There were just too many standout prospects at Globe Life in Week Three for just one College Crosscheck this week. Five of the six starting pitchers for Friday’s games are projected to become top five round picks this July and scouts are still buzzing about a championship game on Sunday between UCLA and Mississippi State that will be talked about for a long time.

ARIZONA STATE:

In addition to Cole Carlon and Alex Overbay who were featured in yesterday’s Crosscheck, Derek Schaefer struck out one during his ninth inning appearance against his former team, Tennessee. The junior righthander showed a fastball up to 97 and averaged 95.5 mph. His slider spun tight at 2700 rpm and 83-85 mph while his curve spun even quicker into the 2800 rpm range. Junior first baseman Dominic Smaldino’s huge power was witnessed early on the weekend with a 466’ (112.6 mph EV) home run on Friday. At 6-foot-6, 230 pounds there is ample strength and leverage from the Cal transfer. Sophomore leadoff man Landon Hairston produced four EVs in excess of 100 mph, starting his weekend with a 108.2 mph groundout and ending with a 107.2 mph single. The lefthanded hitter is a bat-to-ball specialist with average bat speed and some length to his swing path. Defensively the left fielder showed a below average arm and average range. Ranked No. 22 in the 2027 college draft class, he’s currently batting .391 with three home runs and 17 RBIs.

Six-foot-7 sophomore righthander Finn Edwards took the ball in the eighth against Tennessee and the Sun Devils trailing 4-3. The No. 44 ranked prospect in the 2027 college class, Edwards sat down two of the three he faced, one via strikeout, with a 91-94 fastball and a 81-84 slider. There looks to be much more in his tank and he has feel for what he’s doing, an excellent combination of traits for a prospect on the rise.

MISSISSIPPI STATE:

2026 draft-eligible Aidan Teel could have been included in yesterday’s Crosscheck as one of the bigger winners at Globe Life in Week Three, but with three strikeouts in his last three at-bats on Sunday against UCLA he lost a little steam in what started as a weekend full of hard contact. He sent one 385’ into the bleachers at 106.4 mph on Friday and continued to pepper the baseball on Saturday with bolts of 106.9 and 103.6 for singles. Defensively, Teel showed plus range with a quick first step in centerfield where he projects to stay at the next level. Senior closer Ben Davis turned into a long reliever against UCLA with 3.1 innings on 54 pitches as the game went into extras. Country boy big and strong at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, the righthander touched 97 mph with his lively two-seamer and ripped off an 87-89 cutter. He’ll no doubt be considered for the top five rounds as a bonus pool saving prospect.

Of all the pitching talent on the field over the weekend, Ryan McPherson delivered the greatest performance – seven innings, four hits, one-run and five strikeouts. And when combined with his “stuff”, the sophomore righthander is a first round prospect for 2027. From a high three-quarter release point the 6-foot-3, 205 pounder possesses both arm strength and speed. His multiple weapons include a hard, sinking 88 mph changeup, a riding fastball up to 97, a hard 87-89 slider with some sweep and a hard curve with big depth at 84-85. McPherson also flashed a couple 91-92 cutters early in the contest which was a new pitch for him. He was also super efficient and began the seventh inning at just 69 pitches. He repeated his delivery, filled up the zone and had the Sun Devils on their heels and guessing most of his outing. The Bulldogs’ ace located his fastball exceptionally well throughout and his changeup was his whiff pitch – six of 12 for swing-throughs. He also looked to have it between the ears with a very good mental focus throughout.

If one potential 2027 first rounder in the rotation isn’t enough, the Bulldogs certainly have what looks to be another. Virginia transfer Tomas Valincius pumped his heavy sinker to 95-96 and was in control from the first pitch. He also hit spots with his high-80s cutter and an above average mid-80s slider. The second time through the order, the 6-foot-2, strong-bodied lefthander also found a good feel for his 86-87 late-bottom changeup. There will be plenty of candidates for the top college lefty in the 2027 draft class, and Valincius could certainly be in that discussion.

