College Baseball What To Watch For: Week 5

Image credit: Jac Caglianone (Photo by Eddie Kelly / ProLook Photos)

Last week marked the start of conference play for the ACC, Big 12 and Pac-12. There was little fanfare out West outside of a somewhat surprising California sweep of UCLA, but there were eventful series in both the ACC and Big 12. No. 3 Duke notched an impressive road series win of previously top-ranked Wake Forest, a series that was headlined by a wild third game, while Miami toppled No. 15 Virginia in what was a rollercoaster of a series. In the Lone Star State, No. 23 Texas earned a much-needed series win over No. 24 Texas Tech due to plenty of big hits and a handful of key appearances from its bullpen arms.

This weekend marks another huge milestone on the college baseball calendar: the long-awaited start of SEC play. There are three marquee series between ranked opponents, all of which will have lasting implications beyond this weekend. Finally, No. 3 Duke and No. 9 Clemson square off in Durham for what is sure to be an excellent series.

Additionally, here are some helpful links to aid your college baseball consumption this weekend…

No. 5 Texas A&M (17-0) at No. 10 Florida (10-6)

The Aggies enter this weekend as one of two undefeated teams in the country. They haven’t played the most impressive schedule by any stretch, but they have a pair of wins over a solid Arizona State team as well as a quality win over rival No. 23 Texas. They most recently picked up a pair of walk-off wins over Rhode Island and Sam Houston, respectively, and are firing on all cylinders. What might impress me most about this A&M team is the team chemistry that it has. From funny tweets courtesy of veteran Hayden Schott to its weekly fungo golf series that each week features a handful of Aggies, it is clear how much they love playing with each other and enjoy one another’s presence.

Back to A&M’s play, it is an incredibly well-rounded team. It boasts a dangerous lineup that features a blend of newcomers and returners, headlined by potential top-10 overall pick Braden Montgomery (.403/.543/.871) and superstar sophomore Jace LaViolette (.345/.531/.931). Michigan transfer Ted Burton (.360/.515/.660) has emerged as an invaluable contributor, while freshman Gavin Grahovac (.344/.481/.609) has hit the ground running. The lineup consistently takes mature at-bats and wears out opposing pitchers.

For as good as its offense has been, A&M’s pitching staff has arguably been the best in the country to this point. Its minuscule team 2.01 ERA leads the country. The rotation features a one-two punch of Ryan Prager (4-0, 0.00 ERA) and Justin Lamkin (1-0, 0.98 ERA). Prager has yet to allow a run through 23.2 innings and has a cartoonish strikeout-to-walk ratio of 40-to-3. Fellow lefthander Lamkin has surrendered just two earned runs through his 18.1 innings and with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 27-to-5. The bullpen has also been fantastic. Evan Aschenbeck (2-0, 1.08 ERA) has been nails to this point, and fireballer Chris Cortez (2-0, 1.72 ERA)—who has recently been deployed as a reliever—is also plenty effective. Sophomore lefthander Shane Sdao (1-0, 2.45 ERA)—who in all likelihood will make the jump to the rotation next season—has been electric.

It’s been a different story for Florida. It has yet to lose a series, but its six losses are the most before SEC play since 2014, and it has a handful of head-scratching results. Following its Opening Day loss to St. John’s, Florida proceeded to win five consecutive games. But since Feb. 25, it has gone 5-5 with losses to Stetson, Miami, Central Florida, St. Mary’s and No. 21 Florida State. The pitching is the glaring issue. Florida’s team ERA of 5.72 ranked last in the SEC as of Tuesday. Outside of Jac Caglianone (2-0, 1.80 ERA)—who has been outstanding to this point—and Ryan Slater (1-0, 3.15 ERA), nearly every arm has struggled. Strike-throwing and free bases have been an issue, and the freshmen have shown their youth.

Among those currently struggling are Cade Fisher (1-1, 7.56 ERA) and Brandon Neely (0-0, 8.00 ERA). I believe both are a heck of a lot better than their current stats suggest, but they’ll need to turn the corner quickly given how difficult the upcoming schedule is. Shifting focus to the offense, Florida has swung the bats reasonably well. Again, it starts with two-way sensation Jac Caglianone, who is hitting .412/.500/.647 with five home runs, 16 RBIs and more walks (11) than strikeouts (7). Ty Evans (.356/.465/.627) has carried the momentum he built in Omaha into this season, and his four home runs and 17 RBIs both rank third on the team, while sophomore Cade Kurland (.320/.404/.580) is also a focal point of the lineup.

