With the start of the 2018 college baseball season here today I thought now was as good a time as any to start discussing some college names for the 2018 season. This should help those looking to scout the draft, or those just looking to catch live baseball.This list is 20 names long and in alphabetical order. This is not a Top 20 list in any way, rather it is 20 interesting players that the Braves could possibly target in the first five rounds of the June draft.Players on this list are here for various reasons. Some are legitimate candidates for the eighth pick in the draft, but not all of these guys are as things stand now. Other players are on the list because they play for a local school, have a connection to the Braves front office, or are guys that could really boost their stock.This isn meant to be a scouting report- those will come at a later time in the draft coverage- but rather a reason you may want to check these players out once the season gets under way.DJ Artis, OF, LibertyDJ Artis may play at a smaller school, but the North Carolina native can really hit. In two seasons at Liberty has hit at least .359 and posted an on base percentage of at least .500, along with stealing 23 bases in each season. Artis is in the conversation for the best pure hit tool in the country, though I would put another guy a little further down this list ahead of him, but either way he a fun player to watch. Artis will be a high pick, but he not a guy that will be taken with the eighth pick.Luken Baker, 1B RHP, TCUOne of the biggest names in the college game today- both literally and figuratively, Luken Baker is going to look to bounce back from an injury riddled 2017 season. The Horned Frogs two-way guy is an elite talent similar to Brendan McKay in terms of his ability to effect a game from either side, though Baker is better with the bat for sure. Baker brings 19 career homers into the 2018 season, and is a guy competing to be a first round selection this spring even though he isn an option at eight.Joey Bart, C, Georgia TechJoey Bart makes the list for two reasons. The first is that he a local kid at a local college, but even more importantly he is arguably the best catching prospect in the 2018 draft(I would put Will Banfield above him, but a case can be made for Bart). Bart is a catcher with some real power potential, as the Buford native hit 13 bombs last year for the Yellow Jackets. He very much in the mix for being a first round pick this spring.Tristan Beck, RHP, StanfordTristan Beck makes the list because he was a guy linked to the Braves for the second round pick in the days leading up to the 2017 draft. Beck likely would have been a Top 10 selection last year if it wasn for an injury which kept him out the entire season, and could use a strong 2018 season to re-emerge as a top pick this spring. The good news is that preseason reports out of Palo Alto seem to indicate that Beck is 100 .Seth Beer, OF 1B, ClemsonSeth Beer is the biggest impact bat in college baseball today. Even with a slight drop off from his other-worldly freshman season, Beer managed 16 homers and a 1.084 OPS last year. The Suwanee native has some questions around both his defense and foot speed, along with questions about his production with a wooden bat, but he does have a chance to be a first round pick. Beer would need to do something special to emerge as a candidate for the Braves top pick, which although unlikely may not be quite as unlikely with a new front office that values power bats http://www.bravesteamfanstore/Nick-Swisher-Jersey.Alec Bohm, 3B, Wichita StateA big(6’5” 240) third baseman with real power(11 homers a year ago, career .506 slugging percentage), Alec Bohm is a middle of the order run producer. The biggest question for a guy who makes consistent hard contact and has a plan at the plate is whether or not he can stick at third base as a pro. I tend to think he may be able to for a few years, but with his frame he may need to move to first base. Griffin Conine, OF, DukeIf Griffin Conine name sounds familiar, it because his father was the face of the Marlins for many years. Jeff Conine son is a promising prospect in his own right, and has a chance to be a player that makes even more of an impact that his father due to real power. The younger Conine hit 13 homers for the Blue Devils last year in 58 games, then followed it up by hitting nine more homers in only 42 games against the Cape Cod League. Conine is arguably the best college bat in the draft in terms of the total package.Logan Gilbert, RHP, StetsonThe small school that produced both Jake deGrom and Corey Kluber has another talent on its hands. Logan Gilbert is a 6’6, 210 pound right hander with big present stuff as well as more projection than most college arms. That frame with his plus plus fastball and plus curve make him very appealing http://www.bravesteamfanstore/Dale-Murphy-Jersey, though the issue with Gilbert is command. On a positive note Gilbert saw his command take a major step forward in the summer. He walked 26 in 89 innings last spring for the Hatters, but against better competition in the Cape he walked just four batters in 31.1 innings. Obviously wee talking about a small sample size but if that uptick shows up again this spring, he could possibly be the top overall pick in the draft.Sean Hjelle, RHP, KentuckySean Hjelle attracts immediate attention when he walks into a room- but so does every near-seven footer. Hjelle checks in at 6’11” with a good fastball and a very impressive plus curve and is able to use his length to disrupt a hitter. Hjelle has the typical problems a tall pitcher faces- command and control are slower to come as he truly grows into his frame, but Hjelle is able to succeed despite still needing the fine tuning. Expect him to be a first rounder.Zack Hess, RHP, LSUAnother prospect with a famous father, Zack Hess is the son of one of the most well known referees in college hoops- Karl Hess. Hess is a draft eligible sophomore this year and after a very strong close to his true freshman season he is set to take a full time spot in the Tigers rotation this spring Daniel Castro Jersey. Hess may not have the same upside as some of the other pitchers listed, but with his fastball and slider he is certainly a guy teams will be tracking closely.Greyson Jenista, OF, Wichita StateIf Griffin Conine isn the best college bat in the draft, then Greyson Jenista of Wichita State has a claim on that spot. A teammate of Alec Bohm, Jenista is the more well rounded bat of the two. While Bohm brings more power, Jenista is a guy who just knows how to play the game and brings some ability to use his legs despite not