College Daily Sheet: To a Tegan 5/8/26

Atlantic Coast

Covered by: Will Dodge

Ben Slanker, DH Louisville (Atlantic Coast)

Game 1: 2-for-4, HR, R, 4 RBI

💣💣 Tague Davis, 1B Louisville (Atlantic Coast)

Game 2: 2-for-6, 2 HR, 3 R, 5 RBI

Jake Ogden, 2B Miami (FL) (Atlantic Coast)

Game 1: 4-for-5, 3B, 3 R, 2 RBI, SB

Alex Sosa, DH Miami (FL) (Atlantic Coast)

Game 2: 3-for-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB

The Louisville Cards and Miami Hurricanes split the first two games of their weekend series with a combined 46 runs scored thus far. On Thursday, Miami jumped out to a huge lead with a 9-run 5th as the Louisville arms dealt 8 walks and only 1 strikeout for the whole game. The biggest recipient of the poor pitching was SR INF Jake Ogden, who had 4 hits, including a triple. Ogden is a consistent bat-to-ball threat with a sub-15% Whiff-rate on the year, and a quality 2B defender, making a somewhat notable SR sign candidate for July. Ben Slanker dealt the damage for Louisville in Game 1 with his 10th HR of the year. Slanker has not been the Home Run transfer purchase for the Cards, running a more passive approach at the plate, but still destroying baseballs when he does make contact. Game 2 ran a little long, stretching 11 innings, with a combined 11 runs scored in that 11th inning. As it has been so often in 2026, Game 2 was the Tague Davis show with 2 HRs, home runs number 31 and 32 on the season, breaking the ACC single-season record. It’s 70 raw power that Tague is getting to at an elite rate, just flicking home runs with ease. Alex Sosa did his best to put up a fight for Miami, with a homer himself and reaching base 4 times. Sosa has sneakily put together a good season with 14 HRs on the year now, and consistent barrels.

Brody DeLamielleure, RF Florida State (Atlantic Coast)

2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI

‼️ Wes Mendes, LHP Florida State (Atlantic Coast)

6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 10 K

Florida State went into Doug Kingsmore and won game 1, 8-4 over Clemson, sending the Tigers to last place in the ACC. Ever since Myles Bailey went down, it has officially become the Brody DeLamielleur show, and he continued things on Friday with his 6th HR of the season. While it will not translate to draft stock with a poor approach and bat-to-ball skills, DeLamielleur has significant power and is pushing the Seminoles along. The real star on FSU is the lefty Wes Mendes, who was not as dominant as he’s been this season, but continued to collect K’s, including 10 in 6 innings.

Collin Anderson, 2B Duke (Atlantic Coast)

2-for-4, HR, R, 3 RBI

Carson Kerce, SS Georgia Tech (Atlantic Coast)

2-for-6, HR, 3B, 2 R, RBI

🍔🍟 Drew Burress, CF Georgia Tech (Atlantic Coast)

2-for-5, HR, R, 2 RBI, SB

🍔🍟 Vahn Lackey, C Georgia Tech (Atlantic Coast)

1-for-4, HR, R, RBI, BB, SB

Mason Patel, RHP Georgia Tech (Atlantic Coast)

4 IP, 2 H, BB, 6 K

Georgia Tech came back to top Duke in 10 innings on a walk-off Drew Burress Sac Fly, in a game that featured a combined 7 homers. Collin Anderson was one of three Duke batters to go yard, but had the best day at the plate, reaching base three times. Anderson is a FR INF and up to 6 HRs now with an OPS over .800. Three of the four Georgia Tech batters who homered were the superstars, Carson Kerce, Drew Burress, and Vahn Lackey. Kerce only reached base twice, but did so with a homer and a triple, and continues to be arguably the biggest arrow-up draft prospect in the nation, likely going from a SR returner to a 2nd-3rd round prospect. Burress had the aforementioned walk-off, but his homer lifted his career total to 55, 3rd most in GT history. Kerce may have risen the most in draft placement, but Lackey may have risen the most in projected signing bonus this year. Much has been written about him, but he combo mealed, again.

‼️ Jack Radel, RHP Notre Dame (Atlantic Coast)

5 IP, H, 9 K

Notre Dame is playing a non-conference series this weekend versus Oakland, which gave Jack Radel a terrific opportunity to rebound. That is exactly what he did with 5 innings of 1 hit ball, striking out 9. Radel did this in only 67 pitches, giving him plenty of time to rest for next weekend’s projected start against Pitt. Radel is one of the most prolific strike throwers in the nation and is squarely a 2nd round pick.

