College Daily Sheet: A-Head of the Pack 5/19/26

Atlantic Coast

Covered by: Will Dodge

💣💣 Kaden Smith, DH Duke (Atlantic Coast)

3-for-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 8 RBI, 2 BB

Jake Lambdin, SS Duke (Atlantic Coast)

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

Luke Nixon, 2B North Carolina State (Atlantic Coast)

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

🍔🍟 Ty Head, CF North Carolina State (Atlantic Coast)

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

Dalton Bargo, DH North Carolina State (Atlantic Coast)

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

In what feels like an annual occurrence, the opener to a 4-game day in a conference tournament goes 4+ hours and features 33 runs, as Duke outslugged NC State 21-12. Despite the scoring output, Duke only muscled 2 HRs as a team, and the two both came off the bat of GRAD DH Kaden Smith, who is up to 13 on the year. Smith’s blast traveled 411’ & 381’, as he recorded 3 95+ mph batted balls. This season will likely be it for Smith (who knows with the NCAA), but he is going out with a bang, especially with this 8 RBI performance. Smith was almost outdone by SS Jake Lambdin, who had 8 ribbies for himself in a 4-hit day. Where he did match Smith was in the batted ball category with 3 97+ EVs. Lambdin will be a second-time eligible draft candidate, but the JR is a standout defender with athleticism, which could see him selected late after a decent 1st year at the plate in P4-play. NC State doubled up Duke in the HR category with Luke Nixon, Ty Head, and Dalton Bargo among the WolfPack to go yard. Bargo’s travelled the furthest and was hit the hardest with a 108 mph EV & 404’ of distance. Bargo is a SR on his 3rd squad after stints with Mizzou and Tennessee, and likely will not be selected. On the other hand, Ty Head looks like a candidate to go in the top 50 overall picks in the draft, and with another HR/SB day, is up to 14 & 25 on the year. Nixon looks like a candidate to go in the non-bonus rounds as a JR who has made a 200-point OPS jump after this 2 XBH affair. The Blue Devils will move on to face Virginia on Wednesday morning and are in all-out bid stealer mode. Meanwhile, NC State takes an early exit out of the ACC Dance and is anxiously in the bubble for the Field of 64.

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