2025 ACC Baseball Tournament Day Four Recap

Quick and efficient games at the ACC Tournament? In this economy?!

Yup, that happened on Friday. We’ve got our semifinal matchups set for Saturday. One game was a blowout, while the other was a thriller. We’re setting up for a great finish to the week here in Durham. I’ll stop typing so you can get a recap on what occurred Friday, and let me say now, it was a fun day.

Myles Bailey’s Two-Homer Day Propels Florida State To Semifinals

Less than a year ago, the Chicago White Sox drafted Myles Bailey in the 20th round. It wasn’t a sure thing that he was signing, it was a meeting of the brasses. A nonchalant wave as he walked through the doors of college baseball.

His first taste of college baseball has had its ups and downs. He’s always had prodigious power and put it on display this spring, but the strikeouts are a major concern. However, over the past week, Bailey has figured it out for the time being. He’s not struck out in a game since May 11th, and a four-hit day on Friday was the biggest bright spot in an impressive offensive showing for the Seminoles, as they beat the hometown Duke Blue Devils by a score of 14-7.

Florida State totaled eighteen hits against Duke’s pitching staff, as all but three hitters in the lineup recorded multi-hit outings. They scored a run in each of the first four innings, including an eight-spot in the third inning that felt never-ending. ACC Player of the Year Alex Lodise recorded a triple in the frame, two batters before Bailey’s first home run of the game.

That long ball was a pop-up compared to Bailey’s seventh-inning blast, a 118 MPH, 468-foot blast off the Avalara building beyond right field.

On the bump, Jamie Arnold battled through five innings, struggling a bit with his command as he went deeper in his outing. Unfortunately, that’s been a common theme in 2025, as he’s been plagued by command woes this spring, especially against lefties. While he struck out seven batters, Florida State was hoping for more.

Once Arnold left the ballgame, Duke began to rally. John Abraham walked three batters before giving way to Joe Charles, who has had one of the best sliders in the entire country in 2025. He’d take the ball the rest of the way, striking out three and allowing one run. Florida State will face UNC on Saturday in a rematch of last weekend’s series in Tallahassee.

For Duke, they’ll know their tournament destination on Monday, but it’s hard to talk badly about the Blue Devils after the roller coaster year they’ve endured. One of the pre-season favorites in the ACC, Duke stumbled badly out of the gates, and their two star sophomores, AJ Gracia and Kyle Johnson, had abysmal starts to the year. They’ve both found their footing, especially Gracia, as he’s amongst the hottest bats in the country. If Duke can figure out their pitching, they’ll be a tough out in regional play.

AJ Colarusso Pitches A Gem, But UNC Pulls Away Late

AJ Colarusso is no stranger to being a workhorse.

He’s done it throughout his collegiate career. He’s the most consistent arm that Boston College has had in 2025. He threw 72 pitches on Tuesday night.

However, the swansong outing of the season became his best.

Across six innings, Colarusso went toe-to-toe with the ACC Pitcher of the Year, Jake Knapp. Big moment after big moment, Colarusso aced his tests. It was amongst the gutsiest outings I’ve seen in my scouting career.

A fast-paced game, Knapp and Colarusso traded zeroes for the first two frames. Boston College made the first noise, as Patrick Roche’s double and Jack Toomey’s single gave the Eagles two runs against one of the best arms in the country. Then came the big tests for Colarusso.

In the fourth, with two runners on base, Colarusso struck out Hunter Stokely and got Alex Madera to pop out to his shortstop, giving the crowd an emphatic roar as he walked back to the dugout. However, it was his fifth-inning roar that could be heard throughout the ballpark.

After two quick strikeouts, Colarusso’s biggest test came to the desk. Two singles by Carter French and Kane Kepley, as well as a walk to Jackson Van De Brake, led to a bases-loaded situation. A battle with Luke Stevenson ensued, a six-pitch at-bat with the final pitch being a fastball on the top rail, called strike three.

The roar was a vehement cry to his teammates.

However, UNC got the bats going in the seventh, putting up a five-spot to take the lead and never look back. Jake Knapp gave way to Walker “Specs” McDuffie, who tossed two scoreless frames with three strikeouts. The Cinderella run was over, but you have to respect what Boston College put together.

