Drew Burress, Riley Huge Highlight NCAA Week 3 Standouts (Hot Sheet)

Drew Burress, OF, Georgia Tech

Class: 2026

What He Did: 7-for-13 (.538), 5 R, 6 RBI, 4 HR, 1 3B 3 BB, 2 K

Burress came into 2024 with some of the highest expectations of any true freshman in the country, but nobody could have predicted the start he has gotten off to. In his first career game, Burress blasted two home runs and has somehow only gotten hotter at the plate. On Wednesday, Burress went 4-for-4 with an incredible four home runs and six RBIs. He crushed another home run in Friday’s suspended game against Georgia to—albeit unofficial for now—up his season total to 10. Burress is Georgia Tech’s leading hitter with a .419 average and his nine home runs lead the country. Of his 18 hits, a whopping 16 have gone for extra bases. Burress has a compact frame at 5-foot-9, but he has plus power with thunderous bat speed to boot. On top of his power prowess, Burress has shown a mature approach with plus bat-to-ball skills to the tune of a 92% in-zone contact rate. He is also an excellent athlete who has so far defended well in centerfield while flashing a plus arm. It’s early and lots will change, but Burress is the early favorite to take home National freshman of the year honors. -PF

Tyrelle Chadwick, RHP, Illinois State

Class: 2024

What He Did: 9 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 12 K

Chadwick turned in the first nine-inning complete game shutout for Illinois State in five years last weekend when he struck out 12 and allowed just one hit against Arkansas Pine Bluff. He’s steadily progressed in each of his first three outings of the season and his 12 strikeouts were a career-best. He retired the first 14 batters of the game before allowing a bunt single in the bottom of the fifth inning—which was the lone hit he surrendered. He did hit one batter and saw another reach on a fielder’s choice in the ninth inning but it was a completely dominant effort all around for the draft-eligible sophomore. –CC

Jack Cooper, 1B, Columbia

Class: 2024

What He Did: 9-for-12 (.750), 7 R, 15 RBI, 4 HR, 1 2B, 1 BB, 7 K

Cooper this weekend had arguably the best performance of any hitter in the country. In the series-opener against Marist, he went 4-for-4 with a double, two home runs and a program-record eight RBIs while on Sunday he again blasted two home runs en route to a 3-for-5, seven RBI day. On Saturday he “only” went 2-for-3, but his 15 RBIs this weekend were the highest individual total at the Division-I level. Heading into the season, Cooper had logged just 33 at-bats and seven RBIs across the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The junior first baseman this season is 10-for-22 (.455) with a double, four home runs and 15 RBIs. -PF

Brady Day, 2B, Kansas State

Class: 2024 

What He Did: 8-for-12 (.750), 5 R, 8 RBI, 2 HR, 2 2B, 4 BB, 1 K

Day broke out in a big way this weekend, notching at least three hits and multiple RBIs in two of his three games. He went 4-for-4 with two home runs and five RBIs on Friday, before going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Day on Sunday laced an RBI double to end his week on a high note. He has been lauded for his plus bat-to-ball skills and professional approach, but Day this season has already matched his career-high in home runs (3) and is well on his way to setting new career-highs in every major offensive category. The 2023 12th-round pick has plus hand speed and has gotten stronger while lowering his handset in the box since last season. Day has top-10 round upside in this year’s draft. -PF

Caden Favors, LHP, Wichita State

Class: 2024

What He Did: 9 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K

Favors has been excellent so far for first-year head coach Brian Green. After allowing only one earned run last week across 6.2 innings against No. 8 Virginia, Favors on Friday had the best outing of his career. He spun his first-ever complete game shutout and notched a career-high 10 strikeouts. Favors is an advanced strike-thrower whose fastball will sit in the 88-91 MPH range. His best pitch is his gyro slider that this season has been his go-to swing-and-miss offering. Through 21.1 innings, Favors’ ERA sits at 2.11 with an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio of 25-to-4. -PF

