Conference play is fully underway, giving new value to performance as we inch closer to the 2025 MLB Draft.
Here are some of the standouts on the mound from Week 5.
NOTE: The ranking below represents the latest in Joe Doyle’s Top 300 MLB Draft Prospects.
1. Jamie Arnold, LHP – Florida State
vs. Boston College: 4.2 IP, H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 SO, 79 P, 46 S (58%)
Arnold returned from a week off due to illness and was right back at his black magic, showing his best fastball of the year (94-96, T97) and holding that velocity through his final pitches.
Boston College whiffed on 16 of 34 swings versus Arnold in this game, including five of eight attempts at the slider and four of seven on the changeup.
For the year, the southpaw has fanned 43.2% of the batters he’s faced with a 60% whiff rate on the slider. He’s thrown strikes (66%) and avoided the base on balls (5.4%). All that’s left is starts that get deeper into games.
Arnold gets Miami next weekend.
15. Tyler Bremner, RHP – UCSB
vs. Hawaii: 6 IP, 4 H, ER, 3 BB, 8 SO, 92 P, 56 S (61%)
Bremner touched 98 mph in this one, sitting 94-96 most of the way and finishing 93-94 in his final inning, He again dominated with his changeup, getting Hawaii hitters to whiff on 14 of their 22 swings on the pitch.
The slider looked fine in this one, but Bremner didn’t throw it much (14), and he didn’t need it. The four-seam/change combo was more than enough. You can bet scouts would love to see more of the slider this spring, though.
Bremner takes on UC Irvine Friday.
VIDEO: Doyle talks to Bremner
16. Riley Quick, RHP — Alabama
vs. Texas A&M: 5 IP, H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 SO, 86 P, 55 S (64%)
Quick was outstanding, sitting 97-99 mph in the first, throwing all 55 of his fastballs at 95 or better, and dotting the zone. His mid-80s slider generated five whiffs on nine swings and he induced two more with the changeup on five swings.
Riley’s next outing is scheduled for Saturday at home versus No. 2 Tennessee and two of the top 20 prospects in the class.
VIDEO: Doyle with Quick
29. Kade Anderson, LHP – LSU
vs. Missouri: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 11 SO, 95 P, 67 S (71%)
This is Anderson’s third straight outing with double-digit strikeouts and he used his full arsenal to get there.
Sitting 92-94 with his fastball, Anderson set up hitters for a lot of sliders (39), curveballs ((12), and changeups (11). He hit 95 on the gun twice, once in the third and again to end the fifth in a strikeout looking with the score tied 2-2 and a runner on second.
The lefty did get 12 swing-and-misses in this start but received 21 called strikes, including a dozen on breaking balls.
Anderson gets the No. 11 Texas Longhorns and the likes of Max Belyeu, Jalin Flores, and Tommy Farmer in Austin this coming weekend.
41. Marcus Phillips, RHP — Tennessee
vs. Florida: 7 IP, 5 H, 0 R, BB, 7 SO, 110 P, 68 S (61%)
Phillips has yet to allow more than a single earned run in any of his five starts in 2025 and has now stretched his pitch count and innings coverage to impressive levels.
He was 94-96 and up to 967 in this one getting six whiffs on the heater and four more on a mid-80s slider. He only threw the changeup once, but dominated the Gators nonetheless, including left-handed batters.
Phillips has tallied a 32% K rate on the season and has yielded but three earned runs in 26 frames.
If all things stay on schedule, Phillips will go toe-to-toe versus Quick and Alabama Saturday in Tuscaloosa.
104. JB Middleton, RHP — Southern Miss
vs. Old Dominion: 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 10 SO, 95 P, 67 S (71%)
Middleton dominated with his fastball (8 whiffs) and slider (7) while mixing in the occasional changeup and cutter. He was up to 96 mph and held his velocity throughout — his final fastball was 95, like 25 others on the night.
The slider is firm at 88 mph but breaks late and has been consistently above average and more than flashes plus.