The third sophomore in the starting rotation was Sunday guy Duke Stone. A 6-foot-5, 225-pound righthander he’s not likely a first round prospect, but undoubtedly has the talent for day one in 2027. He’s currently ranked No. 54. Stone was up to 96 with his fastball and averaged 94.2 over the course of his 66-pitch start. His 86-88 mph changeup was his most effective pitch, garnering four whiffs in eight swings. He also showed a 87-89 mph cutter and mid-80s slider.

The Bulldogs also have 2027 draft-eligible talent in their everyday lineup, led by NC State transfer Ryder Woodson. The 6-foot-3 shortstop was flawless in the field and excellent in the batter’s box (7-for-13) with a weekend best EV of 112.2 mph on a line drive single and three bolts of 103.6, 107.6, and 108.5 during his 4-for-5 Sunday against UCLA.

Everyone knows, or should know, the name Jack Bauer. He was the first prep lefthander to ever touch 102 mph. The true freshman didn’t get to that rare air at Globe Life, but he did touch 98.5. However, he also got touched up himself, pitching to three hitters and yielding three base hits, the last a touch ‘em all 412’ blast by Virginia Tech’s Aimon Chandler. Another good looking lefty prospect for 2028 was 6-foot-4 ultra-projectable Maddox Miller who easy-tossed 93-95 mph from a three-quarter slot in relief of McPherson on Friday. Without a doubt there’s more velo just waiting to come out. His best pitch was a late-diving changeup that he repeated for swing/miss. It was easily a plus pitch with great action and arm speed. It was often confused for a breaking ball that Miller rarely, if ever, throws. If he can develop at least an average breaking pitch, he’ll have everything needed to become a day one or even a first round prospect in 2028.

TENNESSEE:

2026 sophomore-eligible righthander Tegan Kuhns is the ace of this season’s Volunteer pitching staff. There’s some length to his arm swing, but not too much where it detracts from his timing. He showed top two round stuff with a four-pitch arsenal led by a riding fastball up to 98. The calculation is location driven, but Kuhns also produces an elite VAA hovering around -4.0 when spotting at the letters. He’ll also add a solid changeup with fade that’s thrown with fastball armspeed at 85 mph, as well as two distinct breakers – a low-80s power curve and mid-80s slider. Add that to his near endless projection at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds and he’s a top 75 overall prospect for this year’s draft. Another top 75 overall prospect, but for the 2027 draft is sophomore Landon Mack. A transfer from Rutgers, Mack pitched five innings of two-run ball to earn the win. He attacked with a power sinker at 96-98 along with a quality slider, cutter and curveball, and an occasional changeup. The 6-foot-1 righthander has all the physical talents and he also impressed with his competitiveness and feel for pitching.

Left handed hitting Tyler Myatt delivered a big RBI single in the sixth inning of Friday’s game against UCLA to cut the Bruins’ lead to 5-3. A juco transfer, he has some pop in his stick with solid bat-to-ball. He could attract top ten round interest in July and reminds me of another juco bat turned Tennessee Volunteer – Logan Chambers.

It was the Chris Newstrom show from the nine-hole on Friday. The heavy hitting sophomore second baseman nearly hit for the cycle, finishing just a double short. His home run and triple both exited the bat head at 101.8 mph. Newstrom then finished his series’ cycle with a first at-bat double (104.3 mph EV) on Saturday against Arizona State before finishing the three game series 4-for-11 with three RBIs. He’s an excellent athlete with an emerging impact bat and will be one to closely watch this spring as a 2026 sophomore-eligible.

It wasn’t a great weekend for a pair of highly touted 2027 draft prospects, Levi Clark or Jay Abernathy, but classmate Blaine Brown reminded me of former Phillies top prospect Domonic Brown. Long-limbed and high waisted at 6-foot-5, 190 pounds the sky looks to be the limit in the batter’s box. His best bolt was a 110.9 mph single and although he did not pitch at Globe Life, he touched 96 with downplane earlier in the season against ETSU. Brown is currently ranked No. 5 in our 2027 college prospect rankings. And to borrow from D1 Baseball's Aaron Fitt – Cam Appenzeller “is a lanky and super-athletic 6-foot-5 slinger with an easy low three-quarters delivery. He attacked at 91-94 with advanced feel for an 84-87 changeup and a sweepy slider at 79-80. Appenzeller looks like a future star for the Vols…” He’s not eligible until 2028, but joins Maddox Miller and Jack Bauer as lefthanders to watch for that year’s college draft class.

