College baseball week in review: Fast start for Stanford slugger Rintaro Sasaki
Stanford freshman Rintaro Sasaki, the all-time home run leader in Japanese high school history, is off to a great start in his first season of college baseball. The slugging first basemen went 6 for 14 with eight RBIs as Stanford won the first three games of a four-game series at Cal State Fullerton.
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Sasaki was projected to be the top prospect in the 2024 Nippon Professional Baseball draft but opted to bypass pro ball in his native country to play collegiately in the United States. He hit 140 home runs for Hanamaki-Higashi High School, where he was coached by his father Hiroshi.
Sasaki picked Stanford over Cal, UCLA and Vanderbilt.
GO DEEPER
A 19-year-old Stanford phenom is blazing a new trail from Japan to the majors
What a moment at Plainsman Park.
On Friday morning, Auburn outfielder Cade Belyeu lost his mother Staci to cancer. Later that night, the sophomore hit a solo home run in the Tigers' 4-1 victory over Holy Cross.
Some things just transcend sports. 🤍#WarEagle | @cadebelyeu14 pic.twitter.com/qHXcVXBeMS
— Auburn Baseball (@AuburnBaseball) February 15, 2025
'One of the most inspiring things I have seen in 32 years,' head coach Butch Thompson said on AuburnTigers.com. 'That is the storyline of this ball game, regardless of outcome or result. Staci wanted her son to play. I didn't know how it would go, but he played an amazing game. It was pretty incredible.'
Belyeu, who played locally at Auburn High School, went 2 for 4 on Friday and 6 for 12 for the weekend as the Tigers took two of three from Holy Cross.
Florida State's Jamie Arnold, considered by many to be the top pitcher entering the 2025 season, was brilliant in the Seminoles' 6-0 win over James Madison on Friday night. The left-hander allowed only one hit and struck out eight with no walks in six shutout innings.
Let's check in on the other five pitchers who made The Athletic's preseason All-America team.
• Tyler Bremner, RPH, UCSB: Bremner was removed after 25 pitches and three shutout innings of the Gauchos' 6-1 win over Campbell. Coach Andrew Checketts told Jacob Rudner of Baseball America that the move was precautionary.
UCSB ace Tyler Bremner was removed in the third inning of his start tonight against Campbell as a precaution due to some tightness related to the cold weather, Gauchos head coach Andrew Checketts told @BaseballAmerica. Checketts said Bremner was begging to stay in the game.
— Jacob Rudner (@JacobRudner) February 15, 2025
• Aidan Knaak, RHP, Clemson: Knaak struck out seven of the first eight batters before running into some trouble against Oklahoma State in Arlington, Texas. He ended up allowing five hits and four earned runs in four innings of the Tigers' 6-5 win.
• Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma: Witherspoon allowed two hits and two earned runs while striking out nine in five innings of an 11-3 win over Lehigh.
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• Chase Shores, RHP, LSU: Shores, who missed last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, allowed one earned run and three hits in five innings on Sunday in an 8-1 win over Purdue Fort Wayne.
• Ryan Prager, LHP, Texas A&M: Prager, who returned to A&M after being picked in the third round of the 2024 MLB Draft, threw five scoreless innings, allowing only one hit and two walks while striking out eight in a 4-2 win over Elon.
Remember Hunter Elliott?
Three years ago, the left-hander emerged as a key weapon — while just a freshman — on the Ole Miss pitching staff that carried the Rebels to the national championship. In four NCAA Tournament starts, including two at the College World Series, Elliott allowed only 15 hits and four earned runs in 26.1 innings. The Mississippi native appeared headed for stardom in the SEC.
His career, however, was derailed by injury. He made only two starts early in the 2023 season before undergoing Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for essentially two full seasons.
On Friday, he made his much-anticipated return to the Rebels rotation, and it couldn't have gone better. Facing a ranked (at the time) Arizona team, Elliott allowed only two hits in five shutout innings in a 2-1 Ole Miss win.
Elliott's return to his freshman-year form would be a huge boost for an Ole Miss team looking to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since its national title season. The Rebels are 2-1 after wins over Arizona and Clemson and a loss to Texas.
𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗖𝗛: Hunter Elliott talks his return to the mound and our season-opening win over the Wildcats!@elliotthunter10 | @FloCollege 📺 pic.twitter.com/gDFG1jwxY4
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 15, 2025
Duke was the only team in our preseason Top 25 that lost a series at home on the opening weekend. The Blue Devils, who were ranked No. 11 and are coming off just the second 40-win season in program history, lost two of three to Cincinnati at Jack Coombs Field in Durham.
