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College  | Story | 12/23/2022

College Notebook: December 23

Vincent Cervino
Photo: Rhett Lowder (Wake Forest Athletics)
Programs covered this week: Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina

Arkansas

The Razorbacks have established themselves as one of the premier programs across the country and look to be in tip-top shape heading into 2023. There are some new faces but a lot of key contributors return and look to make a return trip to Omaha.



Peyton Stovall could be the SEC breakout of the year as the second baseman got very hot towards the end of last year and looks to be making the next step into SEC stardom. Stovall has the potential to be one of the best hitters in the country with a true left-handed swing and pedigree dating back to his prep days. New addition Tavian Josenberger will slot in at centerfield and he can run, steal bases, and show surprising power. Jared Wegner transfers in from Creighton and should make a significant impact while Brady Slavens returns and will man first base. Shortstop is a bit up in the air but it should be either San Jac transfer Harold Coll or Austin Peay transfer John Bolton. Kendall Diggs and Jace Bohrofen are two returnees who should also make big impacts.

Hagen Smith is another returnee who may be making his ascent into SEC stardom. The southpaw threw a ton as a freshman and has the stuff to be a Friday night guy. Jaxon Wiggins is the big draft name on the bump and he’s been flirting with triple digits all fall. Brady Tygart was the closer last year and has huge stuff while Jake Faherty has also been up to 100 and will certainly have a role to play. Newcomers Cody Adcock and Hunter Hollan have big stuff and will certainly have plenty of innings this spring.

Auburn

Auburn is also coming off a trip to Omaha and looks like a club that will certainly compete in the SEC as it looks to make a return trip next June. The pitching staff is very deep and features a key number of returnees who should be able to carve big roles for themselves.

Joseph Gonzalez is a talented junior who made a velocity jump and likely slots into that Friday night role for the Tigers. He can pitch in the mid-90s and has very good command of a full arsenal. Chase Allsup, Chase Isbell, John Armstrong, and Tommy Sheehan are fellow returnees who should all see significant innings. The true freshman class on the mound looks really exciting as Zach Crotchfelt, Hayden Murphy, and Drew Nelson are all first year guys who stood out in various ways on the bump.

Nate LaRue, Cole Foster, Bobby Pierce, and Kason Howell were all pieces on last year’s Omaha team who return and give the offense a ton of experience. Justin Kirby, Cooper McMullen, and Cayden Green are all newcomers who will have roles to play but perhaps the most intriguing newcomer is true freshman Ike Irish. A left-handed hitting catcher from Michigan, Irish bangs and will likely force his way into the lineup right away.

Kentucky

The Wildcats have a lot of new pieces entering the fray and have the look of a super interesting competitor in the SEC this season. Deven Burkes comes back as the catcher and should be one of the better backstops in the conference; he made a name for himself toward the tail end of the season and should be among their better hitters. James McCoy could be in store for an SEC breakout as a 6-foot-4 switch hitter with serious juice. Charleston Southern transfer Ryan Waldschmidt should be a key cog while Kendal Ewell hit .380 last season and was a Golden Spikes finalist.

Magdiel Cotto could be the big breakout on the mound as he had a good Cape and has serious stuff. A prospect back in high school, Cotto flirts with the upper-90s from the left side and has immense arm talent. Austin Strickland has been into the mid-90s while Logan Martin is a transfer from Division III who should compete for a starting job. Travis Smith has made a jump heading into year two and should be a key factor while junior Ryan Hagenow is a wild card who is fully healthy and could see big innings.

North Carolina

The Tar Heels entered May in an uneven spot but finished the month as one of the hottest teams in the country. This culminated with an ACC tournament championship, hosting a Regional, and losing in the Supers to an Oklahoma team that finished as the national runner-up.

The starting point for the Heels is Vance Honeycutt, their dynamic centerfielder who is a true college baseball superstar in every sense of the word. At 6-foot-3, 190-pounds, Honeycutt is a dynamic athlete who is a plus runner with a plus arm and massive juice; he finished his true freshman year with 25+ steals and 25+ homers. Mac Horvath and Alberto Osuna round out a group of what should be a solid offense along with catcher Tomas Frick and utility man Johnny Castagnozzi.

Max Carlson returns on Friday nights as the staff ace and really turned it on towards the end of the year last year. Dalton Pence is fully healthy and should compete for a rotation spot, he was sensational this summer earning CPL Pitcher of the Year honors. Nik Pry and Connor Bovair are two battle tested relievers while newcomer Ben Peterson has the best stuff on the staff and has ticked up into the upper-90s.

Wake Forest

Preseason expectations often amount to very little once the season gets underway but the 2023 Demon Deacons look to be among the best in the ACC on paper. They finished the year with a top ten RPI and return a team that’s mostly intact from last year.

The offense looks to be prolific with the two key returnees being third baseman Brock Wilken and first baseman Nick Kurtz. Wilken is a potential first rounder and has had two loud seasons with some of the best power in the class while Kurtz is a do-it-all type of player who rarely strikes out, has power, and is among the nation’s best defenders at first base. Tommy Hawke was sensational as a table-setter in his freshman season while Pierce Bennett will also have a big role to play. Freshman shortstop Marek Houston has been prolific defensively this fall and has a chance to play right away.

The entire pitching staff returns led by reigning ACC Pitcher of the Year Rhett Lowder. The right-hander was Team USA’s ace this summer and features a mid-90s heater with two very good secondaries and some of the best command in the country; he projects as a first rounder right now. Teddy McGraw also has a chance to go in the first round and made good strides this fall. Josh Hartle returns on Sunday’s and reports of tweaks to his delivery have led to an uptick in stuff and expectations. Seth Keener and Camden Minacci will be big arms as will two transfers in Michael Massey from Tulane and Sean Sullivan from Northwestern.
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USA Collegiate National Team: Stars

Craig Cozart
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Perfect Game Staff
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Quinton Hall
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