For UNC, they go into Saturday with a well-rested bullpen. They’ll get to face Florida State once more, a team that they beat in Tallahassee just a week ago. In dominating fashion, as well.

As for Boston College, the end of the season brings about positivity for the future of the program. They’re a scrappy bunch, a combative presence that is shared throughout their dugout, starting with head coach Todd Interdonato. Replacing Mike Gambino was never going to be an easy task, especially considering how much he pioneered the program. But he’s a fierce competitor, never backing down from the moment, and embracing his players through thick and thin. He feels like a good fit for the Eagles moving forward.

Draft Notes

• Jamie Arnold’s outing on Friday was an interesting one, and it seems like there may be a changing of the guard at the top of the college arm ranks coming soon. There are tweaks to make to Arnold’s command, as that has been the biggest bugaboo throughout the season, especially against lefties. Still, it’s hard to ignore the stuff. He was up to 95 MPH on Friday with significant running action, but it was the secondaries that blossomed. His sweeper, cutter, and change-up all flashed, and the uniqueness of the profile will lead to a first-round selection. However, it’s yet to be determined where he’ll fit.

• Luke Stevenson led the way for the Tar Heels on Friday, driving in three runs on the night and capping off the scoring with a long two-run bomb to right-center. It’s above-average power with a defensive prowess behind the plate, possessing a strong arm with strong footwork and framing. However, the hit tool leaves more to be desired. It’s a grooved swing with lackluster bat-to-ball skills, through his eye is pronounced. If he gets down in counts quickly, though, it can spell disaster for him. Improving the pure contact will be a key focal point in his development. It’s hard to find a placement for him presently, though a compensation round selection seems to be a good middle ground.

Keep reading for the previous recaps from Day 3 of the ACC tournament.

On today’s recap, WE FINALLY HAVE LESS THAN FOUR GAMES!

Sorry, I have to celebrate the small things. There’s not enough coffee on the planet to help me right now.

Thursday’s action was a welcome sight after two days of eighteen-hour marathons, as we begin to figure out the teams that will play on Semifinal Saturday. We had plenty of epic performances, exciting moments, and even a game of the year candidate in the nightcap. Let’s dive in.

Georgia Tech Mashes Seven Homers, Ends Cal’s Cinderella Story

In Danny Hall’s swansong season, the dominoes have fallen into place for a special send-off.

Not even a week ago, the Yellow Jackets were fighting for a regular-season title, sitting on the outside looking in. They were third in a sizeable line of scenarios, as they needed UNC and NC State to lose to have a chance to hold the hardware. That scenario happened, and with a four-run lead, Georgia Tech kept the foot on the gas against Duke.

Flash forward to Thursday, and that foot is still on the floor.

The Yellow Jackets mashed seven home runs against Cal’s worn-down pitching staff, including three in a four-run first inning. Drew Burress, Kyle Lodise, and Caleb Daniel each teed off on Cal starter JJ Hollis, but to Cal’s credit, they didn’t give up.

Cole Tremain, who started Cal’s Wednesday matchup against Wake Forest, twirled five stellar innings of relief, keeping the Yellow Jackets in check while his offense clawed its way back into the ballgame. However, Tate McKee had other plans.

The sophomore right-hander put together a masterpiece, striking out ten in 6.1 innings of work. Yes, Cal’s offense tallied eight hits, but McKee buckled down with every opportunity. His breaking ball was the difference maker. With thirteen whiffs on the day, it was, by far, McKee’s best offering. It was a gritty performance on a big stage, something that he’s used to. Despite walking eight batters against Duke, McKee battled through five chaos-filled innings.

Once Tremain exited the game, the Yellow Jackets found their footing again. In the seventh and eighth innings alone, Georgia Tech mashed four more long balls, including Burress’ second of the game. While Cal tried to make it interesting in the ninth, the deficit was too big to overcome.

For Cal and Mike Neu, this is a building block for the future. The Golden Bears are a young, feisty bunch that played their best ball at the right time. Their plethora of sophomores performed admirably throughout the week, led by outfielder Jacob French.

Infield duo Jarren Advincula and PJ Moutzouridis may give Cal one of the best middle infield pairings in the league next year, assuming the program can retain their talents. If so, expect Cal to make some more noise in their sophomore ACC season.

The Yellow Jackets will continue their push for a hosting bid on Saturday, as they’ll face the Clemson Tigers at 1 PM.

