College Baseball News & Notes – Week 12
News from the Top 25, a draft spotlight on Jacob Morrison, the Player and Pitcher of the Week, and more in this week's college baseball notes.
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- College Top 25 Update
- College Player and Pitcher of the Week
- Top 25 Weekend News and Notes
- Midweek Upsets to Note
- MLB Draft Spotlight Player
- Other Top MLB Draft Performers
Top 25 – Week 12
Who’s In:
- #18 Miami Hurricanes
- #23 Florida Gators
- #24 NC State Wolfpack
Who’s Out:
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
- Louisville Cardinals
- TCU Horned Frogs
College Player and Pitcher of the Week
Pitcher of the Week – LHP Joseph Dzierwa, Michigan State
Player of the Week – OF Sam Biller, UConn
Top 25 Weekend News and Notes (Rankings Reflect 4/21 Update)
Arkansas shocks Texas and sweeps in dominant fashion
We talked about it in the podcast last week, but my goodness, the volatility of the top 25 each weekend continues.
Arkansas welcomed the #1 Texas Longhorns, and man, did not even blink. They swept Texas, winning games 9-0, 6-1, 13-8. It was like the Longhorns didn’t even have a chance, and it was a much-needed bounce-back after Arkansas lost the series to Florida the weekend prior.
Behind a dominant outing from Zach Root, who struck out a career-high 11 batters over eight shutout innings, Arkansas rolled to a 9-0 win in the series opener at Baum-Walker Stadium.
Zach Root turned in the best start of his career, striking out 11 over eight scoreless innings and giving up just two hits to lead Arkansas to a dominant 9-0 win over Texas in Thursday’s series opener.
The Hogs gave him plenty of early run support, starting with a two-run homer from Carson Boles in the second, followed by a three-run shot from Cam Kozeal and a four-run fourth that featured RBI knocks from both Wehiwa and Kuhio Aloy.
Will McEntire handled the ninth to finish off the combined two-hit shutout, as Arkansas improved to 28-3 at home and locked in its eighth straight season with at least 28 wins at Baum-Walker.
Arkansas locked up a series win in game two over Texas with a 6-1 victory Friday night, riding another strong showing from its pitching staff and timely hits at the plate.
Gage Wood, in just his third start back from injury, struck out a career-high nine over four innings of one-run ball, while Gabe Gaeckle and Aiden Jimenez combined for five scoreless innings in relief to seal the win.
Brent Iredale opened the scoring with a solo homer in the second, and Kuhio Aloy delivered the big blow with a two-out, three-run double later that inning to give the Hogs early control.
Arkansas added two more runs on a hit-by-pitch and a walk with the bases loaded, and the bullpen took care of the rest to clinch the program’s first weekend series win over Texas since 1989.
Arkansas wrapped up the sweep with a 13-8 win in game two on Saturday, completing its first-ever series sweep of the Longhorns and moving to 40 wins on the season.
Reese Robinett stole the show with two home runs and a career-high six RBI, including a go-ahead three-run shot in the fifth that swung the game back in the Hogs’ favor. Arkansas launched five homers in total, Robinett, Kuhio Aloy, Justin Thomas Jr., and Charles Davalan all went deep, as the Razorbacks answered every Texas push with big innings of their own.
Dylan Carter earned the win out of the bullpen with 2.2 scoreless frames, while Christian Foutch closed things out as Arkansas secured its 30th home win and matched its best 24-game SEC start at 17-7.
Just a massive series win for the Razorbacks, who will look to keep things rolling against another strong SEC team in LSU next weekend.
Florida State continues to roll while Clemson struggles
No one seems to want to take the reins of the ACC, but Florida State has been making the statement that they are the best team in the ACC.
Florida State opened this top-five showdown against Clemson with a dramatic 6-5 walk-off win in 11 innings, thanks to extra-inning heroics from Max Williams.
The junior center fielder launched a game-tying homer in the 10th and later delivered the game-winning RBI single in the 11th after FSU had rallied from behind in both the ninth and 10th innings.
Jamie Arnold turned in a strong start with six innings of one-run ball, while Chase Williams notched a career-high four hits and Cal Fisher added a solo homer as part of a three-hit night.
The Seminoles clawed back from a 4-2 deficit in the ninth with back-to-back two-out RBI hits from James Hankerson Jr. and Gage Harrelson to force extras, then answered Clemson’s go-ahead blast in the 10th with Williams’ 16th homer of the year.
Peyton Prescott closed it out in the 11th with a scoreless frame to earn the win, improving to 4-0 as FSU secured a thrilling series-opening victory.
