Jamie Arnold Dominates In Spring Debut, Arkansas Picks Up Where It Left Off | Insider Notes


Image credit: Jamie Arnold (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
The Division I college baseball season is practically upon us with its Feb. 14 opening day inching closer.
For the final time before the window extends to 35 days in 2026, teams began their 21-day preseason camps on Jan. 24, marking the true beginning of the end for the offseason.
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Here are notes from around the country with one week of workouts in the books:
Jamie Arnold Dominates In Spring Debut
Florida State southpaw Jamie Arnold cemented himself as one of the premier arms in the 2025 draft as a sophomore last season when he bullied opposing hitters to the tune of a 2.98 ERA with 159 strikeouts against just 26 walks in 105.2 innings.
Baseball America’s pick to win Pitcher of the Year in 2025, Arnold showed no signs of slowing down in his preseason camp debut when he generated five strikeouts and nine whiffs in just three innings of work, which saw him show off his new changeup with great success.
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Arnold already had a devastating bag of weapons, including a fastball that can reach 97 mph and a wipeout slider, both of which are thrown from a low release height.
The Seminoles will look to Arnold to lead the charge as they lean on pitching to hold things down while their offense finds rhythm after losing a handful of key contributors from last year’s College World Series team.
“He gives your team a chance to settle and calibrate what’s going on as the weekend starts, and that’s big,” FSU head coach Link Jarrett said. “If you’re not in that position, it starts to stress your bullpen. When you have to pick up that walkie talkie in the fourth inning on a Friday night, it’s not a great feeling. You can do it, but it’s much more productive if you can ease in. We know we’re going to have someone who gives us a competitive crack at it every Friday.”
Arkansas Picks Up Where It Left Off
Arkansas last year paced the SEC in ERA and strikeouts per nine innings, success that could be easy to write off as a byproduct of having record-breaking lefty Hagen Smith at the front of its rotation.
However, the Razorbacks are confident their dominance on the mound was no fluke and that they’re geared up to prove with preseason SEC Pitcher of the Year Gabe Gaeckle at the front of a rotation that could also include former East Carolina lefty Zach Root, righty Gage Wood and former Ohio State lefty Landon Beidelschies.
On the first day of preseason practices, Gaeckle, Wood, Tate McGuire, Steele Evans, Parker Coil, Aiden Jimenez and flamethrowing closer Christian Fouch combined to punch out 18 batters with only three walks in 5.5 innings of work.
“We really believe in the group of arms we were able to put together,” Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn told BA.
Early results have supported that.
Tennessee Newcomer Starting To Flash On The Mound
Baseball America projected junior returnee Nate Snead, former Ole Miss southpaw Liam Doyle and former San Jacinto CC lefty Brandon Arvidson to the Volunteers’ rotation after conversations with sources, but the first week of preseason camp has unsurprisingly revealed that the reigning national champs have an arsenal of options at their disposal.
One such player who made his presence felt over the first week of action was Kennesaw State transfer righty Tanner Franklin, who head coach Tony Vitello tabbed as a standout.
BA’s No. 63 overall transfer portal prospect this offseason, Franklin posted a 5.60 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 27.1 innings. But he was outstanding in Cape Cod League action where he pitched to a 0.75 ERA with 19 strikeouts in 12 frames.
Franklin figures to open the season in a bullpen role for the Volunteers but certainly gives them additional starting depth should they need it.
First-Round Hopeful Adds To His Arsenal
Oklahoma junior righty Kyson Witherspoon, one of the top righties in this year’s draft class, deepened his repertoire over the offseason in preparation for the Sooners’ Friday night job, adding a changeup to his mix.
The 6-foot-2 Jacksonville native told BA that he gained better feel for the offering over the summer and is expected to utilize it more regularly as time goes on throughout the year.
Witherspoon, who will be joined in Oklahoma’s rotation by his twin brother Malachi, led the Sooners with a 3.71 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 80 innings last year.
Texas Bats Coming To Life
Texas is getting ready for its first season under head coach Jim Schlossnagle, who told BA that for his squad to achieve its loftiest goals, several players will need to emerge at the plate beyond shortstop Jalin Flores and outfielder Max Belyeu.
The first week of practices were promising in that regard as third baseman Adrian Rodriguez, infielder Jayden Duplantier and outfielder Will Gasparino, all projected starters, were among those who left the yard on the first day of practices.
Hawaii Achieving Standout Velo
Hawaii’s roster might be as well-stocked with velocity on the mound as it’s ever been after 15 pitchers threw fastballs at 90 mph or quicker on the first day of preseason camp.
While the Rainbow Warriors don’t have a database for such records, its safe to assume that the total ranks among their highest ever.
DBU Arms Flash Early
Dallas Baptist is very confident—and for good reason—that it will be able to produce at a high level at the plate after returning the majority of its offensive production from last year, including multiple all-conference players.
It has a lot of ground to make up on the mound, though, where it lacks proven success and experience.
The first week of practices were encouraging for longtime head coach Dan Heefner, though, with several key arms performing quite well. Righty James Ellwanger, the Patriots’ projected ace, was “electric” in his fall debut according to a source, touching 100 mph multiple times. Righty Micah Bucknam, a transfer from LSU, and Luke Pettitte, the reigning Conference USA Freshman of the Year, also impressed and are expected to round out DBU’s weekend rotation.
