ARLINGTON, Texas — No player had a better Amergy Bank College Baseball Series weekend than UCLA center fielder Will Gasparino. His four home runs powered UCLA to the tournament championship, and Gasparino now leads the country with 10 home runs. He’s doing this while batting eighth in coach John Savage’s lineup.
“You know what, we gotta sit down and talk about that,” said Savage postgame after UCLA beat Tennessee 12-5 on Friday.
“He's in a really good place mentally, he's on time, and it really stretches our lineup. Our lineup's been a little longer since he moved down there. I know it sounds kind of funny, but it is nice to Gasparino down there as it's hard to get through those nine hitters.”
Gasparino was a top-100 2023 MLB draft prospect coming out of Harvard-Westlake High School, which has been an excellent source of future major leaguers. His father, Billy Gasparino, has worked in the Los Angeles Dodgers front office for the last 11 years. Five of those seasons were as their director of amateur scouting, before moving up to VP of baseball operations in 2024.
Opting out of the draft, Gasparino played college ball at the University of Texas with very mixed results. In 2024, Gasparino hit .252/.300/.495 with 12 home runs and 47 RBIs, but with a 32.9 percent strikeout rate. Next season, Gasparino saw his batting average dip despite cutting his strikeout rate to 25.6 percent. That induced a lot of head-scratching around the country for those covering college baseball, wondering what was going on with this former touted prep prospect.
This offseason, Gasparino transferred back home to Los Angeles. It’s his third different college coach in as many years, but now Gasparino feels comfortable.
“Maybe it’s because we all grew up playing together, but everyone’s super close,” said Gasparino. “I could go to dinner with any single kid on the team, and it feels like I’m hanging out with my best friend. I think it’s really cool to be part of it.”
Bryant Ward is UCLA’s assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, responsible for working with the hitters. Gasparino gives Ward credit for helping him unlock a new swing that feels more fluid than the one he had in Texas. Now when he loads, you can see Gasparino clearing his hips much earlier and letting his hands whip through the zone, creating a more level bat path. The swing looks looser and quicker, making it easy to picture how these adjustments have turned him into a dangerous power threat.
“I have a load, so it's kind of a whole new swing in the last two years. I feel free, finally.”
Gasparino explained that mechanically, he now feels able to do what he wants at the plate. "It's just back and forth. It's never super one-sided, so I think it's a whole new swing and I really like it," he said.
After UCLA’s win over Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday, Gasparino is hitting .390/.528/1.220 with more walks (nine) than strikeouts (eight). His strikeout rate on the season is at 15.1 percent, which most teams would want to see lower for first-round talents, but the power is unmistakable. With such a lean frame at 6-foot-6, Gasparino could add more muscle. Despite the long limbs, Gasparino is an excellent runner who does a good job of covering both gaps in center field. Add in a strong arm, and a power-hitting center fielder types usually get snatched up in the first 20 picks.
So can Gasparino, who wasn’t on many outlets' preseason top-100 prospect lists, suddenly play his way into first-round consideration? There will be a lot of pointing at the data from his days at Texas, but it does seem like we are watching a new version of Gasparino that could carry over professionally.
“I think his baseball IQ has clearly taken off after the two years at Texas,” said Savage. “He learned how to play at Texas, he went through that whole thing, and we're fortunate to get him, I think, at the right time, physically and mentally, in a lot of ways.”
From a Chicago White Sox perspective, I think Gasparino would be a great target in the second round at pick No. 41, especially when considering the lack of outfield depth throughout the farm system. The only issue is that the Dodgers' first selection comes up directly after pick 40. That family connection could get in the way.
UCLA found its ace in Logan Reddermann
Roch Cholowsky’s grand slam grabbed the headlines in UCLA’s big win over TCU on Feb. 20, but right-handed pitcher Logan Reddemann pitched a gem. Pounding the top of the strike zone with his mid-90s four-seam fastball, Reddemann struck out 10 batters in five innings of work, just allowing one run off a solo home run. A transfer from the University of San Diego, the junior earned Savage’s trust in becoming UCLA’s Friday night starter.
Against Tennessee on Friday to start the weekend tournament, Reddemann was on a roll, pitching five scoreless innings. Then things began to unravel in the sixth inning as Reddemann allowed a home run, a walk, and a single before finally getting an out. At 92 pitches, Savage thought that was enough. Both runners allowed by Reddemann would score to give him a final line of 5.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, and 7 K. In three starts in 2026, Reddemann has a 4.11 ERA in 15.1 innings with 23 strikeouts to four walks.
Looking at the StatCast data from his start against Tennessee, Reddemann’s four-seam fastball ranged from 93 to 97 MPH. In his postgame interview, Reddemann confirmed he only throws one type of fastball despite Statcast labeling some heaters as a sinker. In addition to the fastball, Reddemann’s second-favorite pitch is the changeup that he’s comfortable throwing to both righties and lefties. Since arriving at UCLA, Reddemann has been working on improving his velocity with the slider, while also mixing in a sweeper and cutter.
Savage shared postgame that he has been working with Reddermann to focus on using his lower half (staying stacked over the rubber delays hip rotation and helps generate more power from the legs).
“Just keeping his strength over the rubber and getting through pitches a little more. His flat ground, his short boxes, they continue to show up in the game,” said Savage.
“He's a very athletic guy, and he's gained some strength, too. He's gained a lot of weight in his lower half, and he just feels like he's using the ground a lot more.”