The team’s most productive hitter has been Alabama transfer Colby Shelton. After blasting 25 home runs as a true freshman, Shelton has picked up right where he left off to the tune of a .333/.450/.794 slash line and a team-leading nine home runs and 21 RBIs. He has plus power that he routinely taps into and is well on his way to being a top-two round draft choice.

You can’t deem a series “must-win” this early, but Florida really needs to find a spark. I don’t think the Gators get swept, but I see the Aggies this weekend taking two of three.

How To Stream

The series begins tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m. ET, and all games will be streamed on SEC Network+.

No. 6 Tennessee (17-1) at No. 18 Alabama (15-2)

Tennessee this weekend will play its first true road games, as it travels to Tuscaloosa for a highly-anticipated clash with the Crimson Tide. The Vols have won 16 straight since their 5-1 loss against Oklahoma, and rank top 10 in the country in both team average (.336) and team ERA (2.78). The lineup, simply put, is loaded. Its 49 home runs rank second nationally, and there is no easy out. Redshirt sophomore Kavares Tears is in the midst of a breakout season, and his .426 average leads the team. The middle of the order is made up of a quartet of high-powered bats in Billy Amick (.369/.440/.877)—whose nine home runs and 21 RBIs lead the team—, Christian Moore (.364/.468/.727), Blake Burke (.371/.443/.839) and Dylan Dreiling (.377/.507/.811). All four can drive the baseball with authority to all parts of the field and profile as high draft choices this July.

The pitching staff has been just as, if not more successful and that is without AJ Russell (0-0, 2.45 ERA) being available for the last two weekends. Drew Beam (3-0, 2.08 ERA), for lack of better phrasing, has been Drew Beam. He has given the Vols five-to-six strong innings in each of his four starts. Sidewinder AJ Causey (3-0, 1.31 ERA) has been fantastic, and provides a difficult, unique look for opposing hitters. He pounds the zone, stays off the barrel and has compiled a 30-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Wichita State transfer Nate Snead (4-0, 1.80 ERA) has been used exclusively out of the bullpen, but he’s been stretched out at times. Most recently, he fired six shutout innings against Illinois and routinely flashes premium velocity. Circling back to Russell, he is expected this weekend to make his return to the mound, but it is unclear what his role will be. It is highly unlikely that he starts, though he could be used out of the bullpen.

Year one of the Rob Vaughn Era in Tuscaloosa has been a resounding success. Alabama currently sits at 15-2 with solid wins over Indiana, Arizona and Troy. The Crimson Tide are armed with an experienced, veteran-heavy lineup. Junior Gage Miller (.478/.548/.910) leads the team in nearly every major offensive category, while transfers TJ McCants (.361/.447/.750), Evan Sleight (.344/.456/.641) and Ian Petrutz (.313/.450/.453) provide both skill and invaluable leadership. Freshman Justin Lebron (.333/.493/.574) has been the team’s starting shortstop from day one, and he has been mighty impressive through the first month of the season.

While Coach Vaughn’s lineup is a top-10 offense in the country, the pitching staff is not too far behind. Imposing righthander Ben Hess (3-0, 2.65 ERA) is the anchor of the rotation and is well on his way to being a potential top-50 overall draft pick. Louisville transfer Greg Farone has returned to form after an up-and-down 2023 season, pitching his way to a 1.72 ERA with 21 strikeouts to only two walks across 15.2 innings. The bullpen has been fantastic and has done an excellent job finishing games. Alton Davis II (1-0, 2.16 ERA), Braylon Myers (1-0, 0.87 ERA) and Tyler Fay (1-0, 2.87 ERA) are all reliable arms who the coaching staff can feel comfortable using on a regular basis and in high-leverage situations.

