Earlier this week we published part one of our 2026 college preview. Today, we take a look at even more players to keep an eye on.
Some of these names are incoming freshmen waiting for a chance to prove themselves. Others are established players looking for continued success at a high level.
Here is part two of our 2026 college preview:
Lucas Smith
Lucas Smith (UIC) is a redshirt sophomore for the Flames. A season ago, he started all of UIC’s games in the outfield. Smith will look to carry over a solid 2025 season into the new campaign.
Last season, Smith hit .340 with 17 XBH and 30 RBI and was a perfect 122-for-122 on outfield attempts. It’s a new season for Smith and the Flames, but Smith has solidified himself as a player to keep an eye on this spring.
Freshmen in East Lansing
CJ Deckinga and Davis Weeks are incoming freshmen at Michigan State and a pair to watch for this spring. Unclear what each other’s role will be just yet, but both will surely accrue a solid amount of time throughout the season.
Vanderbilt's Newest Bat
Mack Whitcomb had two outstanding seasons at Tennessee Tech which led to a call from Vanderbilt. Now in Nashville, Whitcomb will have the chance to prove his skillset in the SEC.
In 2025, he had 15 homers, hit .360 and had a .649 slugging percentage. With his 15 homers, Whitcomb broke the program record for single-season home runs by a catcher. These numbers earned him the OVC Player of the Year award and a spot on the ABCA/Rawlings All-Southeast Region First Team.
Currently it appears that Whitcomb will slide into the DH spot according to multiple Vandy previews. We’ll see what the starting lineup looks like for the Commodores this Friday at 3:00 p.m. EST against TCU in Arlington, Texas.
Reliable Arm
Matt Barnes II (UC Davis) earned himself 20 appearances as a true freshman. Now in his second year, he looks for an even bigger role in the Aggies rotation. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound El Cerrito native started six games for UC Davis last season but will surely have a larger role in 2026 given his strong performances as a first-year. We wouldn’t be surprised if Barnes got the ball in the opening weekend set at Texas.
From Wabash Valley to Gainesville
AJ Malzone heads from Wabash Valley to Florida, joining many Top Tier Roos alums. Florida, as always, is in position to be a strong contender for the SEC title and a CWS run. Malzone will have to win over the starting catcher job with a few other options at backstop. His bat will play a large part in the amount of playing time he receives. At WVC in 2025, Malzone hit .347 with 10 homers, 58 RBIs and 16 doubles. If he can’t carve out time behind the plate, look for Malzone to earn some at-bats through a DH spot. Florida hosts UAB in a three-game set this weekend.
Breakout Year Two Ahead
Jameson Martin (Minnesota) got ample time as a true freshman for the Gophers. Entering his second season, he’s now an asset for Minnesota – listed as a 2027 draft prospect by D1Baseball.com. Martin should get plenty of action to follow up on his 37 starts a season ago. The Gophers opening weekend consists of Stetson, St. John’s and Ball State in Deland, FL on Friday.