This notion of pitchers focusing on using the lower half and staying grounded was a point of focus for former White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon in his breakout 2021 season. With UCLA having Reddemann focus on a similar technique, they have found a pitcher from the transfer portal with a couple of 50-grade pitches in the fastball and changeup. Finding more confidence in the breaking stuff could give UCLA a frontline starter that would make them very tough to beat come the postseason.
For the MLB draft, I would comfortably put Reddemann in the top 75, which makes him an option in the second or third round.
Shane Sdao back to full strength after missing 2025 season
In his last appearance of the 2024 season, Shane Sdao knew something was off after recording just one out in the Super Regional against Oregon. It wasn’t a full UCL tear, but enough for Sdao to undergo Tommy John surgery and miss all of 2025. That was a big blow to Texas A&M, which was the preseason No. 1 team but finished 30-26 and missed the postseason. Now with Sdao back, both parties feel confident they have returned to form.
Watching his start against Virginia Tech last Friday, it’s clear that Sdao doesn’t mess around. He’s constantly attacking hitters in the zone with a four-seam fastball and a variety of breaking pitches. Sdao featured a cutter, slider, and mixed in sweepers to keep Hokies hitters off balance. Texas A&M coach and former White Sox minor leaguer Michael Earley liked what he saw from his Friday night starter.
Earley praised the unpredictability of Sdao’s pitching mix, highlighting how his varied arsenal keeps hitters guessing.
“Mixed in a lot of pitches. Kept guys off balance. Probably six or seven different pitches. Able to mix them in. Tough as a hitter, right? You can mix looks, never be predictable,” said Earley.
“Whether you've got bases loaded and you're up to bat, or you've got bases loaded and you're pitching nobody out. You just execute what you're supposed to execute and let the game decide. But the pitcher executes the pitches, and that's what Shane did.”
Sdao's six scoreless innings set the tone, keeping Virginia Tech off the scoreboard and giving his teammates space to break through. His zeros gave the Aggies enough time for an explosive eight-run sixth inning, powering a 10-run rule victory over Virginia Tech. Despite the decisive result, Sdao admitted he didn’t have his best stuff.
“Something I disliked about this start was that I felt pretty bland out there. I felt like I didn't have my greatest stuff. All I did out there was compete and do what I do best, and it turned out well,” said Sdao.
In the fourth inning, Sdao walked his first batter of the season. I asked him how he avoids giving up free passes and if there’s a certain go-to pitch he has when behind in the count.
“I wouldn't say there's a go-to pitch, but my go-to mentality is still attack like it's a 0-0 count,” said Sdao. “That's the greatest mentality you can have in baseball. I mean, if you truly treat it as a 0-0 count and you throw strikes, no matter what count it is, you're going to be very successful.”
“And I was pretty upset about that walk. I mean, that's going to haunt me tonight, but you've got to live with it.”
For his draft profile, Sdao will need to generate more whiffs with his fastball. Against Virginia Tech, only one whiff came on 11 swings against the four-seamer. While Sdao gets good Induced Vertical Break (IVB) on his four-seamer, averaging 17 inches, the average velocity at 92 mph is not enough heat to consider that a 50-grade pitch.
What Sdao has working for him is an understanding of the art of pitching and a strong relationship with the arsenal he has at his disposal. His confidence in attacking hitters with a variety of breaking pitches could be a good starting point for a future professional team. At this point in the season, he is more likely a draft target between the third and fifth rounds.
Other Notable Performances
- The 2027 MLB draft is shaping up to be one of the strongest college starting pitching classes. A name to follow is Mississippi State right-hander Ryan McPherson. Against Arizona State, McPherson’s final line was 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K on 90 pitches. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, McPherson has the prototypical frame MLB teams seek for starting pitchers. His arsenal includes a four-seam fastball at 95 to 97 mph, a sinker reaching the mid-90s, a curveball, and a developing slider or cutter.
- Arizona State left-handed starter Cole Carlon was rolling before leaving early with leg cramps. His fastball topped at 98 mph and sat mostly 95 to 96 mph, reaching 22 inches of IVB. His slider averages 85 mph with 2300 RPMs. Mississippi State whiffed at 40 percent of Carlon’s pitches, showing real potential in his profile. He is someone to watch during Big 12 play, as Carlon is firmly in the second round range and could move up to the late first round.
- Tennessee righty Tegan Kuhns has an impressive arsenal. Against UCLA, Kuhns struck out 10 with his fastball, curveball, and slider. He averaged 95 mph, topping at 97.8 mph with 20 inches of IVB. Kuhns could have three 50-grade or better pitches, but allowed three home runs and seven balls with exit velocities over 100 MPH. His stuff is intriguing but needs refinement.
- UCLA first baseman Mulivai Levu stands out for his consistent contact, occasional power, and solid defense. Last season, Levu hit .320/.389/.522 in 66 games with 15 doubles, 12 home runs, and 85 RBIs. In 12 games this season, Levu is hitting .360/.439/.520 while reducing his strikeout rate to 7 percent. His skill set is similar to Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor.
- Preseason No. 7 ranked 2026 draft prospect Texas A&M infielder Chris Hacopian hit his first home run of the season last Friday against Virginia Tech. In his second at-bat, he reaggravated the back injury that forced him to miss the rest of the weekend. He has only played in three games this season because of the injury. This back issue is a red flag and could cause Hacopian’s draft stock to fall.
