John and Kyle look back at Week 13's top games. Texas Tech sweeps Oklahoma State, Vanderbilt knocks off Arkansas, Florida State defeats Miami, & more. The guys propose ways to fix the RPI and figure out which conferences races have the most postseason implications. Get The College Baseball Nation Podcast on Apple Podcasts Get The College Baseball Nation Podcast on Spotify. Have a question for Kyle and John? Send a DM to us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or an email to podcast@collegebaseball.info and we might answer it on the podcast. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

The last push of the regular season began this weekend in Big 12 play, as teams headed into their final two (or in TCU’s case last) conference series of the season. With the Big 12 Tournament now fully visible, and the competition for the league’s regular season title growing tighter by the day, this weekend’s slate did not disappoint. And we cover it all in this week’s Big 12 recap: Kansas State pulls out consecutive 7-5 wins in series victory over Baylor The series began by going Baylor’s way, in a 4-2 victory for the Bears. But Kansas State, following the pattern of the previous weekend’s series win at Kansas, responded with back-to-back 7-5 wins on Saturday and Sunday, as the Wildcats closed out their 2022 home slate with clear momentum. It sets up one final conference duel for KSU, at West Virginia, next weekend. Baylor simply came out much stronger in Friday’s series opener, scoring the game’s first four runs. Though 1-0 through five innings, the Bears exploded for three runs in the fifth, aided by a season-high five walks in the game from KSU starter Blake Adams, who was tagged with the loss. As Wildcat head coach Pete Hughes noted postgame in a quote from the KSU Athletic Department, “the percentages of scoring when the leadoff runner gets on base in the inning goes through the roof.” Friday was a perfect example of that, as Baylor’s leadoff hitter reached base in five of the six innings that Adams was on the mound. But the Wildcats came back in force, evening the series behind Justin Mitchell’s two-out, two-run single in the seventh on Saturday. Mitchell’s decisive base hit proved to be the game winner, but Blake Corsentino, according to Hughes, “was the storyline of the game.” That was because Corsentino entered the contest with two outs and the bases loaded in the fifth, the score knotted at five apiece and Baylor carrying all the momentum after Tre Richardson’s three-run homer earlier in the inning. But Corsentino forced a ground out to get out of the jam and followed that with three additional scoreless innings, allowing just two hits as he picked up the win. KSU found itself down 5-1 entering the eighth on Sunday, but a rally unlike any other in the Big 12 on this particular weekend saw the Wildcats welcome Baylor reliever Matt Voelker to his first appearance of his Baylor career in Manhattan with an inning to forget. Nick Goodwin’s grand slam, along with an RBI single from Dylan Phillips and a solo homer from Cash Rugley flipped the script, as KSU took a 7-5 lead and shut down Baylor’s potential comeback in the ninth. Goodwin was hitless for the first two games of the series, but the shortstop made his presence known in a 2-for-3, five RBI effort in the series finale. Jared McKenzie was spectacular for Baylor, hitting safely in all three games, with home runs in two of them. No. 10 Texas Tech pulls off incredible sweep in Stillwater It had been two weeks since No. 14 Oklahoma State had faced off against another Big 12 foe. In that span, the Cowboys swept Southeast Missouri State, but fell to Dallas Baptist just three days prior to hosting Texas Tech. Whatever happened in that time span, the OSU team that took the field against the Red Raiders looked to be far from the same squad that swept Texas on the road two weeks prior. Or maybe Tech has begun its typical late-season rise to success. Either way, a sweep for the Red Raiders was what played out in Stillwater, with Tech edging OSU 7-6 in the series opener, before 9-3 and 6-4 victories gave the visitors from Lubbock their biggest sweep of the year. The top 25 matchup was one closely followed across the nation, partially because of the Big 12 standing implications and partially because of the high caliber of play from both teams up to this point. Game one certainly lived up to the hype, ending on one of the wildest plays in college baseball this season. With runners on the corners and two outs in the ninth, Tech led 7-6, and OSU was looking for any opportunity that presented itself to tie the score. The perceived opportunity that OSU’s Jaxson Crull thought he saw was not a scoring chance at all, as Tech catcher Hudson White cleanly blocked Andrew Devine’s 2-1 pitch in the dirt. But before Crull knew it, he was more than halfway down the third-base line, caught in a rundown. There was little he could do but attempt to dive and evade the tag, an attempt that was unsuccessful as the Red Raiders poured from the dugout in celebration. That type of finish propelled Tech to its 9-3 victory on Saturday, using a seven-run fifth as the Red Raiders claimed an 8-1 lead. They controlled the game for the next four frames, with starter Brandon Birdsell going 7.0 innings with just three hits and two runs allowed. Devine was called upon for the second straight night, and delivered once again, striking out a batter in a scoreless ninth. The hitting was there in a much larger quantity on Sunday, as OSU attempted to salvage the series with at least one victory. They nearly did too, scoring the game’s final three runs, but the Red Raiders’ early 6-1 lead was just too much to overcome. Jace Jung went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs while Chase Hampton fanned nine over 5.0 innings on the mound. OSU, who pounded out 10 hits, was hurt by a lack of pitching, as five different relievers were called upon after starter Trevor Martin’s departure in the third inning. Tech moved into second in the Big 12 standings, while OSU, in first-place entering the weekend, dropped down to third. No. 27 TCU rebounds in dominant sweep of Kansas After two losses at Florida State and a series loss last week to Oklahoma at home, TCU desperately needed a weekend to regain its rhythm. And the Horned Frogs certainly found that in Lawrence, Kansas this weekend, sweeping the last-place Kansas Jayhawks handily. With this sweep and Texas Tech’s sweep of OSU, TCU jumped ahead of both of those teams into first place in the Big 12 standings. A 17-hit showing in Friday’s 15-6 victory was the first sign of a lopsided series result. Kansas actually held a brief 5-3 lead, going on a tear in a five-run second inning that knocked TCU starter River Ridings out of the game. But Cam Brown, Caleb Golden, and Austin Krob combined for just one earned run over the next 7.1 innings, as Kansas did not keep up with the offensive prowess of the Horned Frogs. TCU scored in every inning from the fifth to the ninth, including a five-run eighth that saw David Bishop and Luke Boyers each send homers over the outfield wall. But that was not the top offensive showing of the weekend. Saturday’s 30-3 rout was. And that contest was practically over before it even began, as TCU picked up where it had left off the night before with seven runs in the first inning. Aided by an incredible 17 walks from the Kansas pitching staff, as