The Bearcats sandwiched wins of 8-3 on Friday and 19-5 on Sunday around a 6-5 extra-innings loss on Saturday.
It's a great start for Cincinnati under second-year coach Jordan Bischel, who guided the Bearcats to a surprising 17-13 record in the Big 12 in 2024 — the program's first in the league.
Most disappointing team of the opening weekend? Has to be the Arizona Wildcats, who went 0-3 at the Shriners Children's College Showdown in Arlington, Texas. Arizona lost 2-1 to Ole Miss on Friday, 16-5 to Clemson on Saturday and 13-1 to Louisville on Sunday.
The Wildcats, ranked No. 15 in the preseason, have made a Regional in four straight seasons, including the last three under coach Chip Hale.
The SEC claimed five of the top six spots in The Athletic's preseason Top 25, and those five teams went a combined 15-0 in home games against mostly overmatched opponents. (Arkansas concludes its four-game set with Washington State this afternoon.)
• No. 1 Texas A&M struggled a bit in its opener but rallied for a 4-2 win over Elon on Friday. The Aggies won the next two with ease, by scores of 16-6 and 12-6. All-American Jace LaViolette had three hits — and three home runs — in 14 plate appearances (10 official at-bats).
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• No. 2 Arkansas survived a scare in the opener but beat Wazzu 3-2 in extra innings after scoring two runs (on no hits) in the bottom of the 10th. The Hogs' pitching staff, maybe the best in the nation, has allowed a total of six runs and 17 hits heading into Monday's series finale.
• No. 4 LSU barely broke a sweat in a three-game sweep over Purdue Fort Wayne, winning by scores of 14-0, 10-1 and 8-1. Second baseman Daniel Dickinson, a highly touted transfer from Utah Valley, went 5 for 9 with a double and a home run. Freshman outfielder Derek Curiel, one of the top recruits to make it to campus, went 4 for 11 with a home run.
• No. 5 Tennessee run-ruled Hofstra in three straight games, winning 15-0 on Friday, 18-1 on Saturday and 13-1 on Sunday. Liam Doyle, a transfer from Ole Miss, settled into new role as the Vols' Friday night starter by striking out 11 and allowing only one hit in five scoreless innings.
• No. 5 Florida swept Air Force by a combined score of 28-5. The Gators got a big weekend from catcher/DH Brody Donay, who went 7 for 10 with three home runs and two doubles.
It's safe to say Wagner ran out of pitching after opening the season with a 3-2 win over Indiana State on Friday afternoon in Gastonia, N.C. ISU bounced back with a 16-6 win in Game 2 later on Friday and then pounded the Seahawks 36-6 on Sunday thanks to a 20-spot in the third inning and a 10-spot in the fifth.
The carnage from the third inning: 24 batters to the plate, seven singles, seven walks, four doubles, two errors and one hit by pitch.
There were even more offensive fireworks in Williamsburg, Va., where Rhode Island outlasted host William & Mary 36-24 in only seven innings on Sunday afternoon. URI scored in every inning, highlighted by a 17-run fifth that featured four home runs.
College baseball is back!
Well, that escalated quickly!!!@RhodyBaseball #GoRhody
📸: Jim Agnew/William & Mary Athletics pic.twitter.com/iXBHBQWLor
— Rhode Island Rams (@GoRhodyRams) February 17, 2025
• Stetson opened the Puerto Rico Challenge with wins over UConn, Penn State and Missouri. The Hatters, who went 41-22 and played in the Tallahassee Regional in 2024, play Michigan at 12:30 p.m. on Monday.
• Speaking of the Wolverines, Tracy Smith's club shocked Virginia, No. 3 in our preseason rankings, 5-4 on Friday afternoon and followed up with wins over Rice and Villanova.
• Northwestern took two of three at Long Beach State, marking the first time since 2008 the Wildcats have opened the season with a series win. They have not had a winning record since going 30-27 in 2000.
For the first time since 2008, @NUCatsBaseball has won a three game opening series, winning two of three against Long Beach State. Buy stock now!
— Donald Stricklin (@Dstricklin8) February 16, 2025
• Wake Forest junior Marek Houston, considered by some to be the top college shortstop in the 2025 MLB Draft, had quite the opening weekend at the plate. The Florida native went 10 for 14 with three home runs, 11 runs scored and 13 RBIs as the Deacons took two from LIU and two from Marist by a combined score of 63-12
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• TCU opened its season with three straight wins at San Diego, a team picked to contend in the West Coast Conference. The Frogs, who missed a Regional in 2024 for the first time since 2018, will look to finish the four-game sweep on Monday afternoon.
