College Hot Sheet: 20 College Baseball Standouts From The Past Week (2/21/23)

Related:

• College Top 25
• Top 2023 Draft Prospects
• Top 2024 Draft Prospects

1. Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest
Draft Class: 2024
What He Did: .500/.684/1.500 (6-for-12), 4 HR, 8 R, 10 RBI, 18 TB, 7 BB, 3 K

Having already established himself as one of the best bats in college baseball, Kurtz got off to a roaring start over the weekend, driving the ball all over the yard and knocking in 10 runs. -PF

2. Paul Skenes, RHP, Louisiana State 
Draft Class: 2023
What He Did: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 12 K

Skenes dominated over the weekend, running his fastball up to 99 and maintaining premier velocity throughout the entirety of his six-inning outing. His slider also was a plus pitch, and one with which he got plenty of swing and miss. -PF

3. Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa
Draft Class: 2023
What He Did: 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K

Brecht has one of the most unique profiles of any pitcher in the country, and while the stuff has always been some of the best in the country, commanding it has been a bit of a bugaboo. Not on Saturday, however, as he was perfect across five innings with his triple-digit fastball and demonic curveball. -PF

4. Ryan Galanie, 1B, Wofford
Draft Class: 2023
What He Did: .818/.846/1.273 (9-for-11), 1 HR, 2 2B, 3 R, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K

A preseason first team All-SoCon selection, Galanie had a monster first weekend that was highlighted by a 3-for-5 (including a home run) performance on Saturday against Southern Illinois. -PF

5. Nich Klemp, C, Portland
Draft Class: 2023
What He Did: .765/.810/1.118 (13-for-17), 2 HR, 10 R, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 0 K

Klemp started his season with back-to-back four-hit games and tallied a multi-hit game in all four games against Utah Tech over the weekend, leaving him as the NCAA Division I hits leader after opening weekend. –CC

6. Justin Wilcoxen, C, East Carolina
Draft Class: 2023
What He Did: .714/.750/1.357 (10-for-14), 2 HR, 3 2B, 9 R, 8 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K

East Carolina’s offense exploded over the weekend, scoring 43 runs in just three games. However, it was the junior catcher Wilcoxen who led the charge after an unconscious weekend at the dish. Highlighted by a 3-for-4 performance with two doubles and a home run on Sunday, Wilcoxen had one of the best opening weekend series in the country. -PF

7. Gavin Dugas, 2B, Louisiana State
Draft Class: 2023
What He Did: .750/.778/1.500 (6-for-8), 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 0 K

The Tigers are loaded with high-profile draft prospects, but after the first weekend it isn’t Dylan Crews or Tommy White pacing the offense, but Dugas, who is in his fourth year with the team. Dugas moved into the leadoff spot for Saturday and Sunday’s games and in that spot went 5-for-7. -CC

8. Amani Larry, 2B, Mississippi State 
Draft Class: 2023
What He Did: .571/.625/1.000 (8-for-14), 1 HR, 3 2B, 6 R, 9 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K, 4 SB

Larry started his college career at the juco level, then spent the 2022 season with New Orleans and now is leading off for Mississippi State in the SEC in his age-22 season. He’s certainly looked the part, and had a four-hit game in his debut on Friday and followed that up with a pair of two-hit efforts. He added four steals on the weekend for good measure. –CC

 

9. Brayden Taylor, 3B, Texas Christian
Draft Class: 2023
What He Did: .583/.706/.917 (7-for-12), 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 R, 4 RBI, 5 BB, 3 K

Taylor entered the season regarded as one of the best pure hitters in the country and certainly backed up that reputation in Arlington during the College Baseball Showdown. Taylor routinely looked in complete control of his at-bats, hit the ball hard, got ahead in counts, walked more than he struck out and notched his first homer of the season. He’s the focal point of what appears to be a dynamite TCU offense. –CC

10. Sean Sullivan, LHP, Wake Forest
Draft Class: 2023
What He Did: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K 

Sullivan turned in one of the best pitching performances of the weekend in a piggybacking relief effort following righthander Rhett Lowder. Attacking from a low, three-quarter slot, the southpaw is an extremely tough at-bat for anyone. He hides the ball nicely and his fastball plays well—particularly when elevated. -PF