well as 18 hits, the Horned Frogs could do no wrong at the plate, tying the program record for the most runs scored in a game. Porter Brown was on fire, swinging with tremendous confidence, as he hit a pair of home runs in a 4-for-6 performance that saw him record a school-record 10 RBIs. Dominant through the middle innings in game three, TCU’s final Big 12 contest of the season was yet another victory, as the Horned Frogs finished the conference schedule at 16-8. Tommy Sacco, Luke Boyers, and Gray Rodgers each stole two bases, as Sacco extended his streak to 12 consecutive games having reached base. No. 24 Oklahoma run-rules West Virginia for series win A crowd of 1,584 turned out in Norman, Oklahoma on Sunday afternoon, eager to see if Oklahoma would pull out the series win in the Sooners’ final home series of the year after dropping game two by a one-run margin. Head coach Skip Johnson’s team provided a statement answer to that, run-ruling West Virginia, 17-7, in seven innings, as the Sooners continue to build momentum heading into next weekend’s must-see series at Texas Tech. While two high-scoring games closed out the series, Friday’s opener went Oklahoma’s way at nearly every turn, as the Sooners claimed a 15-1 win. Jake Bennett’s 6.0 innings with just three hits and a run allowed helped save the bullpen for Saturday and Sunday, while Wallace Clark led the OU offense with a 2-for-3, four RBI performance. But West Virginia countered with a win of its own in game two, extinguishing a late rally from OU in the ninth. WVU took a 9-6 lead in the ninth on Braden Barry’s two-run homer, but OU countered with back-to-back hits with one out in the bottom of the inning, leading to a pair of runs. After Brett Squires RBI groundout made it a one-run game with two outs, the Sooners had a runner 90 feet away, but that was as close as they got, as the game ended on a groundout and forced both squads to begin preparation for Sunday’s critical series finale. Though a run-rule victory for OU in game three, the final score is misleading. It was back-and-forth for the game’s first five innings, with the Sooners’ lead cut to just a single run following Grant Hussey’s RBI double down the right field line. Then one play seemed to change it all. Clark led off the fifth with a single, and advanced to third, where he then stole home on an attempted pickoff throw to first base. His heads-up baserunning gave OU a much-needed insurance run and the Sooners then scored the game’s next eight runs en route to the dominant victory. The consistent hitting made OU dangerous in the same way it has made WVU a challenging opponent for much of this season. Both squads found surges at the plate throughout the weekend, but OU had far more such moments and in much larger quantities. The play of OU leadoff hitter Tanner Treadaway is a shining example of the consistency of the Sooner lineup on a game-by-game basis. Treadaway has reached base in 24 straight games, recording a hit in 23 of those. OU scored in double-digits in the run column in seven of its last 12 games, and will look to continue that trend in Lubbock next weekend, as the regular season draws to a close. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

A premier SEC matchup is what fans were treated to when No. 24 Vanderbilt traveled to Fayetteville to face No. 5 Arkansas at legendary Baum-Walker Stadium this weekend. The home crowd was given little to cheer for in game one as Vanderbilt struck first with a four-run second inning, sparked by a two-run home run by Parker Noland. The Commodores built a 5-0 lead after three innings. Vanderbilt scored all five runs off Arkansas ace Connor Noland, who left the game after five complete innings. Two solo home runs by Brady Slavens and a two-run home run by Robert Moore led a five-run comeback that tied the game in the sixth inning. Both teams added a run in the seventh running to re-tie the game at six. Thomas Schultz was clutch out of the Commodores bullpen, tossing three hitless, scoreless innings in a high-pressure road game situation. The game moved into extra innings with the teams still knotted at six. In the top of the tenth, Enrique Bradfield Jr. (3-for-5) delivered a three-run home run in the tenth inning, which proved to be the difference as Vanderbilt held on to win 9-6. Schutlz earned the win and improved to 4-1 on the year. On Saturday, Cayden Wallace led off the bottom of the first inning by hitting a home run on the second pitch he saw for an early 1-0 Arkansas lead. But a five run third inning for Vanderbilt gave them a 5-1 lead headed to the middle frames. The rest of the game was all Razorbacks as they chased Vanderbilt starter Chris McElvain after four innings. McElvain allowed five runs. Wallace hit his second home run of the game, this time a three-run shot, in the fourth inning to give Arkansas a 6-5 lead. The Razorbacks added two more runs over the next two innings and led 8-6 in the bottom of the sixth inning when lightning forced a delay and weather ultimately led to the postponement of the rest of the game until Sunday morning. The delay did not improve the fortune of the Commodores as they were kept at bay by the Arkansas bullpen, most notably Will McEntire who tossed three scoreless innings, allowing just two base hits. Meanwhile Jalen Battles hit a seventh-inning solo home run to extend the Razorback lead to 11-6, which would stand as the final score as Arkansas evened the series. Bradfield Jr. continued his impressive series by going 3-for-4 in the loss. Game three, already shortened to just seven innings, was supposed to begin roughly forty minutes after the completion of game two but, once again, weather forced a delay of the first pitch. There was also the threat, some in the south consider it a promise, of more weather late Sunday afternoon, so there was plenty of incentive to get the game started and completed. Vanderbilt led a tight ballgame 1-0 going into the fifth inning. A two-out single by Dominic Keegan drove in two runs to extend the Commodores advantage in the fifth. Tate Kolwyck hit his second home run in as many days, a two-run blast deep to left-center field in the sixth inning and Vanderbilt was running away with things at that point, leading 5-0. Arkansas starter Jaxon Wiggins was good, allowing just two runs over 4 ⅓ innings striking out eight Vanderbilt batters. Wiggins was close to 100 mph numerous times and limited the Commodores offense. Wiggins received no support by his own offense, so he was on the hook for the loss. Freshman Carter Holton got the start for Vanderbilt, and he was outstanding. Holton (7-3) pitched a complete game (seven innings) and limited the Arkansas offense to just two hits in the shutout. The complete game was huge for the Commodore pitching staff which had seen a lot of action this weekend and was taxed with having to continue Saturday’s game on Sunday. Bradfield Jr. was 2-for-4 on Sunday with three stolen bases as he continued to put on a show and be a menace for opposing catchers and pitchers. Vanderbilt won the road series and improved to 34-16 overall, and 14-13 in the SEC. The Commodores are a near-complete squad but not yet to the level of their 2019 national championship team. Vanderbilt’s five runs scored on Sunday was their lowest of the weekend, and the game was only seven innings in length. The Commodores only outscored Arkansas 20-17 on the weekend, which proves the offense can compete with the best of teams and the best of pitching staffs. When the postseason begins and other pitching staffs are exhausted and running out of fresh arms, Vanderbilt has an offense built to survive and advance. Arkansas (37-14, 17-10 SEC) drops a home series to a top 25 team, and that is worth noticing, but it is hardly unprecedented given the rest of the college baseball world this weekend. The Razorbacks’ pitching depth is an asset and will be beneficial for the grind that lies ahead. The hot-and-cold nature of the offense is the more problematic thing to watch for from here on out. The Arkansas offense has scored three runs or fewer in nine of their fourteen losses this season. To avoid the fate of the 2021 Arkansas team, the offense needs to be reliable, especially if, or when, the pitching falters. The Razorbacks have a ton of talent — no one questions that. The final weekend of the regular season and the conference tournament are about fitting the final pieces of the puzzle into place when the calendar flips to June. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