Christian Ficca, 1B, Georgetown

Class: 2024

What He Did: 10-for-19 (.526), 3 R, 11 RBI, 2 HR, 2 2B, 1 BB, 1 K

Ficca notched multiple hits in each of his four games last week, headlined by a pair of 3-for-5 performances on Friday and Saturday in which he had five and four RBIs, respectively. The veteran backstop also hit a home run in each game before finishing his week with a 2-for-5, two RBI effort on Sunday. Ficca is off to a strong start this season, and leads Georgetown in average (.386), doubles (6) and RBIs (15). -PF

Ben Hess, RHP, Alabama

Class: 2024

What He Did: 5 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K

Hess has been solid through his first three starts of the 2024 season, but his most recent outing against Indiana was his best so far. He struck out 10, walked one and allowed just one hit—a fifth inning single—and threw 71 pitches. Hess’s 10 strikeouts tied his career-best single game mark and he lowered his ERA to 1.38 on the season. It’s early and Hess has yet to throw more than five innings in a single start, but he is currently sitting with a 51.1% strikeout rate and 8.5% walk rate. –CC

Luke Holman, RHP, LSU

Class: 2024

What He Did: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 12 K

Holman started the season as LSU’s Saturday starter behind Thatcher Hurd but moved to the Friday role last weekend against Texas. He continued to shine and threw his third straight start without allowing a run when he struck out 12 and walked one over 5.2 shutout innings. He threw 61 of his 91 pitches for strikes and retired nine of the final 10 batters he faced while out pitching Texas righthander Lebarron Johnson Jr. who was also off to a strong start in 2024. In three starts against Central Arkansas, NIU and now Texas Holman has allowed just eight hits in 18 innings and owns a stellar 30:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio. –CC

Garrett Howe, SS, Samford

Class: 2024 

What He Did: 12-for-17 (.706), 11 R, 9 RBI, 1 HR, 3 2B, 5 BB, 2 K

Howe is the straw that stirs the drink for Samford, and this week he turned in four multi-hit efforts across five games. He also had multiple RBIs in three of his four games over the weekend, headlined by back-to-back three RBI performances on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Howe last year hit .296 with 16 extra-base hits, but this season he is off to a torrid 21-for-40 (.525) start and is on pace to set new career-highs in every major offensive category. -PF

Riley Huge, LHP, Winthrop

Class: 2024

What He Did: 7.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 20 K

Huge turned in the most dominant start of the college season in week three when he set a single-game strikeout record for Winthrop by racking up 20 strikeouts in just 7.2 innings against Maine. That topped Hagen Smith’s 17-strikeout week two start and leads the country so far this season. Huge had a tough opening season start against Rutgers (5.1 innings, 9 hits, 7 earned runs) but his last two starts against Toledo and Maine have been exceptional: in 14.2 innings he has allowed just two hits and two walks compared to 33 strikeouts. He leads all D-I pitchers with 37 strikeouts so far this season. –CC

Camden Kozeal, DH, Vanderbilt

Class: 2026

What He Did: 14-for-24 (.583), 7 R, 11 RBI, 2 HR, 3 2B, 0 BB, 5 K

Kozeal was one of the most highly touted prep position players to make it to campus and is seeing the ball incredibly well after a somewhat slow start. Across five games, Kozeal laced an impressive 14 hits and turned in two separate four-hit efforts. His most notable performance of the season came on Sunday, as he went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run and three RBIs in Vanderbilt’s comeback win over No. 23 Texas. Kozeal has some strength and physicality packed into his compact frame and has a compact, direct swing with present bat speed. He has advanced barrel skills and has shown the ability to spray line drives to all fields. Kozeal particularly feasts on fastballs, and he is a very mature player who could be the next great hitter to come out of Vanderbilt. -PF

Chase Mora, 2B, Texas State

Class: 2025

What He Did: 7-for-16 (.438), 3 R, 11 RBI, 3 HR, 1 2B, 2 BB, 2 K

Mora last year enjoyed a strong true freshman season to the tune of a .316/.382/.653 slash line with 31 extra-base hits and 57 RBIs in 53 games. He didn’t get off to the fastest of starts in 2024, but shined this weekend under the bright lights of Minute Maid Park. Mora on Friday went 3-for-5 with four RBIs and a walk-off home run, but somehow upstaged that performance on Saturday in a thrilling win over in-state rival Texas. Against the Longhorns, Mora went 2-for-5 with a grand slam and a key RBI single. Mora is still developing physically, but he has some quickness in his hands and present thump to the pull side. He will be an intriguing prospect to follow both this season and beyond. -PF

