Jack Bauer Stands Out, Plus Vandy, Florida Observations & More | College Fall Ball Intel

Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt’s fall has carried a distinctly evaluative tone after a summer of turnover that saw seven members of last year’s roster drafted, including Friday night starter JD Thompson, righthander Cody Bowker, outfielder RJ Austin and first baseman Riley Nelson. The Commodores entered the 2025 NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 national seed but were stunned by No. 4 seed Wright State in their own regional. It marked an abrupt end that underscored the importance of the ensuing offseason for coach Tim Corbin and his staff.

Corbin said he feels this new group has the ingredients to again meet Vanderbilt’s trademark standard. The offense, in particular, should carry more thump—an area he identified as a weakness last spring. 

“We have a stronger offensive group,” Corbin told Baseball America, noting that the team’s ability to drive the ball was a point of emphasis in roster construction and player development. 

That progress, however, has been difficult to fully gauge with several projected regulars sidelined. Transfer Max Jensen and returning infielder Chris Maldonado are among those limited, while a handful of pitchers are also recovering from minor ailments. Corbin said none of the injuries are expected to extend into the season, though some players may remain out through December.

The absences have created opportunities elsewhere. 

“It’s been really valuable for us to understand exactly what we have in terms of depth but also for the future,” Corbin said.

Among those healthy, the early focus has been on the impact of first-year hitting coach Jason Esposito, a former Commodore who returned to Nashville this offseason. Corbin credited Esposito for his ability to “communicate with players and create individualized plans to help guys improve.”

Esposito has also introduced a more analytical approach to hitting instruction—something Corbin said has already benefited players like sophomore infielder Brodie Johnston, who hit .260 with 15 home runs last year but struck out in 28.3% of plate appearances compared to a 4.2% walk rate. Improving Johnston’s zone command has been a key goal this fall.

On the mound, Corbin mentioned returning arms Austin Nye, Connor Fennell and Luke Guth, as well as Georgia transfer Nate Taylor as having made positive early impressions. However, he cautioned against reading too much into any one performance this time of year.

Adding to Corbin’s optimism is the team’s commitment level over the summer. The 24th-year head coach said 21 players remained in Nashville to train, the most in his tenure. It was a sign, he noted, of a group invested in taking ownership of its development but also in the changing times as it relates to summer ball participation.

Florida

Florida officially opened fall workouts on Oct. 7, leaving it with limited on-field evaluation time so far. Still, early sentiment in Gainesville is one of quiet optimism. 

Coach Kevin O’Sullivan and his staff believe they’ve maximized their offseason resources to build a transfer class that complements a high-end core of returning talent, led by righthander Liam Peterson, the No. 1 college pitcher in the 2026 draft class; infielder Brendan Lawson, the top-ranked college prospect for 2027; and righthander Aidan King, who ranks No. 10 in that same class.

Scoring runs hasn’t been an issue for Florida in recent years, and 2026 should be no different. The Gators bolstered an already dynamic lineup with four key transfers: former TCU catcher Karson Bowen, former Jacksonville center fielder Jaden Bastian, former Columbia shortstop Sam Miller and former Ole Miss infielder Ethan Surowiec, who broke out with one of the loudest summer performances in the country. Returning contributors Lawson, second baseman Cade Kurland and fleet-footed outfielder Kyle Jones headline a group expected to keep Florida among the SEC’s most dangerous offensive clubs.

The more pressing challenge has been on the mound. Florida ranked 12th in the SEC in ERA last season and was plagued by an elevated walk rate that repeatedly undercut its arm talent. There’s cautious confidence that 2026 will mark a course correction.

In addition to Peterson and King, the Gators return Luke McNeillie, Christian Rodriguez, Josh Writenour and Schuyler Sandford. They’ve added transfer righthanders Russell Sandefer (UCF), Cooper Walls (Hawaii) and Ricky Reeth (Notre Dame). The staff believes that trio, in particular, will help tighten the program’s collective command.