TEXAS A&M:

Centerfielder Caden Sorrell could also have been mentioned in Wednesday's Crosscheck as one of the biggest winners, but it was really just business as usual for the Aggies’ superstar hitter. He continued to smoke oppo tacos and cover the entire plate with his Big League swing. It’s one that should hit the ground running and never look back in pro ball. The lefty hitter barrelled five at 101+ mph over the weekend and, although it’s a stacked position, he’s currently the top college outfielder on my draft board. Gavin Grahovac looked much more comfortable in the box competing against spin, but fell short on results, going 2-for-10 over the three game set. His best bolts were a 105.5 groundout against ASU’s Jaden Alba and a 105.2 mph flyout on Friday against Virginia Tech’s ace Brett Renfrow. Grahovac has also moved across the diamond to first base where he’s more likely to play at the next level. Chris Hacopian is battling lower back soreness and was 50-50 to even play, but that didn’t prevent him from smashing a no-doubt big fly (424’ / 106.1 mph) on his first swing. However, he lasted just two at-bats before leaving the opening game on Friday and did not return to the field. His future position is likely to be second base at the next level and when healthy, it’s reasonable for him to put together the kind of year that should see him selected in the top 20-25 overall picks.

Junior lefthander Shane Sdao missed his sophomore season (2025) recovering from TJ surgery, but one could not tell he’d been sidelined for over a year. There was no rust to his pitchability with a slider heavy arsenal and a few 91-94 fastballs mixed in. He also flashed a show-me, below average 83-86 changeup, but his best pitch was an 80-82 tilting slider. He also added some velo for a more cutter-shaped breaker at 84-87. Sdao tossed six scoreless innings allowing four hits and one walk with five strikeouts and is a top five round prospect.

It was impossible not to notice fifth-year senior transfer Jake Duer who hit bullets all around Globe Life. The lefthanded hitter began his career at TCU for a year before he headed east to Florida Atlantic for two more. He batted .428 for the Owls last spring and is now back in Texas at A&M. He was relentless with hard contact out of the cleanup spot for the Aggies. Duer squared six balls at 97+ mph including a high of 109.7 on a 404’ home run. At 6-foot-1, 200 pounds and 23 years old at the time of this summer’s draft, there isn’t much ceiling to his game, but his bat speaks loud enough to become a top ten round pick.

UCLA:

At times watching pre-game infield can get boring, but Roch Cholowsky makes it a must-watch. With easy plus arm strength, elite carry and a quick release his arm plays at a 70-grade. His hands and instincts are also plus-plus. Cholowsky does it so easy that it may look like he’s just going through the motions, but he’s out there with a purpose: tracking throws from the outfield, throwing from all angles and doing everything to prepare himself for the first pitch. And he’s even better once the game begins. As Aaron Fitt noted in his Globe Life Takeaways “Cholowsky handled 108 mph short-hop lasers with ease. He ranged deep into the hole and made a strong two-hop throw to first, which was adeptly scooped by the sure-handed Levu. He displayed impeccable timing on a backhand stop, waiting for second baseman Aiden Aguayo (who was playing far from the bag) to close in on the bag and then firing a low-slot strike to second to start a pretty double play.” And that was just his defense. The Bruins’ captain saved his best for last in the batter’s box against Mississippi State, hammering a two-run, 439’ home run down two runs with two outs in the ninth to send the game into extras. One high level scout I spoke to literally 15 minutes before this home run suggested that he didn’t feel Cholowsky was 1-1 since he doesn’t possess great bat speed and felt he wouldn’t hit enough at the Major League level to justify the top spot. However, he did admit that there’s not a high enough grade for Cholowsky’s ability to play the game – which is the bottom line. As good as the prep class is for the 2026 draft, there’s not another player at this point that needs to be discussed for 1-1.

