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Kade Anderson (Photo by Eddie Kelly/ ProLook Photos)
Baseball America is tracking the outings of Friday aces. Here are 15 who stood out in Week 8, plus honorable mentions. Players are listed alphabetically.
Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU
Kade Anderson’s breakout draft season reached a crescendo Thursday when he threw the first nine-inning, complete-game shutout by an LSU pitcher since 2018 against a potent Oklahoma lineup.
Anderson struck out a career-high 14 against just two walks and allowed five hits while throwing 135 pitches. It was a jaw-dropping pitch total in early April but head coach Jay Johnson said leaving Anderson in was “one of easiest decisions we’ve had in a tight game this year.”
The draft-eligible sophomore showed off his entire arsenal throughout the evening, commanding a mid-90s fastball and mixing in his high-whiff-producing changeup in all counts. Anderson also landed an impressive curveball, which exceeded 2,900 rpm throughout the game.
Anderson made an 11-spot jump in BA’s latest 2025 draft rankings and now owns a 2.85 ERA with 75 strikeouts to 12 walks in 47.1 innings across eight starts.
Final line: 9.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 14 K
Jamie Arnold, LHP, Florida State
Jamie Arnold looked to be headed for another frustrating outing Friday night after laboring through more than 50 pitches in the first two innings. But the Florida State lefthander flipped a switch, settling in to deliver five shutout frames and a season-high 10 strikeouts in a bounce-back performance against No. 18 Wake Forest.
Arnold had allowed eight runs over just 8.2 innings in his previous two starts, but found his rhythm late against the Demon Decons, commanding the zone and working efficiently to silence one of the ACC’s most dangerous lineups. He finished with a final line of five innings, two hits, no runs, two walks and the 10 punch outs.
It was a much-needed outing for the current No. 1 prospect in 2025 draft, who showed off the swing-and-miss arsenal that’s made him a top-of-the-rotation presence when he’s in rhythm.
Final line: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 10 K
Harrison Bodendorf, LHP, Oklahoma State
Harrison Bodendorf turned in a masterpiece Friday against a red-hot Kansas State team when he struck out a career-best 12 against four walks while allowing just one unearned run on two hits over seven innings. It was a critical performance for the Cowboys, who entered the night with a 12-14 overall record and 1-6 mark in conference play.
Bodendorf was ranked No. 69 among transfers this offseason after playing the last two seasons at Hawaii, where he earned All-Big West honors. The lefty has pitched to a 3.67 ERA with 53 strikeouts to 16 walks over 41.2 innings behind a standout changeup.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1/0 R/ER, 4 BB, 12 K
Colton Book, LHP, St. Joseph’s
It hasn’t been the easiest season for St. Joseph’s, which dropped six of its last 10 games entering the eighth weekend of the season and sat at 10-17 overall. But lefty Colton Book has provided a constant reprieve for the Hawks, a trend that continued Friday in an Atlantic 10 showdown against St. Bonaventure.
Book struck out 13 against one walk over seven shutout innings, marking his third start with at least 10 strikeouts.
He might not overwhelm hitters with velocity (his fastball averaged just 86.4 mph entering Friday’s appearance) but Book has pitched to a 1.61 ERA with 77 strikeouts to just 11 walks in 50.1 innings this season, making him one of the top mid-major arms in the nation.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 13 K
Corey Braun, LHP, South Florida
South Florida has performed like an NCAA Tournament team in its first year under head coach Mitch Hannahs, and a significant portion of that success has been thanks to Friday night arm Corey Braun, who continued his masterful season against Memphis this week.
Braun offered eight innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts, an impressive encore to his complete-game shutout against Tulane last week.
Armed with a low-90s fastball, high-70s slider—which he can throw harder to gain more of a cutter shape—and a changeup that has produced a whiff rate north of 40%, Braun has pitched to a 2.36 ERA with 54 strikeouts to 18 walks in 53.1 innings
Final line: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 6 K
Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
After a pair of uneven outings, Tyler Bremner looked every bit like the early-round talent that has him near the top of BA’s 2025 draft rankings. Bremner carved through the UC Davis lineup with precision, leaning on his signature changeup to rack up 10 strikeouts over seven dominant innings.
Bremner had allowed eight runs over his previous 9.2 frames, but his stuff ticked back up Friday as he filled up the zone and kept hitters off balance throughout. He didn’t issue a walk, allowed just four hits, and was ultimately charged with a tough-luck loss, a result that belied how sharp he was.
It was a return to form for one of the most electric arms in the country, and a reminder of just how high Bremner’s ceiling remains.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 10 K
Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee
SEC play had been unkind to Liam Doyle, who entered the weekend having allowed 11 runs over 16.2 innings against conference opponents. But the Tennessee ace delivered a statement outing Friday, tossing six no-hit innings in the Volunteers’ seven-inning combined no-hitter against Texas A&M.
Despite reportedly pitching through a blister, Doyle’s fastball looked as explosive as it did early in the season, when he began rising up 2025 draft boards as one of the class’s premier lefties. He struck out eight and walked two.
It was a much-needed bounce-back for Doyle.
Final line: 6.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K
Samuel Dutton, RHP, Auburn
Samuel Dutton has become a regular presence on the Ace Report this season, and he earned his way back again with a stellar outing Friday night against No. 8 Alabama. The Auburn righthander spun seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits in a dominant run-rule win that set the tone for the Tigers’ weekend.
Dutton was in full control from the jump, pounding the zone and working efficiently to keep a potent Crimson Tide offense quiet. He issued two walks, struck out six and never allowed Alabama to mount any real threat.
