The Division I college baseball season is practically upon us with its Feb. 14 opening day inching closer.
For the final time before the window extends to 35 days in 2026, teams began their 21-day preseason camps on Jan. 24, marking the true beginning of the end for the offseason.
Jamie Arnold Dominates In Spring Debut
Florida State southpaw Jamie Arnold cemented himself as one of the premier arms in the 2025 draft as a sophomore last season when he bullied opposing hitters to the tune of a 2.98 ERA with 159 strikeouts against just 26 walks in 105.2 innings.
Baseball America’s pick to win Pitcher of the Year in 2025, Arnold showed no signs of slowing down in his preseason camp debut when he generated five strikeouts and nine whiffs in just three innings of work, which saw him show off his new changeup with great success.
Arnold already had a devastating bag of weapons, including a fastball that can reach 97 mph and a wipeout slider, both of which are thrown from a low release height.
The Seminoles will look to Arnold to lead the charge as they lean on pitching to hold things down while their offense finds rhythm after losing a handful of key contributors from last year’s College World Series team.
“He gives your team a chance to settle and calibrate what’s going on as the weekend starts, and that’s big,” FSU head coach Link Jarrett said. “If you’re not in that position, it starts to stress your bullpen. When you have to pick up that walkie talkie in the fourth inning on a Friday night, it’s not a great feeling. You can do it, but it’s much more productive if you can ease in. We know we’re going to have someone who gives us a competitive crack at it every Friday.”
Arkansas Picks Up Where It Left Off
Arkansas last year paced the SEC in ERA and strikeouts per nine innings, success that could be easy to write off as a byproduct of having record-breaking lefty Hagen Smith at the front of its rotation.
However, the Razorbacks are confident their dominance on the mound was no fluke and that they’re geared up to prove with preseason SEC Pitcher of the Year Gabe Gaeckle at the front of a rotation that could also include former East Carolina lefty Zach Root, righty Gage Wood and former Ohio State lefty Landon Beidelschies.
On the first day of preseason practices, Gaeckle, Wood, Tate McGuire, Steele Evans, Parker Coil, Aiden Jimenez and flamethrowing closer Christian Fouch combined to punch out 18 batters with only three walks in 5.5 innings of work.
“We really believe in the group of arms we were able to put together,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn told BA.
Early results have supported that.
Tennessee Newcomer Starting To Flash On The Mound
Baseball American projected junior returnee Nate Snead, former Ole Miss southpaw Liam Doyle and former San Jacinto CC lefty Brandon Arvidson to the Volunteers’ rotation after conversations with sources, but the first week of preseason camp has unsurprisingly revealed that the reigning national champs have an arsenal of options at their disposal.
One such player who made his presence felt over the first week of action was Kennesaw State transfer righty Tanner Franklin, who head coach Tony Vitello tabbed as a standout.
BA’s No. 63 overall transfer portal prospect this offseason, Franklin posted a 5.60 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 27.1 innings. But he was outstanding in Cape Cod League action where he pitched to a 0.75 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 12 frames.
Franklin figures to open the season in a bullpen role for the Volunteers but certainly gives them additional starting depth should they need it.
First-Round Hopeful Adds To His Arsenal
Oklahoma junior righty Kyson Witherspoon, one of the top righties in this year’s draft class, deepened his repertoire over the offseason in preparation for the Sooners’ Friday night job, adding a changeup to his mix.
The 6-foot-2 Jacksonville native told BA that he gained better feel for the offering over the summer and is expected to utilize it more regularly as time goes on throughout the year.
Witherspoon, who will be joined in Oklahoma’s rotation by his twin brother Malachi, led the Sooners with a 3.71 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 80 innings last year.
Texas Bats Coming To Life
Texas is getting ready for its first season under head coach Jim Schlossnagle, who told BA that for his squad to achieve its loftiest goals, several players will need to emerge at the plate beyond shortstop Jalin Flores and outfielder Max Belyeu.
The first week of practices were promising in that regard as third baseman Adrian Rodriguez, infielder Jayden Duplantier and outfielder Will Gasparino, all projected starters, were among those who left the yard on the first day of practices.
Hawaii Achieving Standout Velo
Hawaii’s roster might be as well-stocked with velocity on the mound as it’s ever been after 15 pitchers threw fastballs at 90 mph or quicker on the first day of preseason camp.
While the Rainbow Warriors don’t have a database for such records, its safe to assume that the total ranks among their highest ever.
DBU Arms Flash Early
Dallas Baptist is very confident—and for good reason—that it will be able to produce at a high level at the plate after returning the majority of its offensive production from last year, including multiple all-conference players.
It has a lot of ground to make up on the mound, though, where it lacks proven success and experience.
The first week of practices were encouraging for longtime head coach Dan Heefner, though, with several key arms performing quite well. Righty James Ellwanger, the Patriots’ projected ace, was “electric” in his fall debut according to a source, touching 100 mph multiple times. Righty Micah Bucknam, a transfer from LSU, and Luke Pettitte, the reigning Conference USA Freshman of the Year, also impressed and are expected to round out DBU’s weekend rotation.
Another name to keep a very close eye on is lefty reliever Mason Peters. Peters has caught the attention of scouts with an impressive fastball-curveball combo and is expected to close this season.
Coaches Are Looking Forward To New Preseason Rules
One of the most important takeaways from the first few days of preseason practices across the Division I landscape is arguably how much coaches are looking forward to next year when they’ll have extended windows to prepare their teams. It’s a critical development, they say, for player health.
The NCAA this month voted to extend the preseason practice window from 21 to 35 days, a critical increase with roster sizes set to shrink to 34 players in 2026. Coaches nearly universally told BA that they’re glad 2025 marks the final year in the current preseason format.
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