‼️ Jason DeCaro, RHP North Carolina (Atlantic Coast)

5 IP, 4 H, BB, 7 K

Caden Glauber, RHP North Carolina (Atlantic Coast)

3.1 IP, H, BB, 5 K, SV

The #2 team in the nation kept the good times rolling on Friday with a 4-1 win over Pitt, doing what they do best, throw 0’s on the scoreboard. Jason DeCaro and Caden Glauber got 25 of the needed 27 outs, combining for only 7 walks + hits allowed, and punched out 12. DeCaro is another arm expected to go in the first day of the draft as a tremendous ground ball creator. Caden Glauber is one of the best freshman arms in the nation, and figures to be a fixture of the Tar Heels' rotation for 2027 & 2028.

Sherman Johnson, 3B North Carolina State (Atlantic Coast)

3-for-3, HR, 2 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB

The Stanford Cardinal held off NC State’s late 9th inning comeback to win 6-5, but it was the Wolfpack's 3B Sherman Johnson who was the star of the game. Johnson reached base in all plate appearances, homering, doubling twice, and walking twice. Johnson has been killer in his return to D1 ball this season, slashing .338/.434/.503, and figures to be on the Day 1 / 2 cut line. A true doer of everything well.

Hideki Prather, C Cal (Atlantic Coast)

2-for-5, HR, R, 4 RBI

Jett Kenady, SS Cal (Atlantic Coast)

2-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI

Cole Clark, RHP Cal (Atlantic Coast)

3 IP, H, 5 K, SV

Kyle Johnson, DH Virginia (Atlantic Coast)

1-for-3, HR, R, 4 RBI, BB

Bet you didn't see this result coming! Cal takes game 1 over Virginia 7-4, a rematch from the 2011 College World Series, where the Bears lost twice to the Cavs, ending a magical Cal season that saved their program, and a fun fact, my first college baseball memory. Hideki Prather continues to be an elite portal find for the Bears after two lost & injured seasons at Clemson. Prather has 12 long balls and an OPS over 1.000 as the Cal backstop. He powered a grand slam on Friday to put Cal out to a big lead. In a similar vein, Jett Kenady has turned from an unheralded HS prospect to one of the best FR Shortstops in the nation, as he hit his 9th homer of the year, and his OPS is close to 1.000. He’ll be a draft-eligible SO next year, and figures to be a top-2 round pick. Cole Clark got the Rollie Fingers 3-inning save, striking out 5 and only allowing 1 hit. The SR arm doesn’t hold much draft stock, but has good peripherals this season. TWP phenom Kyle Johnson had a Kyle Johnson-like day, powering a grand slam in a 1/3 day at the plate.

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Big 12

Covered by: Drew Wheeler

‼️ Maxx Yehl, LHP West Virginia (Big 12)

9.0 IP, 6 H, ER, 2 BB, 9 K

The Maxx Yehl propaganda machine is running on overdrive, baby. Maxx effort, if you will. The big lefty hurled his first career complete game, a one-run effort across 125 pitches to earn his seventh win of the campaign. Coming into the contest, the Jayhawks were averaging 10 runs per game across their last 11 and had won eight straight Big XII games; Yehl’s nine-inning effort shattered these stretches and represents his first career complete game. In the sixth inning, Kansas got a pair of runners aboard and plated their lone run of the contest, but Yehl forced Kansas DH Dariel Osoria to ground out and maintain their two-run lead; Yehl’s nasty crossfire approach and angles create such difficult at-bats for opposing batters and have driven his stock to incredible levels after starting his college career in the bullpen then having missed 2025 due to Tommy John surgery and recovery. Chances are, we will see Yehl taken among a team’s top five selections this summer.

👟 Armani Guzman, 1B West Virginia (Big 12)

3-for-4, R, RBI, K, 2 SB

Gavin Kelly, C West Virginia (Big 12)

2-for-5, HR, R, RBI, K

A pair of Mountaineers did their damage early in the monumentally large series opener against the Kansas Jayhawks Friday night; catcher Gavin Kelly’s been on a tremendous wave of momentum as of late and kept it rolling in the third frame, knocking a 1-1 offering 394 feet to deep center field, connecting for his 11th homer of the campaign (and fourth in four straight games) to give WVU the first run of the game. In the fourth inning, versatile first baseman Armani Guzman singled through the right side of the infield to score Sean Smith and double Kelly’s lead to a pair. While Guzman will likely be selected in this summer’s draft, Kelly projects as one of the top collegiate prospects in the 2027 MLB Draft, and will be a fun one to follow for another season of Big XII play, though this is certainly not discounting either player’s performance as the Mountaineers’ run continues through the Big XII and national tournaments.

