by Matt Plante
Vice President

Opening Weekend in College Baseball: Top Tier Alumni Roundup
This weekend saw some teams in action across the country but it also had a lot of postponed games as well as the weather was not very cooperative on opening weekend for college baseball. Also, many other teams due to the COVID-19 conditions will not be starting their seasons for a few more weeks. With that being said it was great to see college baseball being played this past weekend with a lot of Top Tier Alums performing well for their colleges.

We saw a lot of our freshman making their debuts this weekend along with having some veterans play well to get things started in the 2021 baseball season. Here are some of the highlights.

Kevin Davis, USC-Upstate
Davis earned his 1st save of the year in the 3rd game of the opening weekend series vs. Toledo. Davis tossing a near perfect 2.2 innings giving up 0 runs on only 1 hit while striking out 8 of the 9 batters he faced. Davis earned the Big South Relief Pitcher of the Week honors. USC-Upstate swept Toledo on opening weekend and are 3-0 to start the year.

Trey Schramm, Xavier
Schramm earned a huge save this past weekend vs. Texas A&M on opening day, throwing 2.1 innings vs the Aggies giving up 0 runs and 0 hits while striking out 2. Xavier took 2 of 3 from Texas A&M on opening weekend and are 2-1 to start the year.

Austin Blazevic, SEMO
Blazevic collected multiple hits on opening weekend and has a 3 game hitting streak, going 5 for 11, hitting .455 with a double, a walk and an RBI. SEMO took 2 of 3 from South Alabama and are 2-1 to start the season. Blazevic was named OVC Player of the Week for the great offensive numbers he put up on opening weekend.

Dawson Place, High Point
Place got a start on opening weekend vs. Bryant where he pitched well earning a no-decision after tossing 2 innings of shutout baseball giving up 0 hits, a walk and striking out 3. High Point however lost 2 of 3 over the weekend and are 1-2 to start the year.

Jack Mahoney, South Carolina
Mahoney got to close out the game in his college debut on opening day for the #18 ranked Gamecocks. Mahoney threw a scoreless inning vs. Dayton giving up 0 hits and striking out 1. South Carolina went on to sweep Dayton over the weekend and are 3-0 to start the year.

Camden Minacci, Wake Forest
Minacci got his 1st career save in his college debut for the #17 ranked Demon Deacons on Opening Day. Minacci threw a scoreless inning vs. Northeastern giving up 0 hits and striking out 2 of the 3 batters he faced. Wake Forest took 2 of 3 from Northeastern over the weekend and are 2-1 to start the year.

Cam Redding, Saint Louis
Redding went 4 for 12 on opening weekend, hitting .333 with 4 RBI's. Saint Louis lost 3 of 4 vs. Kennesaw State and are 1-3 to start the season.

Bobby Seymour, Wake Forest
Seymour went 4 for 13 on opening weekend, hitting .307 with 2 walks and 3 RBI's to help the #17 ranked Demon Deacons take 2 of 3 vs. Northeastern. Wake Forest is 2-1 to start the season.

Hunter Mink, Florida
Mink got to throw 1.2 innings of relief for the #1 ranked Gators on opening weekend. Mink gave up 0 runs on only 1 hit and 2 walks while striking out 3 vs. #21 ranked Miami Hurricanes. Florida lost 2 of 3 vs. Miami and are 1-2 to start the year.

Nick Laxner, Eastern Illinois
Laxner made a relief appearance on opening weekend for the Panthers helping them secure a win vs. Nicholls State. Laxner went 2 innings giving up 0 runs on 1 hit while striking out 1. Eastern Illinois took 2 of 3 from Nicholls State and are 2-1 to start the year.

Jake Little, Saint Louis
Little made his college debut in relief vs. Kennesaw State on opening weekend. Little tossed 1 inning giving up 0 runs off 0 hits and 1 walk while striking out 1. Saint Louis lost 3 of 4 vs. Kennesaw State and are 1-3 to start the year.

Vincent Massaglia, Southern Illinois
Massaglia went 2 for 9 starting in all three games on opening weekend for his new team. Massaglia a transfer from ICC hit a homer, had 3 walks and an RBI on opening weekend. Southern Illinois went 3-0 to start the year by beating Jacksonville State, Tennessee Tech and Alabama State.

Blake Wright, Clemson
Wright started all three games in college debut as a freshman for the Tigers. Wright played 3rd base every game and ended up collecting 2 hits over the weekend with a double, a walk and an RBI. Clemson swept Cincinnati and are 3-0 to start the year.

Tanner Mink, South Florida
Mink got an opening weekend relief appearance vs. Florida Gulf Coast, tossing one inning giving up 0 runs off 0 hits. USF got swept by Florida Gulf Coast and are 0-3 to start the year.

Stephen Hill, Morehead State
Hill collected 3 hits on opening weekend with a double, a triple, 2 RBI's and 4 walks. The Eagles got swept by Charlotte and lost to Davidson to start the year off 0-4.

Mason Miller, Florida Gulf Coast
Miller his 1st collegiate start on opening weekend vs. South Florida. Miller tossed 2.1 innings giving up only 1 run off 2 hits and 5 walks while striking out 1. Florida Gulf Coast swept USF over the weekend and are 3-0 to start the year.

Andrew Zapka, Dayton
Zapka made two relief appearances on opening weekend vs. #18 ranked South Carolina. Zapka went a total of 2 innings giving up only 1 run off 0 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3. Dayton got swept by South Carolina and are 0-3 to start the year.

Zach Frieling, Saint Louis
Freiling went 1 for 3 on opening weekend vs. Kennesaw State with a double. Saint Louis dropped 3 of 4 to Kennesaw State and are 1-3 to start the year.

Jacob Rosenkranz, Valpo
Rosenkranz made one relief appearance on opening weekend vs. UAB. He tossed 1 inning giving up 1 run on 3 hits. Valpo lost 2 of 3 vs. UAB and are 1-2 to start the year.