Opening Weekend in Division 1 College Baseball: Top Tier Alumni Roundup

Opening weekend of College Baseball is always the best time of year and once again it lived up to the hype. Our Top Tier Alums had a lot of standout performances from guys making their debuts as freshman, to others making marks on their new teams, to veterans making statements in week 1 of college baseball. We saw home runs, lights out pitching with guys up to 98 mph to multi-hit performances all over the diamond this past weekend.
Here are some of the highlights:

Player of the Week:

Blake Wright, INF, Clemson

You couldn't have written a better script for Blake Wright to start off on opening day for the the Tigers. The junior infielder went a perfect 4 for 4 with 2 homers 3 RBI's and 3 stolen bases. Wright finished the weekend going 5 for 12, hitting .417 with two homers, a double, 5 RBI's and 3 stolen bases to help the Tigers sweep Binghamton. Clemson is 3-0 to start the season.

Here are the best of the rest Highlights of Top Tier Alums in D1 College Baseball:

Jack Mahoney, RHP, South Carolina

Mahoney got the start on the Sunday finale of the weekend for the 23rd ranked Gamecocks. Mahoney who last pitched in May of 2021 due to injury had a career day vs. UMass-Lowell. Mahoney picked up the win tossing 5.2 innings giving up 0 runs off only 5 hits and 0 walks while striking out a career high 9 batters. South Carolina swept UMass-Lowell and are 3-0 to start the season.

Cade Kurland, INF, Florida

Kurland made his college debut at second base for the Florida Gators as a freshman this weekend. Kurland went 4 for 7, hitting .571 with two doubles and 2 RBI's for the 7th ranked Gators. Florida swept Charleston Southern and are 3-0 to start the year.

Danny Doligale, OF, Illinois

Doligale had a really good weekend collecting mulitple hits going 5 for 14, hitting .357 with a homer, two doubles and an RBI. Illinois beat Youngstown State twice and lost to 5th ranked Wake Forest twice to start the year 2-2.

Evan Jones, RHP, Western Kentucky

Jones earned his 1st collegiate win in relief in his debut as a freshman for the Hilltoppers this weekend. Jones threw 3.1 scoreless innings giving up only 1 hit and 2 walks while striking out 3. Western Kentucky swept Dayton over the weekend to start the year of 3-0.

Anthony Livermore, INF, Northwestern

Livermore collected hits in every game on opening weekend, going 5 for 15, hitting .333 but it wasn't enough as the Wildcats got swept by Texas State to start the year off 0-3.

Khyle Radcliffe, OF, Southern

Radcliffe went 3 for 7 with 4 RBI's and 3 stolen bases on opening weekend. Southern beat Jackson State, Grambling State and Texas Southern to start the year off 3-0. Radcliffe was named All Minority Baseball Prospects Team for his performance on the weekend in the Astros Foundation Cactus Jack HBCU Classic.

Brandon McPherson, RHP, Northern Illinois

McPherson went 3 innings in his start vs. Oral Roberts and looked great giving up 0 runs on 2 hits and 0 walks while striking out 3. NIU however got swept by Oral Roberts and are 0-4 to start the year.

Daniel Pacella, INF/OF, Illinois State

Pacella has a great opening weekend in his college debut as a freshman as he went 3 for 9 on the weekend, hitting .333 with 4 RBI's. ISU took 2 of 3 from Austin Peay to start the year 2-1.

Mason Miller, LHP, Florida Gulf Coast

Miller picked up the win in his start this weekend vs. Hofstra where he tossed 4.2 innings giving up only 2 runs off 5 hits and 0 walks while striking out 6. FGCU swept Hofstra and are 4-0 to start the year.

Chase Centala, RHP, UCF

Centala looked really good out the Knights bullpen as he tossed 2.2 scoreless innings giving up 2 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4 vs. Siena. UCF swept Siena and are 3-0 to start the year.

Cam Minacci, RHP, Wake Forest

Minacci was lights out in his 1 inning of relief this past weekend as he was up to 98 mph with his fastball. He gave up 0 runs off 0 hits and 2 walks while striking out 2. Wake Forest beat Youngstown State and Illinois both twice to start the year 4-0. Wake is ranked 5th in the nation in most polls.

