Image credit:
Harrison Bodendorf (Photo by Brian Westerholt/Four Seam Images)
Baseball America is tracking the outings of Friday aces. Here are 15 who stood out in Week 9, plus honorable mentions. Players are listed alphabetically.
Trey Beard, LHP, Florida Atlantic
Trey Beard continued his breakout sophomore campaign Friday night with another dominant showing, striking out 11 over seven innings of one-run ball against Memphis. The Florida Atlantic lefty allowed just three hits and leaned heavily on his sharp curveball to keep hitters off balance.
Beard has become an Ace Report fixture thanks to his gaudy strikeout numbers and growing consistency. He has punched out 85 batters in 52.1 innings this season and posted a 2.92 ERA while going at least seven innings in back-to-back starts. He has recorded double-digit strikeouts in six of his nine outings.
It’s been a head-turning rise for Beard, who’s showing no signs of slowing down.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 11 K
Harrison Bodendorf, LHP, Oklahoma State
Harrison Bodendorf delivered one of the most remarkable performances of the season Friday night, going the distance and then some in a 10-inning, 125-pitch complete game against No. 22 Arizona. The Oklahoma State lefty allowed just three hits, one earned run and one walk while striking out 10 in a truly rare power-conference outing.
The Hawaii transfer has made a seamless leap from the Big West to the Big 12, posting a 3.14 ERA with 63 strikeouts to 17 walks over 51.2 innings. He has allowed just one earned run across his last two starts (17 innings) while piling up 22 strikeouts to five walks in that span.
Bodendorf’s changeup and slider have been elite swing-and-miss weapons all year, both generating whiff rates north of 50%—and were on full display in his marathon masterpiece.
Final line: 10.0 IP, 3 H, 2/1 R/ER, 1 BB, 10 K
Jake Brink, RHP, Charleston
Jake Brink etched his name into Charleston’s record books Friday, becoming the first Cougar to throw back-to-back complete games since Bailey Ober in 2016. He’s also the first to fire a complete game shutout since Evan Sisk in 2018. The righthander struck out a career-high nine and allowed just two hits in a seven-inning run-rule win over Delaware.
Brink, a preseason All-CAA selection, has been a steady presence atop Charleston’s rotation. He owns a 3.31 ERA with 47 strikeouts to 19 walks across 54.1 innings. He has regularly worked deep into games and continues to give Charleston a clear edge on Fridays.
His dominant outing further cemented his status as one of the CAA’s most reliable arms.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K
Ryan DeSanto, LHP, Penn State
After two remarkably steady seasons at Saint Joseph’s, Ryan DeSanto has made a smooth transition to Big Ten play with Penn State and turned in his best outing yet Friday night. The lefthander scattered four hits over seven innings against Southern California, allowing just one run and striking out seven with one walk.
DeSanto worked efficiently and attacked the zone throughout, leaning on his command and sequencing to quiet the Trojan bats. The consistency he showed at Saint Joseph’s continues to play out against elevated competition.
The junior now owns a 3.25 ERA with 48 strikeouts to 16 walks over 44.1 innings and has quickly become a stabilizing force in Penn State’s rotation.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Liam Doyle, LHP, Tennessee
Liam Doyle made his return to Oxford count on Friday night. Facing Ole Miss for the first time since transferring out of the program, Doyle delivered his best outing against SEC competition, striking out a career-high 14 over 8.1 innings while allowing just three hits and two runs.
After a pair of shaky SEC starts earlier in the year, Doyle has found his rhythm, striking out 22 to just four walks over his last 14.1 innings. His fastball was once again overpowering against the Rebels, setting the tone from the first pitch and carrying him deep into the game.
It was a statement performance and one that underscored why Doyle remains one of the most electric lefties in the 2025 draft class.
Final line: 8.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R/ER, 2 BB, 14 K
Samuel Dutton, RHP Auburn
There are flashier outings on this list, but few carried more weight than Samuel Dutton’s six shutout innings against No. 3 LSU. The Auburn ace quieted one of the hottest offenses in the country, allowing just three hits and striking out seven to help secure a marquee Friday night win.
Dutton has been featured in the Ace Report before, thanks in part to a revamped pitch mix that’s fueled his breakout. He has upped his curveball usage by 23 percentage points this season, a change that’s paid off with a 42% whiff rate on the pitch and a noticeable uptick in effectiveness.
Friday was further proof that Dutton’s adjustments are working. He has become one of the SEC’s finest Friday-night arms.
Final line: 6.0, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 K
Blake Gillespie, RHP, Charlotte
Blake Gillespie turned in another lights-out performance Friday, blanking a strong East Carolina lineup over eight innings while striking out 11. The Charlotte righty allowed just five hits and one walk, leaning once again on his slider-heavy arsenal to carve through the order.
Gillespie, who famously threw a no-hitter against James Madison on March 7, has now worked at least eight innings in three of his last five starts and recorded 11 or more strikeouts in as many outings. He owns a 2.97 ERA over 57.2 innings and continues to surge as a serious draft riser.
Final line: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 K
Caden Hunter, LHP, Southern California
Caden Hunter didn’t factor into the decision against Penn State, but was outstanding in a tightly contested duel. This marks the third straight week both arms from a Friday matchup have landed in the Ace Report. Hunter struck out a Division-I career-high nine over seven innings, allowing just one run on three hits with one walk.
