Alumni Roundup: Week Eight

April 6, 2026


Plenty to check in on in week eight of the Top Tier alumni roundup. Tomas Valincius and Wes Mendes were recently tabbed as Midseason Watch list Pitcher of the Year candidates and D1Baseball Midseason All-Americans. Hunter Dietz is in a prime position to lead the SEC in strikeouts - but Valincius and Peterson aren’t far behind.

Also a storyline to keep an eye on: John Abraham has become lethal out of the Florida State ‘pen. 

More updates on week eight of the alumni roundup:

Hunter Dietz (Arkansas) delivered another standout performance on Friday, going seven innings while allowing two runs on six hits in a win over Auburn. He struck out 11 and picked up his third victory of the season. Dietz now has 69 strikeouts through 41 innings, leading the SEC and sitting just ahead of Tomas Valincius. He’s in line to start next weekend as Arkansas travels to Tuscaloosa to face No. 8 Alabama.


Steven Milam (LSU) launched an extra-inning home run in a win over Tennessee yesterday afternoon. He added two more hits and drove in three in the series finale, capping off an impressive stretch at the plate. Milam finished the week with three home runs and five RBI as LSU went 3-1, highlighted by a series win over the Vols.


Tomas Valincius (Mississippi State) took the ball in Friday’s matchup against No. 5 Georgia and turned in a strong outing despite being tagged with his first loss of the season. He went seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out 10. The heavily-reliable lefty will take the ball this weekend against Tennessee in Starkville and try to get back in the win column.



Vytas Valincius (Mississippi State) went yard in his first at-bat on Saturday for one of his two hits against Georgia.. Vytas is now hitting .385 through 39 at-bats on the season.



Jack Bauer (Mississippi State) logged innings in both midweek and weekend action for the Bulldogs. He tossed 1.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts against Grambling State, then followed it up with a 2.1-inning outing against Georgia, throwing a season-high 43 pitches. Bauer allowed a couple of hits and walks but kept runs off the board while striking out two. He has now strung together three consecutive scoreless appearances dating back to February 28.



Mack Whitcomb (Vanderbilt) launched a home run in a midweek game against Belmont and added another hit in limited action versus Texas A&M. Whitcomb is now hitting .340 through 53 at-bats this season. Vanderbilt prepares for a midweek matchup with EKU before hosting Oklahoma.



Lucas Smith (UIC) turned in a five-hit week, including three extra-base hits. He recorded a double and a triple in a midweek win over UW-Milwaukee, then followed with a double, single, and three RBI in Saturday’s win against Indiana State.



Josh Outlaw added a double and a triple during a productive weekend for Illinois State. He played a key role in the series finale win, recording two hits and two RBI as the Redbirds finished the week 2-2. Outlaw raised his season average to .321 with his performance.



Tommy Egan (Troy) turned in a solid outing on Saturday, working 4.2 innings while allowing two runs on seven hits in a no-decision against Arkansas State. He struck out 11 hitters in the appearance as Troy went on to secure a 6-4 win. The Trojans have now won each of Egan’s last two starts.



Colin Husko (UIC) put together a productive week, collecting three hits and driving in five runs between a midweek matchup against UW-Milwaukee and a weekend series against Indiana State. Husko has now recorded an RBI in five straight games.

 


John Abraham (Florida State) continues to be a key piece out of the bullpen, turning in two scoreless appearances this week. He logged a combined 5.1 innings while striking out nine hitters across the outings. Abraham also picked up the save on Friday in a 5-2 win over Virginia in Charlottesville, further solidifying his role in high-leverage situations for the Seminoles.

 


Cade Kurland (Florida) is starting to find his rhythm at the plate, putting together a five-hit week that included a home run on Thursday against Ole Miss. He’s now hitting .260 on the season as Florida prepares for a midweek matchup against Florida State followed by a weekend series in Athens against Georgia.

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