Notre Dame upsets ACC opponent Louisville
Goodness, no one can pull away or maintain any momentum in the ACC it seems. Just as Louisville makes their way back into our top 25, they lose a key series to Notre Dame.
It looked like Louisville may have a shot for the series as they won game one 3-2. Louisville leaned on pitching, defense, and a spark from Zion Rose to take the series opener.
Ethan Eberle tossed five scoreless innings, while Justin West and Tucker Biven combined to hold the Irish to two runs over the final four frames, with Biven earning his fourth save.
Rose got the Cardinals on the board with a solo homer in the first and later sparked a key sixth-inning run by doubling, stealing third, and scoring on a wild pitch.
Louisville added one more insurance run in the eighth, and a heads-up relay in the ninth cut down the tying run to preserve the lead.
Things would turn for the worse in game two for the Cardinals. Notre Dame bounced back in a big way Friday night, using a balanced offensive attack and strong start from Rory Fox to take down Louisville 10-4 and even the series.
Carson Tinney led the charge at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a homer, double, three RBI, and three runs scored, while Bino Watters added a two-run blast in the eighth to help seal the win.
The Irish took control with runs in each of the first five innings and never looked back, with key contributions from Estevan Moreno, DM Jefferson, and Davis Johnson along the way.
Fox worked seven solid innings, allowing just three hits and two runs, before Tobey McDonough closed the door with two scoreless frames.
Sunday was more of the same for the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame jumped out to an early lead with a four-run first inning and never trailed, taking down Louisville 7-4 on Sunday to win the series and notch their third straight ACC series victory.
The Irish offense came out hot behind RBIs from Bino Watters, Connor Hincks, and a two-run double by DM Jefferson, while Jackson Dennies delivered 4.2 scoreless innings in the start.
Louisville chipped away in the sixth and eighth, but a towering two-run homer from Carson Tinney in the seventh gave Notre Dame breathing room.
Tobey McDonough came on in the ninth to lock down his seventh save of the season, capping a strong weekend for the Irish. Tinney, Watters, and Hincks all had multi-hit games, while Davis Johnson scored twice and reached base three times.
The Irish improved to 26-19 overall and 12-15 in conference, showcasing they might be able to make some noise in the ACC tournament.
UC San Diego shocks UC Irvine
Who would’ve guessed UC San Diego would take the first two games of the series on the road against UC Irvine this weekend? That’s why the game is played on the field rather than on paper!
Game one was an absolute rout, as UC San Diego exploded for 20 hits and steamrolled UC Irvine with a dominant 19-4 victory.
The Tritons’ lineup was relentless from start to finish, with two players collecting four hits and two others driving in five runs. Center fielder Michael Crossland led the charge, going 4-for-5 with a home run, two doubles, and three RBI. First baseman Colton Lamanto added to the offensive explosion with a double, a homer, and five RBI, fueling UC San Diego’s dominant performance at the plate.
Though it surely was an offensive outburst, the pitching played as well. Right-hander Matthew Dalquist pitched seven quality innings, giving up four runs while not allowing a free pass. Both relievers following were also excellent, combining for two shutout innings of no-hit baseball.
As for game two of the series, though it was much more competitive, UC San Diego still outplayed the Anteaters.
Third baseman J.C. Allen drove in two of the four runs in the game, one with a double and the other with a sacrifice fly. The other two runs came courtesy of shortstop Anthony Potestio, who scored on a wild pitch, and Michael Crossland, who hit a sac fly to extend the Tritons’ lead.
On the mound, fifth-year Nic Gregson put on a clinic. Tossing 5.1 innings of shutout baseball, with all but two of his outs collected coming by either a flyout or a groundout.
Left-hander Spencer Seid relieved Gregson in the sixth inning and continued to dominate Irvine’s lineup. Seid threw the remaining 3.2 innings for UC San Diego, only allowing one walk, two hits, and punching out eight.
Clean baseball all around for UC San Diego in game two, winning by a 4-0 final and taking the series against Big West heavyweight UC Irvine.
UC Irvine is in a good position to make the tournament, but they must win out the rest of the regular season to keep their hosting hopes alive. After losing the series to UC San Diego, the Anteaters dropped eight spots in the RPI, especially with UC San Diego’s RPI sitting at 152 before the weekend.
However, the schedule is favorable, with Irvine’s last three opponents being Cal Baptist (195 RPI), Cal State Bakersfield (256 RPI), and Cal State Fullerton (138 RPI), offering a legitimate opportunity to finish strong.
Miami stays red hot and takes down NC State
No team is hotter in the ACC right now than the Miami Hurricanes, who made a statement by overpowering a tough NC State squad both Friday and Saturday.
