Mid-Major Bangers: 9 Small School Hitters With Big Performances In 2024
Image credit: Tyler MacGregor (Brian Westerholt/Four Seam Images)
Tom Lipari played collegiate ball at New Orleans, then played five years professionally in the Padres and Astros organizations as well as in Indy ball. He was a nine-year college coach and then spent seven years scouting for the Cardinals and is the signing scout for Paul DeJong, Mateo Gil, Luken Baker, Steven Gingery, Levi Prater and others.
Resident scouting expert Tom Lipari breaks down nine mid-major hitters to know halfway through the 2024 college baseball season.
A highlight from last year’s version of this story is second baseman and outfielder Quinn McDaniel, who the Giants drafted in the fifth round and is currently off to a red hot start with High-A Eugene.
Edwin DeLaCruz, C, Arkansas Pine-Bluff
I figured we’d start this year’s mid-major banger list with Mr. DeLaCruz, who is second behind Georgia Bulldog phenom Charlie Condon in average and hitting .444 as of April 21. The physical 6-foot, 210-pound catcher possesses a strong, wide base with good balance. He uses the middle of the field extremely well and takes what he gets at the plate, firing his hands down through the ball. While he only has two home runs thus far, DeLaCruz does have 13 doubles to his name and is showing no signs of cooling off in the near future.
Edgar Alvarez, 1B, Nicholls State
Alvarez is a senior reppin’ Cajun country with a .437 clip with 15 doubles and nine home runs. Even more impressive is his incredible walk-to-strikeout ratio at 40-18 through 149 plate appearances. Standing in at an imposing 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, the lefthanded hitting first baseman certainly looks the part. Using an upright stance, Alvarez’s bat-to-ball skills stand out and he uses all fields appropriately with strength behind his swing. He recognizes spin well—hence the high average and low strikeout total—and has played a massive part in the Colonels’ solid 27-14 campaign.
Eric Rataczak, OF/1B, Niagara
Any slugger hitting .423 at the Division 1 level in the Northeast deserves a tip of the cap. A Minnesota native, Rataczak is no stranger to the cold and windy elements, and his impressive .423 average with 10 homers and 46 RBIs as well as an 18-15 walk-to-strikeout rate has been a driving force in pushing the Purple Eagles to a 24-11 record. Rataczak possesses a classic level stroke and does a nice job keeping the barrel in the zone for a long time, which explains his consistency and ability to go gap to gap with authority.
Dalton Beck, OF, Incarnate Word
Beck is currently terrorizing the baseball. The junior outfielder carries a .419 batting average with 16 doubles, 12 home runs and 50 RBIs. Standing in at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, the lefthanded hitter hits from a crouch and possesses both quickness and strength in his wrists and forearms as he displays power to all fields. Opposing pitchers are struggling to find a weakness to exploit in Beck’s approach. He is a natural low-ball hitter and levels out on the high strike to demonstrate straight-away power frequently. Beck comes from Grayson JC in Texas, which is a program notorious for producing productive D-I bats.
Alex Lane, 1B/OF, Northeastern & Tyler MacGregor, 1B, Northeastern
The Northeast’s version of Thunder and Lightning is making headways throughout Division 1 baseball. Highly touted Alex Lane and his counterpart Tyler MacGregor have combined for 31 doubles, 21 home runs and 107 RBIs heading into the last week of April. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound Lane has effortless power and wields the bat as if it’s a toothpick, while MacGregor represents the classic lefthanded gap hitter with plenty of power to the pull side. Coach Mike Glavine and his staff continue to reel in talent suitable to make a run in postseason play.
Tanner Thach, INF, UNC Wilmington
Thach is a perennial power-hitting slugger who currently sits fifth in the nation in home runs with 21, backed by 54 RBIs. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound lefthanded hitter raised eyebrows prior to the spring, playing in the coveted Cape Cod Summer League, where he displayed power in a short stint for Cotuit. With the lift in his stroke combined with strength and bat speed, Thach’s home runs are majestic. Watching his swing will remind you a bit of Red Sox slugger Triston Casas. Just a sophomore, college baseball fans get to enjoy his talents for at least another year.
Ethan Conrad, OF/1B, Marist
Conrad has one of the prettier lefthanded swings you’ll see and has been the bright spot for Marist this spring with a .403 average, six home runs and 39 RBIs. His most impressive stat is his nation-leading 12 triples, which is a bit surprising considering his 6-foot-3, 200-pound frame. Observing video of Conrad, his quiet hitting fundamentals and smooth lefthanded stroke are sights to behold. A particular at-bat of his this spring that really stood out to me was a long ball he parked off a 96-mph fastball versus South Florida righthander Chandler Dorsey. Like the previously mentioned Thach, Conrad is just a sophomore and will be a good one to follow in the years ahead.
Brooks Bryan, C, Troy
Since the first mid-major banger piece two years ago it seems like a Troy Trojan is always identified. This year, it’s Bryan, who is currently leading the nation with an astounding 68 RBIs that have helped guide the Trojans to an impressive 28-14 record. Another physical lefthanded-hitting sophomore on this year’s list, Bryan stands in calm and upright before unleashing his power stroke that has accumulated 14 home runs. Just the second catcher on this year’s list, Bryan has a bright future ahead of him—a backstop with power will always appeal to the professional evaluators.
Honorable Mention:
Austin Peay’s Entire Starting Lineup
Austin Peay coach Roland Fanning and recruiting coordinator Heath Holliday have wasted no time installing a newfound energy into Austin Peay’s program with high-end talent. The team is first in the country with a remarkable team batting average of .347 through 40 games. They have scored 409 runs, which is good for 10.2 runs per game—the third-best mark in the country behind Wofford and Tennessee. Their 106 home runs are good for second in the country (again behind Tennessee), and all seven hitters with more than 100 at-bats are hitting over .300 with an OPS north of 1.000. Any Little League or high school ball player around Clarksville may want to sign up for Austin Peay’s next hitting camp. Lyle Miller-Green and Jon Jon Gazdar are two of the most prominent hitters on the team this season.
