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Anthony Eyanson (Photo courtesy of LSU Athletics)
With the help of 64Analytics.com, Baseball America is back to highlight 10 college players who produced standout data in Week 12. Here are five hitters and five pitchers who caught our attention this past week.
Hitters
Gregory Rangel, OF, Colorado Christian
Division II Colorado Christian’s Gregory Rangel forced his way into the Freak Sheet spotlight this week with an absolutely blistering performance that was impossible to ignore. In just four games, Rangel went 14-for-19 with five home runs, a double and 11 RBIs en route to posting the highest weighted runs created efficiency (wRCE) of any Division II player in the country.
On the season, Rangel is batting .299 with 10 home runs—half of which came last week—along with six doubles and 20 strikeouts to 16 walks. Only a freshman, he’s showing off a profile that might garner attention from Division I programs this offseason. Whether he stays put or becomes one of the transfer portal’s breakout options, Rangel’s ascent could become one of the more compelling storylines outside the D-I landscape.
Sam Biller, OF, Connecticut
Biller delivered one of the most dominant single-week performances in the country during Week 12, going 12-for-19 with five home runs, four doubles and a Division I-leading 17 RBIs across five games. His offensive outburst yielded a 15.05 wRCE, the highest of any hitter in the nation for the week, and more than doubled his season home run total.
Biller’s power breakout comes after a more modest first half analytically, when he posted an 87 mph average exit velocity and 17% barrel rate. Still, underlying metrics like a 105 mph 90th percentile exit velocity and 108 mph max hinted there was more juice in the tank. Last week, he fully got to it.
Jon LeGrande, OF, St. John’s
A 5-foot-8 junior in his first Division I season after two years at Wabash Valley College, LeGrande put together an all-around masterclass in Week 12. The St. John’s left fielder batted .600 (9-for-15) with three home runs, two doubles and nine stolen bases without being caught.
LeGrande doesn’t overpower baseballs with sheer force, but his solid swing decisions and feel for the barrel consistently lead to well-placed contact. That knack for finding the gaps allows him to turn routine hits into extra bases and showcase blistering speed when on. His 9.89 wRCE in just one week reflects a sizable impact in his debut Division I season.
Ben Royo, 2B, Texas A&M
Texas A&M’s starting second baseman in recent weeks, Royo continued his torrid stretch at the plate with one of the more productive weeks of any hitter in the country, batting .385 (5-for-13) with three home runs, a double, a triple, 10 RBIs and five runs scored while posting a 6.05 wRCE.
A transfer from Rice, Royo has transformed into a true offensive spark plug for an Aggies team clawing its way back into the postseason picture. He’s now hit safely in eight of nine games since April 18, raising his season batting average from the mid .240s to an even .300. With a bat that’s shown both power and improved plate discipline, Royo is fast becoming one of the catalysts behind Texas A&M’s late-season push.
Daniel Cuvet, 3B, Miami
Normally, a player who appeared in just two games with only six official at-bats wouldn’t qualify for the Freak Sheet. But what Cuvet did in that limited window simply demanded exception. The Miami slugger went 5-for-6 with two home runs, two doubles, eight RBIs and a staggering 9.44 wRCE—one of the top marks in the country for Week 12, despite playing fewer games than most of the national leaders.
Cuvet’s efficiency wasn’t just eye-popping. It was also deeply impactful. His output helped propel Miami to a key two-game series sweep over NC State, which strengthened a budding postseason resume. Once drifting well outside the at-large picture, Miami now finds itself flirting with host territory, thanks in no small part to Cuvet’s emergence as the face of its revival.
Pitchers
Zach Root, LHP, Arkansas
Root absolutely carved through No. 1 Texas with eight scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, two walks and striking out 11. The lefthander was locked in from the first pitch, pounding the strike zone and keeping one of the most dangerous teams in the country completely off balance.
From a scouting perspective, Root is one of the more intriguing early-round arms in this year’s draft. He runs his fastball into the mid-to-high 90s and backs it with a plus slider and quality changeup—but it was his curveball that stood out most last week. He landed it consistently for strikes, mixing it early in counts and even using it as a putaway pitch. When he’s sequencing like that and all four offerings are working, Root looks every bit the part of a future pro rotation piece. His performance against Texas was as polished and overpowering as we’ve seen from him all season.
Joseph Dzierwa, LHP, Michigan State
Dzierwa turned in arguably his sharpest performance of the season on Friday, blanking a high-octane Oregon offense over nine innings while striking out 11 and walking none. He held Player of the Year contender Mason Neville and the rest of the Ducks’ lineup to just three hits, operating with poise and polish throughout a dominant complete-game effort.
A long-limbed lefthander with a low-three-quarter release, Dzierwa creates natural deception and ride on a fastball that cuts through the zone with ease. His slider shows consistent shape and late bite, while a plus changeup ties his arsenal together and has helped to navigate lineups with balance. Though he hasn’t garnered much first-round buzz, Dzierwa’s physical traits, pitch mix and results have him climbing draft boards as an early-round target.
Anthony Eyanson, RHP, LSU
Eyanson picked quite the moment for his Freak Sheet debut, tossing a complete-game gem against Texas A&M and piling up 14 strikeouts while allowing just three hits, one run and a walk. It was easily one of the most dominant pitching performances of the week, and the only thing keeping the Aggies from a weekend sweep. The outing also generated the best weighted runs allowed efficiency (18.4) in the nation last week.
For evaluators eager to see a more complete look at Eyanson, this outing delivered. He showed a full four-pitch mix and command of each, led by a fastball that reached 97 mph and set the tone early. His sweeping slider and big breaking curveball both generated swing-and-miss, and his changeup—typically his least-refined offering—was sharp enough to give hitters another wrinkle to handle. If this is a sign of things to come, Eyanson could play his way into serious draft conversations down the stretch. He’s currently ranked No. 71 on BA’s big board.
JD Thompson, LHP, Vanderbilt
Thompson turned in yet another composed and overpowering start, stifling a ranked Alabama lineup with seven shutout innings, two hits allowed and 11 strikeouts. It was one of the most efficient and impactful outings of the week, with Thompson leading all pitchers who went seven or fewer innings in weighted run allowed efficiency.
The lefthander continues to elevate his draft stock with each outing. Thompson mixes four pitches with command and confidence, anchored by a fastball that plays up with carry and deception. His changeup shows late fade, his slider tunnels well and his curveball has emerged as a consistent secondary weapon with sharp depth. At his best, he attacks hitters with a calm edge and rarely gives away free bases. He’s establishing himself as one of the steadiest arms in the SEC.
Dom Stagliano, RHP, UCF
It took just three relief appearances Stagliano to make a major impression. Since transitioning into the UCF bullpen in mid-April, the junior righty has been nearly untouchable—and Week 12 served as his most dominant stretch yet. He tossed 7.1 scoreless innings across multiple outings, allowing just three hits, walking none and striking out 11. That effort earned him the highest wRAE of any full-time reliever last week. Stagliano has now punched out 16 batters across 11.2 relief innings this year without allowing a single run, showcasing sharp command and swing-and-miss stuff that’s quickly turning him into a shutdown late-inning weapon for the Golden Knights. Stagliano’s velocity has also ticked up since a move to the pen, as he’s consistently offering 92-95 mph on his fastball.
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