College Baseball Week Four Standouts: Chase Burns Shows Out, Devyn Terbrak Throws No-No

Image credit: Chase Burns (Bill Mitchell)

One of the best things about college baseball, and really the game of baseball in general, is that every game, series and week bring new surprises. Last week was no different as there was a no-hitter thrown, a 17-strikeout performance, four home runs hit in a game by a single player and plenty more. 

Thatcher Hurd, RHP, LSU

Hurd was one of the more sought-after transfers after entering his name into the transfer portal following an outstanding true freshman season at UCLA in which he pitched his way to a minuscule ERA of 1.06 while striking out 48 across 34 innings pitched. He ended up in Baton Rouge, and since giving up four earned runs in two innings in his first start for LSU, Hurd has thrown 15.2 straight scoreless innings. He got the ball twice for LSU last week: first on Monday against Butler and then again on Sunday in the team’s series finale against Samford. On the week alone he tossed 11.2 scoreless innings, notching 18 strikeouts in the process. Hurd’s fastball has consistently been his best pitch, sitting 94-96 deep into outings with great shape and carry when it is elevated. Hurd also mixed in a shorter, harder slider that also got some swing and miss. To supplement his fastball and slider, Hurd will also mix in a curveball that has good depth to it and it is a pitch he can land for strikes. 

Wyatt Hudepohl, RHP, Charlotte

Hudepohl entered Friday’s matchup against Old Dominion with an ERA of 8.16 and just 12 strikeouts across 14.1 innings pitched. He then proceeded to toss a complete game against one of the most prolific offenses in the country, logging 17 strikeouts all while allowing just five hits, two earned runs and no walks. The righthander ran his fastball up to 95 mph from an over-the-top slot, which allowed him to create ample back spin on the pitch, making hitters constantly swing under it—especially when elevated up in the zone. Hudepohl’s best secondary pitch is his sharp, downward curveball. In his complete game effort, he threw his curveball 51% of the time and got 19 swings and misses with it (73% miss rate). 

Devyn Terbrak, LHP, Western Kentucky

Entering Sunday’s contest against South Dakota State, Terbrak had a modest 3.86 ERA with 15 strikeouts across 14 innings pitched. Although the lefthander averages just 86.9 mph on his fastball, his above-average pitchability allows him to avoid hard contact and consistently miss barrels. He throws from a three-quarter slot and pounds the strike zone with his five-pitch arsenal that consists of a fastball, cutter, slider, changeup and curveball. Terbrak primarily relies on his fastball, but his cutter and slider are his go-to secondary offerings. This past Sunday he was nearly perfect, as he threw a complete game no-hitter, struck out 14 and walked just one. With the performance, Terbrak’s ERA now sits at 2.35 with a fantastic strikeout-to-walk ratio of 29-to-4.

Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida

At this point in the season, I don’t think you can publish a standouts article without some mention of Caglianone. Although he threw three more shutout innings with three strikeouts on Sunday afternoon against Siena and ran his fastball up to 96 mph in the process, it was his bat that really shined throughout the week. Caglianone went 10-for-20 with three doubles, three home runs and 10 RBIs. His most impressive day at the plate came on Sunday afternoon in the Gators’ series finale against Siena. The 6-foot-5 Caglianone went 3-for-3 with two home runs, a double and four RBIs. His first home run traveled 417 feet with an exit velocity of 105 mph, while his second home run traveled 431 feet with an exit velocity of 111 mph. Caglianone is now hitting .417 on the season with six doubles, 30 RBIs and leads the country in home runs with 13. As a starter on the mound, he’s compiled a 1.77 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 20.1 innings pitched. Caglianone is one of the most talented players in all of college baseball, and he is well on his way to potentially being selected first overall in the 2024 draft. 

