College Hot Sheet: 20 College Baseball Standouts From The Past Week (4/18/23)
Welcome to the College Hot Sheet! Like our pro hot sheets, the College Hot Sheet recognizes some of the top performers around the country in college baseball after each weekend of play. Peter Flaherty contributed to the College Hot Sheet this week.
Related:
- College Top 25
- Top 2023 Draft Prospects
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Top 2024 Draft Prospects
1. Kade Kretzschmar, OF, California
Class: 2023
What He Did: 15-for-21 (.714), 3 2B, 2 HR, 6 R, 10 RBIKretzschmar had the best individual week of any hitter in the country, collecting 15 hits across five games played. He notched at least three hits in four of his five games played, with five of them going for extra bases. The veteran outfielder saw his batting average skyrocket from .232 to .319 during the stretch. In addition to his .319 average, Kretzschmar has hit six doubles and eight home runs this season.
2. Wyatt Hudepohl, RHP, Charlotte
Class: 2023
What He Did: 8.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 13 KHudepohl on Friday turned in his second outstanding outing of the season by throwing 8.1 shutout innings with 13 strikeouts and allowing just four hits in the 49ers’ series-opening 1-0 win over Rice. He had his entire arsenal working for him, but particularly his signature curveball that has big-time depth and sharp 12-to-6 movement. Hudepohl’s fastball topped out at 93 mph, but it played up due to his above-average arm speed and the back spin he is able to generate on the pitch. Hudepohl this spring has pitched his way to a 3.66 ERA with 66 strikeouts to 14 walks in 59 innings pitched.
3. Jace Stoffal, RHP, Oregon
Class: 2023
What He Did: 9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 8 KStoffal on Friday had the best outing of his college career, throwing a complete game shutout against No. 7 Stanford in which he struck out eight, walked one and scattered just three hits. He ran his fastball up to 95 mph, while his changeup kept hitters off balance with 10-12 mph of separation from his fastball. Stoffal attacked the strike zone all night with advanced command of his arsenal that allowed him to avoid hard contact against a talented Stanford lineup. He has now thrown 18 consecutive scoreless innings and has quickly emerged as Oregon’s most reliable arm. Stoffal on the year has a 2.64 ERA with 44 strikeouts to 18 walks in 44.1 innings pitched.
4. Parker Smith, RHP, Rice
Class: 2024
What He Did: 8 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 14 KSmith was the other half in what was the best pitchers’ duel so far this spring. He went punch-for-punch with Hudepohl, allowing one earned run (which came in the top of the ninth inning) and striking out 14 across eight innings pitched. Smith pitched comfortably in the 92-95 mph range, while also mixing in an above-average slider and changeup that combined for 14 swings and misses. The junior righthander has put together an outstanding season to this point, and currently has a 1.79 ERA with 60 strikeouts to 14 walks across 55.1 innings pitched.
5. Diego Barrera, LHP, Loyola Marymount
Class: 2023
What He Did: 9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 KBarrera turned in the best outing of his five-year collegiate career this past Friday, tossing a complete game shutout against Gonzaga with 10 strikeouts. Barrera has a short arm action and attacks from a three-quarter slot with a four-pitch mix. In this start, he collected an impressive 20 swings and misses, with eight of them coming against his changeup. He pitches in the 87-91 mph range, but his changeup has 11-14 mph of separation from his fastball and is a 60-grade pitch. Barrera’s ERA is now a minuscule 1.44 and he boasts an impressive 66-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 62.2 innings pitched.
6. Jake Hyde, 1B, Georgetown
Class: 2023
What He Did: 12-for-20 (.600), 3 2B, 3 HR, 10 R, 12 RBIHyde last week had an excellent five-game stretch, lacing at least two hits in each game. His best performance came in an extra-innings upset win over Maryland in which he went 3-for-4 with a home run and a double. Hyde also went 7-for-12 (.583) in Georgetown’s weekend series and was a key reason as to why the Hoyas were able to pick up a conference series win over Creighton. The junior first baseman has a pre-pitch bat waggle that he uses as a timing mechanism, and he uses his physicality to drive the ball to all fields. After hitting .354 with 19 home runs last season, Hyde is hitting .347 with eight doubles, 12 home runs and 50 RBIs through 37 games this year.