NC State & Clemson Trade Punches, Tigers Outlast Wolfpack In A Thriller

After Clemson was run out of Raleigh in April, there was one thing on their minds: revenge.

This game started innocently. Drew Titsworth (what a name) and Dominic Fritton looked the part through the first four innings, fighting through the opposing lineups with grit and determination. However, once the fifth inning hit, the fun began.

After NC State scored two runs in the fourth to take the lead, the Tigers immediately responded. Jack Crighton’s leadoff triple led to a suicide squeeze to tie the game, and Jarren Purify’s one-out single gave the Tigers the lead. This set off a chain reaction of lead changes, each team throwing authoritative punches.

Then came the eighth inning.

NC State freshman Anderson Nance began to crack under pressure, allowing four singles and two runs before Elliott Avent went to star closer Jacob Dudan. Dudan’s had his moments, his most notable being the clutch performance against Georgia last summer to aid NC State’s run to Omaha. Dudan stopped the bleeding with two strikeouts of Cannarella and Purify.

In the bottom half, NC State returned the punches. A single by Justin DeCrisio and a hit by pitch to Alex Sosa set the stage for a Brayden Fraasman RBI single, pulling the Wolfpack within a run. However, Lucas Mahlstedt, Clemson’s ever-reliable bullpen ace, slammed the door shut, literally and figuratively.

Mahlstedt managed to keep Ty Head, who was 3-for-3 at this juncture, off the bases to end the inning, and while Luke Nixon gave Mahlstedt a significant scare in the ninth, he secured their advancement to the semifinals with a strikeout of Chris McHugh.

Mahlstedt’s four-inning performance was his longest of the year, and to put it lightly, his most important to date. A submarine arm, Mahlstedt hammered the strike zone and commanded the bottom rail with ease, giving Wolfpack hitters fits on anything that was hovering at the knees. That’s been his M.O. all year. For the Tigers, he’ll be a huge piece of their Omaha aspirations.

As for the Wolfpack, they came just short of their twentieth comeback victory. Their nineteen comeback wins are the top mark in the ACC, and while this team is a young group that lost valuable leadership from a year ago, they fought through early-season adversity to put together a stellar campaign in the ACC. For Avent and company, they’ll likely be a two-seed in regionals next week, but while the season didn’t end on the right footing, they’ll be a threat somewhere. They’ll learn their destination on Monday.

As for Clemson, they’ll duke it out on Saturday in the early afternoon slate against Georgia Tech.

Draft Notes

• In the nightcap, it was a battle of the centerfielders, as Cam Cannarella and Ty Head were exceptional. Cannarella continued his impressive form with a 4-5 night, while Head finished his night with a 3-4 outing. Both players are rather similar, possessing a hit tool prowess with little power, but the gloves in center are exceptional. Cannarella is slowly creeping his way back up boards as a result, while Head will be one of the top draft-eligible sophomores in 2026.

• Drew Burress continued his stellar form, going 2-4 with two long balls in the win over Cal. Both homers were no-doubters, hammered to the pull side with authority, including one over the bull in left field. It might still be trundling down the streets of downtown Durham. Since last Thursday, Burress has gone 10-15 with three home runs, twenty-two total bases, three doubles, two walks, and zero strikeouts.

Keep reading for the previous recaps from Day 2 of the ACC tournament.

Day 2 Recap from the ACC Baseball Tournament

After 18 hours in the press box on Tuesday, we endured another long day at the park on Wednesday.

Coffee was drunk, tears nearly came to fruition, and fun was had. However, I type this introduction sleep-deprived and broken. Welcome to college baseball.

All in all, this tournament has been upset-heavy to date. We’re in for a great finish to the week here in Durham, but for now, it’s time for me to sleep.

Moutzouridis, Cal Snatch Victory From Wake Forest, Continues Cinderella Run

Outs were tough to buy on Wednesday morning in Durham. Neither Cole Tremain nor Logan Lunceford saw the end of the second inning.

A total of twelve relievers were used between the two squads, and the offenses scored a combined 26 runs on 24 hits. 27 total runners were left on base in a grueling four-hour, ten-minute barnburner.

At the end of the despair, Mike Neu’s squad snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, quite literally.