Tommy LaPour, RHP TCU (Big 12)

3.0 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K

LaPour battled through three innings in his third appearance since his return from injury, adding to the pair of frames he’s put up for the Horned Frogs in the second half of the season. To his credit, LaPour continues to shake off the rust and only allowed a single hit on the day while issuing two free passes, including an intentional walk. Positively, LaPour pitched well to contact and saw three balls snagged through the air and another two pulled on the ground; the big righty’s fastball and slider mix also saw three Utes punch out across his three IP en route to a 3-0 victory over Utah. Many have speculated LaPour could act as some kind of spark for an up-and-down TCU squad heading into tournaments and for the Horned Frogs’ sake, I hope he will be.

Kollin Ritchie, CF Oklahoma State (Big 12)

2-for-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB, K

Tied at second for the nation’s home run lead with 26, Kollin Ritchie’s damage was done without the longball in the Cowboys’ momentous 9-6 win over Arizona State on Friday. The dynamic centerfielder singled through the left side of the infield in the first inning, advancing the pair of hitters before him to score a run and push another to second. In the third inning, Ritchie scored the first of his two runs in the game, as he was twice issued free passes – one intentionally – and struck out in his only other plate appearance, failing to reach the single time (and boy, was it a strikeout, though we’ll get to that in a moment). Ritchie’s stock is pushing upwards at the best time of the season for it to do so; curious if the Cowboys are aiming to mirror their stud’s upward trajectory?

Dominic Smaldino, 1B Arizona State (Big 12)

3-for-5, 3B, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, K

Sun Devils first baseman Dom Smaldino came a home run shy of the cycle on Friday night, collecting three hits in his five at-bats while only punching out a single time. Smaldino got the effort going in the first inning, tripling to right field and plating a pair of runs to give ASU a 2-1 lead early; later in the frame, Matt Polk drove Smaldino across, too. In the eighth, Smaldino had reached base again and was driven in when Polk cleared the bags with another single, giving ASU a 5-3 lead they held momentarily. No panic no pressure for Arizona State, who are among the top tier of the Big XII, though may not be in the mix for a national hosting gig like Kansas or West Virginia.

‼️ Cole Carlon, LHP Arizona State (Big 12)

7.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 11 K, HRA

The Sun Devils’ loss to the Cowboys cannot be placed on the shoulders of left-hander Cole Carlon, who delivered another strong performance on Friday night. Garrett Shull took a high fastball 409 feet to left field to plate a pair of runs against him, but on the whole, three runs came on four hits while the ASU ace allowed four free passes and punched out 11. On that note, Carlon’s biggest strikeout came in the sixth frame, as with a runner on and facing Kollin Ritchie, Carlon broke out one of the nastiest sliders of the evening, breaking on two planes away from the Cowboys’ dynamite centerfielder and earning his final K of the night. Sadly for Carlon, the Sun Devils could not find enough runs and fell 9-6 to Oklahoma State in a tough Friday loss.

💣💣 Matt Hansen, DH BYU (Big 12)

3-for-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB

Well I’ll be! (YU, as it were.) The Cougars absolutely decimated Texas Tech on the back of two colossal performances, the first of which came from designated hitter Matt Hansen, who went three-for-four in a Double Dong Day. Hansen’s first big strike came in the second inning, as he connected with a solo shot on the first pitch he saw to give BYU a 3-0 lead. Later on, Hansen knocked a three-runner to center field, finally connecting after three swings of the bat to boost BYU’s lead to 12-3. Hansen also drew a walk in the Double Dong performance. Speaking of Double Dongs for BYU…

💣💣 Bryker Hurdsman, RF BYU (Big 12)

2-for-4, 2 HR, 4 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, K

How about a Double Dong Day for Bryker Hurdsman, as well?! That’s a Double Double Dong for Brigham Young. Hurdsman’s day got going in the first frame, as he ripped a solo shot to right field, putting the Cougars on the board early. In the fourth frame, he reached with a single and was driven around to score, but saved his biggest shots for bookmarks in the contest; Hurdsman went yard to center field in the ninth, collecting his second big fly of the day and propping BYU to its final 12-3 mark in what was the Cougars’ most impressive offensive day to date. Somehow, improbably, BYU and Texas Tech are tied through the series as we roll into Saturday’s finale!