Tennessee stays at No. 1 for the eighth straight week after taking two out of three games from Georgia. With the series win, Tennessee has clinched the SEC regular season crown. Virginia Tech rises to No. 2 (their highest ever ranking in the College Baseball Nation top 50) after knocking off Louisville over the weekend. Stanford swept Utah on the road and moves up to No. 3. Oregon State slips two spots to No. 4 after dropping just their second series on the year. The Beavers lost a series on the road at Arizona. Virginia rounds out the top five. Texas A&M swept Mississippi State over the weekend and lands at No. 6 in the rankings. Gonzaga follows the Aggies at No. 7. No. 8 Notre Dame won a series against Pitt over the weekend. Miami falls to No. 9 after dropping a road series at Florida State. Texas Tech swept Oklahoma State in Stillwater and moves up to No. 10. Arizona (23) re-enters the top 25 this week. ECU (40), Ole Miss (41), Southern Illinois (49), and College of Charleston (50) all enter the top 50 this week. The ACC leads all conferences with 11 ranked teams followed by the SEC (9), Big 12 (5), Pac-12 (5). and Sun Belt (4). Teams from 17 different conferences are represented in the top 50. See the full top 50 below: Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

The college baseball regular season is winding down, and we're just a few weeks away from Selection Monday. There are 67 teams in contention for an at-large bid come Selection Monday. If there are no bid-stealers from conference tournaments, that leaves 51 teams competing for 33 spots. In other words, the bubble is going to shrink a lot before the end of the year. Many of the teams listed below will have a shot at an automatic bid. This list answers the question, "what happens if a team doesn't earn their conference's automatic bid?" Here are the leagues with a chance at earning an at-large bid. Leagues With Potential At-Large Teams (16 Conferences) Listen to the College Baseball Nation Podcast! ACC (12) Locks (5): Miami, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Louisville, Notre Dame Should be in (2): Florida State, NC State, Work left to do (4): Wake Forest, Pitt, Georgia Tech, North Carolina Bubble about to burst (1): Clemson Clemson swept Georgia Tech over the weekend which kept the Tigers' postseason hopes alive. Their RPI of 25 and conference record of 9-14 will make for an interesting case study come selection Monday. The sweep knocked Georgia Tech to 12-15, which places the Yellow Jackets in danger of missing the tournament. American (3) Should be in (1): ECU Bubble about to burst (2): Tulane, Houston Tulane did itself no favors dropping a series at home to Cincinnati over the weekend. Their bubble will burst should they lose one or two more games. Meanwhile, ECU saw their RPI rise to 37 with a sweep at Memphis. The Pirates are in fairly good shape for an at-large bid as of now. ASUN (2) Work left to do (2): Liberty, Kennesaw State Both Liberty and Kennesaw State have top 45 RPIs and have a clear shot at at-large bids, but neither can afford a series loss. Big 12 (6) Locks (1): Oklahoma State Should be in (2): TCU, Texas Work left to do (3): Texas Tech, Oklahoma, West Virginia In the next couple of weeks, Texas Tech plays Oklahoma State and Oklahoma plays West Virginia. Those series will go a long way in deciding the pecking order in the Big 12. As of now, all six of these teams should feel okay about their odds at an at-large bid. Big East (1) Work left to do (1): UConn UConn with its 39 RPI and 40-9 overall record will be under consideration come Selection Monday should they slip up in the Big East tournament. Big Ten (4) Locks (1): Maryland Work left to do (3): Rutgers, Illinois, Iowa The Big Ten currently checks in at nine in conference RPI, which sets the Big Ten up for two to three bids. Maryland won a series on the road at Rutgers to elevate their status to "lock." Rutgers is the clear second option as of now, as the Scarlet Knights are currently leading the Big Ten standings. CUSA (5) Locks (1): Southern Miss Work left to do (4): Louisiana Tech, UTSA, Old Dominion, Middle Tennessee After Old Dominion won a series on the road at Southern Miss, their odds of making the tournament skyrocketed. All four of Louisiana Tech, UTSA, Old Dominion, and Middle Tennessee have legitimate paths to the postseason, but only two or three of these four teams is likely to make it. Ivy League (2) Work left to do (1): Penn Bubble about to burst (1): Columbia It's a narrow window, but Penn (RPI 40) has a chance at an at-large bid should they not survive the Ivy League postseason. Columbia with their RPI of 53 would be considered, but because the Ivy's conference RPI ranks 17th, it's unlikely they'll be able to earn an at-large bid. Currently, the Ivy Championship Series is looking like it will be Penn at Columbia, which will give both teams a chance to boost their RPIs. Missouri Valley (3) Should be in (1): DBU Bubble about to burst (2): Evansville, Southern Illinois DBU is three games back in the Missouri Valley standings, but smart scheduling has led to an exceptional RPI (3). Should the Patriots not win the MVC Tournament, they'll likely still make it in the NCAA Tournament. Evansville (RPI 75) and Southern Illinois (80) will both have a shot at the automatic berth and an outside chance at an at-large bid. Ohio Valley (2) Work left to do (1): SEMO Bubble about to burst (1): Belmont SEMO (RPI 49) and Belmont (72) will have a chance at an at-large bid. Belmont has one game against Tennessee left on its schedule which will give them a huge RPI opportunity. Pac-12 (5) Locks (2): Oregon State, Oregon Should be in (2): Stanford, Arizona Work left to do (1): UCLA UCLA was swept over the weekend by Washington, which devastated their RPI (66). A few more bad weekends and UCLA will move from a top ten team to out of the tournament all-together. Oregon State has yet to play Arizona and UCLA. These teams will earn an RPI boost from playing the Beavers. Utah was swept by Arizona State over the weekend, likely bursting their bubble. SEC (13) Locks (6): Tennessee, Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, Texas A&M, LSU Should be in (1): Vanderbilt Work left to do (3): Florida, Alabama, Ole Miss Bubble about to burst (3): Kentucky, Mississippi State, South Carolina 13 SEC