College Baseball Stock Talk: Standouts from Week 5

Another week is in the books across the college baseball landscape as conference play gets into full swing, bringing continued dominance, heated matchups, and plenty of chaos along the way.

In this week’s edition of Stock Talk, we’re breaking down 10 draft-eligible players who were outstanding over the weekend and discussing more about what stood out.

Let’s dive in.

Evan Dempsey | RHP

The two-way talent continues to shine on Fridays for Florida Gulf Coast, dominating Queens in game one of their series.

Dempsey worked a four-pitch mix, all with clear distinct shapes and intriguing under the hood traits. He primarily went after hitters with his four-seam, an offering with run/ride characteristics and sitting 90-93 mph. It’s a pitch that gets really good spin rates, in fact averaged 2,400 RPM on Friday, that got a whiff rate north of 30% and thrown for nearly 70% strikes.

Along with the fastball, Ryan incorporated two breaking balls. First, a high-spin slider that lived around 80 mph, getting ridiculous swing-and-miss results along with some sweep. Second, an upper-70s curveball that gets more depth, averaging north of 3,100 RPM with 18 inches of glove-side action while thrown for 60% strikes.

It’s appropriate to mention Dempsey also throws a mid-80s changeup though rare. It’s a fascinating pitch nonetheless, with the ability to get nearly 20 inches of run and true bite and a tough pitch for left-handers to barrel.

All that said, it’s clear Dempsey has the clear ability to spin and manipulate the baseball, better yet for strikes often. Along with this, he’s solidifying his case to be the best two-way collegiate prospect in the country, now up to a .382 average through 20 games in the box.

Dempsey will likely make his next start for Florida Gulf Coast on the road this coming Friday against North Florida.

Henry Ford | UT

Serving as a pillar in the top of Tennessee’s loaded lineup, Henry Ford continues to show why he’s amongst the best right-handed power bats in college baseball.

Whenever Henry Ford made contact, it was loud, averaging an exit velocity of 96.5 mph across all of his batted balls over the past week.

Ford launched three home runs over the four games, highlighted by a 109-mph blast on Sunday against Georgia that left Foley Field in a hurry. Though earlier in the midweek against Tennessee Tech, he crushed another homer that left the bat at 107 mph and traveled 395 feet.

Ford finished that game 3-for-3 with five RBIs, missing only a triple to complete the cycle.

Ford continues to be one of the more fascinating bats in college baseball, lowering his chase percentage specifically against right-handers while maintaining his prominent barrel rates. Henry will be back in action for Tennessee at home this coming Tuesday against Eastern Kentucky.

Ford is #44 on our Top 100 College Prospect Board.

Grant Govel | RHP

USC’s pitching staff continues to dominate opposing lineups, and Grant Govel added to that run with a strong road performance against Northwestern despite low-30s temperatures and snowstorms.

Grant attacked all hitters with his four-seam fastball that lived 89-91 mph, a pitch that gets over 20 inches of ride with excellent command.

What really makes Govel effective is his array of secondary pitches, headlined by his changeup and slider. With the cambio, a low-80s offering used primarily against left-handers, plays well off the fastball with clear arm-side bite, generating both a whiff and chase rate north of 30% on Saturday. As for the slider, it averaged around 2,500 RPM and showed true downward action while being thrown for strikes more than 70% of the time.

He also mixed in an upper-70s curveball that creates more distinct vertical separation and was consistently landed in the zone while picking up its share of whiffs. Rounding out Govel’s arsenal is a cutter that lives 87–88 mph, showing firm ride through the zone and often used against right-handed hitters.

Forming one of the top pitching tandems in college baseball alongside Mason Edwards, Govel is now up to 33 innings pitched with a K-BB ratio north of 12 and a 0.27 ERA through five weekends. Grant will likely next his next start for USC back at home this coming Saturday against Washington.

Brady Ballinger | 1B

Brady is finding his groove, making more consistent contact, and the timing couldn’t have been better, with loud performances on the road against TCU and Texas Tech.

Across 12 batted balls, he averaged an exit velocity of 92.8 mph, with a hard-hit rate just under 60%. He continues to handle right-handed pitching particularly well, as his 10 batted balls against them averaged north of 95 mph.

Ballinger’s top exit velocity came on Friday in Lubbock, a 112-mph blast that traveled 453 feet, his farthest of 2026. Over the four-game stretch, he punished pitches low in the zone, which is significant given that much of his damage typically comes on pitches elevated.

His plate discipline continues to trend upward, drawing five walks on the week and raising his OBP to .426 while approaching a 1:1 K-BB ratio. Brady will be back in action for Kansas at home this coming Tuesday against Missouri.

Ballinger is #33 on our Top 100 College Prospect Board.

Kole Klecker | RHP

It was a full-circle moment for Kole Klecker, who delivered a lights-out performance in the series’ rubber match, tossing seven scoreless innings against his former team in TCU.

Working with a four-pitch repertoire against the Horned Frogs, Kole had all of them clicking. Beginning with the fastball, a weapon that lives 90-93 mph and presents over 18 inches of run while featuring some natural cut.

As for the secondaries, Klecker’s best pitch of the outing was his upper-70s curveball. Thrown 30% of the time on Sunday, it’s a pitch that gets fantastic spin (reached over 2,700 RPM), generating over a 70% whiff rate with a VAA just short of -10.

He also mixed in a low-80s slider with late bite and an 86–88 mph cutter that showed some lift with subtle glove-side movement through the zone. Both offerings complemented his arsenal well, flashing strong feel as they combined for a strike rate north of 70% over the weekend.