Game one was peak cinema, and Miami wasted no time setting the tone. Third baseman Daniel Cuvet opened the scoring with a two-run blast in the first, then followed it up with another two-run shot in the third to extend the Hurricanes’ lead.
Cuvet ended the night driving in five of Miami’s six runs, with the sixth coming in electric fashion, as shortstop Jake Ogden swiped home in the fifth inning.
After a fine start from Griffin Hugus, the Hurricane bullpen was tasked to secure the final eleven outs in the ballgame, and boy were they ready. All three Miami relievers combined to face twelve opposing hitters, just one over the minimum, allowing no free passes.
A quality game all around for Miami, handing NC State their first ACC loss since April 12th with a 6-4 score.
As for game two, the offensive firepower continued, especially at the top of Miami’s lineup. In other words, Miami’s top four hitters (Ogden, Galvin, Cuvet, Gonzalez Jr.) hit a combined 10-for-21 with eight RBI and four walks.
More specifically, Daniel Cuvet had an unbelievable night, finishing with a 3-for-3 slashline with a double, two walks, and 3 RBI. Second baseman Dorian Gonzalez Jr. also had a career night, finishing with a 3-for-4 line with a double, a walk, and 4 RBI.
On the mound, freshman AJ Ciscar continued to impress. The right-hander delivered 6.2 innings of scoreless baseball, striking out six NC State batters.
Adding this outing to his last two starts, Ciscar has now thrown 19 innings, allowing just three earned runs while racking up 22 strikeouts, a breakout stretch for the freshman!
The bullpen picked up right where Ciscar left off, keeping NC State in check as Miami cruised to a 10–3 game two victory and took the series.
Unfortunately, the series finale was called off due to consistent rain. For what it’s worth, Miami was leading NC State 2-0 going into the bottom of the third and in great position to complete the three-game sweep.
Miami is playing top-notch baseball at just the right time, now 14–9 in ACC play with two weekends remaining. But the road ahead won’t be easy, they’ll travel to Charlottesville to take on a motivated Virginia squad still fighting to keep its postseason hopes alive.
As for NC State, they just happened to run into a Miami buzzsaw playing red-hot ball. That said, they’ll have to flush it fast, because a big-time road trip to Chapel Hill awaits them this weekend.
Auburn unravels Tennessee
A weekend filled with weather chaos and high tensions, the traveling Auburn Tigers take the series against Vitello and the Vols.
With an originally slated 6:30 start time, game one of the series got delayed for two and a half hours before Liam Doyle toed the rubber. Weather didn’t halt the Tigers from scoring though, as Ike Irish launched a 94 MPH fastball backside for a 2-run shot to give the Tigers a first-inning lead.
Shortly after, the game was postponed to 11 AM the next day, resuming in the bottom of the first. Once play resumed, weather remained a non-factor for the Tigers’ staff, as Samuel Dutton came out sharp and unfazed.
Dutton was dominant once again, delivering 6.2 innings of one-run ball with no walks and eight strikeouts. While college baseball doesn’t have a Comeback Player of the Year award, Dutton would be the clear favorite, posting a stellar 2.37 ERA over 68.1 innings this season for Auburn.
Seven of Auburn’s eight hits in game one came from the top four hitters in the lineup. Both Chris Rembert and Cooper McMurray slugged solo shots of their own, extending their lead late in the matchup.
Long-man Ryan Hetzler relieved Dutton in the seventh and dominated, pitching the final 2.1 innings, allowing no runs and striking out two.
It was all Auburn in game one, dominating Tennessee in all phases on their way to a 6-1 win.
After tempers flared and benches cleared in game two, the Tigers were walked off following Tennessee’s decision to bring back Liam Doyle for two innings, setting up a pivotal seven-inning rubber match in game three.
Freshman right-hander Christian Chatterton was sensational coming off of short rest, getting the Tigers off to a great start with three shutout innings. Southpaw Cade Fisher followed in relief, pitching the following four frames, allowing only one earned run with five strikeouts.
Auburn’s offense thrived on small ball and steady lineup production, with nine of their hits coming as singles and eight of nine starters reaching base. Lucas Steele finished 1-for-3 with 3 RBI and a walk while first baseman Cooper McMurray went 2-for-4 with a double, the lone Tiger extra–base hit.
Again, the Tigers dominated Tennessee in every phase, cruising to an 8-1 series win.
What Auburn is doing right now is unreal, as they’ve now won eight of their last ten conference series dating back to last season. They’re in legit hosting, if not national seed, contention currently with a 13-11 SEC record and play the struggling Gamecocks at home starting on Thursday.
