While Major League Baseball’s draft remains on the horizon, the number of players under the microscope narrows significantly as high school playoffs wrap up and the collegiate postseason gets underway.
Beginning Friday, 64 teams will launch their journeys toward Omaha, as NCAA regional play commences. With a draft board that remains largely unsettled as the July 13 selection party draws nearer, the next three weeks could add clarity to the pecking order as evaluators get their last looks at the very best, particularly a stable of playoff-bound No. 1 starters.
USA TODAY Sports examines six players who will be in action during the NCAA regionals:
JB Middleton, RHP, Southern Mississippi (Hattiesburg Regional)
He’s been on the fringes of the first round based on prospect rankings and mock drafts and could benefit from an up-close eye test if the Golden Eagles advance out of Hattiesburg. Middleton, at 6-foot, 178 pounds, does not bring the physical presence of many top pitching prospects but will be attractive to clubs that prioritize strike-throwing. His 0.83 WHIP is tied with North Carolina ace Jake Knapp for second in the nation and first among postseason pitchers.
Middleton’s 114-24 strikeout-walk ratio in 98 ⅓ innings is elite, and while his fastball sits around 95 mph, it’s just his first year as a starter. With Ivy League champion Columbia the No. 4 seed, it will be interesting to see if Southern Miss saves Middleton for the Miami-Alabama winner or unleashes him in a perceived overmatch against the Lions.
Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma (Chapel Hill Regional)
Catch him while you can: The Sooners are in a dogfight of a regional, opening with Big Ten tournament champion Nebraska with No. 5 overall North Carolina looming in the winners’ bracket. The question for Witherspoon is whether he can lock in a spot in the draft’s top 10.
The 20-year-old blew away batters in the Sooners’ first SEC season, striking out 120 in 91 innings with a 0.91 WHIP. His fastball nears triple digits and his slider is his next-best pitch, with a four-pitch offering that will intrigue clubs seeking a quick mover. Oklahoma’s survival may depend as much upon the performance of Kyson’s twin brother, Malachi, who will likely get a starting nod sometime this weekend.
Brendan Summerhill, OF, Arizona (Eugene Regional)
An enticing prospect given he could likely man all three outfield spots as a pro, Summerhill could use an extended look after a broken hand and hamstring injury limited him to just 168 plate appearances this season. He posted a cartoonish .512 OBP in that span and 19 of his 51 hits went for extra bases.
The Wildcats will likely need to prevail in an old school Pac-12 matchup against the host Ducks, though they’ll have the momentum of a Big 12 tournament title on their side in their first year in the new league. Summerhill will be bidding for the Wildcats’ third first-round selection in four years.
Marek Houston, SS, Wake Forest (Knoxville Regional)
With five prep shortstops slated to go in the draft’s top 15, Houston has a chance to show evaluators a more pro-ready skill set in the postseason. He had a decent platform year – a .351/.460/.572 line, with 12 homers and 19 steals – but defensive steadiness might be his calling card.
Still, the postseason can provide Houston a spotlight his prep competition will lack. Houston is a consensus top 20 pick but if he can flash more offensive upside to pair with his glove-first profile, he may edge past some of his younger counterparts on draft day.
Nolan Schubart, OF, Oklahoma State (Athens Regional)
Schubart comes in on a heater, with nine of his 17 home runs in the past 17 games for a Cowboys team that’s just 28-23 but boasts the pitching and power that make them a live dog to put a scare into host Georgia.
At 6-foot-5, 223 pounds, Schubart figures to only get bigger and stronger as a pro, where his primary position will surely be “hitter.” He’s generated a top exit velocity of 116 mph and made modest strides in his strikeout percentage, cutting it from 27.4% his sophomore year to 25.1. That swing-and-miss will keep him out of the first round, but a big postseason could power Schubart into a first-day selection.
James Ellwanger, RHP, Dallas Baptist (Baton Rouge regional)
The Patriots’ pitching factory has a decent chance to produce four picks in the top three rounds over the past two years; 2024 second-rounder Ryan Johnson has already reached the majors with the Angels. Ellwanger, at 6-4, 205 pounds, touches the upper 90s with his fastball but has struggled with control, walking 36 in 59 innings this season.
Still, Ellwanger and fellow projected top-round right-hander Micah Bucknam give Dallas Baptist the sort of pitching profile one needs to survive a regional; perhaps one of them will get matched up with LSU lefty Kade Anderson, a likely top 10 overall pick.
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