Cal’s quartet of second-year players (Dominic Smaldino, PJ Moutzouridis, Jacob French, and Carl Schmidt) provided multiple sparks with ten total hits between the four players and nine runs driven in. It was a complete performance from a group of players with adventurous journeys to Berkeley.

“We felt like this was a game like we’ve played all season, and we’ve given up some runs at times,” Neu said of his club. “As much as you want to shut everybody out, we know we’re going up against a really good offense, and we know that we probably have to continue to put runs up. And our guys, to their credit, did it.”

Leading the parade of relievers after Tremain, southpaw David Shaw swiftly navigated through three eventful innings of work before Gavin Eddy, Jordy Lopez, Ethan Foley, and Logan Piper walked the tightrope to the finish line. At one point, Wake Forest had the winning run at the plate with two outs in the ninth inning. They had scored four runs at this juncture, even after grounding into a double play earlier in the frame.

Wake’s pitching wasn’t much better, and Tom Walter made sure to point that out in the presser.

“It’s disappointing how we threw the ball today. We’ve just got to be better than that. We had the right guys on the mound in the right situations, we just couldn’t get shutdown innings…..So we’ve just gotta do a better job there on the mound today – I think thirteen free passes, not to mention a couple 0-2 pitches that we hung.”

However, despite the bumps and potholes they hit during their drive to the finish line today, Walter and company feel confident going into NCAA Tournament play. They’ll exit Durham having not used sophomore stud Blake Morningstar, who has been a breath of fresh air in a sea of rough waves. As for Cal, they’ll get their biggest test of the week in regular-season champion Georgia Tech.

Knaak Outduels Renfrow, Secures Win Against Virginia Tech

Speaking of breaths of fresh air, I just want to say how thankful the entire press box was for Aidan Knaak and Brett Renfrow.

Yes, both pitchers endured hardships in the first inning. Knaak gave up a leadoff home run to Ben Watson on a change-up, and Renfrow got lit up a bit by the top of the Clemson lineup, including a double from Cam Cannarella and a home run from Dominic Listi. However, both pitchers dug deep and didn’t blink over the next few innings. In the end, Knaak won the staring contest, pitching six innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts.

“You can’t really get stuck on what happens before, it’s always about the next pitch. Home run? Flush it. Worry about the next pitch and just keep going pitch by pitch every inning,” Knaak said of the leadoff blast. “I thought I commanded the fastball early in the game and then started to get the changeup going the way I wanted it to move around the fourth and fifth inning, so that definitely helped a lot. Just kept throwing everything.”

Knaak is a fun adventure in scouting. A few years ago, as a rising senior at Bishop Verot in Florida, Knaak was a wiry-framed kid who sat in the upper-80s. Opposing hitters crushed his stuff in front of big crowds on a showcase circuit. In April, he looked like a different arm, and he’s carried that over to Clemson, where he’s emerging as not only an ace but a leader.

Cannarella and Listi were the shining stars offensively, combining for all six runs in some fashion. Listi, who had given up the leadoff spot to Cannarella, drove in four runs with the aforementioned home run and a double later on in the game. Cannarella’s game looks more fiery, plus he’s found his form.

Over the past sixteen games, including today, Cannarella has recorded a hit, exuding more confidence at the dish and still flashing the prowess with the glove in center. He’s getting hot at the perfect time.

As for Virginia Tech, their injuries finally came back to haunt them. What Brett Renfrow showed in his outing was promising despite the lackluster results. Renfrow showed an ability to pitch backwards against the Tigers and wound up with ten strikeouts on the day. He’ll be a big piece to their success in 2026, but unfortunately, another second-half collapse will keep the Hokies out of the NCAA Tournament.

As for Clemson, they’ll get a chance at redemption against NC State. When the teams met a month ago, Clemson was swept out of Raleigh in dominating fashion, something that the Tigers want to avoid this time around.

Gracia, Winslow Push Blue Devils Past Gutsy Pitt Squad

Easily the most entertaining game of the day, Duke was held down to the ropes by Mike Bell and Pitt, who did everything they could to keep paving their path to Sunday. Unfortunately, Pitt came up just short, relinquishing a lead late in the game and losing in rather brutal fashion.

While their season ended, Pitt still has plenty to be happy about with how they played.

