Hagen Smith, Trey Yesavage Highlight NCAA Week 11 Standouts (Hot Sheet)

Keegan Batka, RHP, Central Michigan

Class: 2024

What He Did: 9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 14 K

Batka last season pitched his way to 3.67 ERA with 76 strikeouts across 81 innings, though this season he has not enjoyed the same success. However, Sunday was a bright spot in what has otherwise been a rocky season. Batka turned in the best start of his career and spun a complete-game shutout in which he allowed just three hits, a pair of walks and struck out a career-best 14. Batka’s fastball sits in the low-90s, but has topped out at 96 and features carrying life at the top of the zone. His best offering this year has been his low-80s sweeping slider that has generated a 34% miss rate. Sunday was a major step in the right direction for Batka who will look to finish out the regular season on a high note.

Bryce Cunningham, RHP, Vanderbilt

Class: 2024

What He Did: 9 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K

Cunnigham on Friday continued what has been an excellent season and spun a complete-game shutout against No. 23 Mississippi State in which he surrendered only two hits and two walks. He generated at least five whiffs with his fastball, slider and changeup for a total of 17 on the day. Cunningham retired the first 11 hitters of the game in order before allowing an infield single. He did a nice job of staying off the barrel of opposing hitters and consistently generating soft contact. Cunningham lowered his ERA to 3.98 and has collected 76 strikeouts across 61 innings. He is on track to be a day one selection this July.

Carter Cunningham, 1B, East Carolina

Class: 2024

What He Did: 9-for-16 (.563), 9 R, 10 RBI, 3 HR, 3 2B, 5 BB, 2 K

Cunningham raked his way to another outstanding week in what has been a career season. He collected multiple hits and at least one RBI in each of his four games played. Cunningham’s best performance of the week came in Friday’s series-opener against Memphis in which he went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and 5 RBIs. After going 2-for-5 on Saturday, Cunningham capped off his week by going 2-for-3 with two more homers and a trio of RBIs. Cunningham this year has already shattered his previous career-highs in every statistical category and has been the best hitter within ECU’s potent lineup. He also leads the Pirates in virtually every major offensive stat and is now hitting .412/.498/.724 with 13 doubles, 12 home runs and 54 RBIs.

Jarrod Jenkins, RHP, Dallas Baptist

Class: 2025

What He Did: 6 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K

Jenkins on Sunday extended his scoreless innings streak to 10.1 after firing six shutout, hitless innings with nine strikeouts in what was a combined no-hitter for Dallas Baptist. He attacked the zone with his fastball and curveball, generating a combined 16 swings-and-misses between the two offerings. Jenkins’ curveball was virtually unhittable and garnered 10 whiffs while flashing depth and big-time downward teeth. He has a long, loose arm action on the mound with plus arm speed and an exciting arsenal. Jenkins this year has pitched his way to a 3.75 ERA with 34 strikeouts to 17 walks across 36 innings. He could make the jump to DBU’s rotation next season and will be an intriguing prospect to keep an eye on.

Jaden Jones, 3B, Texas Southern

Class: 2024

What He Did: 7-for-18 (.389), 5 R, 11 RBI, 2 HR, 2 2B, 1 BB, 2 K

Following a tough midweek game, Jones had a fantastic weekend at the plate in which he had multiple RBIs and at least one extra-base hit in each of his three games. The senior infielder started his weekend with a bang, going 4-for-6 with a double, home run and five RBIs on Friday. Jones rode that momentum into Saturday where he went 2-for-4 with another home run and four more RBIs, before closing out his weekend with a double and two RBIs. Since March 12, Jones has raised his average nearly 100 points from .246 to .342. His six home runs and 39 RBIs are both tops on Texas Southern.

Sean Keys, 3B, Bucknell

Class: 2024

What He Did: 11-for-18 (.611), 9 R, 16 RBI, 3 HR, 3 2B, 4 BB, 1 K

Keys had the most productive week of any hitter in the country, logging at least three hits in all but one of his games and driving in a whopping 16 runs. He set the tone on Tuesday by going 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and six RBIs, and posted a nearly-identical stat line in Saturday’s game in which he went 3-for-5 with a home run and five RBIs. Keys is one of the most intriguing mid-major draft prospects this year and boasts an above-average hit tool to go along with plus power to the pull side. Keys’ .416 average ranks 10th nationally to go along with 18 doubles, 13 home runs and 57 RBIs. He is on track to be a top-six-to-eight round draft pick this July.

Ryan Kim, 1B, Cal Baptist

Class: 2024

What He Did: 8-for-16 (.500), 7 R, 10 RBI, 4 HR, 2 BB, 3 K

Kim has made the most of his limited playing time this spring, and this past weekend was the best of his season. He homered in every game, headlined by a 4-for-4 performance on Friday in which he went deep twice and drove in three runs. Kim on Saturday crushed a grand slam before closing out his weekend with a three-run home run. Kim has logged just 59 at-bats to this point, but seven of his 21 hits are home runs and he has collected 19 RBIs across 16 games.

