College Baseball News & Notes – Week 9
News from the Top 25, the Player and Pitcher of the Week, a draft spotlight on Alex Lodise, and more in this week's college baseball notes.
| | 
The Weekend’s Top Stories, College News & Analysis
- 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
College Player and Pitcher of the Week
Player of the Week – SS Aiva Arquette, Oregon State
Stats: 9-for-18, 2 2B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, SB, 4 BB
Pitcher of the Week – LHP Liam Doyle, Tennessee
Stats: 8 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 14 K
Top 25 Weekend News and Notes
#13 North Carolina shows they are an easy top 10 team dominating #7 Wake Forest
The Tar Heels put on a loud and dominant performance this weekend, capping off with a sweep of Wake Forest. And don’t look now, but after dropping their first two conference series, North Carolina has won four straight.
Recapping Friday night, Carolina’s offense overwhelmed Wake Forest in an 11-1 run-rule win. The Tar Heels chased freshman starter Chris Levonas after just 3.2 innings, with all nine starters reaching base and collecting fourteen hits. Third baseman Gavin Gallaher stayed red-hot at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a home run, a walk, and 3 RBI.
Tar Heel starter Jake Knapp was outstanding, tossing 5.2 innings and allowing just one run, lowering his season ERA to an impressive 1.58.
In game two, the offense kept their foot on the gas and held nothing back, torching Wake’s pitching staff in a 17-1 mercy rule rout, as they allowed 29 total baserunners across seven innings.
Again, Gavin Gallaher mashed, hitting 3-for-4 with another home run and 3 RBI. Second baseman Jackson Van De Brake had a standout performance, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run and four RBIs.
Carolina starter Aidan Haugh was lights out, consistently sending his defense back to the dugout with efficient innings. He tossed six frames of one-run ball, racking up eight strikeouts and lowering his season ERA to an outstanding 1.86.
In the final game of the series, Wake Forest committed three errors, allowing North Carolina to edge out a 3-2 victory and complete the series sweep.
A first inning error allowed the Tar Heels to draw first blood by scoring two runs. Although Wake Forest rallied to tie it at two, designated hitter Lee Sowers drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh, putting North Carolina back on top.
It was great to see Jason DeCaro shake back into form too, as he pitched 5.2 innings, allowing only two hits with six strikeouts. True freshman Walker McDuffie followed behind, throwing the remainder 3.1 innings, allowing only two hits with six strikeouts himself.
North Carolina is back to playing the kind of baseball we expected, securing their 20th home win of the season and climbing the ACC standings. A fun series awaits this weekend as they travel to Blacksburg to face a gritty Virginia Tech squad.
#11 Auburn stays red-hot and sweeps #3 LSU
Continuing on with loud and dominant performances, the Auburn Tigers outplayed LSU to complete the sweep.
In the series opener, Auburn starter, and former LSU Tiger, Samuel Dutton delivered another masterful outing, tossing six shutout innings while allowing just three hits and striking out seven. Left-hander Carson Myers was nails out of the bullpen, recording the final eight outs for Auburn while striking out four and giving up just one run in a 7-3 victory.
The difference-maker in Friday’s game was two-strike hitting. Freshman Chase Fralick came through with a clutch 2-run double on an 0-2 count, while Ike Irish delivered the swing of the night: a bases-clearing triple on a full count that broke the game wide open.
Moving on to game two, timely hitting was how Auburn secured the series. After an early solo shot from Steven Milam, the Auburn offense played the long game and continued to put pitches into Anthony Eyanson.
In game two, the top of Auburn’s lineup did all the damage, as hitters 1-4 accounted for all seven hits and all four runs. Infielder Eric Snow went 2-for-4, launching his tenth double of the season along with a two-run homer. First baseman Cooper McMurray also had a strong night at the plate, finishing 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Cade Fisher turned in his best start of the season as well, tossing 5 innings of one-run ball, giving up only three hits while striking out six. Premier reliever Ryan Hetzler continues to dominate late in games too, collecting the final seven outs in the game and pitching to weak contact.
Sunday’s matchup was a much quicker contest, with the damage coming early. Cooper McMurray smoked a two-run double in the first inning to put Auburn on the board. In the next frame, Deric Fabian grounded into a double play that brought in a third run, all Auburn would need to seal the sweep.
Freshman starter Andreas Alvarez continues to shine, tossing four scoreless innings of two-hit ball. Junior reliever Dylan Watts collected the final five outs to secure the sweep, allowing only one base-hit and striking out two.
