Dane Acker

Cade Cavalli is the most famous starting pitcher at Oklahoma, but all three members of the Sooners weekend rotation have impressed. Acker had the most impressive individual performance of the trio. He became the first pitcher to ever no-hit Louisiana State in a nine-inning game this spring when he struck out 11 in a 117-pitch complete game at the Children’s College Classic in Houston. Acker has long been a name to watch. He started as a freshman at Rice before transferring to San Jacinto (Texas) JC, where he was a very reliable starter. The D-Backs drafted him in the 23rd round in 2019, but he opted for Oklahoma instead. Acker isn’t flashy, but the sum of the parts makes everything work very well. He’s durable, has above-average command and carries his stuff deep into games. Acker's average fastball generally sits 91-92 mph and touches 94 with plenty of sink. He can elevate a four-seamer as well. His 78-81 mph average curveball is a big breaker, while his fringe-average slider is cutter-ish, with modest break to avoid the sweet spot of the barrel. He also has shown both feel and confidence in his average changeup with late fade. There are plenty of college pitchers with more upside than Acker, but he projects to outlast many of them in pro ball because he has a clean delivery, is durable and knows how to pitch.