Posting his best start as a Sun Devil, it couldn’t have come at a better time. With Arizona State starting to figure out their rotation, it appears Klecker to be well in the mix as an anchor for weekends to come. Kole will likely make his next start for Arizona State on the road this coming weekend against Kansas State.

Carson Tinney | C

Tinney had cooled off a bit recently, but he quickly put that to rest with a loud weekend against Ole Miss to open SEC play.

Carson recorded a hit in each of the first two games of the series before breaking out in the finale, going 3-for-4 with a towering 464-foot homer that left the bat at 113 mph.

That wasn’t even his hardest contact of the week, though. In Friday’s matchup he scorched a ball at 114.5 mph off the bat (a groundout). Regardless, Tinney consistently barreled the baseball all weekend, finishing with a hard-hit rate north of 40% and an average exit velocity of 91.3 mph.

He’s been a standout defender all season and continued to show it this week, with opposing runners simply refusing to test him. Tinney’s defensive value has always been a given, but as he continues to produce at the plate against SEC pitching while limiting his whiffs, he’s shaping up as a potential top fifty selection come July.

Tinney will be back in action for Texas at home this coming Tuesday against Tarleton State.

Carson is #27 on our Top 100 College Prospect Board.

Tate McKee | RHP

The lone ranked matchup this past Thursday, Tate McKee shut down the Tigers in a seven-inning run-rule in their home ballpark.

Utilizing a six-pitch mix, Tate McKee kept the Clemson lineup off balance through six innings, even without his best command. His best pitch of the night was a low-90s sinker that generated over 20 inches of run while consistently living at the bottom of the zone. The pitch was thrown for strikes more than 60% of the time and minimal loud contact throughout the outing.

McKee also mixed in a four-seam that got up to 94 mph, giving him a distinct look off the sinker with added ride through the zone. In addition, he worked in a cutter at 85–88 mph that showed firm life with subtle lift through the zone, a pitch he was comfortable mixing against both lefties and righties.

As for the offspeed pitches, McKee displayed three distinct options. The most effective was an 84-86 mph changeup, used primarily against right-handed hitters and often when ahead in the count, generating a whiff rate north of 60% on Thursday.

He paired that with a slider at 81-83 mph that showed true sweep traits, producing roughly 17 inches of glove-side movement and serving as another strong option against righties. Rounding out the arsenal was a curveball in a similar velocity band that featured more vertical drop that was thrown for strikes at a 60% clip.

Even without his best stuff, Tate McKee handled business on the road in game one of a top-ten conference matchup. Tate will likely make his next start for Georgia Tech on the road this coming Friday against Pitt.

Sam Harris | 1B

The 6-foot-5 left-handed slugger is starting to heat up at the plate, now two weeks into conference play with his team sitting 2–0 in ACC series victories.

Across his nine batted balls over the past four games, Sam has averaged an exit velocity just shy of 95 mph while producing a 62.5% hard-hit rate. More specifically, he’s done most of this damage against right-handed pitching, posting a 71.4% hard-hit rate while driving pitches located in the lower third of the zone.

Harris launched a 462-foot missile in the midweek against William & Mary, going back-to-back with Joe Tiroly on a ball that left the bat at 110 mph. He kept it rolling Saturday against Virginia Tech with two more homers, the first registering a 101-mph exit velocity and the second 108.

Don’t look now, but with Harris heating up as of late, he’s lengthening Virginia’s lineup and helping turn it into one of the deepest and most dangerous offenses in the country. Sam will be back in action for Virginia at home this coming Tuesday against Georgetown.

Maxx Yehl | LHP

After missing all of 2025, Maxx Yehl delivered the best start of his collegiate career, tossing eight shutout innings in the rubber match on the road against Baylor.

Diving into the outing, Maxx showcased a four-pitch mix this past Sunday. He began with his four-seam fastball, a firm offering that sat 90-93 mph and reached as high as 95. When evaluating, it flashes intriguing ride given his low launch. That said, the 6-foot-6 left-hander commanded it well from start to finish, working up in the zone while allowing minimal barrels.

Alongside the fastball, Yehl mixed in three different spin-based offerings. First was a high-spin slider that got up to 3,000 RPM, sitting in the low-80s while creating over 13 inches of sweep. He also featured a curveball in a similar velocity band that creates more vertical depth, landing it for strikes at a rate north of 90% on Sunday while generating consistent swing-and-miss.

Rounding out the arsenal was an 82-84 mph cutter that showed firm life through the zone, creating lift with apparent glove-side movement and producing tough angles for right-handed hitters.

Putting together a stellar comeback campaign in his senior season, Yehl is now up to 25 innings with a sub-1.00 ERA and 33 punchouts. His unique ability to vary velocities across a full array of offspeed pitches is a rarity in today’s game, and it gives him a significant edge in the hitter-friendly Big 12 Conference.

Maxx will likely make his next start for West Virginia back at home this coming weekend against BYU.

Dee Kennedy | SS

Talk about a standout week, Dee Kennedy put together a spectacular performance to close out this week’s slate.

Given a double midweek and a road conference series against a scrappy Houston program, Kennedy posted an average exit velocity north of 94 mph on 13 batted balls, with a 53% hard-hit rate, while drawing seven walks and two hit-by-pitches.

He continued to refine his approach against right-handed pitching, posting an 8% chase rate over the week with an average exit velocity of 95 mph. His top exit speed came at 106.3 mph, producing a line-drive single against South Dakota State.

Kennedy’s bat speed is certainly plus, and now he’s pulling the ball more consistently than in previous seasons. Now up to nine home runs with a .403 batting average and 12 stolen bases on 13 attempts, he presents a compelling blend of speed, athleticism, and raw strength.

Dee will be back in action for Kansas State on the road this coming Tuesday against Baylor.

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