• Nebraska bounced back from a 10-5 loss to UC Irvine on Friday to beat Vanderbilt 6-4 on Saturday and San Diego State 13-0 on Sunday. Left fielder Gabe Swansen drove in all six runs against Vanderbilt, clearing the bases with a three-run triple in the first, doubling in a run in the third and drilling a two-run home run in the seventh. The Huskers play at Grand Canyon on Monday afternoon.
• South Carolina swept Sacred Heart, giving Paul Mainieri a 3-0 start in his return to coaching.
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American Press
2 hours ago
- American Press
Anderson pitches LSU past Hogs in CWS opener
Photo by: Mitchell Scaglione OMAHA, Neb. — Never mind that it's probably not the way you'd map out your opening game of the College World Series. Who cares? Surely not LSU — winning means never having to say you're sorry, even when you're whiffing left and flailing right for much of the night. But the Tigers, best known in Omaha for their Gorilla Ball days of yore, basically pitched and small-balled their way into the winners bracket with to a 4-1 victory over No 3 seed Arkansas. The Tigers will play again Monday against UCLA, which beat Murray State earlier Saturday. 'I've seen it before,' LSU head coach Jay Johnson said. 'I'm just proud of my team for fighting and finding a way to win.' It defied some odds as LSU struck out 16 times against Arkansas, but the Tigers made efficient use of their rare opportunities and — the real key — got a gem of a mound performance from co-ace Kade Anderson. 'We did just enough,' Johnson said. Maybe, kiddos, you wouldn't want to try it this way at home — LSU did that in early May in Baton Rouge when the Tigers struck out 15 times, their previous season-high, in a 7-4 loss to the Razorbacks. But the way Anderson (11-1) was dealing, Saturday's meager offense — just six hits for the Tigers — was almost overkill. 'It's what we've been accustomed to on the opening night of every weekend this year,' Johnson said of Anderson, who allowed just the one run and three hits in seven-plus innings. 'I thought he got stronger as the game went along. 'I thought he executed pitches a really high level … against that offense.' 'Really it boiled down to Anderson,' Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. 'He didn't give us anything. He's 11-1 because he's really good.' Anderson left after giving up a lead-off single in the eighth, but Chase Shores got the final three outs there and Casen Evans got the last three outs in the ninth after giving up a leadoff single. Anderson wasn't happy with his previous performance in the super regional last week when he wasn't as sharp in the Tigers' 16-9 win over West Virginia. Saturday on the big stage was one of his best as he held the SEC's best hitting team to only the one run — a solo home run by Reese Robinette in the sixth. 'It doesn't matter (how) the stats lines up,' Anderson said. 'But we won the game and that's really all I care about.' Arkansas pitching was pretty good, too. But LSU chased starer Zach Root with two outs in the second without hitting the Arkansas ace hard. The Tigers loaded the bases with one out in the second on a pair of walks and Daniel Dickinson's bunt single. Chris Stanfield drove in the game's first run with a soft single to left, followed by Michael Braswell getting hit by a pitch with the bases still loaded. Josh Pearson then beat the rap on his ground ball to avoid an attempted double-play relay to get the inning's final run in for an early 3-0 lead. The Tigers were stymied by Arkansas relief ace Gabe Gaeckle, but got a little breathing room in the eighth when Steven Milan hustled out a one-out double and Derek Curiel got him home with a 2-out, RBI single on an 0-2 count. 'That was huge,' Johnson said of the way the Tigers took advantage of their few scoring opportunities.' 'We did a good job of that tonight. When you're facing those caliber arms, you're not going to get a ton (of chances) like you would playing in SEC ballparks where the home run is always real. 'We got ourselves in position (for the final run), great base running play by Steven. Just a little bit of bobble in the outfield to get (him) to second base right there. And (Cutriel) was born to hit. And he stayed on the ball and did what he does.' But the story was Anderson. 'He's got tremendous stuff,' Johnson said. 'It's four pitches for strikes. He's never boxed into having to throw a certain way … He's got a plan for any type of hitter … I thought he just executed. He's such a tremendous competitor.' Van Horn agreed from his view in the Arkansas dugout. He really just doesn't leave the ball over the middle of the plate,' the Razorback coach said. 'Even his misses are close … Changes speeds just enough. 'The first time we faced him (a 4-3 victory in May), he struck us out more, but we hit him harder. When we did hit it, we hit it hard, and we scored some runs on him. 'Tonight, when we hit it, we didn't hit it real hard most of the time. He's a really good pitcher.' HISTORY: LSU's 20th appearance in the CWS, all in the last 40 years, in the most by any team in that span. THIRD TIME: It was the third time LSU and Arkansas have played in the CWS. LSU is now 3-0 against the Omahogs, having won the first two during the Tigers' 2009 run to the national championship. It was LSU's third win in four tries against Arkansas this season as they took two of three in Baton Rouge in early May. EQUIPMENT DELAY: The game was halted in top of the fifth for several minutes when Arkansas reliever Gabe Gaeckle broke a shoe lace. He had to go to the dugout to get it repaired.
