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LHP Grayson Grinsell (Photo courtesy of Oregon Athletics)
Week 7 of the Ace Report brings a shake-up to the spotlight, as a handful of fresh arms step in after one of the tougher Friday nights for many of the usual headliners—proving once again that dominance on the mound can be as fleeting as it is electrifying in college baseball.
You can see the top 200 draft prospects in the class here.
Here is the Week 7 Ace Report. Note that several series began on Thursday this week, thus a handful of No. 2 starters pitched on Friday and were not included below:
Max Banks, RHP, Washington
After missing a pair of starts earlier this month and being limited in his outing against Maryland on March 21, Chapman transfer Max Banks returned to form against Rutgers, tossing six shutout innings with just one hit allowed, three walks and two strikeouts.
Banks on Friday leaned on the tools that have made him successful to date, specifically his ability to force opposing hitters into groundballs. Banks owns a 43% ground ball rate through five appearances at the Division I level.
Final line: 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 2 K
Grayson Grinsell, LHP, Oregon
After a string of middling starts to open his junior season, Grayson Grinsell now appears to be heating up as his last three outings have all been increasingly impressive. The lefty threw five shutout innings against Minnesota on March 14, 6.1 innings with two earned runs against Rutgers on March 21 and on Friday added seven shutout innings with five strikeouts to one walk at Ohio State.
Grinsell leans almost exclusively on a fastball and changeup and has had a great deal of success with the latter this year, drawing a 46% miss rate. Grinsell has also cut his walk rate from 12.9% to 6.9%.
Grinsell is on pace to post the best year of his career.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R/ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Kade Grundy, RHP, Georgia Southern
While Georgia Southern’s lineup erupted for 20 runs in seven innings against Georgia State, its starting pitcher Kade Grundy locked things down on the mound with six shutout frames, six strikeouts to no walks and just four hits allowed.
Grundy’s latest appearance marked his second in a row with six or more shutout innings and his third in his last four outings. The Louisville transfer doesn’t have a true bat-misser in his arsenal but has done an expert job of limiting damage with groundballs and weak contact. Opposing teams have recorded just six extra base hits (four doubles and two home runs) off Grundy this year.
Final line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K
Griffin Hugus, RHP, Miami
One of the biggest risers in Baseball America’s latest 2025 draft rankings, Griffin Hugus continued his breakout campaign in emphatic fashion Friday night, navigating a potent North Carolina lineup with poise and precision over eight innings of two-run ball. Hugus scattered three hits, issued just one walk, and struck out four in a performance that underscored his rising stock within the ACC. He carried a no-hitter into the fifth.
A transfer from Cincinnati, Hugus has wasted no time establishing himself as a foundational piece in Miami’s rotation. His 30.3% strikeout rate represents a significant leap from past seasons, while his 7.9% walk rate reflects the tightening of his command. The righthander attacks hitters with a compact, high-spin arsenal, generating whiffs at the top and weak contact when pitching to the margins. The efficiency has followed: Through seven starts, he’s posted a 0.99 WHIP and .247 BABIP—both indicators of his ability to limit damage and manage innings without reliance on overpowering velocity.
Final line: 8.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Jake Knapp, RHP, North Carolina
Hugus was stuck with a tough-luck loss on Friday night against the Tar Heels because North Carolina starter Jake Knapp was also superb. Knapp, who missed all of 2024 due to injury, struck out a career-high 10 batters over seven shutout innings with just five hits allowed.
Knapp has posted the best numbers of his career so far this season, including a 28.3% strikeout rate, miniscule 3.9% walk rate, 2.38 SIERA and a 4.5% home run to fly ball percentage. Knapp has leaned on a low-to-mid 90s fastball and changeup that’s produced whiffs roughly 40% of the time.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R/ER, 0 BB, 10 K
Tommy LaPour, RHP, TCU
Tommy LaPour turned in another steady outing for TCU on Friday night, limiting Houston to two runs over six innings while striking out six and walking just two. He allowed four hits in the effort, continuing a stretch of consistent, competitive starts that have helped stabilize the Horned Frogs’ rotation. While LaPour has yet to fully tap into his bat-missing potential, he’s proving he doesn’t need gaudy strikeout totals to be effective in the Big 12.
The Wichita State transfer flashed some of his best velocity of the season, grabbing 98 mph with his fastball and pairing it with a biting slider that remains his most reliable swing-and-miss weapon. That slider has produced a 42% whiff rate on the year, and on Friday it again served as an equalizer against righthanded hitters. While his strikeout numbers haven’t spiked, LaPour has shown an improved ability to sequence and finish at-bats, relying less on pure stuff and more on execution.
LaPour’s 3.11 ERA speaks to his effectiveness, even as the underlying metrics suggest more could still be unlocked.
Final line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R/ER. 2 BB, 6 K
Jackson Logar, RHP, James Madison
Jackson Logar delivered a gem for James Madison on Friday, silencing Louisiana over seven dominant innings with just one hit allowed and no earned runs. The righty walked three and struck out four, lowering his ERA to a stellar 2.19 in the process.
While his strikeout totals remain modest, Logar’s slider has quietly been one of the more effective swing-and-miss pitches in the Sun Belt, generating a whiff rate near 50%. Efficient and deceptively sharp, he continues to give JMU quality innings at the front of the rotation.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 1/0 R/ER, 3 BB, 4 K
JB Middleton, RHP, Southern Mississippi
Southern Miss ace JB Middleton turned in a masterpiece Friday night, carving up South Alabama over eight shutout innings in what stands as one of the most dominant outings of his career. Middleton struck out 12, walked just one and allowed only one hit in a performance that showcased his full arsenal and mound presence.