The 6-foot, 185-pound right-hander has compiled a 30.4% strikeout rate this season in five starts.
Middleton will face UL Monroe next.
113. Nelson Keljo, LHP — Oregon State
vs. Grand Canyon: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 SO, 76 P, 52 S (68%)
Keljo sat 92-94 with his usual deception, hitting 95 a handful of times. There wasn’t much swing-and-miss in this one, but Keljo induced 20 called strikes and right-handed batters went just 1-for-9 against him.
The lefty’s clean walk column in this game is a welcomed sight, lowering his walk rate to 13%. After starting the season with nine bases on balls in two starts, he’s issued but three walks in his last three.
Keljo gets Cal Poly this weekend.
163. Micah Bucknam, RHP — Dallas Baptist
vs. UTSA: 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 8 SO, 81 P, 57 S (70%)
The 6-foot-1, 210-pound Bucknam again showed very good stuff and was efficient through all seven innings of half of the clubs’ doubleheader over the weekend.
Overall, the right-hander generated 17 whiffs on 43 swings — 10 on the slider — gave UTSA little shot to cash in on their opportunities.
For the season, it’s a 29.4% strikeout rate to 8.4% walks.
Middle Tennessee is in Dallas this weekend.
167. Justin Lamkin, LHP – Texas A&M
vs. Alabama: 5 IP, 3 H, ER, 3 BB, 8 SO, 96 P, 58 S (60%)
Lamkin — a fun mix of Charlie Leibrandt and Chuck Finley — was up to 94 again and sat 90-92 in his final inning. He missed bats with all three pitches, including seven on 14 swings of the slider, which carries a 43% whiff rate into Week 6 versus Vanderbilt.
The lefty’s low-80s changeup has been consistent this season, keeping hitters off his fastball, but hitters don’t pick up the ball well versus Lamkin, and he knows it.
Vanderbilt hosts Lamkin and the Aggies this weekend.
189. Michael Lombardi, RHP — Tulane
vs. Xavier: 2.2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 SO
Lombardi went twice over the weekend, sitting 94-96 mph, touching 97, and getting several swings-and-misses on both the four-seamer and his 78-80 mph curveball.
The heater has carry and he leans on it to get glove side value. Joe Doyle’s full report suggests rotation work could be in his future once he focuses solely on mound work, but his floor as a high-leverage reliever looks pretty good, too.
Lombardi will get a chance versus Wichita State at Greer Field this weekend.
224. Sean Episcope, RHP – Princeton
vs. Liberty: 5 IP, H, 0 ER, BB, 5 SO, 68 P, 43 S (63%)
Episcope is a bit undersized but isn’t short on stuff. It’s a fastball into the mid-90s with three secondaries that vary into four or more.
He sat 94-96 through his outing, mixing a curveball, slider, and the occasional changeup to get through the lineup three times. The slider and curveball miss bats, and he induces a ton of chase. The competition level doesn’t help Episcope, but the performance speaks for itself.
Dartmouth is at Clarke Field this Saturday and Sunday.
236. Logan Lunceford, RHP – Wake Forest
vs. Miami: 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, BB, 8 SO, 88 P, 59 S (67%)
Lunceford has pitched himself to 50 strikeouts and just nine walks in five starts, which is a 49% strikeout rate in 27 innings. Versus the Hurricanes, the 5-foot-10 right-hander was up to 94 mph with hop and induced 18 whiffs on 48 swings.
His low-80s changeup is his best pitch, but he also induced five whiffs with a low-80s slider that looks sharp with late, downer break. He hides the ball well, helping the fastball play up, and he has it all working in 2025.
Next for Lunceford and the Deacons is No. 10 Clemson on the road.
- DRAFT REELS: Arnold, DBU’s Bucknam, Wake’s Lunceford among arm stars in Week 5 - March 17, 2025
- DRAFT REELS: Eyanson, Adams, Forbes show off in Week 4 - March 10, 2025
- DRAFT REELS: Lamkin, Doyle, Salina among Week 3 pitching standouts - March 4, 2025