11. Jac Caglianone, LHP/1B, Florida
Draft Class: 2024
What He Did: 6.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K

Caglianone’s first collegiate pitching appearance was a spectacular one, as he threw 6.2 shutout innings and struck out nine against Charleston Southern. The 6-foot-5 lefthander is an extremely athletic mover on the mound, has a clean arm path and ran his fastball up to 98 this past weekend. -PF

12. Kyle Teel, C, Virginia
Draft Class: 2023
What He Did: .571/.571/.786 (8-for-14), 1 HR, 5 R, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 0 K

Virginia scored 39 runs in three games during opening weekend in UNC Wilmington’s Hughes Bros. Challenge, and Teel hitting in the middle of the lineup was a big reason why. He started the weekend with back-to-back three-hit games and then cooled off to a mere 2-for-5 showing in Sunday’s game against the tournament host. –CC

13. Josiah Cromwick, C, Oregon
Draft Class: 2023
What He Did: .444/.500/1.556 (4-for-9), 3 HR, 1 2B, 4 R, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K

Cromwick is one of the best defensive catchers in the country, but it was his offense over the weekend that really stood out. After hitting four home runs last year, Cromwick nearly matched that total in just one weekend. -PF

14. Tyler Finke, OF, Southeastern Louisiana
Draft Class: 2023
What He Did: .455/.700/.545, 1 2B, 9 R, 7 RBI, 6 BB, 2 K, 7-7 SBs

The fifth-year outfielder made himself one of the early favorites to challenge Vanderbilt’s Enrique Bradfield for the Division I stolen base title this season, with a stolen base in each of Southeastern Louisiana’s four games against Lafayette, including a 4-for-4 showing on the bases on Sunday. He’s currently the stolen base leader in the country. –CC

15. Colton Ledbetter, OF, Mississippi State
Draft Class: 2023
What He Did: .462/.563/.923 (6-for-13), 1 HR, 3 2B, 2 R, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 1 K

The Samford transfer impressed in his Mississippi State debut, showing off his premier ability with the bat and posting exit velocities over 110 mph, highlighted by a 4-for-5 (two doubles, one home run) performance in the Bulldogs’ Saturday game. -PF

16. Malcolm Moore, C, Stanford
Draft Class: 2024
What He Did: .333/.375/.933 (5-for-15), 3 HR, 5 R, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K

Moore was one of the most highly touted class of 2022 members to make it to a college campus, and his first weekend was impressive. He homered in his first collegiate at-bat and then proceeded to go 3-for-6 on Sunday with two more home runs. -PF

 

17. Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas 
Draft Class: 2024
What He Did: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K

Smith dominated Texas on Friday night and showed improved stuff from what scouts have seen from the sophomore lefthander previously. He averaged 95 mph on his fastball and used the pitch to generate seven whiffs—he got eight with a plus slider—and at one point retired nine straight batters. –CC

18. Jace LaViolette, OF, Texas A&M
Draft Class: 2025
What He Did: .400/.538/1.000 (4-for-10), 2 HR, 5 R, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 2 K

LaViolette’s huge raw power was on display this fall, highlighted by a scrimmage in which he hit three home runs. He picked up right where he left off over the weekend, including a two-home run performance on Saturday. -PF

19. Braxton Bragg, RHP, Dallas Baptist
Draft Class: 2023
What He Did: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 12 K

Bragg led Nebraska in saves in 2022, but after transferring to Dallas Baptist, served as the team’s Opening Day starter and shined in the role. Bragg struck out 12 Fordham hitters and walked none, and needed just 79 pitches to get through five shutout innings. Something to brag about? -CC

20. Zach Kirby, RHP, Loyola Marymount
Draft Class: 2023
What He Did: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 12 K

The Saturday starter for Loyola Marymount against San Jose State, Kirby used a fastball/changeup combination to stymie hitters over five innings. One of the four hits he allowed could have easily been ruled an error as well and left him with an even better line. -CC