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Dominic Fritton (Mike Janes/Four Seam Images)
Friday night is the premier stage in college baseball, and Week 6 of the season more than lived up to that billing, delivering a string of standout performances from some of the nation’s most exciting arms. Here are 15 who stood out this week, plus honorable mentions. Players are listed alphabetically.
You can see the top 200 draft prospects in the class here.
Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU
LSU ace Kade Anderson faced his most significant challenge of the season to date Friday in Austin when he took on No. 5 Texas. You wouldn’t have known it, though.
Anderson continued his marvelous sophomore season, striking out eight batters and allowing just two earned runs over six innings against the red-hot Longhorns. It marked his third-straight quality start.
Eligible for this year’s draft, Anderson has thrown no fewer than five innings while striking out eight or more in all six of his appearances. He threw five complete innings in just two of his 19 games last season.
Final line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R/ER, 0 BB, 8 K
Trey Beard, LHP, Florida Atlantic
Few mid-major arms this year have enjoyed as much success as Florida Atlantic’s Trey Beard, who struck out 10 and allowed just one earned run against Rice in his sixth start of the season.
Beard’s latest outing extended his streak to four consecutive quality starts and marked the fifth time this year he reached double-digit strikeouts. The 6-foot-2 lefty has now posted 62 strikeouts to 14 walks over 33 innings while surrendering just seven earned runs, including two over his last four starts.
The Owls’ sophomore ace has seen his overall whiff rate double to nearly 50%, while his fastball has ticked up roughly 2 mph on average compared to his freshman outputs last year.
Final line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 10 K
Micah Bucknam, RHP, Dallas Baptist
Micah Bucknam was already a name on the rise in the scouting community after an impressive run through non-conference play, which he capped off with seven innings of two run ball last week against UTSA.
The LSU transfer took things up a notch Friday in his Conference USA debut when he stymied Middle Tennessee State with a career-high 14 strikeouts over seven shutout frames.
Bucknam has impressed onlookers with his slider and curveball, both of which have drawn whiff rates hovering around 50% this season. He’s also averaged roughly 93 mph with his fastball, which is up about 1 mph compared to last season.
Bucknam has allowed just five earned runs and struck out 25 over his last 20 innings, lowering his ERA to 3.82.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 14 K
Dominic Fritton, LHP, NC State
Dominic Fritton’s resurgence was nothing short of remarkable through the first five weeks of the season, as the NC State lefty carved out a 1.26 ERA with 39 strikeouts to just 13 walks over 28.2 innings.
In Week 6, Fritton elevated his game even further. Facing Pitt, the junior fanned a career-high 13 batters and allowed just two runs over 7.1 dominant innings. It was a statement outing that cemented his return to form and placed him firmly among this week’s Ace Report standouts.
After trudging his way to a 7.64 ERA with 72 strikeouts to 47 walks in 73 innings as a sophomore last year, Fritton through six starts owns a 1.50 ERA and 52 strikeouts to 15 walks in 36 innings.
Final line: 7.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R/ER, 2 BB, 13 K
Blake Gillespie, RHP, Charlotte
Blake Gillespie made national headlines two weeks ago when he threw the first no-hitter in Charlotte history, an accomplishment he said he hoped would serve as a spark for the 49ers.
If that historic performance didn’t provide a jolt, his latest outing against UTSA might have. With a slider-first attack, Gillespie on Friday struck out a career-high 13 batters and allowed just two runs over eight innings.
Gillespie has seemingly reinvented himself on the mound, going from lightly-used Georgia reliever to Charlotte’s ace. Outside of a hiccup last week when he allowed six runs over four innings against UNC Wilmington, Gillespie has taken the role by the horns.
Final line: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R/ER, 0 BB, 13 K
Aidan Knaak, RHP, Clemson
Aidan Knaak hadn’t thrown past the fifth inning this season until last week when he gave the Tigers seven shutout innings with a career-best 12 strikeouts against Notre Dame. That performance clearly generated some much-needed momentum for the high-caliber righty, who came back with six innings, 10 strikeouts and just one run allowed on two hits against No. 12 Wake Forest.
Knaak has struck out 22, allowed just one run on three hits and walked three over his last 13 innings, marking one of the best two-start stretches of his young career. It’s the first time he’s struck out at least 10 in consecutive starts.
Knaak has struck out 54 against just 11 walks in 31.2 innings, putting him halfway to his 2024 strikeout total (108), which he accomplished over 83.1 innings.
Final line: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 10 K
Pico Kohn, LHP, Mississippi State
Pico Kohn certainly did his part in Mississippi State’s efforts to return to the Top 25, as he struck out 10 and didn’t allow a run in six innings at No. 9 Oklahoma to guide the Bulldogs to a narrow 2-1 victory.
Kohn’s overwhelming success on Friday night was no easy feat considering he did it against one of the most potent lineups in the country while opposing Oklahoma ace and projected first-rounder Kyson Witherspoon (who also made this week’s Ace Report).
With a 2.52 ERA and 53 strikeouts over 35.2 innings, Kohn is on track to put together the best year of his career.