It was yet another strong showing for the senior, who continues to anchor Auburn’s rotation with consistency and poise.
Final line: 7.0 IP 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K
Seth Garner, RHP, Memphis
This marks the second week in a row that the Ace Report has included both ends of a pitching duel as Memphis ace Seth Garner was simply too good to leave off the list despite his team coming up short against Braun and the Bulls.
Garner offered 7.1 innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts, the longest outing of his career. The righty’s ERA dropped below 4.00 for the first time since late February thanks to his performance on Friday.
Final line: 7.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Jake Knapp, RHP, North Carolina
After missing all of 2024 due to injury, Jake Knapp has been a revelation for No. 11 North Carolina this season, enjoying historic success at the front of the Tar Heel rotation.
Knapp on Thursday against rival Duke offered seven innings while allowing just one earned run to score and striking out a pair.
With his last start, Knapp became the first North Carolina pitcher since Zac Gallen in 2016 to throw at least 6.2 innings in five-straight starts. He’s struck out 32 to five walks, limiting opposing hitters to a .157 batting average in that stretch.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2/1 R/ER, 1 BB, 2 K
Tommy LaPour, RHP, TCU
Like Doyle, Tommy LaPour worked deep into his start without surrendering a hit, tossing seven shutout innings Friday night against BYU before exiting at 114 pitches.
LaPour was thrust into the Friday night spotlight after projected ace Ben Abeldt tore his UCL just before the season began, and he’s answered the call. Through 44.2 innings, he’s pitched to a 2.62 ERA with 35 strikeouts and 15 walks, consistently giving TCU a chance to win each weekend.
His outing against BYU further cemented his status as one of the most reliable arms in the Big 12.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 6 K
Jacob Morrison, RHP, Coastal Carolina
Jacob Morrison has been a steadying force atop Coastal Carolina’s rotation, delivering consistency and length. The 6-foot-8 righthander turned in another strong performance against Arkansas State, tossing eight innings of one-run ball while allowing just three hits and no walks.
Morrison didn’t need a high strikeout total to dominate, instead relying on command and weak contact to breeze through the Red Wolves’ lineup. Over his last two starts, he’s surrendered just one run across 15 innings with 13 strikeouts, reinforcing his role as a true workhorse for the Chanticleers.
Morrison owns a 1.90 ERA and 44 strikeouts to just 10 walks in 42.2 innings this season and could start to gain traction to move inside the top 300 in the draft rankings.
Final line: 8.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Cade Obermueller, LHP, Iowa
Iowa’s rise to the top of the Big Ten standings has been driven in large part by the consistency of ace Cade Obermueller, who delivered another dominant outing Friday against Northwestern. The lefthander struck out 12 over seven innings, allowing just one hit and one unearned run in his third straight quality start.
Obermueller has now eclipsed double-digit strikeouts in three of his eight appearances this season, flashing the kind of swing-and-miss stuff that makes him one of the most formidable arms in the conference. He mixed a lively fastball with sharp slider to overwhelm Northwestern from start to finish.
The outing was the latest in a growing string of statement performances from Obermueller, who’s given Iowa a true ace nearly every time he’s taken the mound.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 1 H, 1/0 R/ER, 1 BB, 12 K
Jack Ohman, RHP, Yale
Yale freshman Jack Ohman continued his remarkable debut season with eight innings of one-run ball against Columbia, striking out 11 while walking just one. The lone earned run was the first he’s allowed all year, a testament to the dominance he’s shown since arriving in New Haven.
Through 38.1 innings, Ohman has now posted a microscopic ERA with just one earned run allowed and an eye-popping 49 strikeouts to 11 walks.
| Date | IP | H | R/ER | BB | K |
| Feb. 22 | 2.1 | 1 | 0/0 | 0 | 4 |
| March 2 | 5.0 | 1 | 0/0 | 2 | 5 |
| March 9 | 7.0 | 6 | 3/0 | 1 | 7 |
| March 16 | 5.0 | 4 | 0/0 | 3 | 5 |
| March 23 | 6.0 | 4 | 1/0 | 1 | 9 |
| March 29 | 5.0 | 1 | 0/0 | 3 | 8 |
| April 4 | 8.0 | 3 | 1/1 | 1 | 11 |
| TOTAL | 38.1 | 20 | 5/1 | 11 | 49 |
It was yet another standout outing in what’s quickly becoming one of the most impressive freshman campaigns in the country.
Final line: 8.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 11 K
Jared Spencer, LHP, Texas
Jared Spencer passed the biggest test of his young career Friday night, spinning 7.2 dominant innings against No. 4 Georgia, one of the most explosive lineups in the country. The Texas lefty allowed just two hits and one earned run while striking out a career-high 11.
Spencer leaned heavily on his sinker-slider combination to neutralize the Bulldogs’ bats, generating whiffs and weak contact throughout the outing. While he issued four walks, he consistently worked out of trouble and showed the poise of a seasoned weekend arm.
Final line: 7.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 4 BB, 11 K
Honorable Mentions
- Griffin Kirn, LHP, West Virginia: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R/ER, 1 BB, 14 K
- Grayson Grinsell, LHP, Oregon: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R/ER, 2 BB, 5 K
- Griffin Hugus, RHP, Miami: 6.2 IP, 7 H, 3/2 R/ER, 1 BB, 7 K
- Dylan Mathiesen, RHP, Liberty: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R/ER, 1 BB, 6 K
- Jack Turner, RHP, New Mexico State: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2/1 R/ER, 4 BB, 9 K
- Dominic Voegele, RHP, Kansas: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R/ER, 2 BB, 3 K
- Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB, 4 K
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