wins has historically been the minimum to make the NCAA Tournament; Florida did themselves a huge favor by sweeping Mississippi State to move to 11-13 in conference play. Mississippi State's now is in danger of missing both the NCAA Tournament and the SEC Tournament. SoCon (2) Should be in (2): Mercer, Wofford Mercer was swept by Western Carolina over the weekend and fell 15 spots in the RPI to 32. Wofford (22) has a few low-RPI teams remaining on their schedule, but they each have enough RPI cushion to feel fairly comfortable about their at-large prospects. Sun Belt (5) Locks (1): Georgia Southern Should be in (1): Texas State Work left to do (2): Louisiana, Coastal Carolina Bubble about to burst (1): South Alabama The Sun Belt currently sits at No. 7 in conference RPI which predicts around three bids. Louisiana and Coastal Carolina currently have the best shot to join Texas State and Georgia Southern. West Coast (2) Should be in (1): Gonzaga Work left to do (1): San Diego Once the fifth-place RPI conference, the West Coast Conference has slipped to No. 10. San Diego (RPI 45) has moved from a sure thing to a bubble team. Likely 1-Bid Leagues (15 Conferences) A10, America East, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, MAAC, MAC, MEAC, Mountain West, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Summit League, Patriot League, Southland, and SWAC. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

John and Kyle recap the best action from week 12 of college baseball and debut a brand new top 50 ranking. Should Tennessee or Oregon State be No. 1? Matt Sefcovic joins to talk ACC baseball. Who has a leg up, Notre Dame or Louisville; Virginia Tech or Miami? Get The College Baseball Nation Podcast on Apple Podcasts Get The College Baseball Nation Podcast on Spotify. Have a question for Kyle and John? Send a DM to us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or an email to podcast@collegebaseball.info and we might answer it on the podcast. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

With just nine weeks to go until MLB’s First Year Player Draft on July 17-19, we are officially in mock draft season! And CBN has you all covered as we proudly present the first of three mocks we’ll deliver to you between now and the big day. Much like last year when there was intrigue up until the final minute when the Pirates shocked the baseball world and selected Henry Davis, we have no idea who the Orioles will take 1-01. Will it be Druw Jones, a tooled-up center fielder from Georgia and former Braves great Andruw Jones’ son? Will it be fast-rising Oklahoma prep Jackson Holliday, who also happens to have some impressive bloodlines? Will it be Cal Poly SS Brooks Lee? Or will it be someone else? One thing is for sure—unlike 2019, when Baltimore last picked 1st overall and selected Adley Rutschman, there’s no early consensus on who will hear their name called first. And as we know from his time in Houston and his current stint in the Charm City, Orioles GM Mike Elias likes to zig when others zag. Even with all the uncertainty enveloping the very top of the draft, we are confident enough to predict several draft-night developments. These are: The “Big 4” high school bats of Jones, Holliday, Elijah Green and Terrmar Johnson and at least five of the top six college hitters (Lee, Kevin Parada, Gavin Cross, Jace Jung, Jacob Berry, and Daniel Susac) will go in the top 10. This is the result of the group just being that much better than the rest of the field as well as the late-breaking injury to Georgia prep righthander Dylan Lesko. However, after this gaggle of hitters, there is a steep drop in terms of offensive talent (both at the HS and college levels). As a result, teams picking in the 11-20 range will have some tough decisions to make—“Do we take our chances with a bunch of high risk/high reward college bats like Jordan Beck and Dylan Beavers or do we opt for one of the high ceiling prep arms (easily the most risky demographic of the entire draft). This could lead to far more arms going in the middle of the 1st round than people envisioned just several weeks ago. Finally, we would be remiss if we did not mention the impact that the Tommy John pandemic will have on this draft. As of press time, seven (yes, SEVEN) highly rated arms (five from the college ranks and two high schoolers) had gone under the knife. While we have just two of those guys—Lesko and Connor Prielipp—going in the first round, we concede that due to a variety of factors, that number could be a lot higher. Without further ado, let’s get started! 1) Baltimore Orioles—Jackson Holliday, SS, HS (Stillwater, OK): Hear us out before you commit us—in 2012 at 1-01, the Astros selected a young SS who had flown up draft boards all spring and history could very well repeat itself in the form of Holliday, another prep SS who has enjoyed a meteoric rise this year. And Houston’s Assistant GM a decade ago? None other than current Orioles GM Mike Elias. While Holliday won’t take the $2.4 million slot haircut Carlos Correa did, this makes sense for so many reasons. Not only does Holliday have the second-best hit tool in the class behind Termarr Johnson, but he’s expected to stick at the six as a pro and his bloodlines (son of 6-time All-Star Matt Holliday) are also intriguing. In addition to Holliday, Baltimore has rolled in deep to see Johnson, Druw Jones, Elijah Green, and Brooks Lee. 2) Arizona Diamondbacks—Druw Jones, OF, HS (Norcross, GA): This would be Arizona’s dream scenario, as the D-Backs are able to nab the player with the highest ceiling. Arizona is also in on the other “Big Four” high school bats. 3) Texas Rangers—Termarr Johnson, 2B, HS (Atlanta, GA): Texas is said to love Holliday, but if he’s off the board we think the Rangers will opt for the other turn-key prep bat. Should Texas move in the direction of a college player, watch out for Lee or Jace Jung, whose brother Josh is a third baseman in the Rangers’ system. 4) Pittsburgh Pirates—Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly: The Pirates’ system is bursting at the seams with plenty of interesting talent poised to reach the majors before the end of next year. Thus, the addition of Lee would give Pittsburgh the best pure hit tool in the college class and a guy who would be able to fly through the minors over the next 18 months. 5) Washington Nationals—Elijah Green, OF, HS (Bradenton, FL): The Nationals’ brass have scouted Gavin Cross in nearby Virginia multiple times, but we believe they’ll instead choose Green, who would form one half of a fearsome, uber-athletic tandem with Brady House starting in 2025. 6) Miami Marlins—Kevin Parada, C, Georgia Tech: The Marlins have been all over the map in recent drafts, but this selection is cut and dry as Parada is enjoying a historical campaign. Any questions about his ability to remain behind the dish in pro ball are mitigated by 1) the fact that the running game in MLB is just a shell of what it used to be and 2) the likely transition to electronic balls and strikes will offset Parada’s pitch handling deficiencies. Miami is also very fond of Green and Johnson. 7) Chicago Cubs—Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech: Jung’s broad offensive skill set and the high probability that he’ll blitz through the minors make him an excellent fit anywhere in the 5-10 range. 