Amegy Bank College Baseball Series: Day 1 Recap

Arlington, TX – The third and final weekend of the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field kicked off yesterday and had no shortage of action. The series features four top-25 teams, including the #1 team in the country in the UCLA Bruins.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better grouping of teams in one place, and at a better location, as Globe Life continues to be my favorite spot to watch college baseball.

Teams:

• Arizona State Sun Devils
• #5 Mississippi State Bulldogs
• #16 Tennessee Volunteers
• #20 Texas A&M Aggies
• Virginia Tech Hokies
• #1 UCLA Bruins

Game 1: Arizona State Sun Devils vs. #5 Mississippi State Bulldogs

In game one of the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series, we got a matchup between the red-hot Sun Devils and the highly touted Mississippi State Bulldogs. With Cole Carlon toeing the rubber for ASU and Ryan McPherson for Mississippi State, we got a regional-caliber matchup on both sides of the ball. 

Carlon kicked off his 2026 campaign 2-0, allowing just two runs over 11 innings of work, an outstanding 0.76 WHIP for the southpaw. McPherson isn’t far behind with a 1.10 WHIP over 10 innings of work with four runs allowed, going against his most formidable test to date in a high-powered ASU offense that features eight-of-nine starters hitting above .333. 

Both starters are transitioned relievers, now experiencing their first major workload as we get into the third week of the season, extending out into games. 

McPherson features a high 80’s changeup played off his upper 90s fastball that dominated the top of the zone. Carlon showed power stuff in an upper 90s fastball, grabbing multiple 98’s with a big slider in the mid 80’s paired with what looked like a cutter shape that accounted for multiple whiffs through the day, including Ace Reese in the first.

Carlon racked up five strikeouts in the first two innings as McPherson went toe-to-toe early with three of his own, totaling just 25 pitches through his first time through the Sun Devils lineup without allowing a baserunner. 

The first hit for each team would come in the fifth inning from Dean Toigo and Blake Bevis, lacing singles, but baserunners were few and far between with both starters mowing through the opposing lineups.

The deadlock at zero would be broken by Mississippi State as Bryce Chance delivered a two-out RBI single, ending Cole Carlon’s day as the Sun Devils turned it over to Josh Butler. Gehrig Frei pinch-hit for Drew Wyers and deposited the first pitch he saw 110 mph off the bat into the right field bleachers for a three-run bomb as the Bulldogs took a 4-0 lead in the fifth. 

The Sun Devils would answer with one of their own in the sixth as we entered the final third of the game, but the Bulldogs’ offense continued to create traffic on the bases. Catcher Chone James delivered a two-RBI single to extend the Mississippi lead as they pulled away from Arizona State, posting a three-spot in the sixth. 

Pinch-hitters were the story in this one for the Bulldogs, going a perfect two-for-two with four RBI and two walks, including the big home run from Gehrig Frei.

The main difference maker in game one was the Arizona State bullpen, having to provide length with the early exit to Cole Carlon from what appeared to be a hamstring cramp, giving up the bulk of the Bulldogs’ runs, but more notably walking four over four-plus innings of work. 

Head coach Brian O’Connor had high praise for the performance off the bench the Bulldogs got today on offense: “Putting [Gehrig Frei] and Reed Stallman in there, we just have a lot of guys we have confidence in… It shows the depth, and we have different options based on who’s on the mound and what we have.” 

Ryan McPherson battled late in the game and was spectacular against the Sun Devils’ offense, finishing his day with seven innings of one-run baseball, punching out four and surrendering just one earned run. 

“Ryan McPherson can say what he wants, he doesn’t have a whole lot of experience, he threw less than 40 innings last year, and he’s now bounced into that starters’ role, so he’s still learning how to manage into the later innings. What a bulldog in the sixth and seventh innings, he buckled down and made some really big pitches,” said Coach O’Connor, regarding the starting pitching performance.

The Sun Devils managed to push across three runs off Maddox Miller thanks to two ninth-inning solo home runs from Dominic Longo and Dominic Smaldino, but that wasn’t enough to mount a comeback, as Mississippi State took game one on a final score of 8-4.

Game Notes:

• Cole Carlon (ASU): 4 ⅓ IP,  7 K, 2 H, 3 ER
• Ryan McPherson (MSST): 7 IP, 5K, 4 H, 1 ER
• Gehrig Frei (MSST): 1-2, 3 RBI, HR
• Chone James (MSST): 1-4, 2 RBI
• Dominic Longo (ASU): 1-4, HR
• Landon Hairston (ASU): 1-4, 2B, RBI 

Game 2: #1 UCLA Bruins vs. #16 Tennessee Volunteers

For game two, we got a heavyweight top-25 matchup between UCLA and Tennessee, featuring Logan Reddemann and Tegan Kuhns as the starting pitchers. Kuhns has kicked off his year 1-0 with just one earned run surrendered in 12 innings, while Reddemann has started his career with the Bruins 2-0 with 16 strikeouts in 10 innings, accounting for a 3.60 ERA.

UCLA got on the board early with an infield error forced by the speed of Aiden Aguayo, leading to a Cashel Dugger RBI double to get the Bruins on the board in the second. Logan Reddemann rolled through the early game, striking out four through three scoreless innings.

The Bruins tacked on two more in the third off a two-out double from Roch Cholowsky, followed by a two-run bomb coming off the bat at 112mph from Mulivai Levu, extending the UCLA lead to 3-0 early on. The offensive barrage wouldn’t stop there as a solo-shot from Peyton Brennan in the fourth and a Roch Cholowsky sac fly lengthening the Bruins lead to five behind Logan Reddemann.