Another name to keep a very close eye on is lefty reliever Mason Peters. Peters has caught the attention of scouts with an impressive fastball-curveball combo and is expected to close this season.
Coaches Are Looking Forward To New Preseason Rules
One of the most important takeaways from the first few days of preseason practices across the Division I landscape is arguably how much coaches are looking forward to next year when they’ll have extended windows to prepare their teams. It’s a critical development, they say, for player health.
The NCAA this month voted to extend the preseason practice window from 21 to 35 days, a critical increase with roster sizes set to shrink to 34 players in 2026. Coaches nearly universally told BA that they’re glad 2025 marks the final year in the current preseason format.
Standouts Emerging In Eugene
Oregon has been on an undeniably positive trajectory under the direction of head coach Mark Wasikowski, who this year put together a roster brimming with experience and depth.
The Ducks returned eight of nine hitters who started in the College Station Super Regional last season, including first-team all-Pac-12 shortstop Maddox Molony and all-Pac-12 honorable mention outfielder Mason Neville, both of whom stood out in the first week of workouts.
Molony, who isn’t draft eligible until 2026, slashed .315/.402/.566 with 10 home runs and 31 RBIs to become just the second Oregon true freshman to be named first-team all-conference since the program was reinstated in 2009. Neville hit .268/.369/.664 and took a sizable step forward this offseason, according to a source.
The biggest—literally—name to keep an eye on in Eugene might be on the mound, though: 6-foot-9 righty Jason Reitz.
A transfer from Saint Mary’s, Reitz garnered plenty of attention this offseason when he posted a 2.30 ERA in 15.2 innings in the Cape Cod League. That success garnered him the No. 43 overall ranking on BA’s top 100 transfers. The towering Oregon newcomer has added velocity to what was a 89-92 mph fastball with improved control and figures to be a part of the Ducks’ weekend rotation this year behind ace southpaw Grayson Grinsell.
Florida Catcher Hitting Bombs
Florida has received a great deal of power production from the catcher position since 2022. BT Riopelle led the charge behind the dish for two seasons before handing the position over to then-sophomores Luke Heyman and Brody Donay in 2024.
Heyman and Donay both hit .246 and combined to blast 30 home runs.
If early returns are any indication, that kind of output could be sustained this season, too. Heyman opened preseason workouts with three home runs in as many scrimmage opportunities. Donay has also left the yard, though his workload has come at the designated hitter spot.
The Gators believe that Heyman, in particular, could be poised to broaden his contributions this season after making minor adjustments at the plate to cut down on whiffs and maximize his bat path.
Wake Forest Rotation Candidates Crystalize In Week One
Tom Walter doesn’t hesitate to admit that his 2025 rotation is lacking a Chase Burns-level star, but the Wake Forest head coach would also contend that this year’s group is much deeper than last year’s, a reality he felt was rather apparent in the first week of workouts.
Walter told BA that lefties Joe Ariola and Matthew Dallas and righties Logan Lunceford, Griffin Green and Duncan Marsten are emerging as “really good starter candidates.”
Their early preseason success has been aided by Wake Forest’s addition of St. John’s transfer catcher Jimmy Keenan, who Walter said “makes a huge difference” on both sides of the ball. Keenan last year slashed .335/.403/.615 with 12 home runs and 57 RBIs.
Henry Ford Acclimating Nicely To New Position
Though snow forced Virginia to open its preseason slate on Sunday, two days after most teams, things quickly clicked into gear in Charlottesville, including first baseman turned outfielder Henry Ford.
Now Virginia’s starting right fielder, Ford has looked “like a natural” in his new defensive role, making plays with ease while showing off a strong arm and maintaining his production at the plate.
“His angles are really good, and his arm actually plays a lot better in the outfield with a little bit of length,” head coach Brian O’Connor told BA earlier this month. “It’s plenty of arm out there, and he’s a good athlete that is rangy. It isn’t going to be an 80 outfielder. But it’s going to be well good enough. I just believe that that’s his future in this game.”
With Ford no longer manning first base, the Cavaliers have turned to juco transfer Chris Arroyo, a two-way player, at the position. The Pasco-Hernando State College product began his college career as a reliever at Florida in 2023 before putting together an impressive 2024 campaign on both sides of the ball at the junior college level, where he batted .403 with 60 runs, 10 doubles, 19 home runs, 52 RBIs and nine stolen bases while pitching his way to a 3.53 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 62.2 innings.
O’Connor told Baseball America that he expected Arroyo to be featured in the heart of his team’s batting order as well as in its rotation.
Fresno State’s Best Prospect Since Aaron Judge?
Fresno State has had a handful of elite draft prospects over the last decade or so, including 2019 first-round selection Ryan Jensen and 2015 first-rounder Taylor Ward.
Looking back, though, none have been as prominent as Aaron Judge, the 32nd overall pick in the 2013 draft after he hit .369 with 12 homers in his final season with the Bulldogs.
While it would be unfair to put Judge-like expectations on anyone, the Bulldogs could very well have their best prospect since the super slugger wore their uniform: third baseman Murf Gray.
A 6-foot-4, 210-pound infielder who was named Mountain West freshman of the year in 2013, Gray has shown off his plus-plus bat-to-ball skills in the early going of the spring, making consistently-loud contact and thoroughly establishing himself as the Bulldogs’ top offensive player.
Last year, Gray posted a 95% overall in-zone contact rate, including a monstrous 97% rate against fastballs.