8) Minnesota Twins—Gavin Cross, OF, Virginia Tech: Minnesota is infatuated with big corner outfielders with well-developed hit tools (see Kirilloff, Alex; Larnach, Trevor; and Rooker, Brent) and Cross is the epitome of this. His batted ball metrics are elite and Virginia Tech’s current center fielder projects as a plus defender with a plus-plus arm in RF. 9) Kansas City Royals—Andrew Dutkanych, RHP, HS (Indianapolis, IN): The Royals under GM Dayton Moore are always a wild card and this year will be no different. After stunning the industry with their selection of Connecticut HS southpaw Frank Mozzicato last year, Kansas City will go back to the well this year by nabbing Dutkanych. Though the muscular righty has had an excellent spring and features a high-octane repertoire and improved command, industry consensus has him going lower than this. 10) Colorado Rockies—Jacob Berry, 3B/OF, LSU: Despite tremendous production in the ultra-competitive SEC (Berry has more XBS than Ks), Berry’s lack of athleticism and true position will hurt him on draft night. We feel that the Rockies, who are enamored with Berry’s hit tool and can envision him anchoring a future lineup that includes the likes of Ezequiel Tovar, Zac Veen, and Drew Romo, will take the plunge. 11) New York Mets—Dylan Lesko, RHP, HS (Buford, GA): With the 11th and 14th picks (the former is compensation for New York failing to sign last year’s 1st rounder Kumar Rocker), the Mets are in a position to gamble. Lesko, prior to his recent Tommy John surgery, was considered arguably the best HS righthander since Josh Beckett in 1999 and a potential top-5 pick. Hedge fund mogul Steve Cohen recognizes excellent value when he sees it and may encourage his baseball ops lieutenants to pounce. 12) Detroit Tigers—Cam Collier, 3B, Chipola JC: On draft night, the Tigers, faced with an anemic offense at the big league level, will be holding a candlelight vigil in the hope that one of the big college bats falls (they’re said to love Jung). Otherwise, they’ll be left with the choice of the 17-year-old Collier, who had an excellent season playing for the top JC program in the country, or one of the remaining supersonic HS arms like Brock Porter, Owen Murphy, or Noah Schultz. We bet they opt for the bat. Daniel Susac is also in Detroit’s orbit. 13) Los Angeles Angels—Daniel Susac, C, Arizona: Recently, the Angels have been avid shoppers at the draft’s pitching bazaar, but Susac still lurking on the draft board may be too tempting to pass up. He offers a polished offensive game with top-of-the-line batted ball metrics. Should the Halos decide to take the pitching route, we expect them to once again select a college arm like Tennessee’s Blade Tidwell or Oregon State’s Cooper Hjerpe. 14) New York Mets—Cooper Hjerpe, LHP, Oregon State: Speaking of the devil! Hjerpe’s unique arm stroke and pitch characteristics have made him into somewhat of a unicorn—his floor may be former 16-game winner Alex Wood, while others suggest he has Chris Sale-like upside. 15) San Diego Padres—Connor Prielipp, LHP, Alabama: In this age of predominantly analytics-driven, cookie-cutter GMs, Padres honcho A.J. Preller is one of the few gamblers still left in the saloon. Who cares if Prielipp has only 28 college innings, most of them against subpar competition, on his resume due to the pandemic and last year’s Tommy John procedure? Not Preller, who could consider the Wisconsin native’s mid-90’s heater and venomous slider as the main reasons why he would roll the dice. Prielipp will throw a 50-pitch bullpen session for evaluators on May 23. 16) Cleveland Guardians—Walter Ford, RHP, HS (Pace, FL): The Guardians have become baseball’s best at developing young pitching, and in Ford, who reclassified earlier this year, Cleveland’s mad pitching scientists will be able to get their hands on a kid who has lights-out stuff and won’t turn 18 until the fall. 17) Philadelphia Phillies—Chase DeLauter, OF, James Madison: As recently as February, DeLauter’s name was bandied about as a 1-01 candidate, but a poor opening weekend against Florida State’s triumvirate of tough lefties followed by questions about DeLauter’s swing mechanics clouded the big center fielder’s draft status. And if that wasn’t enough, he’s currently on the shelf with a broken foot. Still, his .437/.576/.828 slash line is Atari-like, and he offers a breath-taking blend of skills. Philadelphia has drafted high school right-handers Mick Abel and Andrew Painter in 2020 and 2021, respectively, and should the club follow this strategy again in July, Brock Porter, Owen Murphy, and Jacob Miller are all strong possibilities. 18) Cincinnati Reds—Brock Porter, RHP, HS (Milford, MI): Their recent struggles notwithstanding, the Reds have enjoyed overwhelming success drafting and developing young starters and Porter could end up being the best of the bunch. The 6-04 flamethrower has exhibited improved command this year while honing his slider. His changeup already grades out as plus. 19) Oakland A’s—Blade Tidwell, RHP, Tennessee: The small market A’s under club president Billy Beane are all about exploiting market inefficiencies and their selection of Tidwell would be the epitome of this. While Tidwell has come back from a shoulder injury touching the high 90’s and boasting a toxic slider, he has yet to make it out of the 5th inning in any of his five starts. Beane & Co will have no problem living with this uncertainty—a starter with Tidwell’s stuff would cost nine figures on the free agent market, an amount well out of Oakland’s price range. 20) Atlanta Braves—Thomas Harrington, RHP, Campbell: The Braves have selected college arms in the 1st round in 2020 and 2021, and this mock completes the trifecta. The polished Harrington has been one of the nation’s most consistent starters this spring and Atlanta would be an ideal organization from a developmental perspective. 21) Seattle Mariners—Zach Neto, SS, Campbell: The Mariners have not been coy about their intention to pursue a bat, and given where the organization is in its rebuild, it’s looking more likely that this pick would come from the college ranks. Neto has flashed keen instincts on both sides of the ball, and after his strong performance last summer in the Cape Cod League, he could be major league ready by the second half of 2024. 22) St. Louis Cardinals—Gabriel Hughes, RHP, Gonzaga: The Cardinals have shown an affinity for HS power hitters and college arms in recent drafts, and in this mock we have them taking Hughes, who’s risen steadily this spring. Heavy hitting HS SS/3B Tucker Toman is an intriguing positional option. 23) Toronto Blue Jays—Justin Campbell, RHP, Oklahoma State: Toronto has dipped its toe into the college pitching pool often in recent drafts and we see that trend continuing on July 17th. The lanky Campbell evokes comparisons to Doug Fister and profiles as a mid-rotation starter. 24) Boston Red Sox—Roman Anthony, OF, HS (Parkland, FL): In the last several drafts, the Red Sox have become a clearing house for high-end HS bats, and Anthony would be a great addition. The tooled-up Ole Miss recruit had a banner April and catapulted over other, better known HS hitters. He may be a bit of a project, but the dividend will be worth it. 25) New York Yankees—Dylan Beavers, OF, California: This pick would be somewhat of a coup by the Yankees as Beavers’ power, arm, and speed grade out as plus; however, his hit tool has been inconsistent. Still, if the still-20-on-draft-day Beavers polishes his swing and approach, Yankee Stadium’s short RF porch could turn him into a menace. 