Matt Quintanar, C Texas Tech (Big 12)

2-for-3, HR, 2B, R, 2 RBI

Quintanar’s served admirably behind the dish for the Red Raiders in 2026, though his best work at the plate has arguably come with the bat in hand. In Friday’s loss to BYU, Quintanar collected a pair of extra-base hits while driving in two of Texas Tech’s three runs. The catcher got started in the third inning, knocking the first pitch he saw down the right field line and out of the park to eliminate BYU’s hopes of a shutout W. In the fifth inning, Quintanar doubled to left center, working both sides of the field and salvaging a full count to score another run. Quintanar will likely find several suitors interested in his services in this summer’s MLB Draft, though Texas Tech’s underwhelming season may have cast him into the shadows a bit; real ones been knowing he’s played well this season, though.

Jordan Lodise, SS Central Florida (Big 12)

1-for-4, HR, R, 3 RBI

Checking in on the Golden Knights’ freshman shortstop, Lodise popped a second-inning three-run jack amidst an 8-0 thwacking of the Baylor Bears on Friday. The 19-year-old has endured a bit of a trial by fire this season, as this was only Lodise’s second homer of the campaign and his .341 OBP leaves much to be desired; either way, his family history implies we’ll be impressed with him more consistently in the future, even if ‘the future’ is 2027 or beyond.

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Big Ten

Covered by: Quinn Martin

💣💣 Mulivai Levu, 1B UCLA (Big Ten)

3-for-4, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, BB

‼️ Wylan Moss, RHP UCLA (Big Ten)

7 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 9 K

You may have expected a more competitive game between UCLA and Oregon and that was just not the case Friday night. UCLA dominated the Ducks, winning 11-1 off the backs of sophomore Wylan Moss' impressive start and one of my favorite bats in the country, Mulivai Levu's double dong performance. Moss is gaining more and more comfortability in this Friday night role with Reddemann out and he absolutely shoved last night. His velo was down a tick or two but he pummeled the zone with his fastball and changeup, flashing a slider in there as well to change up looks. He got tons of groundball outs, missing barrels all night long. Someone who did not miss barrels was Mulivai Levu. For whatever reason, the Oregon arms thought it'd be a good idea to attack the top of the zone and that did not work in their favors. His hands are too quick and explosive to blow fastballs by him. He's such an advanced hitter and I may end the season dangerously high on him.

Collin Jennings, RF Illinois (Big Ten)

3-for-4, HR, 3B, 3 R, 3 RBI

‼️ Regan Hall, LHP Illinois (Big Ten)

5 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 7 K

Hall induced tons of GB outs last night and dominated the zone with his fasbtall and cutter. It's a nice run/cut pairing that dives away from hitters barrels when located correctly and last night was one of his better starts on the year. At the plate, Collin Jennings has gotten hot as of late, hitting over 400 over his previous 5 games with 5 XBH. He's using the whole field and rarely hitting the ball on the ground. Illinois will need his power if they want to contend in the Big 10 tourney.

Trey Fikes, C Nebraska (Big Ten)

2-for-3, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI

‼️ Carson Jasa, RHP Nebraska (Big Ten)

7 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 9 K

Nebraska had a nightmare of a last weekend against Ohio State. They were clearly peeved about it and demolished Iowa 10-0 in the opener off the backs of Jasa's 7 shutout innings and Trey Fikes' 2 XBH. Jasa's biggest question mark is the strike throwing, especially with the fastball and while that mark didn't improve last night, he used his upper 80s slider as his primary offering and threw solid strikes with it. Fikes has gotten very limited run this year coming over from Three Rivers JUCO but has been productive. He hit his first D1 HR last night in an impressive display of hitting, getting his hands inside and extending on a 94mph low and in fastball that was a no doubter to LF.

‼️ Cristofer Cespedes, RHP Maryland (Big Ten)

7 IP, 7 H, ER, BB, 7 K

It's no secret Cespedes loves his slider but he really loved it yesterday. He threw it at an astonishing 63% clip and garnered 22 of his 23 whiffs with the pitch. Rutgers hitters had absolutely no answer for it. While he did go 7 innings allowing 1 ER, he did allow 5 runs, 2 of which off the long ball. Most of the damage came in the 1st, where 3B Brayden Martin made an error with 2 outs, leading to back to back Rutgers HRs.