The outing marked another step forward in a strong season. The Sierra College transfer now owns a 3.33 ERA with 59 strikeouts across 51.1 innings, consistently giving his team length and swing-and-miss stuff to open weekends.
It was a no-decision on the stat sheet, but another ace-level performance by any other measure.
Final line: 7.0, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 9 K
Christian Keel, RHP, Brown
It wasn’t a 10-inning marathon like Harrison Bodendorf’s, but Christian Keel still turned in one of the weekend’s most quietly impressive performances. The righty went the distance against Dartmouth, allowing just one run on seven hits while striking out six and walking one.
Keel entered the game with a 9.84 ERA, and even after his first career complete game, that number still stands at 9.00. But he’s shown signs of turning a corner recently, going six innings last week and now delivering a career-high in both length and efficiency.
His no-frills gem may mark the start of a real turnaround.
Final line: 9.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 6 K
David Lally, RHP, Michigan
It didn’t come against the stiffest competition, but David Lally was sharp Friday in a seven-inning shutout effort against Mount Saint Mary’s. The righty allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out five, working efficiently through his best outing of the year.
Lally leans on a four-pitch mix—fastball, slider, changeup and curveball—but has generated a modest whiff rate under 20% across the board this season. Still, he commanded all four pitches well enough to keep hitters off balance and off the bases throughout Friday’s game.
A strong performance, even if the context tempers the impact.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K
Tommy LaPour, RHP, TCU
Tommy LaPour delivered one of the most important outings of the week Friday night, striking out a career-high 11 over seven innings in a marquee Big 12 showdown against No. 19 Kansas. He allowed just three hits and one run and reportedly touched triple digits on the stadium radar gun.
LaPour has been instrumental in TCU’s success this season, stepping into the ace role after projected No. 1 starter and former all-conference reliever Ben Abeldt went down with Tommy John surgery before Opening Day. LaPour has answered the call with poise, power and consistency. Friday was the latest example.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 3 BB, 11 K
Jackson Logar, RHP, James Madison
Jackson Logar returns to the Ace Report for the second time in three weeks after another dazzling outing—this time blanking No. 21 Troy over seven innings. He allowed just two hits, struck out nine, and worked around three walks in a performance that firmly reinforced his frontline status in the Sun Belt.
Logar’s slider continues to shine as one of the league’s premier swing-and-miss offerings, helping him rack up 48 strikeouts in 49.1 innings alongside a 2.55 ERA. He has been a tone-setter every Friday.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 9 K
Griffin Naess, RHP, Cal Poly
Given Cal Poly’s perfect 12-0 conference record heading into Friday night, eight innings of one-run ball from Griffin Naess should’ve been enough to notch another win. Instead, the Mustangs’ ace was dealt a no-decision despite carving through Hawaii’s lineup with ease.
Naess operates with a three-pitch mix, throwing only his fastball, changeup and curveball more than 10% of the time, and it’s the upper-70s changeup that stands out. His cambio plays exceptionally well off an 87.5 mph fastball and has generated a whiff rate near 40% and chase rate around 30%.
Final line: 8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Cade Obermueller, LHP, Iowa
Cade Obermueller continued his standout run through Big Ten play Friday night, striking out 11 over seven innings to guide Iowa to a 1-0 win over Nebraska. The lefty allowed just three hits and one run while working around three walks, extending his streak of quality starts and once again giving the Hawkeyes exactly what they needed.
Obermueller has now struck out double digits in four of his nine appearances and continues to assert himself as one of the Big Ten’s most electric arms. He pairs polish with power, setting tempo early and holding it deep into outings—a formula that’s helped Iowa surge to the top of the conference standings.
Another week, another ace-level performance from one of the league’s most dependable Friday night arms.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 3 BB, 11 K
Jack Ohman, RHP, Yale
At this point, an Ace Report wouldn’t feel complete without Jack Ohman. The Yale freshman continued his spectacular debut season with a complete-game shutout of Columbia on Friday, needing just 115 pitches to navigate nine scoreless innings with six strikeouts and no walks.
Ohman now owns a jaw-dropping 0.19 ERA across 47.1 innings, with 55 strikeouts to just 11 walks—numbers that place him among the most dominant freshmen in the country and firmly atop the Ivy League. The son of longtime big leaguer Will Ohman, he’s showing advanced poise, elite command and the ability to go deep nearly every time out.
Another week, another masterpiece. Jack Ohman is appointment viewing.
Final line: 9.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K
Honorable mentions
- Max Banks, RHP, Washington: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R/ER, 4 BB, 6 K
- Corey Braun, LHP, South Florida: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 3/2 R/ER, 1 BB, 3 K
- Micah Bucknam, RHP, Dallas Baptist: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 9 K
- Cade Crossland, LHP, Oklahoma: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2/1 R/ER, 2 BB, 8 K
- Seth Garner, RHP, Memphis: 7.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R/ER, 2 BB, 4 K
- Will Jones, LHP, Northeastern: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 7 K
- Aidan Knaak, RHP, Clemson: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 6 K
- Collin McKinney, RHP, Arizona: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 2/0 R/ER, 1 BB, 8 K
- Oliver Pudvar, LHP, Connecticut: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2/1 R/ER, 3 BB, 6 K
- Jack Radel, RHP, Notre Dame: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