Final line: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K
Carson Lane, RHP, UNLV
UNLV’s Carson Lane made history on Friday night when he and reliever Will Marquart threw the Rebels’ first combined no-hitter since 2003. Lane did the bulk of the work, twirling eight innings with nine strikeouts against Fresno State before his pitch count (108) ultimately forced him out of the contest.
Lane’s performance dropped his ERA from a rather unsightly 5.16 to a very respectable 3.82. It also marked the first time in his career that he threw more than six innings in a game.
Final line: 8.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 9 K
Dylan Marionneaux, RHP, Northwestern State
Though Lane made history with eight innings in a combined no hitter, the performance of the week goes to Northwestern State’s Dylan Marionneaux, who silenced New Orleans with a complete game shutout in which he struck out nine to just one walk and allowed two hits.
Marionneaux, who sits in the high 80s and primarily relies on just a fastball and slider, didn’t allow a base runner after the fifth inning. He has given up just one earned run over his last 21.1 innings.
Final line: 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K
Colter McAnelly, RHP, Utah
Tabbed by BA as the top active college player from the state of Wyoming, Utah’s Colter McAnelly certainly backed up that notion Friday against Oklahoma State with eight shutout innings and 12 strikeouts, setting new career highs in both categories.
McAnelly became the seventh player in recorded program history to strike out 12 batters and the first since Brett Brocoff did it in 2018. It was the most strikeouts by a pitcher in Big 12 playerthis season.
Final line: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 12 K
Oliver Pudvar, LHP, Connecticut
Oliver Pudvar has steadily improved this season after failing to complete four innings in his first three appearances. The lefty threw five innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts against Miami on March 7, six innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts agaisnt Campbell on March 14 and then seven innings of one-run ball with a career-best 10 strikeouts on Friday against UNC Greensboro.
Pudvar entered Friday’s start with a 22% overall miss rate but has seen that number climb slowly recently, a trend that continued against UNC Greensboro.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R/ER, 3 BB, 10 K
Zach Root, LHP, Arkansas
East Carolina transfer Zach Root stepped into Arkansas’ Friday role this week to take on South Carolina and emphatically delivered with seven innings, seven strikeouts and just two runs allowed.
Root attacks hitters from a funky, three-quarter delivery and has drawn whiff rates north of 38% on all his offspeed pitches.
The lefty’s draft stock has grown so far this season, as he’s dominated in all but one of his six starts and struck out 46 over 31.1 innings.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB, 7 K
JD Thompson, LHP, Vanderbilt
JD Thompson took advantage of a reeling Texas A&M offense, allowing just one run and striking out 10 over 6.1 nearly flawless innings.
Thompson’s final seven outs against the Aggies came via strikeout. It boosted his season total to 42 against just seven walks in 31 innings.
The Commodores needed a bounce back outing from their ace after he allowed 10 runs over his previous 16 innings.
Final line: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 10 K
Joey Volini, LHP, Florida State
For the second week in a row, a Florida State pitcher made it onto the Ace Report. It still isn’t the one you were expecting, though.
Joey Volini again took advantage of his stay in Florida State’s ace role as he struck out nine and allowed just one run on two hits and a walk over seven innings against in-state foe Miami. Volini moved into the Friday spot for the Seminoles after an illness prevented Jamie Arnold from making his scheduled turn earlier this month.
Volini has occupied the top spot in the rotation in the three weeks since, throwing 20 innings with 28 strikeouts and just two earned runs allowed and four walks.
While Arnold will presumably move back into the Friday role at some point, Volini has more than proven that he’s capable of taking over in the role if needed.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma
An Ace Report regular, Kyson Witherspoon offered yet another dazzling performance with 11 strikeouts to just one walk and one earned run allowed over 6.2 innings against Mississippi State.
Though he was charged with a tough-luck loss on Friday, Witherspoon has exceeded the very lofty expectations set out for his junior season thus far with a 1.80 ERA and 58 strikeouts to just seven walks in 35 innings. Witherspoon has thrown at least five innings in all six of his starts and eclipsed 10 strikeouts in three.
It would come as a major shock if Witherspoon was not selected in the first round this summer.
Final line: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K
Honorable Mentions
- Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R/ER, 2 BB, 7 K
- Aidan Dowd, RHP, Fordham: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K
- Grayson Grinsell, LHP, Oregon: 6.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
- Riley Kelly, RHP, UC Irvine: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
- Jake Knapp, RHP, North Carolina: 6.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 6 K
- Justin Lamkin, LHP, Texas A&M: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R/ER, 1 BB, 3 K
- Tommy LaPour, RHP, TCU: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R/ER, 2 BB, 5 K
- Branton Little, RHP, Wofford: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 5 K
- Sam Murchison, RHP, UNC Greensboro: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
- Brett Renfrow, RHP, Virginia Tech: 7.0 IP, 9 H, 1/0 R/ER, 1 BB, 3 K
- Austin Turkington, RHP, Cal: 7.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R/ER, 1 BB, 6 K
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