Zach Root, LHP, ECU

Class: 2025

What He Did: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K

Root is a large part of the reason ECU has started the season strong and turned in his best start of the young season last Saturday when he struck out 10 batters, walked one and allowed just a single earned run—his first of 2024—against Cal State Fullerton. Through his first three starts and 18.2 innings of work Root has managed a 24:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio and opponents are hitting just .143 against him. –CC

Jonathan Santucci, LHP, Duke

Class: 2024

What He Did: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 14 K

Santucci continues to be brilliant in 2024. The ace lefthander just stacked his third straight shutout start of the season against Akran and tallied a career-high 14 strikeouts while doing it. Santucci is now tied with Hagen Smith (Arkansas), Isaiah Williams (Jackson State) and Jacob Pruitt (Indiana State) for the fourth-most strikeouts among D-I pitchers with 31. His slider has been a consistent weapon for him this season and looks like one of the better breaking balls in the class. –CC 

Braeden Sloan, LHP, TCU

Class: 2024

What He Did: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 13 K

Sloan started the season out of the bullpen for TCU and pitched well in that role through three games and 4.1 innings. He moved to a starting role last Wednesday against Arizona and threw six shutout innings with a career-high 13 strikeouts. That total was the most in a single game for a TCU pitcher since Austin Krob struck out 13 against McNeese back in 2021. Sloan is now up to 10.1 innings with a 1.74 ERA, 20 strikeouts and three walks. –CC

Jake Smallwood, C, UAB

Class: 2024

What He Did: 7-for-15 (.467), 5 R, 7 RBI, 1 HR, 1 2B, 3 BB, 2 K

A transfer from the University of Montevallo (Division-III), Smallwood this season has been a pleasant surprise for the Blazers. On top of being the team’s leading hitter with a .385 average, Smallwood this week had his most productive stretch to date. He drove in seven runs to up his season total to nine, and also hit his first home run. Smallwood had multiple hits on both Saturday and Sunday, though his best game was a 2-for-5 effort on Saturday in which he doubled, hit a home run and drove in four. Smallwood early on has done an excellent job of staying within the strike zone while flashing above-average bat-to-ball skills. -PF

Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas

Class: 2024

What He Did: 6 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 12 K

There’s a fairly simple case to be made that Smith has been the single most dominant pitcher in college baseball through the first three weeks of the 2024 season. After a historic 17-strikeout effort last week, Smith struck out 12 more against Murray State in week three and has posted a 63.3% strikeout rate in his first three starts—the best number in the country among D-I arms. He was already positioned to be one of the first pitchers off the board in this year’s draft and has only enhanced his draft stock through three outings. His 8.2% walk rate is an encouraging figure for scouts who might have questions about his command. –CC

Trey Yesavage, RHP, East Carolina

Class: 2024

What He Did: 8 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 11 K

ECU’s ace righthander has started the season off excellently and matched his week two 11 strikeouts against North Carolina with 11 more against Purdue last Friday night. His eight shutout innings were a career-best mark and it was also the seventh game of his career with 10 or more strikeouts. He owns a 1.00 ERA on the season in 18 innings with a 30:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a team-best .115 opponent average. –CC

Ryland Zaborowski, 3B, Miami (Ohio)

Class: 2024

What He Did: 9-for-14 (.643), 8 R, 9 RBI, 3 HR, 2 2B, 1 BB, 1 K

Zaboroski had multi-hit games in all three of his games against Oakland last weekend, including a 4-for-6 effort on Friday that included two home runs and a double. He added his third homer of the series and his fourth of the season in Sunday’s finale to bring himself to five extra-base hits on the weekend. On Monday he was named the MAC player of the week for his efforts. On the season Zaboroski is hitting .359/.458/.744 with eight walks and five strikeouts. –CC