O’Sullivan, now entering his 19th year at the helm, has guided Florida to more College World Series appearances than any program in the country during his tenure. Yet the two regular seasons since the Gators’ 2023 national championship appearance have fallen short of that standard. O’Sullivan told Baseball America he’s confident this roster is more balanced, more consistent and better equipped to avoid the kind of late-season scramble that has defined the past two years.

Xavier

Few programs entered the offseason with as much frustration—and motivation—as Xavier.

While last year’s NCAA Tournament field was largely viewed as one of the most agreeable in recent memory, the Musketeers and fellow Big East contender UConn stood out as the most notable omissions. Both built aggressive schedules in an effort to strengthen their postseason resumes, but without the league’s automatic bid, those ambitions fell short on Selection Monday.

Coach Billy O’Connor told Baseball America that the disappointment hasn’t altered Xavier’s approach. He and his staff plan to continue scheduling with intent, believing that testing themselves against the country’s best remains the clearest path to the program’s sixth NCAA Tournament appearance. To compete with that caliber of opposition, he added, the Musketeers must look and play like them. 

“We needed to actualize our projectability,” O’Connor said. “I was just tired of being projectable.”

That focus on physicality has shaped the 2026 roster. O’Connor described this group as one that “looks amazing getting off the bus,” praising its size and strength while expressing confidence that the offseason gains will translate into game power on both sides of the ball.

The offensive core begins with outfielder Clay Burdette, who ranked among the most powerful hitters in college baseball last season with a 94 mph average exit velocity and a 111 mph 90th percentile mark. Burdette slashed .292/.407/.540 with 13 home runs, nine doubles and 13 stolen bases while emerging as a vocal leader. 

“He sets the tone for the group,” O’Connor said. 

O’Connor also highlighted first baseman Connor Misch, who hit .338/.489/.475 with a team-high 50 RBIs, and outfielder Landon Mensik, who has rebounded from an uneven 2025 with a strong fall. Peter Johnson, a transfer from Liberty, has also impressed early as a corner outfield bat who “could really make an impact for us,” O’Connor said.

Pitching remains the biggest variable. Xavier finished with a 5.81 ERA in 2025, though O’Connor believes the staff is positioned for a step forward. Righthander Ryan Piech is expected to anchor the rotation despite being sidelined this fall with a hip injury, and O’Connor said his stuff remains “as good as anyone’s on the roster.”

One of the “biggest developments of the fall,” he added, has been the emergence of Jack Nobe, whose fastball has climbed to 96 mph after an up-and-down freshman campaign. O’Connor praised Nobe’s confidence and maturity, saying the sophomore “is starting to realize his potential.” He also expressed excitement about transfer righthander Karter Muck, a long-time recruiting target.

Collectively, O’Connor said, the strength of Xavier’s staff lies in its age, poise and experience—qualities he believes will allow the Musketeers to turn last year’s near miss into motivation for another NCAA push.

Arizona State

Like Florida, Arizona State has only just begun intrasquad action, leaving limited opportunities for early evaluation. But two things are already evident both within the program and to those watching from the outside: The Sun Devils are immensely talented and physically imposing. Coach Willie Bloomquist pointed specifically to the team’s athleticism and strength.

One Big 12 recruiting coordinator told Baseball America he believed Arizona State and TCU were the league’s two most talented rosters but wondered whether the Sun Devils could finally translate that talent into postseason success. Arizona State hasn’t advanced to a super regional since 2011.

Given the stakes of the 2026 season for Bloomquist and his staff, the program will remain one to monitor closely as fall ball continues. For now, there’s a tone of cautious optimism in Tempe—one rooted in the belief that the right blend of talent, maturity and health could finally push the Sun Devils back into national relevance.

Kentucky

Kentucky’s fall slate opened with a statement.