‼️ Zack Konstantinovsky, RHP Rutgers (Big Ten)

6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 9 K

Really nice start for Zack K, holding down a potent Maryland lineup to only 5 hits. His changeup is his best weapon, picking up 9 of his 16 overall whiffs with the pitch. He commands it really well and it allowed his fastball to play up, which he located well at the top of the zone. In Zack K's return to the bump, he's shown had some ups and downs, but the swing and miss from the changeup has led to plenty of strikeouts. His next area of development will be finding some more umph to the fastball and breaking balls. His changeup is his only average or better pitch right now and if he wants to make the jump to the next level, he'll need to improve in those areas.

Dane Harvey, 1B Ohio State (Big Ten)

3-for-4, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, BB

Dane Harvey hits baseballs very hard and is tied for 6th in the conference in HRs. He added on last night, now up to 16 long balls on the year, in a convincing run rule win over Michigan State. The Buckeyes are on a 4 game win streak and could slide into 6th place in the conference with a series sweep over the Spartans. This is quite the improvement from 2025, where they finished dead last. The Buckeyes have found impactful transfers from the JUCO ranks, including Dane Harvey who's been their best bat.

🍔🍟 Easton Richter, CF Minnesota (Big Ten)

2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, K, SB

Jack Bello, 1B Minnesota (Big Ten)

4-for-4, HR, 3 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI

Bello made the Michigan pitchers pay for their mistakes on Friday night. They left 4 pitches over the heart of the plate and Bello didn't miss any of them. He had his timing right and pounced, leading to 4 XBH on the night. Richter has continued to rectify his slow middle of the season and is officially hot. He has 6 XBH and is hitting over .400 across his last 5 games. I'm still buying into the power/speed combo here, though the hit tool isn't ideal. I expect a team to take a shot on Richter in the later rounds.

‼️ Grant Govel, RHP USC (Big Ten)

6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 7 K

💣💣 Jack Basseer, RF USC (Big Ten)

Game 1: 3-for-3, HR, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB

Game 2: 2-for-4, HR, 2B, R, 3 RBI, BB, 2 K

‼️ Mason Edwards, LHP USC (Big Ten)

6 IP, 4 H, BB, 10 K

Your NCAA strikeout leader dominates again, striking out 10 more to increase his total to 142 punchouts in 78 innings. He picked up 20 whiffs over his 6 innings of work and that fastball/curveball combo was perfect yet again. The jump Edwards has made this year has been incredible and he is in a race with Hunter Dietz and Cole Carlon to be the first collegiate LHP off the board in July. It's certainly hard to argue with his performance. Feels like every week it's a double digit strikeout start. Jack Basseer led the offense on Thursday and Friday, combining for 2 HRs, 3 doubles, and 5 RBIs across the 2 games. Basseer has struggled vs spin this year but in these last 2 games, he sat on 2 breaking balls and demolished both of them. He didn't look fooled at all and gave some ferocious swings. In game 2, it was Grant Govel that performed well again, making up for some previous subpar starts. He picked up 14 whiffs across his 6 innings and let the newfound slider go to work. It's making his entire arsenal better, the fastball is playing up, hitters aren't sitting on the changeup and each of those pitches accrued at least 4 whiffs. Govel's turning into a more complete pitcher as the season's continued and it's made me significantly higher on his profile.

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Mid Majors

Covered by: Joshua Salguero

🍔🍟 Taeg Gollert, 1B Missouri State (Mid Majors)

2-for-4, HR, 2B, R, 5 RBI, SB

It was a rare tough stretch for Missouri State, having lost seven of their last eight games. The game wasn’t going their way for over half the game as well but a nine-run 6th flipped the script and gave Missouri State a six-run lead. Taeg Gollert hit a grand slam that gave them the lead and began that massive inning. He’d add an extra insurance run the next inning with an RBI double. Even with the mini-slump Gollert has been in, he’s still had a knack for clutch hits and home runs. With runners in scoring position this season, he’s putting up a 1.112 OPS with seven of his twelve home runs coming in that spot.