26) Chicago White Sox—Jett Williams, SS, HS (Heath, TX): Williams may be of short stature (5-08), but he’s long on talent. He’s projected to stay at shortstop and has some serious juice in his bat. He’s not expected to be a difficult sign. 27) Milwaukee Brewers—Jordan Beck, OF, Tennessee: Beck is tough to figure out—he’s been in the conversation at the back end of the top-10 this spring because of his 70-grade power and arm, but his detractors cite a hit tool that “needs work.” Nevertheless, Milwaukee sees a lot of current RF Hunter Renfroe in Beck and at 27 this is phenomenal value. 28) Houston Astros—Brandon Barriera, LHP, HS (Hollywood, FL): It’s unlikely Barriera falls this far, but in a class chock full of talented prep hurlers something’s got to give. Houston traditionally does not have an affinity for HS arms, but Barriera at this level would be such a value proposition that GM James Click & Friends would have a hard time walking away—even if they had to go underslot at multiple later picks to meet the Vanderbilt commit’s asking price. 29) Tampa Bay Rays—Tucker Toman, SS/3B, HS (Columbia, SC): Don’t be shocked if Toman’s high-octane, switch-hitting bat propels him to a home in the high teens as several teams picking in the range have kicked the tires. 30) San Francisco Giants--Jacob Miller, RHP, HS (Baltimore, OH): The Giants are another club that has discovered developmental nirvana with young arms and Miller’s well-rounded repertoire would be an excellent fit. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

There are only a few weeks left in the regular season, so it's time for another Field of 64 projection! The ACC leads all conferences with 10 teams in the projected Field of 64 followed by the SEC (8), Big 12 (6), Pac-12 (5), Sun Belt (3), and Conference USA (3) Last 4 in: Georgia Tech Mercer Kennesaw State Pittsburgh First 4 out: Old Dominion Louisiana North Carolina Middle Tennessee The full projected Field of 64 is below: Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

Weeks continue to pass, but the ACC standings have not become any clearer. With two weekends left in the regular season, 12 ACC teams are fighting to earn an NCAA Tournament berth and many of them are contending to win their divisions. If the last two weekends are anything like the first eight, we are in for a wild ride. No. 16 Louisville and No. 28 Wake Forest Split Series Due to storms in the area, the game on Friday night was postponed as the teams rescheduled to play a double header on Saturday. Rhett Lowder (W, 9-2) did not skip a beat as he was forced to move his start to Saturday morning, from his normal Friday night slot. Lowder tossed 6 innings, giving up just two runs as Wake Forest dominated game one, 14-3. Brock Wilken had a field day at the plate, launching 3 home runs with 8 RBI to help lead the Demon Deacons offense. The Louisville pitching staff bounced back in the second game, keeping the Wake Forest bats quiet on their way to a 6-2 victory, evening the series. Dalton Rushing and Ben Bianco both homered for the Cardinals. In the rubber match, the Cardinals bullpen surrendered yet another lead late in the game. Leading 5-4 in the bottom of the 9th inning, the bullpen gave up a home run to Nick Kurtz, tying the game and forcing extra innings. Neither team would score a run for the next three innings, and due to Louisville’s travel plans, the game ended in a tie. Wake Forest finishes the season with North Carolina and North Carolina State as they are in need of wins in order to feel comfortable heading into Selection Monday. One thing to keep an eye on for the Cardinals is the injury to Christian Knapczky, their starting shortstop and leadoff batter, who is hitting .335 on the season. Knapczyk was injured on Saturday and did not make a return this weekend. Pittsburgh Takes Series Over Duke One name that has been consistent in the ACC roundup is Matt Gilbertson and this week is no different. Gilbertson (W, 8-2) was dominant on the mound yet again, holding Duke to 2 runs and 5 hits over 7 innings as the Panthers dominated game one, 14-4. Jeffrey Wehler led Pittsburgh with 4 hits and 3 RBI while Bryce Hulett pitched in with 3 hits and 3 RBI. In game two, Billy Corcoran (W, 7-3) was just as impressive as Gilbertson, allowing 1 run (0 earned) in 6 innings of work while striking out 8 Blue Devils batters. Duke pounded out 10 hits, but they continued to lack timely hitting, leaving 8 runners on base on their way to a 3-2 loss. In the top of the 8th inning, Duke scored their second run of the game to get within one, but failed to take advantage of a bases loaded opportunity, striking out to end the threat. The Blue Devils would bounce back on Sunday, winning the final game of the series, 15-5. Pittsburgh, who is looking to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995, has some work left to do to close out the season. They are recording one of their best seasons in recent memory, but the Panthers will have their hands full with Notre Dame and Georgia Tech to end the season. No. 19 FSU Loses First Game, Bounces Back to Win Series Against Boston College The Seminoles took two of three games from the Eagles in Brighton, Massachusetts this weekend to keep pace with North Carolina State for third place in the Atlantic Division. The opening game on Friday, which had a very thin margin of error with just five total runs scored, ended in dramatic fashion. Parker Messick turned in yet another stellar performance on the mound, allowing just 2 runs in 8 innings while striking out 12 batters. Unfortunately for Messick, the Seminoles bullpen was only able to record one out as Boston College won the game on a walk-off walk. Joe Mancini tossed his best game of the season for the Eagles, throwing a complete game, allowing 2 runs in the 3-2 victory. Florida State would bounce back and win the final two games by a combined score of 18-5 to claim the series. Alex Toral led the Seminoles offense with 5 hits and 5 RBI on Saturday and Sunday. Bryce Hubbart (W, 7-1) picked up ACC Pitcher of the Week honors for the second time this season after his performance on Sunday. Hubbart allowed just 1 hit in 7 innings, and picked up 11 strikeouts along the way. Clemson Shocks No. 25 Georgia Tech, Sweeps Yellow Jackets Don’t look now, but Clemson has won three of their last four conference series after sweeping Georgia Tech over the weekend. Have the Tigers done enough to earn an at-large bid? At 31-17 (9-14 ACC), they have some work to do, but the opportunity lies ahead. Clemson outscored Georgia Tech 35-14 after scoring 25 runs last weekend against Louisville. Their offense seems to be clicking on all cylinders, but the pitching staff has been up and down all season. The most impressive thing about the Tigers offense this weekend is that Max Wagner, one of the contenders for ACC Player of the Year, was held to just 2 hits. That has to be encouraging for Monte Lee as his club moves forward. A name to keep an eye on is Will Taylor, the Clemson freshman that tore his ACL while playing on the Tigers football team in the fall. He is one of the highest rated freshmen in the ACC and appeared in his first collegiate baseball action, starting all three games. Taylor recorded 4 hits, playing left field and DH for Clemson. North Carolina Takes Down North Carolina State in Raleigh In yet