They attacked Duke lefty Henry Zatkowski right off the start, chasing him from the game after just five batters. Another two runs scored in the third inning thanks to a Sebastian Piscareta sacrifice fly and a Lorenzo Carrier single. On the mound, Drew Lafferty threw three shutout innings against a Duke offense notorious for scoring in bunches before handing the keys to Patrick Gardner. Gardner gutted it out across 5.1 innings, striking out seven batters in an outstanding effort to keep Pitt alive.

On the opposing side, Duke was struggling to get things going. Duke has not had fantastic luck in their hometown, as they entered the day 6-14 in the ACC Tournament at the DBAP in previous tries.

Continuing his torrid pace since the beginning of April, AJ Gracia generated the first two runs for the Blue Devils in the form of two extra-base hits. Gracia laced balls around the field all night, ending the game with three hits, falling a triple short of the cycle.

In the ninth down 3-2, sophomore backstop Macon Winslow led the inning off with a game-tying home run, barely clearing the wall in left center. That home run opened the floodgates. An error and a bloop gave way to Bell intentionally walking Ben Miller to set up the double play, but that never came to fruition. Jake Hyde walked on five pitches with the bases loaded to walk off the Panthers and fight to live another day.

Duke will play Florida State on Friday afternoon, likely facing Jamie Arnold on normal rest.

Sloppy Game Sees Boston College Upset Virginia

Virginia’s mission was simple. Win on Wednesday, and you’ll be breathing easy on Selection Monday. Instead, Virginia shot itself in the foot repeatedly, putting together a cataclysmic display of bad defense in a loss to Boston College, which may have effectively ended their season.

Virginia had their chances to claw back into this game after an early setback, as Boston College scored five runs in the top of the first inning against Jay Woolfolk. Eric Becker kicked things off with a skyscraping home run in the bottom half, and while there was some timely hitting from the Virginia bats, including a three-run home run off the bat of Henry Ford, the Cavaliers could not overcome the mistakes.

What mistakes were they? Five errors, a balk, three HBPs, and seven stolen bases allowed. Highly uncharacteristic for a Brian O’Connor club that started the season as a preseason top-five program.

The relentless Eagles put up twelve runs in total, and their bullpen was lights out outside of the Ford home run. Freshman Cesar Gonzalez slammed the door shut with three shutout frames and six strikeouts, earning the save. Josiah Ragsdale provided important insurance in the eighth with a triple, followed by a wild pitch that saw Ragsdale scamper home for the final run of the evening.

Virginia will now sit and sweat out their tournament chances from home. Yes, they finished as the sixth seed in the regular season, but a middling RPI and lackluster SOS will leave lasting blemishes. As for Boston College, they will now be tasked with taking down the North Carolina Tar Heels on Friday evening.

Draft Notes

• 2026 prospects dominated the scene on Wednesday, as the likes of AJ Gracia and Eric Becker put together stellar performances and Aidan Knaak tossed six strong innings in the 1 PM game. The narrative on the 2026 college class is this: it’s an exceptional class in terms of college bats, but there are some limitations on the arms side. Gracia and Becker look like certified top-two round selections a year from now, thanks to high offensive upside from the left side of the dish. Knaak’s high floor gives him Day 1 upside in 2026, though scouts would like to see more velocity, better sequencing, and more usage of his breaking stuff.

• Marek Houston has been slightly off/on for the Demon Deacons in 2025, with sliders becoming a bigger issue for the shortstop, but he provided nice offensive value in the loss to Cal. Houston walked twice and hit two singles, as well as two long flyouts to left field. Houston’s body is noticeably bigger than it was at this point last year, and a noteworthy development is a slight loss in athleticism in the field compared to a year ago. Houston’s range has gone down slightly, which has led to some concerns from scouts, but he still looks solid at the position and still projects to stick there. He’s more of a filled-out product now in terms of projection, which leaves the power projection in flux. Either way, Houston will still hear his name called in the first round come July.

• After struggling to maintain previous production, Cam Cannarella has found his stride late in the going this spring. Currently on a sixteen-game hit streak, Cannarella has kept the whiffs to a minimum and features a more linear bat path after flashing more of a steeper swing, leading to a heightened groundball rate. He’ll take advantage of the gap-to-gap prowess in his approach and utilize his speed to stretch singles into doubles. Scouts love the defense in center, as well. It’s not quite Vance Honeycutt good, but he’s not too far off with plenty of range and instincts working in his favor.