College Baseball Week 12 Standouts: Dominic Pitelli Puts Together Career Day

Image credit: Dominic Pitelli (Photo by Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

This weekend provided a little bit of everything: a no-hitter, multiple three-home run performances, a four-home run performance, one of the best mid-major pitching performances of the season and a dominant performance from the top pitcher in the 2023 draft class. What was most impressive about a number of these individual efforts was the quality of opponents that they came against.

Dominic Pitelli, SS, Miami

Pitelli had an outstanding weekend in which he went 7-for-12 with a double, three home runs and 10 RBIs. Most of his production came on Friday night: he went 5-for-5 with three home runs and nine RBIs. Pitelli homered in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings and capped off his career night with a grand slam in the eighth. Pitelli is one of the best defensive shortstops in the country with range to either side, smooth actions and a 60-grade arm, but he is also getting it done with the bat this year, with a .304 average, 11 doubles, nine home runs and 40 RBIs in 47 games played. Both his 11 doubles and nine home runs are new career highs, and he should also eclipse last year’s RBI total of 45. 

Xander Hamilton, RHP, Appalachian State

Although Appalachian State would go on to lose its series at No. 8 Coastal Carolina, Hamilton turned in the best start of his career. The junior righthander threw eight shutout innings in which he allowed just one hit and struck out 15. What made his stat line even more impressive is that Coastal Carolina is one of the most high-powered lineups in the country and Spring Brooks Stadium is notorious for being an extremely hitter-friendly ballpark. Hamilton relied heavily on his fastball and slider, a two-pitch combination that generated 28 swings and misses. He ran his fastball up to 95 mph but pitched in the 91-93 range for the entirety of his outing. While he got 10 swings and misses with the pitch, Hamilton’s sharp, tight-spinning slider with big break garnered 16 swings and misses and kept the Chanticleers off-balance all night. Hamilton this season has pitched his way to a 5.15 ERA with 94 strikeouts to 37 walks in 71.2 innings pitched.

Brad Camarda, RHP, Hofstra

Camarda dazzled in his Friday start against Monmouth, throwing a complete game no-hitter with eight strikeouts. Of his 97 pitches, 79 were fastballs, but it was a pitch the sixth-year senior was able to locate well and throw for quality strikes. While Camarda was able to dominate with his heater, he also flashed a tumbling changeup with nice downward action. In addition to his no-hitter, Camarda also has two complete game shutouts to his name this season. He lowered his ERA from 6.15 to 5.35 and has notched 45 strikeouts across 69 innings pitched.

Paul Skenes, RHP, Louisiana State

Skenes was one of the only bright spots for LSU this weekend, as on Friday he spun 7.1 shutout innings and set a new career high in strikeouts with 15. The 6-foot-6 righthander collected a whopping 28 total swings and misses, 22 of which came against his fastball and slider. Skenes sat in the 95-99 mph range with his fastball and held his premium velocity for the duration of his outing. He has advanced feel for the pitch and was able to get serious arm-side run and sink on it when he wanted to. Skenes’ plus-plus slider was lethal with tight spin and plenty of sweeping action to it. His ERA now sits at a minuscule 1.73 with a nation-leading 139 strikeouts against only 13 walks in 72.2 innings.

Gage Ziehl, RHP, Miami

Ziehl had the best outing of his season on Friday, twirling eight shutout innings with a season-high 12 strikeouts, one walk and only four hits allowed. The physical righthander utilized a three-pitch mix that featured a fastball, slider and changeup to keep the Presbyterian hitters guessing all night. While Ziehl’s fastball sat in the low 90s, it played well up in the strike zone thanks to its high spin and carry. His sharp, two-plane slider was an effective secondary offering, but his changeup particularly stood out. It looked like a plus pitch all night and would seemingly fall off a table as it crossed home plate. Ziehl has been inconsistent at times this spring, but if he is able to hit his stride as the Hurricanes close out the regular season, it would drastically raise their postseason ceiling. He has a 4.65 ERA with a strong strikeout-to-walk ratio of 78-to-17 in 69.2 innings pitched.

Brant Alazaus, LHP, Xavier

A transfer from Division II Walsh (Ohio), Alazaus has been fantastic this spring as a member of Xavier’s rotation. He continued his strong 2023 season this past Friday, pitching a complete game shutout with five hits allowed and 10 strikeouts. Alazaus’ fastball has an average velocity of just 82.9 mph, but he hides the ball well and has some natural deception in his delivery. He also features a loopy, low-70s curveball that has big shape and a unique changeup that has a lot of drop to it and plays well off his fastball. Alazaus has pitched his way to a 4.14 ERA with a 74-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 71.2 innings pitched and has walked just one hitter in his last five starts (31.2 innings).

Calvin Harris, C, Mississippi

Harris put together a fantastic week at the plate, going 8-for-17 with five home runs and 13 RBIs. However, he had the best individual game of any player in the country in Sunday’s series finale: he went 4-for-6 with 10 RBIs and became the first player in Ole Miss baseball history to hit four home runs in one game. Harris has a low-maintenance operation at the plate with little movement, but his barrel explodes through the hitting zone. He has a horizontal swing and really extends through the baseball with his strong forearms. Harris raised his average to .342 to go along with 14 doubles, 12 home runs and 45 RBIs in 48 games played this season.

Nolan Schubart, OF, Oklahoma State

If it wasn’t for Harris’ four-home run day, Schubart would have had the best individual effort of any offensive player in the country. In Sunday’s series finale, the freshman star went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with three home runs, two of which were grand slams, and 10 RBIs. The towering 6-foot-6 outfielder has double-plus raw power which he has been able to tap into in games, as well as above-average bat speed. His swing is tailored to consistently get the ball in the air, which is a quality that translates particularly well to the hitter-friendly confines of O’Brate Stadium. Schubart was one of the most high-profile members of the 2022 high school class to make it to college, and he has certainly lived up to his high expectations. He is now hitting .333 with 16 doubles, 12 home runs and 51 RBIs across 45 games.

Stephen Reid, OF, Georgia Tech

Reid had an unbelievably productive series against Pittsburgh, going 9-for-14 with a double, four home runs and 10 RBIs. Reid went 4-for-5 with a double and a home run on Friday night, but he upstaged that impressive performance with a 4-for-5 day on Sunday in which he swatted three home runs and had six RBIs. He has plus raw power and can drive the ball with authority to all fields. Reid is having a great season in which he is hitting .360 with 11 doubles, 13 home runs and 42 RBIs in 47 games.

Grant Jay, C/OF, Dallas Baptist

Even though he is a true freshman, Jay has emerged as the most productive hitter in a deep Dallas Baptist lineup. This weekend Jay went 8-for-12 with four home runs and eight RBIs, including a 4-for-5 game on Friday in which he homered twice and drove in six runs. He has the prototypical physical build of a catcher, and at the plate he has explosive hips and fast hands. Jay has an all-fields approach, but his power is most impressive to the pull side. On the season he is hitting .336 with 13 doubles, a team-leading 16 home runs and 49 RBIs in 44 games.