Teige Lethert, C Virgina Commonwealth (Mid Majors)

Game 1: 3-for-5, HR, 2 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI

Game 2: 1-for-5, 2 K

💣💣 Blake Primrose, C Saint Joseph's (Mid Majors)

Game 1: 4-for-4, 2 HR, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB

Game 2: 0-for-2, BB, 2 K

Game one of the double header featured a battle of the catchers between VCU and Saint Joseph’s. Teige Lethert of VCU had three hits, all being of the extra-base variety. His home run in the 7th broke a 5-5 tie and reclaimed the lead for VCU. He’d add another run for good measure via a double in the 9th, eventually serving as the winning run. Blake Primrose made up essentially the entire offense for Saint Joseph’s. Primrose had half the team’s hits and RBIs in a two-homer effort in the loss. Unfortunately, game two wasn’t able to replicate the same excitement but it did see Saint Joseph’s bounce back to even up the series.

Reece Moroney, SS Rhode Island (Mid Majors)

4-for-6, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI

💣💣 Ryan King, 3B Rhode Island (Mid Majors)

3-for-5, 2 HR, 4 R, 3 RBI

This has to be the craziest game of the day. Rhode Island was trailing Davidson 11-7 entering the 8th inning. Two runs brought the Rams a little bit closer but Davidson matched that plus one more to take a five run lead entering the 9th. That’s where things exploded. Two singles followed by a home run brought them to within two. Three errors in the inning kept the game alive and allowed Rhode Island to take the lead. Reece Moroney put a stamp on the inning with a two-run double, and his second hit of the inning, to push the team in front by three runs. Davidson attempted a small comeback but ultimately fell short with a final score of 17-16. Reece Moroney stayed hot with a four hit day and Ryan King homered twice in this juggernaut of a game.

Landon Springmeyer, DH Northern Kentucky (Mid Majors)

3-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 R, 6 RBI, K

Friday was full of crazy games. Northern Kentucky entered the bottom of the 9th trailing by four and managed to pull a rabbit out of their hat. Three of the first four batters of the inning reached base to bring the tying run up to the plate. A Mark Nowak double plated two and Landon Springmeyer followed up with a walk-off three-run blast. The homer was Springmeyer’s third hit of the day and brought his RBI total up to six.

Marc Quarrie, DH Wofford (Mid Majors)

2-for-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 2 K, SB

More Marc Quarrie hits means more wins for Wofford. That weird little pattern still looks to be going where in games where Quarrie records a hit, Wofford tends to win. In 17 games played with that parameter, Wofford has only lost twice. Quarrie ensured the dub with a two hit game against ETSU. Two doubles brought home three runners as Wofford narrowly held onto the lead to take game one of the series.

Colby Allen, RHP Southern Mississippi (Mid Majors)

3.0 IP, BB, 6 K, SV

Colby Allen has been insane his last two appearances. These outings have consisted of seven innings pitched, one hit allowed, two walks, and thirteen strikeouts. Already filled to the brim with excellent rotation arms, Southern Miss has the added luxury of having Colby Allen as a fourth ace out in the bullpen. Allen shut the door against James Madison, pitching the last three innings allowing just one runner on a walk to get the long save in the series opener.

Paul Smith, DH Rice (Mid Majors)

3-for-5, 2 RBI, K

Rice is soaring from the middle ground at just the right time. Facing one of the top dogs in the American last weekend in UAB, Rice swept them. Now facing another top squad in East Carolina this weekend, they’ve taken game one, pushing them into 3rd in the conference. A seven-run 9th more than completed the comeback. Trailing by two, a Paul Smith single tied the game up at five. Five more runs quickly followed and led to an easy win in the bottom half of the inning. The offense has been firing on all cylinders the past few games and today was Paul Smith’s turn. His three hits and game-tying single were crucial for the Owls as they now sit within striking distance for the top seed in the conference.

Walker Mitchell, 3B Coastal Carolina (Mid Majors)

2-for-3, 2 R, 5 RBI, K, SB

Rex Watson, RF Coastal Carolina (Mid Majors)

3-for-5, HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, K

The game wasn’t really all that close as Coastal Carolina took game one from Old Dominion by a score of 16-8. Walker Mitchell and Rex Watson each had 5 RBIs on the day with multi-hit games. Trace Mazon made his first start since his return last weekend as well as the Chants start to make their way back to full-strength at the perfect time.