As for the Tennessee Volunteers, they’ve now dropped four of their last five series and sit at 6–6 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. With Vanderbilt coming to town and a road trip to Arkansas looming, two teams hitting their stride, something has to change, and fast.
Arizona makes a statement and takes the series from TCU
The Wildcats made a massive jump in our top 25 in the last update, and they ended up losing a Big 12 series to Texas Tech after that. They needed this TCU series win to solidify themselves as the best team in the Big 12.
Arizona took the opener of the key Big 12 series with a 6-3 win over TCU on Friday night, powered by two home runs from Aaron Walton and a shutdown effort from the bullpen.
Walton got the Wildcats on the board with a solo shot in the third and added a two-run blast in the eighth for key insurance runs. Mason White delivered the go-ahead hit with a two-run single in the sixth, while Tommy Splaine and Garen Caulfield each chipped in multi-hit games.
Owen Kramkowski struck out seven over five innings in his first Friday night start, and the bullpen trio of Garrett Hicks, Julian Tonghini, and Tony Pluta held TCU scoreless over the final four innings. Pluta closed it out for his Big 12-leading 11th save.
Arizona clinched the series over TCU with a 5-4 comeback win on Saturday night, using late-inning offense and another stellar showing from the bullpen to seal the deal at Hi Corbett Field.
The Wildcats rallied for four runs between the sixth and eighth innings, capped by a go-ahead sacrifice fly from pinch hitter Brendan Summerhill. Mathis Meurant continued his hot streak with a two-hit night and an RBI, while Maddox Mihalakis drove in two.
Collin McKinney struck out six over 4.1 innings in the start, and the bullpen took over from there. Raul Garayzar earned his first win with 3.2 scoreless frames, and Casey Hintz locked down the ninth for his second save.
In game three, TCU ended up winning 13-6. A much-needed win to save face for them going into next week. With the series win, Arizona moved to 15-8 in Big 12 play and secured at least a .500 conference record with seven games to go.
They seem like the favorites to be one of the other teams from the Big 12 to make the tourney not named West Virginia.
Oklahoma makes a statement in SEC play and takes down Ole Miss
A must-have series for both teams eyeing a potential regional host bid, Oklahoma came out on top, taking the series over the Rebels.
Recapping Oklahoma’s 2-0 game one win, a premier pitching duel took place between Hunter Elliott and Kyson Witherspoon. Both arms did phenomenal work against the opposing offenses and minimizing barrels and loud contact.
Elliott went 6.2 innings, giving up two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts, while Witherspoon delivered seven shutout frames, allowing just one hit and fanning eight.
The game’s only scoring came in the bottom of the fifth, sparked by two walks and a bunt single to load the bases. Dawson Willis then put the ball in play, driving in the first run on a fielder’s choice. Leadoff hitter Trey Gambill followed and came through with a clutch RBI single, padding Oklahoma’s narrow lead with a second run.
The Sooners’ bullpen was lights out over the final two innings, limiting Ole Miss to just two hits in total, closing out game one in dominant fashion.
In game two, Oklahoma wasted no time drawing first blood against Ole Miss, with catcher Easton Carmichael launching a two-run homer and another run scoring on a fielder’s choice later in the first inning.
Fast forward to the fifth, and Carmichael struck again, crushing his second homer of the game, a solo shot. He capped off a monster performance, going 4-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI.
On the mound, junior left-hander Cade Crossland put together a quality start, pitching six innings, allowing two runs and only one walk while punching out eight, tying his season high.
The Oklahoma bullpen was dominant yet again, tossing the final three frames, allowing only one run and striking out another three.
Despite a strong push from Ole Miss throughout the game, it wasn’t enough, as Oklahoma held firm to secure a 5–3 win in game two and clinch the series.
The Sooners will absolutely make the tournament, but can they make a big enough push to host a possible regional in Norman? Currently sitting at 13-11 in SEC play, Oklahoma finishes out with Kentucky on the road and Texas at home.
The same question looms for Mike Bianco and his Rebels, who sit at 13–11 through eight weekends of SEC play. With series remaining at Mississippi State and at home against Auburn, the pressure is on to finish strong and solidify their postseason positioning.
LSU had it… but then they didn’t! Another massive series win for Texas A&M
What fireworks to end the series in the showdown between LSU and Texas A&M. Friday was rained out, and the two squared off in a double-header on Saturday.
Texas A&M and LSU split a tightly contested doubleheader on Saturday, with both games decided by two runs or fewer in front of over 15,000 fans at Olsen Field.