Right now, few teams in the country are playing better baseball than the Auburn Tigers, who’ve rattled off six straight wins against top-20 opponents. They’ll look to keep the momentum rolling this Easter weekend as they head to Austin for a marquee showdown with the Texas Longhorns, perhaps the premier matchup of weekend 10.
#20 Oklahoma hands a series blow to #16 Vanderbilt
A much-needed SEC series win for Oklahoma. After losing a series to Alabama and being swept by LSU, the Sooners got a ranked series win by blowing out Vanderbilt in the first two games.
In game one, the Sooners won 9-4 thanks to an incredible start by Cade Crossland, who filled in last minute for Kyson Witherspoon. Crossland turned in a career-best outing, striking out eight over 5.2 innings while allowing just one earned run.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Sooners came out swinging with a four-run first inning. Jason Walk finished 3-for-5 with two RBIs, while Dayton Tockey was a perfect 3-for-3 with an RBI double.
The Sooners capped off the series win on Saturday as Kyson Witherspoon made his way back to the mound. They shut out Vanderbilt 14-0.
Kyson Witherspoon was untouchable, tossing a seven-inning complete-game shutout while allowing just two hits, striking out six, and walking none in the best start of his Sooner career.
The offense backed him up early and often, exploding for 14 runs on nine hits, nine walks, and five hit-by-pitches. Easton Carmichael set the tone with a three-run homer in the first and later added a two-run triple to cap a five-RBI day.
Game three wasn’t as pretty for the Sooners, as Vanderbilt finally showed some life and blew them out 13-2. Regardless, it is still a good series win for Oklahoma and should hopefully give them some positive momentum moving forward.
#23 TCU stays red hot and takes down #22 Kansas
Man, oh man. We put Kansas in our rankings and then ran into a TCU squad that just can’t seem to be stopped.
Kansas came to Fort Worth just to get swept out of the building, and it started with a brutal game one, which they lost 14-1.
The Horned Frogs’ victory started with a dominant career performance from Tommy LaPour. LaPour was lights out on the mound, striking out a career-high 11 over seven innings while allowing just one run on three hits.
His only blemish was a solo homer in the sixth. No other Jayhawk even reached third base. On top of LaPour’s performance, the Horned Frogs lineup was red-hot in game one.
The Horned Frogs wasted no time jumping ahead, opening the game with back-to-back triples from Karson Bowen and Sawyer Strosnider, then tacking on a second run on a Cole Cramer single.
TCU broke it open in the second, sending 11 batters to the plate in a seven-run outburst that featured a Jack Bell homer, a Cramer RBI single, and a three-run blast from Chase Brunson. A massive tone setter for TCU.
Game two was as dominant for the Horned Frogs, but they pulled off a 4-3 victory. TCU clawed back from an early deficit, leaned on clutch pitching and timely hitting to edge Kansas 4–3, and secured the series win on Saturday.
After falling behind 1–0 in the second, the Frogs faced serious trouble in the fifth when the Jayhawks loaded the bases with no outs. But Braeden Sloan came up big, escaping the jam unscathed with a force at home, a strikeout, and a comebacker to keep it a one-run game.
That momentum quickly flipped the script. With two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Isaac Cadena doubled, advanced to third on an error, and scored on a wild pitch to tie it.
Three straight walks loaded the bases for Karson Bowen, who delivered a clutch two-run single to give TCU a 3–1 lead.
TCU kept it going in game three, capping off the series sweep with a 7-2 victory. There’s a real good chance the Horned Frogs will jump in our rankings, and the possibility of Kansas falling out is high.
#6 Georgia shocks #1 Arkansas and takes the series in extras
Well, well, well. Arkansas quickly became our #1 team in college baseball and is facing a tough matchup with Georgia.
At first, it seemed like Arkansas was going to run away with this series. On Friday night, Arkansas overcame an early 3–0 deficit to defeat Georgia 13–3 at Foley Field.
Georgia took the lead in the second inning with an RBI groundout by Devin Obee and a two-run homer from Kolby Branch, marking his third home run in two games.
However, Arkansas responded with three runs in the fourth inning to tie the game and then added ten unanswered runs, including a seven-run ninth inning, to secure the victory.
In game two, Georgia bounced back, winning a close one 7-6. They evened the series and snapped the Razorbacks’ 12-game SEC win streak.
The Bulldogs jumped out early again, plating three runs in the first on RBI singles from Nolan McCarthy and Ryland Zaborowski.