‼️ Garrett Lambert, RHP Mercer (Mid Majors)

5.0 IP, 2 H, ER, 9 K

💣💣 Dylan LaPointe, C Mercer (Mid Majors)

2-for-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 6 RBI, K

Garrett Lambert dazzled as a freshman back in 2024 but an injury cut that season short as well as knocking him out for all of 2025. He returned in 2026 with the obstacle not having slowed him down one bit. Five innings of one-run ball against VMI lowered his ERA to 3.79 and nine strikeouts maintained a high K% of 27.9%. The command is still trying to find its right balance but his stuff is as good as it's ever been. It’s also nearly impossible to talk about a Mercer game without the mention of some offensive highlight. Dylan Lapointe supplied a two homer, six RBI game which was more than enough offense for Lambert to get the victory.

💣💣 Jon Embury, C Florida Gulf Coast (Mid Majors)

3-for-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI

The sophomore catcher is off to a torrid start in May, already notching ten hits in five games played with three homers to boot. Friday’s game versus West Georgia featured a two home run performance including one long blast 415’ to left. The other guys can get lost in the magic of Evan Dempsey but they need more recognition. Embury is among the best offensive catchers in the country and firmly places in the top three for catchers for next year’s class. In 2026, he’s slashing .385/.442/.706 with 16 home runs and a 14.9 K%.

‼️ Wade Cooper, RHP Texas State (Mid Majors)

9.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, BB, 12 K, HRA

After starting the year off in the pen, the freshman has been given the ball for Fridays in four consecutive weekends now. There were some positive signs in his last three starts but the results weren’t too appealing. The fourth one appeared to be the charm. In a critical series against Arkansas State, Wade Cooper delivered a gem, tossing a complete game allowing two runs and striking out twelve. There was some early trouble in the 1st that resulted in a run but it was smooth sailing after that for Cooper. Both teams were part of a three-way tie for the 9th and 10th seeds and Texas State’s win pushed them alone into the 9th spot with a little over a week to go.

‼️ Eric Nachtsheim, RHP McNeese State (Mid Majors)

6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 11 K, HRA

It’s hard to find a rhythm jumping back and forth between rotation and bullpen but it doesn’t seem to phase Nachtsheim. He has now made consecutive starts for the first time since late March. After eight shutout innings last weekend, Nachtsheim gave up two runs in six innings and struck out eleven for a cherry on top. The looks in his brief rotation appearances have done wonders for his draft stock. He’s made six starts and five of his starts have the following lines: 6IP/1ER/9K, 9IP/2ER/16K, 5IP/0ER/10K, 8IP/0ER/9K, 6IP/2ER/11K. He’s proven the strikeout stuff can thrive in lengthy outings and that he can manage his velocity well. Nachtsheim has arguably been the pitcher to improve his draft stock the most within the last month.

🍔🍟 Nathan Earley, 1B South Florida (Mid Majors)

5-for-6, HR, 2B, 4 R, 5 RBI, SB

Promising start for South Florida by taking game one of the series against Tulane. The Bulls have put together their first win streak since 3/21-3/24 and are looking to prop up their conference play record just before season’s end. Nathan Earley took charge, knocking around five hits and driving in five in the blowout win. Even during South Florida’s slump, Earley has stayed hitting. In his last five games, Earley has gotten fourteen hits with two doubles and two homers to supply what’s been essentially the only offense for the team. His numbers had taken a dip starting around the end of March but have since climbed up to their previous heights with a .922 OPS for the season.

Rowan Kelly, CF UC Santa Barbara (Mid Majors)

3-for-5, 3 RBI

Matthew Thomas, LF Cal State Northridge (Mid Majors)

3-for-5, HR, R, 2 RBI, K

Jackson Flora got knocked around for the first time all season but UCSB still came away with the win. Matthew Thomas was locked in on Flora, getting three hits off him including a solo shot in the 5th that tied the game up at four. Unfortunately for Thomas, he seemed to be the only one hitting for the Matadors as all of the Gauchos’ bats seemed to contribute. Rowan Kelly continued his blistering stretch with another three hit game, driving in three runs all on singles. In his last three games, Kelly has eleven hits, pushing his season slash to .344/.440/.472. The sophomore has been the best and most consistent bat for UCSB and looks to be among the better bats on the West Coast for next year’s class.