another strange weekend due to the weather on the east coast, the Tar Heels won the rubber match on Sunday to knock off their rival on the road. On Friday night, the game was not decided until the 9th inning when Mac Horvath hit a sac-fly to left field, driving in the winning run as North Carolina took the game, 8-7. The game saw numerous lead changes, 10 pitchers, and 7 errors going late into the night hours. The game on Saturday was postponed, forcing a double header on Sunday. Matt Willadsen (W, 3-3) was lights out for the Wolfpack, hurling a complete game, allowing just 5 hits and 1 earned run in route to a 9-2 victory. Tommy White, Josh Hood, and Jacob Cozart would all hit home runs for North Carolina State. The second game on Sunday was very reminiscent of the game on Friday night. There were four lead changes, with North Carolina claiming a 7-6 victory after Alberto Osuna connected on a two-run home run in the top of the 8th inning, which ultimately proved to be the game winner. With series against Duke and Wake Forest on the horizon, the Wolfpack have an opportunity to make up some ground in the Atlantic Division and help solidify their NCAA Tournament resume. If anyone can turn things around at the end of the season, it is Elliot Avent. Virginia Tech and Miami stepped outside of conference play while Notre Dame and Virginia had the weekend off. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

John and Kyle recap the best action from week 12 of college baseball and debut a brand new top 50 ranking. Should Tennessee or Oregon State be No. 1? Matt Sefcovic joins to talk ACC baseball. Who has a leg up, Notre Dame or Louisville; Virginia Tech or Miami? Get The College Baseball Nation Podcast on Apple Podcasts Get The College Baseball Nation Podcast on Spotify. Have a question for Kyle and John? Send a DM to us on Twitter (@CollegeBallNat) or an email to podcast@collegebaseball.info and we might answer it on the podcast. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

Only three inter-conference series played out in the Big 12 this weekend, but those three certainly lived up to the hype that emerges in these final weeks of the regular season. Texas bounced back from the Oklahoma State sweep over 1,300 miles away from Austin, Oklahoma continued to make its mark as a dark horse contender in the conference, and Kansas State and Kansas made this year’s sunflower state showdown one worth watching. All this and more is covered and recapped in this week’s Big 12 recap. No. 22 Texas beats No. 44 West Virginia with doubleheader sweep In the cool air of Granville, West Virginia, the baseballs went flying, right over the outfield fence and nearly onto the road, which sits behind it. Playing at West Virginia for the first time since 2018, several of those well-hit home runs were credited to Texas, who entered the weekend with considerable drive coming off Oklahoma State’s sweep of the Longhorns a week ago. It was evident from the first pitch on Saturday, and led the visitors from Austin to a 2-1 series win, a key result as the Big 12 Tournament seedings begin to come into the picture. Texas now holds an 11-10 mark in the conference play, but interestingly enough, WVU’s 8-6 victory in the series finale kept the Mountaineers in the top half of the league standings, now sitting fifth, at 10-8. In Saturday’s doubleheader, which Texas swept, the Longhorns displayed why they had already broken the program record for home runs in a season, hitting three in game one, followed by five in the nightcap. Ivan Melendez was stellar at the plate, extending Texas’ lead in game one to 2-0 in the sixth inning with a long homer to left field, and came up with a pair in the 11-0 run-rule victory in game two. The series opener, a 5-2 win for Texas, saw Pete Hansen bounce-back from a nine-hit, six-run performance last weekend, firing 8.2 innings against the Mountaineers with eight strikeouts. He allowed just two runs, both of which came on Dayne Leonard’s home run in the seventh, and walked just one batter. Lucas Gordan pitched nearly to perfection in game two, with a complete seven-inning effort as he limited the WVU lineup to just two hits, zero walks, and zero runs. WVU was not to be held back for all three games, however, as a competitive duel played out Sunday, tied 3-3 after two innings. Douglas Hodo III’s two-out single drove in a pair of runs in the fourth, breaking the tie, but the Mountaineers took their first lead and never looked back, pushing three across in the sixth on Leonard’s RBI double. Hodo led Texas’ lineup, hitting safely in all three games with a 5-for-12 performance on the weekend. Leonard, critical in game three, had six RBIs on four hits and scored six runs in the series. No. 24 Oklahoma continues its rise, takes down No. 31 TCU on the road TCU was riding a high after taking down Oklahoma State on the road two weekends ago. But the following Tuesday, a 6-5 loss to Dallas Baptist initiated four losses in the next five games. Oklahoma, on the other hand, has been on the rise, and showcased it against the Horned Frogs, pulling out the Sooners’ third Big 12 series win. In game one, it appeared that the Horned Frogs had shed whatever was holding them back in a pair of losses at Florida State a week ago, as TCU took a 9-7 win. Playing at home, TCU responded to a 3-0 first-inning deficit with a seven-run fifth, sending 12 batters to the plate, producing seven hits. OU simply did not have enough hitting to counter, Brett Walker, Augie Mihlbauer, Luke Savage, and Garrett Wright combined for three innings with just one run allowed, as the lead was protected. But the TCU pitching staff did not match up well against the Soone lineup, as the Horned Frogs lost by four runs in each of the series’ next two games. TCU tallied two more hits than OU in game two, but was unable to capitalize, stranding 10 runners on base to the Sooners’ five. Peyton Graham did a little bit of everything for OU in the contest, as he went 2-for-3, recording the only triple of the game for either team, and stole two bases. The momentum continued into Sunday’s series finale, as the Sooners’ shocked the Horned Frog faithful with four runs in the first inning, all of which came with two outs. Trevin Michael was exceptional out of the bullpen, picking up the save with three scoreless innings of relief, striking out five with zero hits and just one walk allowed. OU is now tied with Texas Tech in the Big 12 standings, at 11-7. TCU sits second, at 13-8. In-state rivalry produces a series win for Kansas State In a sunflower state showdown, Kansas State and Kansas battled closely, with no more than three runs deciding the result in either of the series’ three games. KU pulled out a 5-3 victory in the series opener, but playing at home, KSU came away with wins in the next two, which marked the Wildcats’ second Big 12 series win over the last three weekends. The home run was the name of the game in the series opener, with homers producing the game’s first four runs. KSU went up 3-1, but by the eighth inning, the Jayhawks tied the score at three apiece. Maui Ahuna almost single-handedly led KU to victory, hitting the home run that tied it, the RBI single that gave the Jayhawks a 4-3 lead in the ninth, and scoring on a wild pitch later that inning for the 5-3 result. But that sort of offensive wizardry ran out for KU as the series progressed, as KSU’s pitching won out. Blake Adams