This will be a hard-fought, crisp and well-played series that in all likelihood comes down to a decisive game three. I give the slightest of edges to Tennessee and think its lineup will be the difference-maker, but it would not shock me at all if Alabama picks up a major series win.

How To Stream

Friday’s game starts at 7:00 p.m. ET can be found on SEC Network+, while both Saturday’s (8:00 p.m. ET) and Sunday’s (2:00 p.m. ET) game will be broadcast nationally on SEC Network. However, you can also stream both games here.

No. 17 Auburn (13-3) at No. 8 Vanderbilt (15-3)

Following a 9-8 loss to Gonzaga on Feb. 25, Vanderbilt sat at an unimpressive 5-3 with additional losses to Florida Atlantic and Dayton. A difficult five-game week loomed on the horizon, and there were plenty of question marks surrounding the Commodores. Fast forward to today, and the ‘Dores have won 10 straight while playing polished baseball. The rotation has rounded into form, there are quality pieces up and down the lineup and the team is hitting its stride at the perfect time. Sophomore standout RJ Austin (.361/.442/.444) is the team’s leading hitter, but veteran outfielder Troy LaNeve (.333/.471/.704) has been the most productive to the tune of a team-leading 22 RBIs. True freshman Camden Kozeal (.344/.432/.500) and experienced backstop Alan Espinal (.355/.453/.613)—who leads the team with four home runs—have both established themselves as key pieces.

Lefthanders Devin Futrell (2-0, 3.68 ERA) and Carter Holton (2-0, 5.00 ERA) have thrown well so far, but righthander Bryce Cunningham (2-0, 2.61 ERA) has been the best arm to this point and has seen his draft stock considerably rise. Ryan Ginther (1-0, 1.29 ERA) and freshmen Miller Green (0-1, 1.42 ERA) and Brennan Seiber (1-0, 2.25 ERA) are all reliable bullpen options. Andrew Dutkanych IV (0-0, 3.38 ERA) was in the midst of a potential breakout season, but he left Tuesday’s game with an apparent arm injury. Losing him would be a big blow to the staff, as he arguably has the best pure stuff of anyone, so there is hopefully good news to follow.

Auburn has been a steady team for the first month of the season, and so far has avoided a major hiccup. While they lost last Saturday to Austin Peay, the Tigers bounced back with a dominant 24-5 win on Sunday to clinch the series. A trio of experienced players in Mason Maners (.388/.530/.735), Cooper Weiss (.360/.500/.640) and Cooper McMurray (.352/.500/.778) have led the charge offensively. Blue-chip sophomore catcher Ike Irish (.328/.423/.703) has also performed well to this point, and his six home runs and 25 RBIs both lead the team. Florida transfer Deric Fabian (.313/.460/.667, five home runs) has quietly put together a strong start to the season. The lineup consistently turns in competitive at-bats, has advanced swing decisions for the most part and really makes opposing pitchers work. There are no easy outs and they consistently move the baseball.

The Tigers’ rotation has shown reasonably well with Chase Allsup (1-0, 5.30 ERA) and Carson Myers (1-1, 3.63 ERA) being the headliners, but it lacks a viable third starter. Joseph Gonzalez (2-1, 8.38 ERA) has struggled mightily, and last weekend’s Sunday starter Christian Heberholz (0-1, 4.63 ERA) was just okay and allowed two runs across 2.2 innings. They boast a bevy of quality bullpen arms, with sidewinder John Armstrong (0-0, 1.54 ERA), Tanner Bauman (2-0, 1.93 ERA) and freshman Cam Tilly (3-0, 2.61 ERA) being the three standouts.

Auburn, I think, will take one game, but I like Vanderbilt this weekend to come out on top.

How To Stream

The series gets underway tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. ET, and all games can be found on SEC Network+.

No. 9 Clemson at No. 3 Duke

With the start of SEC play, this series has flown a little under the radar, but I could not be more excited for this top-10 showdown in Durham. Duke is fresh off one of its biggest series wins in recent memory, as it took down previous-No. 1 Wake Forest on the road, while Clemson has won 11 games in a row.

Sticking with the Blue Devils, they on Tuesday had their second puzzling loss of the season as they were stunned by Rider—who scored just 10 total runs across its first seven games. They responded nicely yesterday with a sound 18-4 win, but no team that hosted last year had more than three losses to RPI 101+ teams. I am supremely confident that Duke will host when all is said and done, but it is something interesting to watch as the season progresses.