Justin Lehman, RHP, Army

Class: 2024

What He Did: 9 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 8 K

Lehman has been one of the best stories in college baseball this year. After logging just 4.2 innings in 2022 and not pitching at all in 2023, Lehman this season has emerged as the best arm in the Patriot League. Friday’s start against archrival Navy was another feather in Lehman’s cap, as he spun his first-ever complete-game shutout in which he struck out eight and allowed only three hits. Lehman is a classic pitchability over stuff arm, but his changeup—which on Friday generated 11 whiffs—is a borderline above-average offering that this season has a 41% miss rate. Lehman’s miniscule 1.39 ERA ranks fourth nationally, and he is well on his way to taking home Patriot League pitcher of the year honors.

Cole Mathis, 1B, College of Charleston

Class: 2024

What He Did: 12-for-18 (.667), 7 R, 11 RBI, 3 HR, 4 BB, 2 K

Mathis has been one of the hottest hitters in the country throughout the month of April, and he finished off his spectacular month with his best three-game stretch of the season. In what was a key series win over Campbell, Mathis went a ridiculous 11-for-15 with three home runs. He upstaged his 3-for-3 performance on Friday by going 5-for-7 with two home runs and seven RBIs on Saturday. After a brutal start to the season that saw Mathis’ average sitting at an underwhelming .184 through March 29, he has logged nine multi-hit efforts in his last 18 games and has raised his average to .300 to go along with 11 doubles and 11 home runs. Mathis remains one of the most intriguing under-the-radar draft prospects. He has plus power and has shown the ability—both with metal and wood—to back spin the baseball with ease to all fields. Mathis has plus hand speed and his barrel flies through the hitting zone. He is on track to be a fourth-to-sixth round draft choice in July.

Aiden May, RHP, Oregon State

Class: 2024

What He Did: 8 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 14 K

May bounced back from a shaky start at California by turning in a lights-out performance in which he allowed only one hit—an infield single—across eight shutout innings in which he notched a career-high 14 strikeouts. He started the game with 4.1 hitless innings before allowing the infield single, but May was on cruise control for the entirety of his outing and never faced any real trouble. While he continues to not get a lot of swing-and-miss with his fastball, May’s plus sweeping slider and above-average high-80s changeup remain his bread-and-butter. May this season has pitched his way to a 3.63 ERA with 45 strikeouts to 12 walks across 12 innings, and this July he profiles as a fourth-to-seventh round pick.

Colin McVeigh, RHP, Fairfield

Class: 2024

What He Did: 8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 12 K

McVeigh is making his second appearance on the Hot Sheet this season after twirling eight shutout innings with 12 strikeouts against Siena. He retired 11 of the first 12 hitters, including six by way of strikeout. He doesn’t have the loudest velocity or stuff, but he makes up for it with advanced pitchability and plus feel for his secondary offerings. McVeigh’s gyro slider is his best offering, and this season has a miss rate of 32%. He is the most reliable arm on Fairfield’s staff to the tune of a 3.71 ERA with 73 strikeouts to just 10 walks across 60.2 innings.

Sam Miller, SS, Columbia

Class: 2025

What He Did: 13-for-19 (.684), 10 R, 9 RBI, 2 HR, 1 2B, 3 BB, 2 K

Following a strong freshman season in which he hit .314, Miller has put together a breakout sophomore campaign. This past week was the best of the season for Miller, who collected multiple hits—including two four-hit performances—in each of his four games. After a “quiet” midweek game against Seton Hall in which he went 2-for-4, Miller on Friday went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run, and four RBIs before capping off his week by going 3-for-5 with a three-run home run and four RBIs. Miller is a twitchy athlete in the box with some quickness in his hands, and this year has grown into more impact while flashing the ability to drive the baseball from gap to gap. He does a lot of damage against fastballs, but will need to improve against secondary offerings. Miller this year is hitting .373 with nine doubles, 11 home runs and 38 RBIs. He will be one of the more intriguing Ivy League players to keep tabs on going forward.

Jimmy Nati, 1B, Stanford

Class: 2024

What He Did: 9-for-17 (.529), 6 R, 9 RBI, 2 HR, 2 2B, 2 BB, 2 K

Nati has been the best bat within a Stanford lineup that this year has struggled to score runs. The sophomore first baseman has been red-hot across the last three weeks, headlined by a career day on Saturday against California in which he went 5-for-6 with two home runs and six RBIs. Nati played sparingly last spring, but has transitioned well into an every day role this season. He pulverizes fastballs—as evident by his .333/.380/.556 slash line and 95% in-zone contact rate against this pitch—and in the box he has some quickness in his hands and an engaged lower-half. Nati’s highest quality of contact this season has come to the pull side, and he is hitting .325/.390/.556 with 17 doubles, six home runs and a team-leading 31 RBIs. He is a draft-eligible sophomore, though all signs point to him returning to Stanford for the 2025 season where he will have day two upside.