being a great runner due to his high baseball IQ Jhoulys Chacin Jersey. Jenista biggest drawback is the fact that he is going to be limited to left field as a pro, putting a lot of pressure on his bat. He a first round prospect, but unless the power takes a step forward this spring he likely won be in the conversation for the Braves top pick.Blaine Knight, RHP, ArkansasBlaine Knight was a consensus Top 100 draft prospect last spring as a sophomore, but after making his wishes to return to college clear to teams before the draft he dropped until late in the event. The Arkansas star has a pair of plus pitches in his fastball and change, and did see his slider make progress last year. If his slider can develop more and he can show that his improved command from last year is for real, he could end up in later in the first round.Nick Madrigal, 2B, Oregon StateNick Madrigal is the best pure hitter in the country and there is no debate. The former shortstop is only 5’8”, but he has a hit tool similar to that of under-sized second basemen like Jose Altuve and Ozzie Albies. In his two years playing for one of the top college teams in the country Madrigal is a career .359 hitter who has struck out just 30 times in 432 at bats. Madrigal obviously has size and position working against him, but he easily the best pure hit tool in the last few drafts with a high level of performance against top competition, the legs to steal his share of bases(16 steals in 2017), and some pop in his bat(20 doubles and 4 homers last year). He not a perfect fit for the Braves because of Albies already filling second base, but he is a guy who could be in the conversation for the Braves top pick anyway.Shane McClanahan, LHP, South FloridaShane McClanahan burst onto the scene as a redshirt freshman last year after missing his first year while coming back from Tommy John surgery. The lefty is likely to be the first college left hander off the board thanks to an electric arsenal capable of lighting up a radar gun. Despite being undersized at just 6’1”, McClanahan has a plus plus fastball capable of reaching the upper 90s, which really helped him to record a 12.3 strikeout per nine rate last season. His command does need to improve, but when you consider it was his first year back from Tommy John there is a little more wiggle room to grow in that area. McClanahan is a pitcher who could very well be a Top 10 selection this spring.Casey Mize, RHP, AuburnCasey Mize is another prospect in Braves country, and the Auburn Tiger is in the conversation for the top prospect in the draft with some sources due to his combination of stuff and results. Mize recorded a 2.04 ERA with a WHIP of 0.90 while striking out 109 and walking just 9 in his 83.2 innings of work last year. He may even be the best pitcher available, but there is a reason for some of the sources who drop him down the rankings a bit. That because Mize has dealt with the dreaded forearm tightness- an injury that has a tendency to be a precurser to Tommy John. Mize is an excellent prospect, and a local kid, but obviously his health will go a long way to determining his draft position.Konnor Pilkington, LHP, Mississippi StateKonnor Pilkington is an interesting case for sure. One of the top three college lefties for me in this draft is the Mississippi State product, as he brings a lot to like such as the electric arsenal and big frame from the left side. Of course he isn without question, as his command is a real issue which led him to walk 47 batters in 108 innings last spring. Still he posted a 3.08 ERA and 1.14 WHIP thanks to allowing just 76 base hits in those 108 innings. Pilkington is a first rounder, but the command could be what separates him from being a Top 10 guy or more of a mid to late first rounder.Tristan Pompey, OF, KentuckyThe younger brother of Blue Jays farmhand Dalton Pompey, Tristan Pompey has some level of connection with Alex Anthopoulos through his family. The Canadian prospect was a guy I liked out of high school who has gone to the SEC and emerged as a potential first round pick. He actually has some clear differences in his profile compared to his brother(who I haven fully given up on even though he has lost prospect eligibility). There are two main differences, the first being that although Tristan is a great athlete who can run, he is no where near the same runner as Dalton. However Tristan offers significantly more power potential than Dalton does, and is the better prospect at the same stage.JJ Schwarz, C 1B, FloridaJJ Schwarz had a monster freshman season in 2015 and was thought to be the leader for the 2017 MLB Draft top pick at the time. However a decrease in his numbers in 2016 followed by another drop in his 2017 numbers changed and talk of his possible top draft pick status. His 19 homers over his sophomore and junior seasons after an 18 homer freshman season got him to a spot where he had no choice other than to return for his senior season and hope he can regain some of his once promising draft stock. The good news with Schwarz is that he came on strong at the very end of 2017, so a rebound at some level is a definite possibility for one of the most entertaining bats in the country.Brady Singer, RHP, FloridaBrady Singer makes the list for two reasons. The first and most obvious is that there are some who think the Gators star is the top player in this draft as things stand today. The other is that Singer has a connection to the Braves, as Alex Anthopoulos drafted him in the third round of the 2015 draft with the Blue Jays. Singer seemed set to sign a contract, but things broke down after his physical revealed some concerns and he went the college route instead of taking a lesser bonus. Singer is the type of talent who could interest the Braves, but of course whatever is in his medicals could also prevent that from happening as well.Riley Thompson, RHP, LouisvilleRiley Thompson was another arm drafted last year who decided to return to school, but his situation is different than the rest. Thompson is a guy with huge upside thanks to a three pitch mix led by an electric fastball, projection, and athleticism http://www.bravesteamfanstore/Orlando-Cepeda-Jersey. Of course he also a complete unknown as he lacks experience of any kind- his college career is 15.2 innings of relief from last year as well as six more innings on the Cape. That because he has dealt with injury and already has a Tommy John surgery under his belt. Thompson is a kid who could use this year to see his large potential come together and really move up the draft boards- but at the same time his first extended look could push him in the other direction as well.