2 hours ago
Kade Anderson's dominant outing carries LSU in 4-1 win over Arkansas at the College World Series
OMAHA, Neb. -- Kade Anderson limited Arkansas' high-powered offense to three hits and a run in seven-plus innings, LSU knocked Razorbacks ace Zach Root out of the game early, and the Tigers beat the rival Razorbacks 4-1 in the College World Series on Saturday night. Anderson, a projected top-five overall pick in the MLB amateur draft next month, kept Arkansas batters off-balance with his four-pitch mix and struck out seven to become the national leader with 170. 'Outstanding performance, one we've been accustomed to on opening night of every weekend,' LSU coach Jay Johnson said. 'He got stronger as the game went along, and he executed pitches at a high level, which you have to do against that offense. Offensively, we did just enough.' LSU (49-15), which won the SEC regular-season series against the Razorbacks in Baton Rouge last month, improved to 4-0 in all-time CWS meetings. The Tigers will play UCLA on Monday night as they continue their bid to win a second national title in three years. Arkansas (48-14), in its 12th CWS and looking for its first championship, meets Murray State in an elimination game Monday. 'Obviously, we need to move on from this one and get over it and not think too far down the road,' Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. 'We have to take care of business Monday because if we don't, there's no Tuesday. You can't get all uptight about it. These guys have come back and won games. They've done some great things this year.' The matchup between the No. 3 national seed Razorbacks and No. 6 Tigers marked the first time since the NCAA Tournament went to its current format in 1999 that the highest remaining seeds have met in their CWS opener. The Tigers were up 3-0 in the second inning after Root (8-6) issued two walks and allowed a bunt single to Daniel Dickinson to load the bases. Chris Stanfield singled in a run and another was forced in when Root plunked Michael Braswell III in the foot. The third came home when Josh Pearson grounded to short and beat the relay throw to first on the double-play attempt. That was all for Root, whose 1 2/3 innings marked his shortest start of the season. 'When you're facing that caliber of arms, you aren't going to get a ton (of runs) maybe like you would playing in SEC ballparks where home runs are a real thing with every pitch of the game,' Johnson said. 'We did an excellent job setting the table. I've coached enough games here to know getting the lead is really important.' Van Horn said it was a hard decision to take out Root. 'The game was about to get out of hand,' Van Horn said. 'Yeah, it's early. The wind was blowing in. Scoring a lot of runs against Anderson, to me, was something that wasn't going to happen. I hated to do it, but I felt like it was the right decision and I'll stand by it.' Gabe Gaeckle, who moved to the bullpen after making nine starts, kept his team in the game. He allowed just three hits, and his 10 strikeouts and six innings were career highs. Gaeckle left with two outs and a runner on second in the eighth. Cole Gibler came on and Derek Curiel sent his 0-2 pitch to left for an insurance run. Anderson (11-1) held the Razorbacks scoreless until the sixth when Reese Robinett connected for his third homer of the season. 'Real cool moment,' Anderson said of his night. 'Just taking it all in. That's why you come here. Really proud of our team. Doesn't matter the stat line. We won the game and that's all I really care about.' The left-hander from tiny Madisonville, Louisiana, went seven innings for the third straight start and departed after Cam Kozeal singled leading off the eighth. Chase Shores retired three straight and turned things over to freshman Casan Evans in the ninth. Evans worked around Charles Davalan's leadoff single to finish off the Razorbacks. The full house of more than 25,000 was evenly split between the fan bases. Well before first pitch, Arkansas fans countered passionate 'L-S-U' chants by raising their arms and doing the Hog call: 'Wooooooooo. Pig. Sooie!' Influencer and former LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne was in the front row in a half-LSU, half-Pittsburgh Pirates No. 30 jersey with the name of her boyfriend, Paul Skenes, on the back. Skenes pitched on LSU's 2023 title team before he made his fast rise in the majors.