Senior Robbie Burnett kept the momentum rolling with a two-run blast in the second, his 16th of the year and second-most in the NCAA before Zaborowski added a solo homer in the third, also his 16th of the season.
Kolten Smith earned the win with five strong innings and a season-high eight strikeouts, while the bullpen held off a late push from Arkansas.
The Bulldogs wrapped up the series win with a crazy extra-innings walk-off 7-6 win on Sunday. Junior Henry Hunter played the hero, launching a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the 12th, handing the Razorbacks their first SEC series loss.
A massive series win for the Georgia Bulldogs, who will face in-state rival, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in midweek, who are also red hot! Then they get a tough slate against Vanderbilt.
NC State upsets #18 Louisville, taking two of three
You can never count out the Wolfpack, as they continue to find ways to win against quality opponents with their backs against the wall.
Louisville jumped out to an early 6-1 lead on Friday, but no lead proved safe. The Cardinals’ pitching staff wasn’t great, surrendering 11 hits and issuing 16 walks, unable to consistently find the strike zone the entire night.
NC State responded with seven runs in the fourth inning, followed by three more in the fifth frame. Catcher Alex Sosa had a career night, going 3-for-3 with three doubles, three walks, and two RBI. Leadoff man Ty Head also had a great showing, finishing with a 2-for-4 slashline with 3 RBI and a walk.
Entering the sixth inning with a 12-11 lead, the Wolfpack turned to Jacob Dudan to minimize the damage. As a result, he delivered his best outing of the 2025 season, pitching the final four innings for NC State, allowing just one hit and striking out four. A massive Friday night win for NC State, as they outlasted Louisville in game one 13-11.
After getting run-ruled on Saturday, the Wolfpack answered right back with a mercy-rule win of their own, clinching the series with an 11-1 victory in eight innings.
The biggest difference-maker in the series was the quality of pitching. Louisville’s struggles continued on Sunday, issuing 13 more walks and surrendering 11 hits.
As for NC State’s offense, it was all about patience and small ball. Seven of their eight hits were singles, and when combined with the abundance of free passes, it proved to be more than enough to fuel the scoring. Shortstop Justin Decriscio had a huge day at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a home run and 4 RBI.
Lefthander Ryan Marohn was epic in the Sunday matchup, pitching 6.2 innings of one-run ball and providing length and getting the Wolfpack offense back in the dugout.
NC State looks to be back on track, now sitting at 9-6 in ACC play and firmly in the mix of postseason conversations. They’ll head out west this week for a Thursday matchup against Cal.
Mississippi State takes down #12 Alabama
Mississippi State had been struggling through SEC play before their series win over South Carolina last week. They were 3-9 in conference play as they came to face Alabama.
It felt like this should be an easy series win for Alabama, but the Bulldogs said not so fast and made a statement in game one, ten-run ruling the Crimson Tide 13-3.
The Bulldogs racked up six doubles and 16 hits overall, including a four-hit, four-RBI night from Sawyer Reeves, who also crushed his first career home run in the third.
Hunter Hines made history in the first with his 62nd career homer, a two-run blast that moved him into second all-time on MSU’s home run leaderboard.
On the mound, Pico Kohn got the start and tossed four innings before Stone Simmons came in and shut the door with four scoreless frames to earn the win.
Game two the Bulldogs weren’t as lucky, and Alabama bounced back with a 4-1 victory. Despite racking up nine hits, including multi-hit efforts from Frei and Ace Reese, State couldn’t string together the timely hits needed to rally.
Mississippi State pulled off the massive series win with a 4-2 victory on Sunday. The Bulldogs jumped out to an early lead thanks to a two-run blast from Sawyer Reeves in the first, and later got clutch solo home runs from Ross Highfill and Ace Reese to seal the victory.
The Bulldog pitching staff was lights out, holding Alabama to just two hits. Nate Williams earned his first career win in his longest outing as a Bulldog, tossing 3.1 hitless innings with four strikeouts and just one walk.
Hopefully Mississippi State can take this momentum into next week and turn things around to give themselves playoff hopes.
Midweek Upsets to Note
Midweeks were less exciting this week, but some things to note… Florida continued its struggles as it lost to rival Florida State. Virginia can’t seem to find it and took a midweek loss to Liberty. Here is the complete list of upsets of the week:
- Nebraska beats Kansas 7-5
- Florida beats Florida State 5-4
- Dallas Baptist beats Oklahoma 9-1
Draft Watch: Who’s Making Waves?