Nolan Schanuel, OF/1B, Florida Atlantic

All Schanuel has done since arriving to FAU’s campus is hit; he hit .333 with 11 home runs as a true freshman and .369 with 16 home runs last spring as a sophomore. This year, the junior outfielder is off to his best start yet with a slash line of .462/.627/1.077 to go with eight home runs and 24 RBIs. This past week he went 8-for-12 with five home runs and 10 RBIs. Most notably, he went 3-for-4 against Florida with three home runs and five RBIs. One of Schanuel’s most impressive traits is his advanced approach and plate discipline. Having seen 191 pitches this season, Schanuel has swung and missed just nine times, which makes for a miss rate of 9%. When looking only at fastballs, of which Schanuel has seen 105, he has only swung and missed twice. He has a unique setup at the plate with an ultra-high handset, but his operation is incredibly rhythmic and is one that allows him to consistently get into a position to drive the baseball. 

Chase Burns, RHP, Tennessee

Although he received top-two round draft interest out of high school, Burns opted to take his talents to Knoxville to play for Tony Vitello and company. After a stellar true freshman season in which he had a 2.91 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 80.1 innings pitched, Burns is off to just as impressive of a start in 2023. Through four starts, Burns has a 1.88 ERA with 39 strikeouts to six walks in 24 innings pitched. This past Saturday against Morehead State, Burns set a career high in strikeouts with 13 and threw 6.2 shutout innings. Burns, who has run his fastball up to 100 mph in the past, was up to 97 in this outing with big-time arm-side run that he had good feel for. He commanded his fastball well to the glove side, and he supplemented his fastball with a lethal, sharp slider that has two-plane break and generated numerous swings and misses. Burns is a premier arm talent for the 2024 draft who could hear his name called among the top 35 picks. 

Daniel Bagwell, RHP, Queens University

Queens University, who is unranked and made the jump to Division I just this year, took on No. 14 East Carolina this past Tuesday in a game that looked like it would be a cakewalk for the Pirates. Bagwell had other plans, however, as he threw 8.2 innings with seven strikeouts and allowed just two earned runs. Bagwell will not blow anyone away with velocity, but he throws nothing straight and did an excellent job of avoiding hard contact on Tuesday night. Bagwell’s changeup was his best secondary offering with plenty of late fade and tumble and a 60% miss rate. 

Connor Tate, OF, Georgia

Tate is arguably the face of the Georgia baseball program. Across four-plus seasons he has a career .347 batting average with 38 doubles, 33 home runs and 138 RBIs in 179 games played. After hitting .345 with 19 doubles and 13 home runs in 2022, Tate opted to return to Georgia and is having a career season. Through 16 games he is hitting .516 with seven doubles, six home runs, 22 RBIs and 13 walks compared to six strikeouts. Across five games last week, Tate went a ridiculous 12-for-20 with two doubles, four home runs and 10 RBIs. Tate’s best performance came against Charleston Southern in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, in which he went 3-for-5 with three home runs. He employs a simple setup at the plate and essentially just lifts his front leg up and places it down rather than striding, a rhythmic operation that works well with his above-average bat speed. Tate has a relatively physical build, and his natural strength allows him to muscle balls out to right field.

Patrick Clohisy, OF, St. Louis

Although the Billikens only played three games last week, Clohisy made the most of it, going an absurd 10-for-15 with one double, one triple, four home runs and 10 RBIs. After a 5-for-6 game against Lindenwood (Mo.) on Tuesday, Clohisy was clearly saving his best for last as he went 4-for-5 with three home runs and seven RBIs against Northwestern. The sophomore outfielder came into the week hitting .286, and he has since raised his batting average by 100 points and is now hitting .386 with seven home runs and 18 RBIs in 13 games played. 

Chase Mora, IF, Texas State

Mora had arguably the best individual performance of anyone on this list, as he went 4-for-5 with four home runs and nine RBIs in the Bobcats’ Saturday win over North Dakota State. The true freshman has one of the most unique stat lines in the country, as he is 9-for-23 this season with seven of his nine hits being home runs. Mora has a wiry build with a fairly explosive swing and given that he’s currently listed at 154 pounds, he has plenty of room to get more physical and add even more impact.