Seven Hot Starts You Probably Don’t Know About in College Baseball

These players have been performing at an elite level this college baseball season without the spotlight they deserve.

By Sam Fosberg | March 4, 2026 | | 0

HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 02: A detail of the NCAA logo on a Rawlings baseball prior to the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Arizona Wildcats in the Astros Foundation College Classic at Daikin Park on March 02, 2025, in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images)

It’s officially March. College baseball has been rolling for a few weeks now, and we’re in full swing.

Most teams are eight-plus games deep. Some hitters have piled up 50-plus at-bats. A few frontline arms have crossed the 20-inning mark. Early sample sizes are starting to mean something.

We know about the stars. Guys like Roch Cholowsky, Justin Lebron, AJ Gracia, Derek Williams, Kollin Ritchie, and Braden Holcomb have been mashing out of the gate. On the mound, Ruger Riojas, Cole Carlon, Dax Whitney, Mason Edwards, and Cooper Moore have looked borderline untouchable.

Those names aren’t sneaking up on anyone. So, who’s performing at that same level without the spotlight? This piece is about the ones tearing it up quietly. The ones who deserve their flowers before everyone else catches on.

Stats are as of March 4.

Clayton Slack – INF, Southern Indiana

Slack has been one of the most productive hitters in the country, even if much of the national conversation hasn’t caught up yet.

The Southern Indiana senior is 26-for-51 (.510) to begin the year, adding two home runs and 19 RBI across the program’s first slate of games. He has recorded seven multi-hit performances, highlighted by a five-hit outing, and has gotten on base at an elite rate. Slack has been hit by six pitches and struck out just twice. His game is patient as well.

The surge represents a significant leap from a year ago. In 2025, the Viroqua, Wisconsin native hit .294 with a .382 slugging percentage and did not record a home run. Early this spring, he has already matched that zero in the home run column multiple times over and is slugging .725.

While the sample size is still small, his production is hard to ignore. Slack isn’t just collecting bloop singles but driving the baseball with authority.

Lane Walton – INF, Arkansas State

After a freshman campaign with JUCO’s Hill College, Walton is getting his first taste of Division I baseball action. He looks to be adjusting just fine.

Currently 17-for-53 (.321) on the season, he’s launched a staggering seven home runs to go along with three triples, five doubles, 17 runs scored, and 21 RBI. The Red Wolves sit at 10-3 overall, and this 6-foot-4, left-handed bat has been a driving force behind that early success.

If this power surge is any indication of what’s ahead, Walton is firmly in the “player to watch” category as conference play ramps up and the spotlight grows. He’s already taken home Sun Belt Player of the Week honors once.

Chris Olivier – RHP, Lamar

I’m starting to become a closeted Lamar superfan. And Olivier is a big reason why (along with Tab Tracy because of his 80-grade baseball name). It’s only a matter of time before big media outlets are posting about what this *alleged* 150-pound pitcher has been able to do.

The Lamar right-hander has been nothing short of dominant to open 2026. Across 18.2 innings, Olivier has allowed just six hits. Six. He owns a spotless 0.00 ERA with 28 strikeouts against only five walks, controlling games with a level of poise you don’t typically see from someone who entered the year with virtually no buzz.

Opponents are hitting just .097 against him over 272 pitches, and it’s come seemingly out of nowhere. Olivier chucked just 9.2 innings a year prior and did not gain any attention at all. It’s one of the better stories in college baseball this season. Stephen F. Austin better be ready to deflect a gem next weekend.

Mark Quatrani – C, Notre Dame

There’s little doubt Mark Quatrani is a brainiac behind the dish. A two-year stint at Cornell, spent leading a pitching staff, says a lot about his baseball IQ. Now he’s testing ACC waters after transferring from the Big Red to Notre Dame.

His first impression has been nothing short of fantastic. Quatrani’s currently batting .514 (19-for-37) with four home runs, 16 RBI, and a 1.529 OPS, and he’s doing it against tough opponents, too.

Four hits vs. Indiana (two homers, 10 total bases), and a couple more knocks against LSU and FAU for good measure. He’s not chasing; instead, he’s getting pitches he can handle and letting the game come to him. This transition was supposed to take some time…

Jake Haggard – INF, UL Monroe

I had to include a ULM player because I was not expecting them to tally eight wins this quickly. Haggard and company are trying to help the Warhawks achieve a winning record in a full-season for the first time since 2012.

The senior has been a staple in ULM’s order for some time, starting in 154 career games and counting. Haggard has quickly emerged as the main run producer for his school, driving in 23 RBI through his first 14 games played. He’s also hit three homers with six doubles across 57 at-bats.

The Warhawks have a long way to go, but this upperclassman from West Palm Beach, FL, is doing everything he can to bring a program back to relevance.

Braden Gebhardt – LHP, Youngstown State

Some players go an entire career without earning a single Player of the Week honor. For Youngstown State’s Gebhardt, he’s claimed the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week award three straight times. A 0.00 ERA with 28 strikeouts across 20 innings will do that.

And honestly, this is coming out of the blue in the best way possible. His ERAs during his freshman, sophomore, and junior seasons? 6.29, 7.01, and 7.05. That’s a massive shift from three straight donuts to open the year.

Gebhardt isn’t some inexperienced arm riding a lucky stretch. He logged 159 career innings before 2026. The experience has always been there, and now it feels like everything’s finally clicking at once. What a fun start to his final hoorah as a Penguin.

Zach Leite – INF, Old Dominion

Old Dominion has already reached the 15-run mark three different times this season, and Leite has reached base in each of those offensive explosions. Hitting in the heart of the Monarchs’ lineup, he’s turned into one of the most feared bats in the order.

After launching just three home runs across 51 games in 2025, the stocky senior already has a trio of bombs through his first 10 contests this spring. He’s 16-for-38 (.421) with 22 RBI, and his most heroic showing came in a two-homer, five-RBI performance in a 5-4 win over Niagara.

Basically, he’s gone from complementary piece to tone-setter, and Old Dominion’s lineup looks a whole lot deeper because of it.