MLB 2015 draft: 15 prospects to watch in the tournament

The Omaha portion of the College World Series runs from June 13th-24th, but the tournament actually begins tomorrow. There are 64 teams at play trying to take home the trophy, as well as players trying to prove their worth for the upcoming draft. Because of the timing, the draft takes place during the tournament, meaning that you may get to see your team's top prospect make an impact at some point in the playoffs. Below is a list of the top 100 prospects still playing in the tournament, and where you can see them play.

Tyler Jay (Baseball America Rank: 1st overall, Illinois)

In an interesting turn of events, Baseball America has bumped the Illinois closer Tyler Jay to the top of their list. While John Manuel notes that Jay would be "an unusual No. 1 overall pick...this is an unusual draft class".

He's been compared to Vanderbilt right-hander Carson Fulmer because of their similar size, and ability to throw mid to upper 90's. In 56.1 innings this season, Jay has a 0.62 ERA, and 65 strikeouts to just six walks. After a remarkable season that saw the team win 27 games in a row, Illinois is ranked first in their regional, and will square off against Ohio.

When and where to watch the game: Friday, May 29th at 8:00pm EST* on ESPN3.

*All times shown are EST.

Dansby Swanson (2nd, Vanderbilt)

Dansby Swanson is projected as one of the the best shortstop talents in this year's draft, and will be off the board quickly. In 60 games this season, he's posted a slash line of .350/.438/.654 and is 14-16 in stolen base attempts.

In the latest mock draft, Swanson is projected to go 2nd overall to the Houston Astros. They would likely shift him to another infield position, as Carlos Correa is firmly entrenched as the shortstop of the future. Vanderbilt is the number one seed in their regional, and will host the Liscomb Bisons.

When and where to watch the game: Friday, May 29th at 8:00pm on ESPN3.

Dillon Tate (4th, UCSB)

Dillon Tate is perhaps the best pitching talent in college baseball, and will presumably pitch in his team's first game. According to Baseball America, he has two of the best pitches in college, and is projected to be taken fourth overall by the Texas Rangers.

In 95.1 innings, he has a 2.08 ERA, and 100 strikeouts to just 28 walks. He's not as polished as Jay or Fulmer, but he might have more upside.

When and where to watch the game: Friday, May 29th at 10:00 on ESPN3

Alex Bregman (7th, LSU)

In the year of the shortstop, Alex Bregman is the second college prospect to take a look at in this year's tournament. In 58 games with LSU, Bregman has hit .329/.415/.567 with 32 steals in 41 attempts.

He's projected to fall to seventh overall to the Boston Red Sox. They've been connected before, as GM Ben Cherington has personally seen several SEC players, and Baseball America continues to see something there.

When and where to watch the game: Friday, May 29th at 4:00 on ESPN3

Carson Fulmer (8th, Vanderbilt)

Fulmer might be the most MLB ready pitcher in the draft, but there are some concerns about his overall size and delivery. Some scouts are worried that with his mechanics, he won't be able to hold up over a season. He has a "reliever's tempo and effort and with a high elbow in the back of his arm action, all of which give scouts doubts that Fulmer could start and maintain his elite stuff over a full major league season."

If his mechanics were smoother, he'd undoubtedly be higher on this list, as he has an electric fastball and devastating curveball. He's currently projected to go eighth overall to the White Sox, although they may choose to target a catcher. Fulmer will start game one with his teammate Swanson against the Bisons this Friday.

When and where to watch the game: Friday, May 29th at 8:00pm on ESPN3.

Jon Harris (9th, Missouri State)

The Cubs were linked to Fulmer earlier this season, and if he's available may pull the trigger, but are now tied to Missouri State's Jon Harris. In 89.1 innings, Harris has a 1.91 ERA with 105 strikeouts and 32 walks.

In Baseball America's original iteration of their top 100 prospects, he was ranked 24th so this is quite the progression for Harris. As the No.1 seed, Missouri State is hosting Canisius College this Friday.

When and where to watch the game: Friday, May 29th at 7:00pm on ESPN3.

Andrew Benintendi (11th, Arkansas)

According to Baseball America, Andrew Benintendi remains the "most volatile player in the draft", and as such is tough to predict. While he was the SEC player of the year, he's struggled recently with "two 0-fer performances" and may be pressing due to the extra attention he's receiving. His season can't be ignored however, as in 57 games Benintendi hit .391/.492/.738 and is 22-26 in stolen base attempts.

The Arkansas outfielder is projected to be taken 11th overall by the Cincinnati Reds, who have been scouting the local product since high school. They're the No. 2 seed in their regional, and will take on Oral Roberts this Friday.

When and where to watch the game: Friday, May 29th at 1:00pm on ESPN3.