struck out eight over the first 6.1 innings for the Wildcats in a 5-2 win in game two, and despite allowing a total of 11 hits in game three, Connor McCullough and Tyler Ruhl held KU to just three runs. KSU won the series finale 6-3, breaking a 3-3 tie with a pair of home runs in the seventh. The series win by no means puts KSU in the title discussion, or near the top half of the standings, but for the league’s bottom three teams- Baylor, KSU, and KU- these final weeks of the season become important to even reaching Arlington and the conference tournament, as the team that finishes in last-place is left out of the eight-team tournament. Currently, that is KU, at 4-14, but Baylor is just a game ahead, and KSU is only ahead by two. Two of those teams will clash next week, when the Wildcats host Baylor in their final home series of the season, while Kansas has the daunting task of hosting TCU. No. 4 Oklahoma State sweeps strong mid-major SEMO It was a predictable result, a series sweep for Oklahoma State in its final non-conference series of the season, and while it did not impact the Cowboys’ Big 12 mark of 13-5, it was certainly a statement weekend. The Cowboys took it to Southeast Missouri State, outscoring the Redhawks 30-9, which was notable considering SEMO is currently in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament bid. Tied with Belmont atop the Ohio Valley Conference standings, SEMO entered the weekend at 30-13, boasting a series win over Dallas Baptist and a 13-3 defeat of Ole Miss on April 19. But there were to be no notable wins for the Redhawks in Stillwater. OSU opened the series with a 4-0 win on Friday night, as starter Justin Campbell moved to 7-1, striking out 12 with six hits allowed in seven innings. Saturday’s 11-6 win saw SEMO go up 1-0 in the top of the first before OSU countered with four runs for a 4-1 lead by the second inning. Caeden Trenkle had a double and a triple in the victory for OSU, while Marcus Brown drove home three runs in a 3-for-5 performance. The margin of victory grew to 12 runs by Sunday, as a 15-3 run-rule win for the Cowboys was highlighted by Trevor Martin’s strong start. The sophomore moved to 3-2, facing 15 batters over four innings, with a total of three baserunners allowed. Griffin Doersching swatted a pair of home runs in a 3-for-4, four RBI day at the plate. OSU closes out the non-conference schedule at Dallas Baptist Tuesday, before looking to defend its place atop the Big 12 standings over the final two weekends of the season in matchups against Texas Tech and Baylor. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

This past weekend, the Oregon Ducks traveled about fifty miles north to Corvallis to take on their in-state conference rival, No. 2 Oregon State, in a three-game series. And it was all Beavers. Cooper Hjerpe was the star of the show in Friday night's opener. The game finally got underway after a rain delay of about one hour and ten minutes, and another pause for rain in the fourth inning, but Hjerpe was not fazed. The left-hander delivered six solid innings and allowed just one earned run while striking out eleven batters. With the win, Hjerpe improved his record to 9-1 and the win tied him for the lead nationally with Campbell’s Thomas Harrington. Neither team performed well at the plate on Friday. The two teams combined to go 1-for-21 with runners in scoring position. The only hit with runners in scoring position was a two-out two RBI double by Gavin Logan in the eighth inning which put the Beavers in front 5-1. Ben Ferrer pitched the final three innings in relief of Hjerpe and did not allow Oregon any reason for hope of a comeback as he limited the Ducks to one base hit and nothing more. Ferrer struck out six of his nine recorded outs in earning his second save of the season. In the opposing dugout, the Ducks pitching staff allowed eleven walks in the 5-1 defeat. Hjerpe was asked after the game about his ability to stay sharp with the rain in the air and the rain delays both before and during the game. "Throughout the whole day it was kind of a difficult situation, getting delayed early on,” Hjerpe said. “I think it was just repetition, trying to find a feel for it throughout the game, and once we got that going, it was a solid outing.” Saturday’s scene was an emotional one as Oregon State retired the number of legendary former head coach Pat Casey in a pre-game ceremony. Casey led the Beavers to their three NCAA championships in 2006, 2007, and 2018. Oregon State’s Jacob Melton was the offensive star of Saturday’s middle game. Melton went 4-for-5 with two doubles and a home run, and five runs driven in to lead the attack in a higher-scoring affair than Friday’s opener. Oregon used six pitchers in the game and the staff allowed eight runs, and while they cut down on the walks (six), they only struck out five Oregon State batters. The Ducks got home runs from Anthony Hall and Brennan Milone who combined to drive in five of the seven Oregon runs in the narrow 8-7 defeat. Ryan Brown earned his ninth save of the season out of the Beavers bullpen, but he did allow two runs on a home run. Oregon State went for the sweep on Sunday, not one of their strengths so far this season when they have taken the first two games in a conference series. The game was scoreless in the bottom of the fourth when Matthew Gretler, batting in the eighth spot, smashed a baseball over the wall in straight-away center field for a two-run home run. Melton added a two-run blast of his own in the fifth inning and the Beavers held a 4-0 lead. Jake Pfennigs, making his sixth start of the season for Oregon State, pitched five complete innings without allowing a run. Pfennigs allowed just two hits and struck out six in his outing. The right-hander made just his fourth appearance since he returned from missing nearly six weeks due to injury. The five innings on Sunday was his longest outing since his return on April 14. The Beavers bullpen followed suit in relief of Pfennigs as they handled the final four innings of work to complete the 4-0 shutout. Oregon State improves to 38-9 overall and 18-6 in the Pac 12 after the sweep. Oregon falls to 28-19 and 13-11 in the Pac 12. Despite being swept, Oregon is still very much in all conversations about postseason prospects. The Ducks were outmatched this weekend, but they were not dominated, and they were never more than a big blast away from getting back into a game or taking a lead. The Oregon offense can struggle, but the pitching is their biggest concern as they work to figure things out over the next three weeks before NCAA Regional fields are chosen. Oregon State remains the class of the conference right now. The Beavers are a complete team, practically every hitter is a threat to do some sort of damage at the plate. The pitching staff is as solid as can be found in college baseball. Pfennigs, who was the third starter this weekend, has allowed just one earned run this season and has a 0.48 ERA. The Beavers seem to be bringing Pfennigs back slowly, but with purpose. If he is healthy when the calendar flips from May to June, Hjerpe-Pfennigs can be as solid a duo as there is in the country. The Oregon State bullpen is equally as strong as the starting staff. It is said that it takes pitching to win in Omaha. Oregon State may be about to put forth an effort that proves that axiom correct. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!