Tyler Bremner, Ryan Prager Among 15 Standout Friday Night Arms

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Tyler Bremner (Photo by Bill Mitchell)

Though it’s still too early to generate significant takeaways, starting pitchers across college baseball are beginning to establish a body of work. Most healthy Friday night arms have made three appearances, and some have already eclipsed 20 innings.

Baseball America is tracking the performances of Friday aces to keep close tabs on the nation’s top starters.

Here are 15 who stood out yesterday, plus honorable mentions. Players are listed alphabetically. You can see the top 200 draft prospects in the class here.

Kade Anderson, LHP, LSU

Through three starts, LSU’s Kade Anderson has comfortably validated coach Jay Johnson’s preseason prediction to Baseball America that the lefthander would take a big step forward as a sophomore.

On Friday, Anderson struck out 10 and allowed just two earned runs over 5.1 innings against a Kansas State team that has already toppled three top-25 teams. Though his fastball sits in the low 90s, Anderson generates impressive cut-ride on the pitch and backs it up with a curveball, slider and changeup.

Despite striking out 59 batters in 38.1 innings last year, Anderson recorded a much less impressive 29% overall miss rate. He had upped that figure to 44% entering yesterday’s start.

Final line: 5.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R/ER, 3 BB, 10 K

Trey Beard, LHP, Florida Atlantic

Florida Atlantic sophomore Trey Beard turned in one of the best starts of the year on Friday against Fordham. The lefthander struck out 12 batters and allowed just one unearned run on two hits and three walks in six innings.

It marked his third-straight start with double-digit strikeouts and was just the second time has completed six innings. The 6-foot-2 Dunedin, Florida native has 32 strikeouts compared to eight walks in 15 innings while allowing five earned runs on just eight hits. 

Armed with an over-the-top release point and curveball with plenty of depth, Beard possesses the building blocks of an intriguing draft prospect. His performance is following suit.

Final line: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1/0 R/ER, 3 BB, 12 K

Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara

Tyler Bremner’s third start of the year was as much of a relief as it was impressive. After pitching just three innings in each of his first two starts of his highly anticipated draft year, UC Santa Barbara’s ace pitched seven scoreless innings Friday against Fresno State. The righthander allowed just three hits and one run while striking out four batters and issuing zero walks. He threw 50 of his 74 pitches for strikes over one of the more impressive outings of his career.

Bremner tapped into his entire arsenal, including his elite changeup, and was extremely efficient. A wild pitch and a third-inning double produced the only blemishes on an otherwise standout performance.

Currently viewed as the top righthander in this year’s draft, Bremner looked as good as advertised. 

Final line: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 4 K

Jason DeCaro, RHP, North Carolina

North Carolina sophomore Jason DeCaro continues to perform like a bonafide Power 4 ace. The righthander manhandled Stony Brook over 7.2 innings, allowing just one run on four hits in his third start of the season.

Stony Brook’s seventh-inning score marked the first run of the year against the 6-foot-5 righty, who now owns a 0.70 ERA in 18 innings.

DeCaro’s early-season excellence has largely been a byproduct of efficiently pitching to contact. He has just 13 strikeouts and a 6.5 K/9 rate through three starts. That’s something to keep an eye on as ACC play begins next week.

Final line: 7.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 3 K

Samuel Dutton, RHP, Auburn

There’s a lot of season left, but it’s certainly starting to look like Auburn hit the jackpot in the transfer portal when it scooped up former LSU righty Samuel Dutton, who generally performed poorly over the last three years but put enough good stuff on tape to intrigue Auburn coach Butch Thompson and his staff.

Dutton on Friday against Ohio State threw six scoreless innings and struck out nine, setting new career-highs in both categories. 

He owns a 0.56 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 16 innings. The senior has never thrown more than 38.2 frames in a season.

Final line: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K

Joseph Dzierwa, LHP, Michigan State

Few have performed better than Michigan State junior lefty Joseph Dzierwa, who continued his dominance Friday with 10 strikeouts, no walks and just one run allowed on four hits over six innings against Harvard.

The 6-foot-8 Baseball America Preseason Big Ten Pitcher of the Year has struck out 10 or more in all three of his outings and owns a minuscule 0.47 ERA with 33 strikeouts against just two walks in 19 innings.

Dzierwa checked in at No. 110 in BA’s preseason Top 200 draft rankings. The projectable lefthander is poised to rise if he can continue on his current track. He entered his third start of the year generating a 45% overall miss rate.

Final line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 10 K

Dominic Fritton, LHP, NC State

Dominic Fritton put together arguably his best outing since his 2023 freshman season on Friday against Canisius when he struck out 12 and allowed just one earned run on six hits and two walks over six innings. 

The fastball-reliant lefthander posted a 7.64 ERA over 73 innings in his first season as a full-time starter last year, but the Wolfpack coaching staff remained confident that he’d eventually round into form thanks to a great feel for spin and raw movement on his pitches.

Fritton has allowed just two earned runs and struck out 21 in 15 innings. His 10 walks are something to monitor closely.

Final line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2/1 R/ER, 2 BB, 12 K

Griffin Kirn, LHP, West Virginia

West Virginia lefty Griffin Kirn offered a misleading first impression on Friday against Queens when he opened the game by allowing a run on two hits in the first. The discouraging frame preceded seven innings of dominance as Kirn retired 21 of the next 24 batters.