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
College World Series winners and losers: The best and worst from Day 2 in Omaha
College World Series winners and losers: The best and worst from Day 2 in Omaha Show Caption Hide Caption Which NCAA baseball teams could blow up the bracket The Montgomery Advertiser's Adam Cole and The Southwest Times Record's Jackson Fuller break down who could wreck the tournament bracket. OMAHA, NE ― Day 2 of the 2025 Men's College World Series saw powerhouse LSU move into the winners bracket while mid-major darlings Murray State will face elimination against Arkansas. The Tigers saw a strong start from Kade Anderson in a 4-1 win over the Razorbacks, while UCLA defeated the Racers, 6-4. LSU and UCLA will face off on June 16 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) for a spot in the semifinals, while Arkansas will face Murray State in the early game (2 p.m. ET, ESPN). Here were the Day 2 winners and losers: WINNERS Bunting Bunting has always been a bigger part of college baseball than MLB, but in a lower-scoring College World Series, teams have more frequently turned to the bunt. UCLA bunted twice in its victory, including one squeeze bunt by star shortstop Roch Cholowsky that got the Bruins a run. Ironically, Bruins coach John Savage wasn't too pleased with the play, even though it worked. "That was on his own," Savage said. "That was not us. I'm like, 'Come on, Roch, what are we doing here?' But ... how can you blame a guy for playing baseball?" Then, in the second game, with two on and one out, LSU's Daniel Dickinson dropped down a perfect bunt single. The Tigers ultimately scored three runs in that inning. Rocco's Jello shots Rocco's, an Omaha bar most famous for its "Jello shot challenge," surely cheers for LSU every postseason. Tigers fans show up in droves and, known for their tailgating prowess, buy up plenty of Jello shots. Now, LSU is guaranteed to be in Omaha through at least Tuesday and likely longer. That will surely net Rocco's more cash − and Tigers fans more social media notoriety. Freshmen Think freshmen have become unimportant in the age of NIL and the transfer portal? Think again. Both winning teams, UCLA and LSU, saw significant contributions from freshmen. The Tigers' Derek Curiel had two of the biggest plate appearances of the game, coming back from down 0-2 to draw a walk in an eventual three-run second inning and hitting an RBI single for an insurance run in the eighth. "I think the first at-bat might have been one of the most under-noticed, most important at-bats in the game, where he fell down 0-2 to Zach Root, and fought his way back to put a runner in scoring position for the first time," LSU coach Jay Johnson said in the postgame press conference. " ... But I'm not surprised. Like I said, he was born to hit. His disposition, his demeanor is made for hitting with runners on base is made for playing in games like the College World Series." Several other freshmen pitchers contributed for multiple teams. The Tigers' Casan Evans got the save with a scoreless ninth inning. UCLA's Easton Hawk also picked up the save after Murray State chipped away at an early lead, striking out two in a perfect inning. Arkansas reliever Cole Gibler struck out three in one inning of work. LOSERS Home runs (again) Day 1 in Omaha saw just one home run. But Day 2 featured teams with more offensive firepower, so perhaps the long ball would reappear? Not so much. Murray State and UCLA didn't hit a single home run in their matchup and had three total extra-base hits, all doubles. Arkansas' Reese Robinett went deep in game 2, the first no-doubt home run of the tournament. Just two home runs have been hit so far in Omaha, and neither team that homered won its game. Shoelaces During the top of the fifth inning against LSU, Arkansas pitcher Gabe Gaeckle had to leave the mound and go into the dugout when his shoelace broke. Gaeckle threaded a new shoelace into his cleat and returned to the mound after a few minutes. It certainly wasn't a ringing endorsement of whoever made the shoelaces Gaeckle used, and it didn't help that Steven Milam hit a single right afterward. After that inning, Gaeckle changed out the other shoelace in the dugout. MURRAY STATE: Has No. 4 seed ever won College World Series? How Murray State might fare at CWS Neutral fans Many people in Omaha not supporting a specific team pulled for Murray State, as evidenced by the Rocco's Jello Shot Challenge leaderboard. But the Racers will face elimination in their next game and they won't have an easy matchup with Arkansas. Those seeking hotel rooms in Omaha won't be too happy with LSU's win, either, as Tigers fans tend to be one of the largest groups in Omaha. Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@ or on X @aria_gerson.