Duke’s lineup is a melting pot of returners, impact transfers and freshmen. Devin Obee is the best of the returning bunch, and so far he is hitting .383/.465/.683 with eight extra-base hits and 17 RBIs. Pennsylvania transfer Ben Miller is the team’s leading hitter to the tune of a .449/.513/.884 slash line and he also leads or is tied for the team lead in every statistical category. Freshmen Macon Winslow (.360/.424/.660) and AJ Gracia (.357/.500/.679) have already established themselves as stalwarts in the middle of the order. Duke’s .338 team average ranks inside the top-10 in the country and its 41 home runs rank third.

Jonathan Santucci (3-0, 2.29 ERA) got hit around last week and didn’t have his best stuff, but he remains one of the premier starters in all of college baseball. He features a thunderous mid-90s fastball, as well as a mid-80s slider that he has advanced feel for. Both grade out as plus pitches and while he has thrown it sparingly so far, Santucci also features an above-average changeup. The rotation outside of Santucci has been a little shaky, but fellow southpaw Andrew Healy (1-1, 5.63 ERA) is a lot better than the back of the baseball card suggests, and I expect him to round into form as conference play gets rolling.

The biggest strength of this Duke team is without a doubt its bullpen. It boasts weapons upon weapons and has been the main reason why the Blue Devils have earned their highest-ever top 25 ranking. Brown transfer Charlie Beilenson (0-0, 0.00 ERA) has been untouchable with an opponent’s average of .143 and 22 strikeouts across 14 innings. Freshman two-way star Kyle Johnson (3-0, 1.13 ERA) can be used either as a starter or in relief, and right now he seems like the best bet to take the reins of the Sunday starter role.

Sophomores Gabriel Nard (0-0, 2.61 ERA) and Owen Proksch (1-0, 4.05 ERA) have both appeared to make that important next step, while James Tallon (0-0, 13.50 ERA) and Fran Oschell III (0-0, 1.93 ERA) remain a dangerous duo. Don’t let Tallon’s ERA fool you: outside of one appearance in which he let up six runs, he has not allowed an earned run and has notched six strikeouts across 3.1 innings. The Blue Devil bullpen has been outstanding, but it will be interesting to see if it gets worn out at all or if it begins to be relied upon too much.

For as well as Duke has been playing, Clemson I believe has a real chance to pick up a series win. 2023 ACC Freshman of the Year Cam Cannarella has picked up right where he left off, and is hitting .385/.444/.615 with a team-leading nine extra-base hits and 17 RBIs. Richmond transfer Alden Mathes (.388/.551/.551/), Michigan transfer Jimmy Obertop (.333/.507/.490) and Georgetown transfer Andrew Ciufo (.321/.406/.453) have all been a huge reason why the lineup has enjoyed the success it has. They give Cannarella a nice cushion, but to their credit, have also been quite productive. Outfielder Will Taylor (.195/.450/.610) has gotten off to a slow start after a great sophomore season, but his five home runs are tied for the team lead and he is one name to watch closely as conference play ramps up.

Clemson’s arms have their work cut out for them, but the rotation of Austin Gordon (0-0, 6.75 ERA), Tristan Smith (1-0, 2.89 ERA) and Aidan Knaak (1-0, 4.05 ERA) have the arm talent to potentially keep Duke’s lineup in check. Smith features an electric fastball, while Knaak has shown an advanced feel for his secondary offerings. Like Duke, Clemson also has a deep bullpen with a number of high-quality arms. Rob Hughes (0-0, 0.00 ERA), Ethan Darden (2-0, 0.87 ERA), Lucas Mahlstedt (0-0, 3.00 ERA) and Rocco Reid (1-0, 3.24 ERA) have all thrown well and are arms that instill a lot of confidence in the coaching staff.

I expect this series to come down to a decisive third game, where it’s hard to project who might have the edge. Will Clemson’s depth on both sides of the baseball prevail, or can Duke’s bullpen and high-powered lineup lead it to its second top-10 series win in as many weeks?