Eddy Pelc, OF, Grand Canyon

Class: 2024

What He Did: 7-for-12 (.583), 5 R, 10 RBI, 2 HR, 1 2B, 1 BB, 2 K

A well-traveled outfielder who began his career at the University of San Diego before spending two seasons at Santa Ana College, Pelc has been a great story this season for Grand Canyon. He has been a steady bat in its lineup all year, but this weekend was by far his most productive and he was a key reason as to why the ‘Lopes were able to pick up a key conference series sweep. Pelc went 2-for-4 on both Friday and Saturday before going 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double and a career-high nine RBIs on Sunday. He is now hitting .317/.411/.462 with 14 extra-base hits, and his 28 RBIs rank third on the team. 

Stephen Quigley, RHP, Connecticut

Class: 2024

What He Did: 8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K

Quigley came to UConn last season by way of Division-III Wheaton College, and he turned in a strong season as a member of the Huskies’ rotation. The veteran righthander has enjoyed similar success this spring, and his most recent outing was his best in a UConn uniform. Quigley fired a season-high eight shutout innings and his eight strikeouts were the most in a single-game since 2022. On Friday, he generated 10 of his 12 whiffs with his slider. It’s shorter in shape, but features late lateral tilt with a bit of depth. Quigley is having the best season of any Huskies starter and has pitched his way to a 3.92 ERA with 53 strikeouts to 18 walks across 62 innings.

Tony Roca, RHP, North Florida

Class: 2024

What He Did: 9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K

Roca has been excellent all season for the Ospreys, but Sunday’s start was his best to-date. The fifth-yeah southpaw twirled a complete-game shutout in which he allowed just four hits—all of which were singles—and struck out seven. The most impressive part of his outing was that he set down the last 14 hitters of the game in order. Roca’s fastball plays nicely off his fastball and features late tumbling life, while he has advanced feel for a slurvey breaking ball. He doesn’t have overwhelming stuff, but Roca is an advanced strike-thrower who has demonstrated the ability to stay off the barrel of opposing hitters. This year, he has a 2.55 ERA with 53 strikeouts in as many innings.

Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas

Class: 2024

What He Did: 7 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K

Hagen Smith’s run of dominance continued on Friday, as he struck out 11 and did not allow an earned run across seven innings. His two 70-grade offerings—a thunderous upper-90s fastball and a hellacious mid-to-upper-80s slider—generated eight whiffs apiece, while his budding split-changeup generated four. As he has done all year, Smith attacked hitters with his thunderous arsenal. His fastball exploded out of his hand and featured riding life in the top-half of the zone, while he continued to show advanced feel for his lethal slider that flashed long and sharp sweeping life with some depth. Smith throws it sparingly, but his power split-change continues to look like a promising third pitch. Smith has pitched his way to a perfect 8-0 record with a 1.35 ERA with a whopping 111 strikeouts to 23 walks across 60 innings. He has been the best pitcher in college baseball this season and has a chance to be a top-five overall pick this July.

Myles Smith, OF, UC Irvine

Class: 2024

What He Did: 12-for-20 (.600), 8 R, 9 RBI, 3 HR, 3 2B, 2 BB, 3 K

Following a modest 2023 season, Smith has been a pleasant surprise this spring for UC Irvine. Although he is known for his contact ability and not his power prowess, Smith this week laced six of his 13 total extra-base hits. In Tuesday’s triumph over UCLA, Smith went 4-for-5 with a trio of doubles. This weekend, he collected three RBIs in each game including a 3-for-5 showing in the series opener in which he blasted two home runs. Smith has a compact operation in the box with above-average bat speed. He boasts advanced pitch recognition skills as well as plus feel for the barrel. Smith this year is hitting a team-leading .414/.547/.646 with eight doubles, five home runs, 29 RBIs and 30 walks to 18 strikeouts.

Trey Yesavage, RHP, East Carolina

Class: 2024

What He Did: 6.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 12 K

Yesavage was nothing short of dominant in his most recent start and fired 6.2 shutout innings in which he struck out 12 and allowed only one hit. Yesavage had a no-hitter going with two outs in the seventh inning, but a Daunte Stuart single ended his outing. The physical righthander garnered 24 whiffs, with 12 coming against his power gyro slider. Yesavage also features a thunderous mid-90s fastball that averages almost 23” of ride, along with a split-change that has flashed plus and a low-80s curveball that is big in shape and is a serviceable fourth pitch. Yesavage this year has worked a 1.73 ERA with 113 strikeouts to 23 walks in 67.2 innings. After Hagen Smith and Chase Burns, Yesavage could be the next pitcher off the board and a top-half of the first-round pick.