2025 Draft Spotlight Player of the Week
SS Alex Lodise, Florida State
Season Stats: .432/.485/.797, 11 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR, 44 RBI, 13 BB, 6 SB
Boy, has Lodise taken his game to the next level this year. Lodise started to emerge as a standout shortstop for Florida State University, showcasing a blend of power and defensive prowess that has caught the attention of scouts.
After transferring from North Florida, where he set freshman records with 16 home runs and 63 RBIs, Lodise adapted to the higher competition level in the ACC. In his sophomore year, he started all 62 games, batting .281 with 14 doubles and nine home runs.
This season, Lodise has elevated his game significantly. Through 35 games, he’s hitting .432 with 13 home runs and a .797 slugging percentage. His new approach is aggressive at the plate, but he’s focusing on lifting the ball to the pull side, which has resulted in increased power numbers. He’s continuing to see his draft stock increase each week.
Other Top MLB Draft Performers
| Pitcher | Stats |
| LHP Liam Doyle, Tennessee | 8 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 14 K |
| RHP Blake Gillespie, Charlotte | 8 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 K |
| LHP Cade Obermueller, Iowa | 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 11 K |
| RHP Justin Mitrovich, Elon | 8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K |
| LHP Joseph Dzierwa, Michigan State | 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K |
| RHP Kyson Witherspoon, Oklahoma | 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K |
| LHP Jamie Arnold, Florida State | 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K |
| LHP Joey Volini, Florida State | 7 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 5 K |
| LHP Kyle McCoy, Maryland | 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K |
| RHP Jason Reitz, Oregon | 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 11 K |
| RHP Aiven Cabral, Northeastern | 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K |
| RHP Tyler Bremner, UC Santa Barbara | 6 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 10 K |
| RHP Collin McKinney, Arizona | 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 K |
| LHP Caleb Leys, Maine | 5 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 K |
| LHP Cade Crossland, Oklahoma | 5 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K |
| RHP Brian Curley, Georgia | 5 IP, 2 ER, 0 B, 5 K |
| RHP Trace Baker, UNCW | 6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K |
| LHP Justin Lamkin, Texas A&M | 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 10 K |
| LHP Ryan DeSanto, Penn State | 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K |
| RHP Samuel Dutton, Auburn | 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K |
| Hitter | Stats |
| SS Aiva Arquette, Oregon State | 9-for-18, 2 2B, 4 HR, 11 RBI |
| SS Mason White, Arizona | 4-for-13, 2B, 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 BB, SB |
| C Luke Stevenson, North Carolina | 5-for-12, 3 2B, 2 RBI, 6 BB, |
| SS Kolby Branch, Georgia | 6-for-16, 4 HR, 12 RBI |
| 1B Ryland Zaborowski, Georgia | 5-for-14, 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 BB |
| OF James Quinn-Irons, George Mason | 6-for-16, 2 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 BB, SB |
| C Ike Irish, Auburn | 6-for-14, 2 2B, 3B, 5 RBI, 4 BB |
Just Released: New Interviews, Reports, & Rankings
Interviews
Articles
- MLB Draft
- 2025 MLB Draft Watch – Week of 4/7 by JD Cameron
- 2026 MLB Draft Showdown: Lebron, Burress, Cholowsky by Jared Perkins
- 2025 MLB Draft Deep Dive – Ryan Weingartner by Jared Perkins
- College Baseball
- College Baseball Top 25 Update by Jared Perkins
- Ranking the Coolest Uniforms in College Baseball by Jared Perkins
What’s Ahead
Upcoming Games & Draft Watch
- Midweeks
- #24 Virginia Tech vs. East Tennessee State (Tuesday)
- Wake Forest vs. Coastal Carolina (Tuesday)
- Western Kentucky vs. Louisville (Tuesday)
- Georgia Tech vs. Georgia (Tuesday)
- Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State (Tuesday)
- Oregon State vs. UCLA (Tuesday)
- Weekend Series
- Auburn vs. Texas (Thursday – Saturday)
- Virginia vs. Florida State (Thursday – Saturday)
- Louisville vs. Clemson (Thursday – Saturday)
- Texas A&M vs. Arkansas (Thursday – Saturday)
- Georgia vs. Vanderbilt (Thursday – Saturday)
- Alabama vs. LSU (Thursday – Saturday)
- North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech (Friday – Sunday)
- Kansas State vs. Kansas (Friday – Sunday)
- Oregon vs. UCLA (Friday – Sunday)
Connect with On The Clock for all the latest college baseball and MLB Draft news, analysis, interviews, scouting reports, and more! Follow us for all the latest updates!