Walker Buehler (13th, Vanderbilt)

Walker Buehler's stock has fallen slightly since some of the earlier mock drafts were released, but it's not by much. Most had him going in the top ten picks, but now sits just outside that group at 13th overall.

Tampa Bay is known for developing great starting pitchers, and it would not be surprising at all to see them take the Vanderbilt starter. He's not as talented as Fulmer, but has a 3.18 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 73.2 innings. Buehler will pitch game two of the tournament on May 30th, against either Indiana or Radford.

When and where to watch the game: Saturday, May 30th at 4:00pm or 8:00pm. Channel not yet known.

Kyle Funkhouser (15th, Louisville)

Kyle Funkhouser's draft position has fallen with every mock draft, and is now projected to be taken 15th overall by the Milwaukee Brewers. They've had "plenty of evaluators in Durham to see Funkhouser" and may go with the Louisville right hander. In 98.1 innings, he has a 3.29 ERA, with 93 strikeouts and 42 walks.

He's dropped 11 spots since Baseball America's first prospect rankings came out, and could continue to slide depending on his performance in the tournament. Louisville is hosting Morehead State in their regional, and will play this Friday.

When and where to watch the game: Friday, May 29th at 6:00pm on ESPN3.

James Kaprielian (16th, UCLA)

The UCLA right-hander James Kaprielian will start in game one this Friday against CSU Bakersfield. In 97.2 innings, Kaprielian has a 1.94 ERA and 107 strikeouts with 31 walks. He's projected to be taken 16th overall by the Yankees, who like his developmental upside. The Bruins will host the fourth ranked Roadrunners this Friday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

When and where to watch the game: Friday, May 29th at 11:05pm on ESPN3.

Nathan Kirby (25th, Virginia)

While Nathan Kirby has recently been sidelined with a lat strain, that shouldn't affect his overall draft positioning as it's not a long-term issue like an elbow or shoulder injury could be. The Orioles have the 25th pick, and are "looking for college talent to boost a thin farm system".

When he's been able to take the mound, Kirby has a 2.28 ERA, and 75 strikeouts in 59.1 innings. Third ranked Virginia will play against the No. 2 seed USC in the regional hosted by UCLA.

When and where to watch the game: Friday, May 29th at 6:00pm on ESPN3.

Richie Martin (29th, Florida)

The Florida Gators' shortstop is projected to be taken 29th overall as the Blue Jays compensation pick. In 224 at-bats, Richie Martin has posted a slash line of .290/.397/.420 and is 20-26 in stolen base attempts. Florida is the No. 1 seed and will host Florida A&M this Friday.

When and where to watch the game: Friday, May 29th at 7:00pm on ESPN3.

DJ Stewart (30th, FSU)

The Yankees previously drafted DJ Stewart in the 2012 draft, and if he's available with their 30th overall pick, may do so again. The Florida State outfielder hit .318/.506/.585 and has walked 66 times compared to just 42 strikeouts. FSU is the host team of their regional, and are set to play fourth ranked Mercer.

When and where to watch the game: Friday, May 29th at 6:00pm on ESPN3.

Joe McCarthy (46th, Virginia)

This is Virginia's second player on the top 100, and will play in the outfield this Friday against USC. McCarthy hasn't played well in 2015, as his .208 batting average reflects, but his 2014 season was far superior. In 256 at-bats last season, he hit .301/.417/.449 and was 11-12 in stolen base attempts.

Before the season began he was likely projected to go higher in the draft, but after a sub-par showing in 2015 is currently slotted 46th overall. That pick belongs to the Houston Astros, but it's foolish to try and realistically peg who will be picked that late in the draft. Regardless, he's a top 100 talent and will be playing outfield behind Kirby.

When and where to watch the game: Friday, May 29th at 6:00pm on ESPN3.

Blake Hickman (69th, Iowa)

When Baseball America released their list of top prospects, Blake Hickman was ranked 69th overall, which would put him with the Nationals. Hickman was just selected as a third team all-american, and posted a 2.90 ERA in 80.2 innings. Tyler Peyton is scheduled to pitch Iowa's first game against third ranked Oregon, which means that Hickman would likely slot in for game two. That would either be against Missouri State or Canisus College.

When and where to watch the game: Friday, May 30th at 2:00pm or 7:00pm. Channel not yet known.

Ryan Burr (72nd, Arizona State)

Going by the list, Arizona State pitcher Ryan Burr would fall to the Seattle Mariners at 72nd overall. In 31 games this season, Burr has a 3.24 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 41.2 innings. Burr is the first pitcher on this list who's solely looked at as a reliever, and would likely have an accelerated timeline because of it.

It's impossible to predict exactly when he'll get into game action, but he'd probably be summoned in any tight situations. ASU's first game is against Clemson this Friday, and will play either Pepperdine or CSU Fullerton on May 30th.

When and where to watch the game: Friday, May 29th at 6:00pm on ESPN3.