Mulivai Levu wasted little time showing improved power with a third inning shot off the bat at 112.1 mph and 388’ on Friday against Tennessee. This EV topped last year’s best of 110.9 and strengthened the first baseman’s draft profile. He again put bat-to-ball on Saturday with a first inning single of 110.9 mph and later added a triple digit flyout of 104.2 EV. Corner infielders with just average power are a tough sell in the draft, but if Levu can continue to show plus (112-113 mph) to better pop, it only increases his draft position which is currently in the 4th-to-6th range. Roman Martin impressed with a plus arm and plus defense at third base. He’ll likely convert to shortstop at the pro level. He also backspun a hanging slurve from Tennessee’s lefthander Brandon Arvidson for a 379’ home run to lengthen the Bruins lead in the seventh. The righthanded hitter added three more 100+ EVs against the Volunteers that included 107.2 and 101.0 mph groundouts and a 106.1 flyout. He reminds me some of former Florida Gator Josh Rivera who was selected in the third round in 2023. Catcher Cashel Dugger might be the best receiver in the college game today. His ability to quickly and softly frame was a big reason for the controversial ball/strike calls late in the championship game against Mississippi State. He's a strike-stealer with a plus arm behind the dish and profiles perfectly as a backup Big League catcher.

Saturday starter Michael Barnett attacked with an 89-90 sinker and low-80s changeups to both sided hitters. He also mixed in an occasional sweeping slider at 77-79, but the change-of-pace is his go-to and his ability to manipulate the pitch (cuts vs RHHs, runs vs LHHs) is top level. Is he the next Cam Schlitter (Northeastern) who gained nearly ten mph on his fastball from college to the Major Leagues, most likely not, but with tremendous feel the senior righthander does have draft value, likely in the 7th-to-10th rounds.

Wylan Moss relieved Barrett against Texas A&M and quickly flipped two shutout innings on just 24 pitches. The sophomore righthander who is ranked No. 32 on our 2027 college draft prospects struck out three bringing his total to 15 in 8.2 innings this spring. He’s a power righty with a fastball that peaked at 96. It plays up with ride and excellent extension. Moss also mixed an 86-88 cutter and a diving changeup at 82-84.

Junior righthander Cal Randall relieved on Sunday, pitching 1.1 innings and striking out one. His fastball topped at 97.5 with zip and carry at the top of the zone and weight at the bottom. His extension was also well above average as he long strides down the mound. Sophomore power arm Easton Hawk got his feet wet on Friday before earning the win in relief on Sunday. The loose-armed righthander released from a three-quarter slot with fair deception. He was up to 97 with his fastball while sitting 94-95. Hawk also spun a tight 82-84 breaking ball and subtracted on a 84-85 low-spin (1200-1300 rpm) changeup.

VIRGINIA TECH:

Junior Logan Eisenreich has pitched sparingly the last two years, but now looks to be a major piece of the Hokies’ bullpen. Big and strong at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, the low three-quarter slot righthander released turbo sinkers at 93-96 and touched 97. He added a tight 82-84 slider spinning in 2600s and an 88 mph cutter. A pair of same-name freshmen also impressed for the Hokies. Righthander Ethan Grim started on Sunday with polish and presence. He showed four usable pitches led by his 92-95 mph fastball. It was deceptive, staying on-plane down in the zone. His cutter was short and effective at 88-89 with 2500 rpm spin and he subtracted well for an 83 mph changeup. At 6-foot-1, 195 pounds there’s not a ton of projection, but there’s present high pitchability and what looks like a very successful future. Second baseman and three-hole hitter Ethan Ball made an early statement, stroking a 448’ (109.9 EV) opposite field home run against a locked-in Tomas Valincius. There is some present swing/miss to Ball’s game, but also plenty of power and athleticism at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds. The lefty hitter is currently drawing early comparisons to former Virginia Tech slugger Carson DeMartini as the future anchor of the offense for years to come.