The Florida State Seminoles go into the 2012 College World Series with, pound for pound, the best hitter in college baseball on their team. James Ramsey, when adjusted for the Seminoles' ballpark and tough schedule, hit .378/.520/.668 on the season, with 64 walks against just 37 strikeouts. He's well-rounded like few other prospects in Division I—he's not known for his power, but those 13 home runs and six triples did plenty to boost his isolated power, and that adjusted .378 average was far from empty. All that's why the St. Louis Cardinals surprised baseball by drafting him with the No. 23 pick in the 2012 MLB Draft. And now—well, now they have to wait for Florida State to be eliminated from the College World Series, so they can sign him.
He's one of a number of players in the CWS who find themselves in that predicament—their future employers stand ready to pay them hundreds of thousands of dollars as a signing bonus, if only they just lose already. James Ramsey, in particular, will probably sign the instant the Seminoles are out; as a senior he has almost no leverage to negotiate, and the Cardinals signed him in part because he's likely to sign for less than the recommended bonus, leaving them room to negotiate with high school standout Carson Kelly, selected later.
So no pressure, James—just keep winning, or else start losing and order your new Cadillac. For a 2012 College World Series bracket, click right over there.