Noah Edders, RHP, Bradley

Edders made his 1st collegiate debut in relief opening weekend vs. Louisiana-Monroe. Edders went 3 innings giving up only 1 earned run off 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3. Bradley lost 2 of 3 and are 1-2 to start the year.

Jackson Kent, LHP, Arizona

Kent made his 1st collegiate debut on the mound in relief vs Fresno State this past weekend. Kent threw 3 innings of relief giving up only 2 runs off 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3. Arizona played in the MLB Desert Invitational on opening weekend beating 2nd ranked Tennessee, Michigan State and UC San Diego only losing to Fresno State to start the year 3-1.

Marc DeGusipe, LHP, FAU

DeGusipe threw one inning of relief vs Monmouth giving up 0 runs off 0 hits and 0 walks while striking out 1. FAU swept Monmouth and are 3-0 to start the year.

Brock Graf, RHP, Saint Louis

Graf made his 1st collegiate debut on the mound in relief vs. Marshall where he tossed 2 innings giving up only 1 run off 1 hit and 1 walk while striking out 3. Saint Louis got swept by Marshall and are 0-3 to start the year.

Hunter Mink, RHP, USF

Hunter Mink earned the win in the season debut vs. 13th ranked, Maryland. Mink went 4 innings giving up 3 runs off 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 5. USF however only earned that one win and lost twice to Maryland to start the year 1-2.

Derek Crum, LHP, Wake Forest

Crum threw one inning of relief on opening weekend giving up 0 runs off 1 hit and 0 walks while striking out 2. Wake Forest beat Youngstown State and Illinois twice to move to 4-0 to start the year.

Jacob Rosenkranz, RHP, Valpo

Rosenkranz took the loss in relief this past weekend vs. Kansas but pitched well going 2 innings giving up 0 earned runs off 3 hits and 0 walks while striking out 2. Valpo lost 2 of 3 to Kansas and are 1-2 to start the year.

Collin Wilma, RHP, SEMO

Wilma took the loss in his start vs. Central Arkansas in opening weekend after he threw solid as well, going 3 innings giving up only 2 runs off 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 3. SEMO lost 2 of 3 and are 1-2 to start the year.

Dawson Place, RHP, Florida Gulf Coast

Place got one inning of relief giving up 0 runs off only 2 hits and 0 walks. FGCU swept Hofstra and are 4-0 to start the year.

Paul Bergstrom, LHP, Creighton

Bergstrom threw 2.2 scoreless innings vs. McNeese State off only 1 hit and 0 walks while striking out 3. Creighton won 2 of 3 vs. McNeese State to start the year off 2-1.

Brady Miller, RHP, Western Michigan

Miller got the start on opening day vs. the #1 ranked team in the nation, LSU. Miller took the loss but pitched well going 5 strong innings giving up 5 runs off 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3. LSU swept Western Michigan and the Broncos are 0-3 to start the year.

Colin Summerhill, C/OF/1B, Northern Illinois

Summerhill had a great opening weekend with his new team collecting 3 hits with a double and 3 RBI's. It wasn't enough however as the Huskies got swept by Oral Roberts to start the year off 0-4.

Joe Shapiro, LHP, Western Michigan

Shapiro made one relief appearance this past weekend vs. #1 ranked LSU where he went 2.1 innings giving up 2 earned runs off 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 2. Western Michigan got swept by LSU and are 0-3 to start the year.

Casey Kmet, INF/OF, Notre Dame

Kmet saw a lot of time in the outfield this past weekend for the Fighting Irish collected 2 hits going 2 for 9. The Fighting Irish lost 2 of 3 to Lipscomb and are 1-2 to start the year.

Sean Sinisko, LHP, Illinois State

Sinisko didn't have his best stuff this weekend in his start only going 2.1 innings giving up 4 earned runs off 5 hits and 1 walk while striking out 2. But Sinisko did earn the milestone of having over 100 strikeouts as a pitcher for the Redbirds this weekend vs. Austin Peay. ISU went on to take 2 out of 3 are are 2-1 to start the year.