‼️ Isaiah Magdaleno, RHP Hawaii (Mid Majors)

8.0 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 9 K

Magdaleno followed up his 16 K gem last weekend with another masterpiece. Facing off against UC Davis, Magdaleno tossed eight innings of one-run ball and struck out nine along the way. In his last two starts combined, Magdaleno has allowed 7 baserunners in 17 innings with 25 strikeouts. Just two strikeouts shy of 100 for the season, Magdaleno is looking to become the first Hawaii pitcher to reach that mark since Mark Cooper in 2014.

Paul Contreras, RF Cal State Fullerton (Mid Majors)

4-for-4, 3B, 2B, R, 2 RBI

Contreras continues to make a late push for his draft stock. A perfect 4-4 on Friday now has Contreras reaching in seven of his last eight plate appearances. A two-run single in the 2nd gave CSUF the lead and one that would persevere for the remainder of the game. Contreras’ OPS now sits at 1.076 for the season. He’s shown good power and a solid hit tool, he’s got a real chance at pushing his way into the top half of the draft.

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Southeastern

Covered by: Brandon Payne

Ace Reese, 3B Mississippi State (Southeastern)

4-for-5, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI, K

It was pleasant to see Ace Resse put bat to ball and make consisten contact on Friday. Typically, you will see more of a true 3 outcome with him. Two of hits hits went for extra bases. Reese will be on of the top bats taken in this years draft and most likely will be a day 1 pick.

Maika Niu, CF Arkansas (Southeastern)

2-for-4, HR, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 K

Hunter Dietz continues to look strong on the mound. The southpaw has won his last 4 starts and in that that time has combined to strikeout 30 against 9 walks. Dietz got the CG in 7 as the Razorbacks offense unloaded 5 homeruns. Damian Ruiz, Cam Kozeal, and Maika Niu were among the top bats for Arkansas on Friday night.

Cam Kozeal, SS Arkansas (Southeastern)

3-for-4, HR, R, 4 RBI

Damian Ruiz, LF Arkansas (Southeastern)

2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 K

Hunter Dietz, LHP Arkansas (Southeastern)

7 IP, 7 H, ER, 3 BB, 7 K

🚑 Justin Lebron, SS Alabama (Southeastern)

1-for-4, HR, R, 3 RBI

Tyler Fay was strong on Friday. However, he did give up 2 homeruns, which to be fair were the only hits he gave up in his outing. Despite that, he went 7 and struck out 10 and walked 2. Fay has kind of been all over the place since his CG against Florida back on March 20. For Fay to have success at the next level he is going to have to learn how to keep the ball in the park. In 2024, he gave up 6 homeruns. In 2025, he gave up 8. And now in 2026, he has given up 14 in 71.1 IP. Justin Lebron finds his power stroke again as he launched a 3 run shot for his 13th of the year. This was his first homerun in 11 games and unfortunatley he also picked up an injury due to a collison at firstbase. At the time of writing this, I haven't seen an update.

Tyler Fay, RHP Alabama (Southeastern)

7 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 10 K, 2 HRA

Kolby Branch, SS Georgia (Southeastern)

2-for-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, K

Any number of guys in this lineup tonight I could have highlighted. I chose Tre Phillips, Daniel Jackson, and Kolby Branch. Tre Phillips and danile Jackson are the tone setters at the top of the BUlldog lineup and they each delieverd a homerun. Jackson was slightly more impressive in he added a double and worked his way to 3 walks. And finally, there was Kolby Branch who added another humrun for the Bulldogs as the defeated LSU 11-8 on Friday night.

Daniel Jackson, C Georgia (Southeastern)

2-for-2, HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI, 3 BB

Tre Phelps, 2B Georgia (Southeastern)

2-for-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, K

Aiden Robbins, CF Texas (Southeastern)

2-for-3, HR, 2B, R, RBI, BB

I was talking to James Weisser on the phone the other day and he asked me who my favorite SEC bat was this year. My answer Aidne Robbins who is slowly becoming one of my favorite players to watch in college. Whichever MLB team he lands on this year is going to be very happy to have him. He plays with a chip on his shoulder, but in reality he shouldn't be this overlooked. Robbins hit his 19th homerun on the year and now has 52 RBI as well. He is slashing .364/.450/.738.

‼️ Tegan Kuhns, RHP Tennessee (Southeastern)

7 IP, 4 H, BB, 15 K

Tegan Kuhns was electric on Friday night for the Vols. He struck out 15 across 7 innings allowing just 4 hits with one of them going for extra bases. He only walked one and din't allow a run. His slider was working all night and the Texas bats did not stand a chance. The Wheeler Canonball strikes again.