“I thought Reddemann was the story tonight, he was very, very good. His line doesn’t show how dominant he was, giving up three runs, but Reddeman threw the ball really well,” said UCLA head coach John Savage.

While the UCLA offense controlled the game, Tegan Kuhns put together an extremely impressive performance, showing an upper-90s fastball and low-80s curveball that kept the Bruins off balance all afternoon, totalling 10 strikeouts.

Tennessee wouldn’t roll over as Chris Newstrom got the scoring started for the Vols with a solo-home run, two hits later would chase Reddemann from the game as they’d threaten with bases loaded one out.

Tyler Myatt and Stone Lawless would come up with huge two-out RBI singles, driving in three runs off Ian May as the Bruins dipped back into the bullpen to the third arm of the sixth inning to preserve the lead they had built entering the back third of the game, clinging to a 5-4 lead.

UCLA would answer back with a six-spot in the seventh thanks to a leadoff solo-shot from Will Gasparino, knocking Tegan Kuhns out of the game, but the scoring wouldn’t stop there, as the Bruins tagged Brandan Arvidson for three more runs thanks to a Roman Martin home run that snuck over the left field wall.

We got to see a slew of Bruins bullpen arms through the late innings as they’d cruise to a 12-5 victory behind a huge performance from Will Gasparino. Post-game, he talked about how different the feel of this UCLA team is: “This is my third head coach in three years, and this is the one team that feels really special.”

“We’re fortunate to get him at the right time physically and mentally in a lot of ways, he’s confident, he’s got a bunch of guys around him that believe in him, and he’s back home in L.A., and he just seems comfortable right now,” said head coach John Savage, regarding Gasparino and his red-hot start to the season. He now has eight home runs and 17 RBI.

Game Notes:

• Logan Reddemann (UCLA): 5 ⅓ IP, 7 K, 4 H, 3 ER
• Tegan Kuhns (TENN): 6 IP, 10 K, 6 H, 4 ER
• Mulivai Levu (UCLA): 2-4, HR, 2 RBI
• Will Gasparino (UCLA): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI
• Roch Cholowsky (UCLA): 1-3, 2B, RBI
• Chris Newstrom (TENN): 3-4, 3B, HR, RBI
• Tyler Myatt (TENN): 1-3, 2 RBI

Game 3: Virginia Tech Hokies vs. #20 Texas A&M Aggies

Leading into the nightcap of day one, we got a packed house thanks to the semi-local Tex Ags. The game featured another great pitching matchup between Brett Renfrow for the Hokies and Shane Sdao for Texas A&M, who has been brilliant in two starts, posting a 0.83 WHIP over 12 innings.

Chris Hacopian made his return to the Aggies lineup after missing last week with a back injury and kicked off with a solo home run in the second inning, 424 feet into left field. Despite plenty of loud contact from both sides, Renfrow and Sdao rolled through the early stage of the game, holding off any damage.

Sdao worked out of his first sign of trouble in the fourth with a big strikeout over Sam Gates, stranding a pair of Hokies in scoring position. That continued to be the story for Sdao as he racked up five strikeouts in his first four innings.

The Aggies would break through against Renfrow in the fourth, capitalizing on a two-out error as Terrence Kiel II drove in one on a single to extend their lead to 2-0 as the Hokies navigated around any further damage. 

Renfrow’s day would end after five strong innings, allowing two earned runs as the ball would be handed over to Preston Crowl. A Jake Duer double and two walks would set the Aggies up with bases loaded with no outs, looking to blow the game open and put the Hokies away, supported by the haunting “ball-five” chant from the Aggie faithful.

A Terrance Kiel sac-fly and one wild pitch later, the Aggies had extended their lead to 4-0 as the Hokies dipped further into the bullpen to stop the bleeding.

More free bases surrendered by the Hokies bullpen allowed the Aggies offense to get into its true form as the offensive onslaught began with Caden Sorrell delivering a two-RBI ground rule double along with two more extra base hits from Blake Binderup and Jake Duer.

Texas A&M head coach Michael Earley discussed the role of Terrance Kiel being the spark on offense, leading to the eruption: “Our guys just kept playing, and we situationally hit. TK [Terrance Kiel] really got it going, he got it done, and it was a sigh of relief. We want a relentless lineup one through nine, limit the lapses, and when it happens, get right back to what we do.” 

In what seemed like the snap of a finger, Texas A&M increased their lead to 10-0, hunting an early finish to cap off the night in Arlington as Sdao’s night would end after six, and Cole Hubert slammed the door to end the game in convincing fashion.

“[Shane] filled up the zone, mixed in a lot of pitches and kept guys off balance. Tough as a hitter when you mix looks and you’re never predictable, and the pitcher executes the pitches, and that’s what Shane did,” said Coach Earley. 

Texas A&M will take on #1 UCLA tomorrow night in a heavyweight matchup.

Game Notes:

• Brett Renfrow (VT): 5 IP, 7 K, 5 H, 2 ER
• Shane Sdao (TAM): 6 IP, 5 K, 4 H, 0 R
• Chris Hacopian (TAM): 1-2, HR, RBI
• Terrance Kiel II: (TAM): 1-2, 2 RBI
• Ethan Ball (VT): 2-3
• Nick Locurto (VT): 2-3