Kirn was a model of consistency throughout his third Division I appearance. He didn’t issue a single walk but struck out 10 and limited his pitch count to just 96 across his eight innings.

West Virginia improved to 9-0 thanks in large part to Kirn’s effort. It marks the Mountaineers’ best start to a season since they won 18 straight games to open the 1964 season.

Final line: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1/0 R/ER, 0 BB, 10 K

Isaac Lyon, RHP, Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon righty Isaac Lyon offers one of the more unique looks in the country with a very low three-quarters delivery from which he throws a bat-missing changeup that boasts lots of tumble.

He used those weapons Friday against Texas State to throw six shutout innings with 12 strikeouts against just two walks. 

The son of longtime big-league pitcher Brandon Lyon, Isaac is eligible for this year’s draft and has plenty of time to try to impress and climb boards.

Final line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 12 K

Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida

Florida sophomore righty Liam Peterson continued his evolution Friday from inconsistent freshman to reliable ace as he tossed six innings, struck out seven and allowed two runs on four hits and a walk against Miami. The Hurricanes tagged him for five runs in as many innings almost exactly a year ago to the day. 

Peterson is a serious contender to be the first starting pitcher off the board in the 2026 draft. He showed off his elite tools Friday, including a fastball that touched 98 mph and 21.5 inches of induced vertical break on several occasions. Peterson also used his curveball slightly more than in previous weeks, which gives him a fourth unique pitch shape in addition to his fastball, slider and changeup.

Peterson will get one more tuneup against Harvard before taking on a daunting SEC schedule. Through three starts, he appears up for the challenge. 

Final line: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB, 7 K

Ryan Prager, LHP, Texas A&M

Texas A&M’s grip on No. 1 in the Top 25 is slipping following three consecutive losses, and it averaged just 3.4 runs over its last five games. But the Aggies’ early-season woes aren’t because of the performance of ace lefty Ryan Prager, who was sharp again on Friday against Arizona in Houston.

Though he primarily worked behind a fastball that sat in the 89-92 mph range, Prager kept the Wildcats off balance, striking them out 10 times and allowing one run on three hits and two walks over 6.1 innings. 

The third-round 2024 draft selection has allowed just one earned run in 16.1 innings to start 2025.

Final line: 6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 10 K

Jared Spencer, LHP, Texas

Indiana State transfer lefty Jared Spencer had opportunities to turn pro over the offseason after largely serving as a reliever for three successful years with the Sycamores. Instead, he transferred to Texas with his sights set on proving that he could start. 

So far, that looks like a great bet.

Spencer dismantled Washington on Friday, striking out nine batters over six winnings while allowing just one run. He now has 21 strikeouts over his first 16 innings with Texas and has surrendered just two earned runs.

Previously more of a two-pitch reliever, Spencer has transformed into a more well-rounded starter under the tutelage of highly regarded pitching coach Max Weiner. Spencer added a changeup to his repertoire and showing more velocity on his fastball, which has plenty of life.

Command has been a concern for Spencer in the past. He walked just two Huskies batters on Friday, but has issued eight free passes through three starts. Still, Spencer is turning himself into quite an intriguing senior prospect.

Final line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 9 K

Danny Suarez, RHP, UC Irvine

UC Irvine’s Danny Suarez certainly doesn’t throw the hardest, nor does he have much experience after injuries derailed the last two seasons, but the Anteaters’ coaching staff has expressed a high degree of confidence in him. On Friday, it finally paid off.

Suarez put together one of the best outings of his career against Louisiana with 12 strikeouts and just two runs allowed in five innings. He leaned on a high-80s fastball that occasionally crept into the low 90s and a low-80s slider that drew its fair share of whiffs, too.

Suarez is fully healthy for the first time in over two years. He could be a major boon to UC Irvine as it chases down a conference title and takes aim at a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Final line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R/ER, 2 BB, 12 K

Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma

Kyson Witherspoon’s draft year is off to a roaring start. The Oklahoma righty owns a 1.50 ERA and 28 strikeouts against three walks in 18 innings. His latest contribution was a six-inning strikeout Friday against Cal State Northridge with six strikeouts and no runs allowed.

Witherspoon has been successful without expanding his pitch usage much beyond a fastball and slider that he can throw harder and manipulate into more of a cutter. The Sooners’ ace also has an effective curveball and developing changeup in his back pocket should he need to expand his list of offerings against SEC foes. For now, simplicity is working well.

Final line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K

Jay Woolfolk, RHP, Virginia

Virginia needed senior righty Jay Woolfolk to step into its Friday role to open the season with projected ace lefty Evan Blanco sidelined due to injury. And after posting just 7.2 combined innings across his first two appearances, Woolfolk looked the part of a staff frontman on Friday against Dartmouth when he struck out 10 and allowed a run on two hits and no walks over six innings.

Woolfolk has been a very successful reliever for the Cavaliers, but hasn’t found nearly as much success as a starter. He took a small but positive step toward changing that narrative on Friday.

Woolfolk attacks hitters with a low-to-mid-90s fastball that can touch 97 mph and a decent slider that has the potential to draw whiffs.

Final line: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 10 K

Honorable mentions: