Arriving at training camp on June 26, over 50 of the top non draft-eligible collegians participated in the CNT Trials with two practices and six scrimmages over the next eight days to determine the final roster. This 26-man team then traveled across the Pacific to face the Samurai Japan 18O in the Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship Series.

This summer’s pitching staff lacked the firepower of last year’s squad that included No. 2 overall pick Tyler Bremner, No. 11 Jamie Arnold, No. 15 Kyson Witherspoon and No. 29 Patrick Forbes, but it did include plenty of top talent for future drafts, including the return of Gabe Gaeckle, Liam Peterson, Jason DeCaro, Jacob Dudan and Brett Renfrow from last summer's CNT.

LEFTHANDERS

Ricky Ojeda (UC Irvine)- At 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Ojeda worked with an “old school” delivery filled with aggressiveness and plenty of motion. It’s a delivery he holds together and repeats well. He primarily attacked with a 93-96 mph fastball from a high three-quarters release point. It’s a pitch that plays up beyond its velocity due to 20” of induced vertical break (IVB) and jumps with a good angle when entering the zone. His secondaries included a big-breaking 70-72 mph curve ball, Zito-esque in shape, and an occasional 82-83 mph cutting changeup as his third pitch. As good as his fastball, his curve is even better as it produced a 61.5% whiff rate this spring – second in college baseball. Overpowering during the Trials with six strikeouts in two innings pitched, Ojeda did not allow a hit or a run in 3.2 innings over three appearances against Japan. He also struck out nine. Highly effective as a reliever at the collegiate level (13-1, 3.55 ERA, 66 IP, 83 SO) and likely in professional baseball, the southpaw could hear his name called in the third-to-fifth round in ‘26, an area that is common for his type of profile – Mason Peters (Dallas Baptist) was a fourth round pick of Seattle this summer, and is a fair comparison to Ojeda in terms of size, stuff, control and projected pro role.

Ethan Norby (East Carolina)- Similar in stature to Ojeda, the 5-foot-9 Norby is also similar in attacking with a lively 92-95 mph heater. With an aggressive delivery and a higher effort level, he’s also a bulldog on the mound with great feel for the situation and an advanced ability to pitch. He’ll also miss bats with an 86-90 cutter and 82-84 slider. His slider was especially effective to the back foot of righthanded hitters as a swing/miss, putaway pitch. A starter for the Pirates this spring (8-5, 3.80 ERA, 90 IP, 119 SO), Norby continued in that role for the CNT, making two starts against Japan. In five innings he allowed two runs on eight hits with six strikeouts. This is not a prediction that Norby will follow in the footsteps of another undersized lefthander from the Mid-Atlantic and become a Hall of Famer, but he does have a similar style to that of Billy Wagner with a riding fastball and sharp slider. It’s doubtful that Norby will become a first rounder and the 12th overall pick like Wagner was in 1993, but it’s simply to illustrate the type of energy and competitive fire that Norby brings to the mound with an electric left arm.

Ethan Kleinschmit (Oregon State)- The 6-foot-3 lefty continued to write his storybook collegiate career after a relatively unknown prep career from a small town in Oregon then one year at Linn-Benton CC (the same Juco that produced Jacob Melton, the 2022 Pac-12 POY and 2nd round pick of Houston) before arriving in Corvallis last fall as a sophomore. Just as he did this spring for the Beavers (8-5, 3.56 ERA, 91 IP, 113 SO), Kleinschmit primarily used a fastball-slider combination. His fastball sat 88-92 mph, with the slider 77-81 mph and changeup 83-84. There’s also some deception to his operation produced by some funkiness to his arm action that has been cleaned up a bit in the past year at Oregon State. He tossed four shutout innings during the Trials, but ran into some trouble against Japan, allowing four runs on four hits and three walks in his lone start of 2.2 innings. Kleinschmit fits into next year’s draft in the 4th-to-5th round area and is similar to Pico Kohn (Mississippi State) who was selected in the 4th round this summer.

Ryan Marohn (NC State)- A 20th round pick by Cleveland out of high school in 2023 the 6-foot-2 lefthander delivered from a three-quarters slot with some funk to his arm action. His fastball sat 90-92 mph to go along with an 83-85 changeup, a mid-70s curveball and a fourth pitch 81-82 slider. His go-to offering is his plus changeup, but he can also combo his curveball with his fastball. After an 8-3, 3.38 ERA, 91 SO, 85 IP during the spring for the Wolfpack, Marohn posted three scoreless innings with only one hit allowed during the Trials. He then threw two more innings against Japan, allowing two runs on four hits in his lone appearance. Featuring mostly a fastball/changeup arsenal, he’s similar to Cade Crossland (Oklahoma) who was selected in the 4th round this summer.

Cole Gibler (Arkansas)- The 6-foot-2, 200-pound southpaw spins to win with a repeatable delivery and a compact arm action. He pitched just one inning at the Trials, allowing one hit with two strikeouts. Gibler struck out six more in 3.2 innings overseas against Japan, but was roughed up for six runs on six hits over two relief appearances. He compiled strikeouts by the bunches (57 in 29 IP this spring for the Razorbacks) via his plus-plus 83-84 breaker that is both an in-zone swing/miss offering and an out of the zone chase. The pitch produced a 60% whiff rate this spring and continued as his main weapon for the CNT. What also sets Gibler apart is his high degree of deception which is created by hiding the ball behind his back hip. Prospects continuously emerge almost on a daily basis and the ‘27 draft is two years away, but at this point in the process, Gibler and Dylan Volantis (Texas) are the top two college lefthanders on my draft board.