7. Rhett Lowder, RHP, Wake Forest
Class: 2023
What He Did: 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 KLowder continued to show why he is one of the top college arms in this year’s draft on Friday, throwing seven shutout innings with nine strikeouts and no walks against No. 10 Louisville. His performance was a big reason why No. 3 Wake Forest became the first road team to win a series at Jim Patterson Stadium since 2021. Lowder’s impressive arsenal was on full display—his fastball was up to 95 mph and he flashed two 60-grade pitches in his slider and changeup. While Lowder has long been known for his plus changeup, it was his slider that was most effective on Saturday, and it generated 12 swings and misses. The junior righthander is well on his way to repeating as ACC pitcher of the year and should be a first-round pick in July.
8. Christian Coppola, RHP, Rutgers
Class: 2025
What He Did: 8 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 12 KRutgers couldn’t have asked for a better first-career start from the freshman Coppola, who threw eight shutout innings in which he struck out 12, walked none and allowed only five hits. The 6-foot-5 righthander got 10 swings and misses with his slider, which profiles as a potential plus pitch down the road. Coppola’s fastball showed nice run and ride through the strike zone as well, and he looks to have solid feel for all of his offerings already. He has thrown a productive 33.1 innings this spring with a 3.24 ERA and 40 strikeouts to 12 walks.
9. Brock Tibbitts, 1B, Indiana
Class: 2024
What He Did: 10-for-16 (.625), 2 2B, 3 HR, 9 R, 8 RBIThe 6-foot-4 first baseman was excellent for the week, tallying 10 hits across four games played. Tibbitts got his week started with a bang as he went 3-for-3 against Ball State with a double, two home runs and five RBIs. He also turned in a 4-for-5 performance on Saturday in which he doubled, homered and drove in three more runs. Tibbitts is an imposing presence in the batter’s box and has a very under control operation in which he lets his natural strength shine through. He has an engaged lower half and lets his hands explode through the baseball. Tibbitts is hitting .370 this spring with 11 doubles, six home runs and 41 RBIs.
10. Levi Wells, RHP, Texas State
Class: 2023
What He Did: 9 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 13 KAfter a somewhat difficult start against South Alabama last weekend, Wells bounced back in a huge way with a complete game in which he surrendered one run and punched out 13 on Friday. It was Wells’ best start of the season, and one that could allow him to build momentum as the Sun Belt race heats up. Wells collected 30 swings and misses in the outing alone, with 19 of them coming against his high-spin fastball that topped out at 94 mph. He also got nine swings and misses on his breaking ball, which has a high spin rate and sharp, downward movement with great shape. Wells’ ERA sits at 4.09 with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 58-to-16 across 44 innings pitched.
11. Jace Bohrofen, OF, Arkansas
Class: 2023
What He Did: 6-for-16 (.375), 1 2B, 4 HR, 7 R, 8 RBIBohrofen continued his outstanding season with a strong week that saw him hit a home run in four consecutive games, including two of Arkansas’ three games against Tennessee. The junior outfielder has blossomed in Fayetteville in 2023, and is now hitting .402 with nine doubles, 10 home runs and 32 RBIs in 35 games. Bohrofen has plus bat speed and consistently has tight, quick turns with his hips. He has a very in-sync operation at the plate that has translated well against high-level pitching. His draft stock has soared this spring and it will only continue to rise if he performs well for the remainder of the season.
12. Ryan Dromboski, RHP, Pennsylvania
Class: 2024
What He Did: 9 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 12 KAfter setting a program record in strikeouts last week with 15, Dromboski threw the first complete game of his collegiate career and notched 12 more strikeouts on Saturday. He allowed only three singles, with two of them coming in the bottom of the ninth inning. Dromboski can pitch into the mid 90s with his fastball, while his slider and changeup have impressive miss rates of 60% and 51%, respectively. He is quickly establishing himself as the top 2024 draft prospect in the Ivy League and now has a 2.44 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 44.1 innings pitched this spring.
13. Charlie Condon, 1B, Georgia
Class: 2024
What He Did: 5-for-12 (.417), 1 2B, 3 HR, 5 R, 7 RBICondon finds himself on this week’s Hot Sheet thanks to his 3-for-4, three-home run performance on Friday night against No. 2 Florida. Two of his home runs were hit off Brandon Sproat, and he showed off his easy raw power to all parts of the field. At 6-foot-6, Condon has a very loose operation with active hands and whips the barrel through the zone. After another strong week, he is now hitting .450 with eight doubles, 16 home runs and 52 RBIs through 36 games played.
