three dependable arms in RHP Jarret Ramer, LHP Spencer Lehman, and RHP Thomas Coffey, all juniors. With such a young, though experienced group, Coach Matt LaBuda will likely look for senior leadership out of returners Glass and Smoko, both of whom should play on the infield and be a big part of the team’s success. Look for Ramer and junior OF Cody Tostrud to bust out in 2018 and have a big junior campaign. Tostrud returns from a first team all-conference season last spring and has the tools to be a high-level college player as well. It’s going to be his third year starting in this Red Devils outfield, too.

Given the number of quality arms on staff and athletes in the field, Bradford should have the pitching and defense to remain competitive this year, but the only question mark in Coach LaBuda’s squad is in its lineup. Despite starting so many juniors, a year of experience on varsity last year should rinse away the worry of inexperience. When two-thirds of your lineup won’t graduate until 2020, you can expects some bumps in the road, but hopefully as juniors these growing pains will have been smoothed over.