In game one, Ryan Prager turned in a gem for the Aggies, tossing seven innings of one-run ball to lead A&M to a 3-1 win.
Ben Royo stayed hot at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double, triple, RBI, and two runs scored, while Hayden Schott and Caden Sorrell added key RBIs in a decisive seventh inning. Kaiden Wilson shut the door with 1.1 scoreless innings to notch his first career save.
In game two, LSU edged out a 2-1 victory behind a dominant performance from righty Anthony Eyanson, who pitched a complete game while striking out 14 Aggies. It all came down to game three! And boy, did it live up to the hype.
Texas A&M capped off a statement weekend with a 6-4 comeback win, securing the series and notching their third series victory over a top-2 opponent this season.
Down 4-2 in the eighth, the Aggies rallied behind Jace LaViolette’s two-out RBI infield single and Caden Sorrell’s go-ahead three-run blast, his 10th of the year, to take the lead. Just incredible!
The Aggies are hot and seem to be way back!
Midweek Upsets to Note
Not many midweek upsets this week, but the major news is Oregon completes a four-game sweep of the Oregon State Beavers after taking all three games in Eugene the weekend prior to the midweek in Corvallis.
- UNC-Wilmington beats NC State 6-3
- Oregon beats Oregon State 8-4
Draft Watch: Who’s Making Waves?
2025 Draft Spotlight Player of the Week
RHP Jacob Morrison, Coastal Carolina
Season Stats: 12 G, 67.1 IP, 8-0, 2.00 ERA, 46 H, 15 ER, 14 BB, 68 SO, 0.891 WHIP
After missing the 2024 campaign with injury, Jacob Morrison has surged from Coastal’s midweek starter to their Friday night ace, positioning himself very nicely in July.
While his first inning against Appalachian State saw its struggles, Morrison cruised across the next six, striking out eight across seven shutout frames.
A tall glass of water, Morrison’s easy operation stands out, and he pounds the strike zone. His fastball gets a good amount of swing-and-miss upstairs, but his mid-80s slider was the star of the show on Friday. He’ll flip in a mid-70s curveball and has feel for a change, as well.
Overall, Morrison has the tools to stick in a rotation, having some value in a back-end spot if his upward trajectory continues. He’s put himself firmly into Day 1 conversations, and if he’s not taken Day 1, he’s a sure bet to be amongst the first guys taken on Day 2.
Top MLB Draft Performers
| Pitcher | Stats |
| LHP Kade Anderson, LSU | 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 12 K |
| RHP Aaron Savary, Iowa | 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K |
| RHP Aiven Cabral, Northeastern | 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K |
| LHP Joseph Dzierwa, Michigan State | 9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 11 K |
| RHP Anthony Eyanson, LSU | 9 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 14 K |
| LHP JD Thompson. Vanderbilt | 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 11 K |
| RHP Kyson Witherspoon, Oklahoma | 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K |
| LHP Grayson Grinsell, Oregon | 8 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K |
| RHP Jacob Morrison, Coastal Carolina | 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K |
| RHP Justin Mitrovich, Elon | 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 K |
| RHP Brian Curley, Georgia | 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K |
| RHP JB Middleton, Southern Miss | 7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K |
| Hitter | Stats |
| OF Nick Dumesnil, Cal Baptist | 7-for-14, 3 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, SB |
| OF Devin Taylor, Indiana | 5-for-11, 2 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 4 BB, 2 SB |
| OF Slate Alford, Georgia | 7-for-18, 3 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 2 BB |
| OF Gavin Turley, Oregon State | 5-for-14, 2 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 2 HBP, SB |
| OF Mason Neville, Oregon | 5-for-13, 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 6 BB |
Just Released: New Interviews, Reports, & Rankings
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- College Baseball
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What’s Ahead
Upcoming Games & Draft Watch
- Midweeks
- #9 Clemson vs. #17 Coastal Carolina (Tuesday)
- #14 Vanderbilt vs. Louisville (Tuesday)
- USC vs. UC Santa Barbara (Tuesday)
- Weekend Series
- #24 NC State vs. #5 North Carolina (Thursday-Saturday)
- #19 Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State (Friday-Sunday)
- #14 Vanderbilt vs. #10 Tennessee (Friday-Sunday)
- Louisville vs. Georgia Tech (Friday-Sunday)
- #4 Georgia vs. #15 Alabama (Friday-Sunday)
- #1 Arkansas vs. #6 LSU (Friday-Sunday)
- #23 Florida vs. #2 Texas (Friday-Sunday)
- #18 Miami vs. Virginia (Friday-Sunday)
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