14. LuJames Groover III, 3B, North Carolina State
Class: 2023
What He Did: 9-for-15 (.600), 1 2B, 3 HR, 8 R, 3 RBIGroover continued his torrid stretch last week, lashing nine hits over the course of four games. Three of his four games were multi-hit showings, including a 3-for-4, two-home run performance in the Wolfpack’s series-clinching victory over Florida State. The junior third baseman has now recorded a hit in 19 of his last 21 games and is hitting .338 with six doubles, six home runs and more walks (25) than strikeouts (14). Groover’s exit velocities have been impressive all season and he figures to hear his name called within the first three rounds of this July’s draft.
15. Adam Mrakitsch, LHP, Central Michigan
Class: 2024
What He Did: 9 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 10 KMrakitsch was magnificent in his Friday start against conference rival Ball State, throwing a complete game in which he allowed one run on two hits while striking out 10. The sophomore lefthander is a pitchability-over-stuff arm, but he did get 10 whiffs on his fastball that was at its best when elevated, an offering he supplemented with a solid changeup and a slider that flashed above-average at times. Over his last two starts (16 IP), Mrakitsch has allowed one earned run with 19 strikeouts. On the season he now has a 3.77 ERA with 51 strikeouts to 18 walks in 57.1 innings pitched.
16. Chuck Ingram, OF Wichita State
Class: 2023
What He Did: 10-for-20 (.500), 4 2B, 2 HR, 8 R, 5 RBIIngram exploded last week to the tune of 10 hits, six of which went for extra bases, in Wichita State’s weekend series with Tulane. In the second game of the Shockers’ Friday doubleheader, Ingram went 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double and four RBIs, with one of his long balls traveling 501 feet. Ingram has above-average bat speed and plus raw power, and he’s now hitting .344 with 14 doubles, six home runs and 27 RBIs.
17. Dalton Barham, LHP, Norfolk State
Class: 2023
What He Did: 9 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 KBarham was fantastic in his start against Virginia Military Institute last week, twirling a complete game shutout with 10 strikeouts. He allowed only two hits, both of which were singles, and walked one. The junior lefthander generated 15 swings and misses on the day, with eight coming against his fastball and seven against his slider. He has a somewhat deceptive delivery and throws from a three-quarter slot. While Barham has struggled this spring, he will look to build off this gem and finish the season strong.
18. Tanner Tweedt, C, Abilene Christian
Class: 2023
What He Did: 8-for-17 (.471), 3 HR, 5 R, 10 RBITweedt appears on the Hot Sheet this week thanks to a 4-for-5, three-home run, nine-RBI performance in Friday’s game against Grand Canyon. He collected at least one hit in each of his four games for the week, which started with a 2-for-4 performance in a tight midweek game against Texas Christian. Tweedt is hitting .320 this spring with four doubles, seven home runs and 29 RBIs.
19. Luke Wood, 3B, College of Charleston
Class: 2023
What He Did: 9-for-19 (.474), 4 HR, 5 R, 10 RBIThe Charleston third baseman had what was the best week of his season, going 9-for-19 over the course of the week with four home runs and 10 RBIs. Wood set the tone for the Cougars in their series-opening game with Monmouth, as he went 3-for-5 with three home runs and seven RBIs. He followed up that performance with another 3-for-5 game and capped his weekend by going 2-for-4 with a home run.
20. Chase Jans, OF, Kansas
Class: 2024
What He Did: 9-for-19 (.474), 1 2B, 2 HR, 7 R, 11 RBIJans got his busy five-game week started with a bang, as he went 2-for-3 with a home run and five RBIs against Texas Southern. In the Jayhawks’ last game of their series with Kansas State, Jans tied a program record with nine RBIs in a 5-for-7 performance in which he doubled and hit a home run. Jans was a known commodity out of high school and although he endured some struggles in his first season in 2022, he has come into his own this spring and is hitting .331 with eight doubles, five home runs and 34 RBIs in 33 games played. At the plate, he has a low handset and uses a slight barrel tip as a timing mechanism. He has no wasted movements, and his barrel is in the zone for quite some time. If he continues his strong play, he could hear his name called during the 2024 draft.
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