The outing continued a red-hot start to the 2025 season for Middleton, who now owns a 2.20 ERA through seven starts. His 30.7% strikeout rate, 7.4% walk rate and 53.3% ground ball rate are all career-best marks while his changeup has produced a staggering 63% whiff rate.
Middleton’s blend of swing-and-miss stuff, improved command and ability to generate ground balls has made him one of the most complete starters in the Sun Belt and a name to watch nationally as the season progresses.
Final line: 8.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 12 K
Chase Morgan, LHP, Louisiana
Chase Morgan answered the bell in Friday’s Sun Belt matchup, limiting a strong James Madison lineup to two runs over seven steady innings. The Louisiana sophomore allowed five hits and didn’t flinch in a head-to-head battle with JMU’s Jackson Logar—ultimately outdueling the Dukes’ ace and leading the Ragin’ Cajuns to a hard-earned win.
While Morgan doesn’t overpower hitters with velocity—his fastball sits just under 90 mph—he continues to prove that pitchability and feel can be just as effective. His curveball and changeup have both generated whiff rates around 50%, giving him two legitimate secondary weapons to keep hitters off balance.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Jacob Morrison, RHP, Coastal Carolina
Coastal Carolina’s towering 6-foot-8 righty Jacob Morrison continued his dominant stretch on Friday, blanking Texas State over seven innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks.
Morrison has now allowed just three earned runs and struck out 25 over his last 19.2 innings, emerging as a force on the mound during a crucial stretch of the season. His fastball sits at a firm 93 mph, and both his curveball and slider have generated whiff rates in the mid-40% range—making him tough to square up even when he’s in the zone. Add in his imposing frame and steep downhill angle, and Morrison gives opposing lineups a look they rarely see.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 10 K
Cade Obermueller, LHP, Iowa
Iowa’s Cade Obermueller has flipped the script after a somewhat rocky start to March, stringing together back-to-back quality outings to steady his season. On Friday against Minnesota, the junior delivered a six-inning gem, striking out 11 while allowing just three hits, no runs, and two walks.
Obermueller operates with a streamlined arsenal, leaning almost exclusively on a fastball-slider combination, but he’s made it work with precision and conviction. His 24.1% K-BB% marks a career high and reflects both improved command and a sharper ability to finish at-bats. When he’s in rhythm, as he was against the Gophers, few hitters in the Big Ten are able to settle in.
With his recent bounce-back efforts, Obermueller owns a 2.95 ERA and 53 strikeouts to 13 walks in 39.2 innings.
Final line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 11 K
Brett Renfrow, RHP, Virginia Tech
Brett Renfrow turned in a gritty, composed effort on Friday night, holding a dangerous Wake Forest lineup to two earned runs over six innings—no small feat against one of the more explosive offenses in the country. The Virginia Tech righty allowed seven hits, walked three and struck out five.
Renfrow has quietly emerged as a stabilizing force at the front of Virginia Tech’s rotation, now sporting a 2.19 ERA through seven appearances. He’s made subtle but effective adjustments from last season, including a slight uptick in fastball velocity—from 92.7 to 93.1 mph—and a slightly more aggressive reliance on his slider, which has yielded strong results.
For a Hokies team looking to make noise in the ACC, Renfrow’s consistency and competitiveness on Friday nights have been a major asset.
Final line: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R/ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Zach Root, LHP, Arkansas
Zach Root continued to strengthen his draft-year resume, spinning 7.2 shutout innings against No. 14 Vanderbilt on Friday night with seven strikeouts, three hits allowed and three walks. It was another composed, high-leverage outing from the Razorbacks’ emerging ace.
Root has thrown 14.2 innings of two-run ball over his last two starts, flashing improved command and confidence with each turn. His 27.4% K-BB% marks a significant leap from the 19.7% clip he posted last season at East Carolina, a sign of his growth not just in stuff but in sequencing and feel.
Root’s ability to consistently miss bats and limit damage has made him a linchpin atop Arkansas’ rotation and a clear riser among college lefties in this year’s draft class.
Final line: 7.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K
Owen Tappy, RHP, Virginia Commonwealth
VCU’s Owen Tappy carved up Saint Joseph’s on Friday night, striking out 10 over 6.2 innings in the first double-digit strikeout performance of his Division-I career. He allowed two earned runs on six hits with two walks, keeping the Hawks off balance from the jump.
t was a breakout effort for the Rams’ righty, who continues to build momentum as a reliable arm in the weekend rotation.
Final line: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R/ER, 2 BB, 10 K
Dominic Voegele, RHP, Kansas
Dominic Voegele showed exactly why he entered the year as one of the Big 12’s most highly regarded arms, striking out 10 over eight strong innings against Oklahoma State while allowing just three hits, two runs and one walk. It was Voegele’s third outing of the season that fully matched his ace-level expectations and underlying numbers.
Despite some uneven results early on, Voegele has pitched better than the surface stats have suggested, backed by a 2.97 SIERA and 19.4% K-BB%. On Friday, the execution finally caught up to the profile as he pounded the zone and missed bats with ease, reminding everyone of his top-of-the-rotation capabilities.
Final line: 8.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB, 10 K
Honorable mentions
Jack Bennett, RHP, Western Kentucky: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K
Hunter Elliott, LHP, Ole Miss: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R/ER, 0 BB, 7 K
Garrett Gainous, RHP, Troy: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Riley Kelly, RHP, UC Irvine: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 8 K
Trystan Levesque, LHP, Rhode Island: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K
Own Proksch, LHP, Duke: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K
Will Walsh, LHP, Nebraska: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3/2 R/ER. 3 BB, 2 K
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