After trading early blows with a talented West Virginia team in a scrimmage, the Wildcats pulled away in emphatic fashion, outscoring the Mountaineers 26–10 over 14 innings of play. Luke Lawrence, Ryan Schwartz and Caden Cloud were among the day’s standouts, but two transfers—one on the mound and one in the outfield—commanded much of the attention.

On the pitching side, Jaxon Jelkin has quickly emerged as one of Kentucky’s most intriguing arms. The Houston transfer, who missed the 2025 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, has impressed evaluators in a closed-door setting dating back to the spring with what one observer described as “purely electric” stuff. Jelkin allowed some traffic on the bases against West Virginia but paired a turbo sinker that reached 99 mph with a high-spin power curveball and a developing changeup. Multiple sources expressed optimism that the 23-year-old righthander could anchor Kentucky’s weekend rotation and reestablish himself as a legitimate draft prospect.

Offensively, Jayce Tharnish stole the show with a 3-for-6 performance that included a home run, double, three RBIs, two walks and two stolen bases—leaving him just a triple shy of the fall cycle. The 6-foot-3 center fielder who transferred from St. Bonaventure, where he hit .403 with seven home runs, 11 doubles, three triples and 32 stolen bases in 33 attempts last spring. His swing is compact and efficient, built from a crouched setup with minimal stride and quick hands designed for line-drive contact.

For all the focus on the SEC’s perennial powers, Kentucky is quietly beginning to assert itself as a legitimate factor near the top of the league. With its blend of returning contributors and high-impact newcomers, the Wildcats appear poised to challenge the conference hierarchy in 2026.

Kansas 

Few programs in the country have risen faster than Kansas under coach Dan Fitzgerald. The Jayhawks’ surge reached a crescendo last season, when they earned their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2014, won a school-record 43 games and cemented themselves as one of college baseball’s most-improved programs.

The 2026 roster could take that progress even further. Should Kansas return to the postseason, it would mark the first back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in school history—a milestone that feels increasingly attainable given the depth and balance of Fitzgerald’s latest group.

One of the most intriguing newcomers is righthander Daniel Lopez, who was selected by the Orioles in the 12th round of the 2025 draft but chose to enroll at Kansas. The junior college product has been a standout this fall, sitting 94-96 mph and touching 97 with carry through the zone. He complements his fastball with a low-80s, 12-to-6 curveball, a diving changeup and a newly-added mid-80s slider with late vertical bite.

Across the roster, Kansas blends returning experience with promising new talent, positioning itself as one of the Big 12’s most quietly dangerous teams. The Jayhawks may not open the season with national headlines, but their ceiling—and momentum—suggest they won’t stay under the radar for long.

More Fall Ball Notes

• This is the time of year when buzz begins to build around standout performers in early fall action, and no name has generated more so far than Mississippi State freshman lefthander Jack Bauer. A highly-regarded prospect in this summer’s draft, Bauer honored his commitment to the Bulldogs instead of turning professional, giving new Mississippi State coach Brian O’Connor one of the hardest throwers in the country. Evaluators who have seen Bauer this fall say the premium velocity has translated seamlessly, and he’s looked exceptional in early outings. Bauer is expected to be a major contributor as a true freshman in 2026.

• At Coastal Carolina, fall practices are set to begin at Springs Brooks Stadium the week of Oct. 13 once installation of the program’s new playing surface is complete. The Chanticleers’ rotation will be led by righty Cameron Flukey, who is one of the top arms in the 2026 class. He’ll look to help steer the program back to Omaha.

• UCLA, the leading candidate to open the 2026 season ranked No. 1, began intrasquad play on Oct. 3. The Bruins feature an exceptionally deep roster anchored by reigning Player of the Year Roch Cholowsky and homegrown upperclassmen who helped guide the program to Omaha last season. Fellow Southern California power UC Irvine will begin its intrasquads on Oct. 17, and the two teams are slated to meet at UCLA on Nov. 1 in what should be one of the fall’s most compelling exhibition matchups.