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Miami Herald
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Miami Hurricanes pitcher Hugus picked 91st in MLB Draft by Mariners
Good things happen to good people. That was University of Miami pitching coach Laz Gutierrez's reaction to Sunday night's news that Hurricanes right-hander Griffin Hugus was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the third round. 'I'm glad someone like 'Griff' gets rewarded — not just because of his talent but because of the type of person he is,' Gutierrez said. 'He is ultra-athletic and an amazing athlete.' Hugus, who has already agreed to terms with Seattle, was selected with pick No. 91, and he is one of two players with South Florida ties taken in Sunday's first day of the 20-round draft. The other player is UCF shortstop Antonio Jimenez, who led Southwest Ranges Archbishop McCarthy to a state championship in 2021. On Sunday, Jimenez was selected by the New York Mets in the third round, pick No. 102. He started his college career at Miami before transferring to UCF, where he made second-team All-Big 12 in 2025. Jimenez 'crushes fastballs but struggles with softer stuff,' according to MLB Pipeline. Meanwhile, Hugus — a Wellington native — struggled in his first two years at the University of Cincinnati, going 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA as a freshman and 0-3 with a 4.91 ERA as a sophomore. At Miami this past season, Hugus gave up hitting and concentrated on pitching, earning second-team All-ACC honors. He went 6-7 with a 4.16 ERA. Better yet, Hugus pitched two complete games in an era where those efforts are rare, and one of them was in the Hattiesburg Regional, won by Miami. 'During the season, he would get mad at us when we took him out of games early,' Gutierrez said. In the regional, however, the Hurricanes needed Hugus to save their bullpen, and he delivered. On MLB Network Sunday night, the analysts touched on Hugus' 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings, his 3.4 walks and his 'eye wear and 'stache.' Beyond that, MLB Network's Carlos Collazo said Hugus did a good job last year of repeating his arm slot and separating his slider velocity from his curve to be able to fool more hitters. 'He is solid across the board,' Collazo said, 'but nothing plus or overwhelming.' On MLB Pipeline, Hugus' highest grade on a 20-80 scale is a 55 for his slider. His lowest grade was a 45 for his changeup and also his control. Hitters don't often square up Hugus, whose fastball sits mostly in the low 90s. Hugus said his agent called him at about pick No. 85, letting him know that Seattle wanted to pick him at 91 if he agreed to terms. The deal was made, but Hugus kept it from the friends and family members who gathered to watch the draft with him. 'I let them enjoy the moment my name was announced, the suspense and the full experience,' Hugus said. 'It was awesome, fun and surreal. Everyone was on the edge of their seats.' Hugus said he is grateful to the Hurricanes for taking a chance on a player with a thin resume at that time. 'This is a testament to the Miami coaches who allowed me to be a workhorse,' Hugus said. 'They molded me into the pitcher I knew I could be.' THIS AND THAT ▪ Norberto Lopez, UCF's recruiting coordinator and assistant coach, is proud of how much Jimenez improved since his freshman (2024) season at Miami, when he hit just .182 with a .613 OPS. This past season with UCF, Jimenez hit .329 with a .982 OPS. Jimenez also improved defensively, according to Lopez. 'When he first got here, on defense, his body was positioned toward first base,' Lopez said. 'He wasn't seeing the ball well. We fixed his posture and stance so that now both his eyes are on the baseball. 'Antonio is super talented and one of the hardest workers around.' ▪ The 2025 MLB Draft was set to continue with the final 17 rounds on Monday.
USA Today
13-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Key Alabama starter scheduled to return in 2026, per report
Alabama baseball left-hander Zane Adams is expected to return to the Crimson Tide for the 2026 season. According to a report Sunday from the Tuscaloosa News' Emilee Smarr, Adams is scheduled to return to Alabama for his junior season. Smarr's report states that an American League scout told the Tuscaloosa News that Alabama "took care of" the pitcher financially. The 21-year-old Adams, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound southpaw from Porter, Texas, was a weekend starter for the Crimson Tide this past season and tied with Riley Quick for the team lead with 14 starts. Adams finished 7-4 with an ERA of 5.54 over 65 innings. He struck out 62 batters and walked 26 while posting a 1.55 WHIP. Opponents batted .283 against him. Adams' best outing in SEC play came on April 26 against Missouri. He held the Tigers to one run on five hits while striking out five batters in a seven-inning complete game in the Crimson Tide's 12-1 victory over Missouri to finish off a three-game sweep. In his previous start against LSU a week earlier on April 19, Adams held the Tigers to one run in five innings in a 7-4 win in Baton Rouge. Adams pitched into the sixth inning or later five times in 2025. Alabama finished the season 41-18 overall and went 16-14 in conference play. The Crimson Tide were a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and were swept in the Hattiesburg Regional. Alabama's 40 wins in the regular season were a first for the program since 2002. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama Crimson Tide news, notes and opinions.
Miami Herald
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Hurricanes pitcher among top South Florida players eligible for MLB Draft
It started when Griffin Hugus — a Wellington native — was a 6-year-old T-ball player for a team called the Grasshoppers. Fifteen years and thousands of baseballs thrown later, Hugus is expected to get selected in the 2025 MLB Draft. The first three rounds will happen on Sunday, and the final 17 will take place on Monday. ESPN and MLB Network will. provide television coverage. Hugus, a right-handed pitcher who helped the Miami Hurricanes reach the super regionals this past season, is projected to be selected within the first four rounds. Baseball America has Hugus pegged at player No. 111, which is the highest ranking among this year's draft prospects from South Florida. 'It's surreal,' Hugus said of the draft process. 'It feels like the days are really long (waiting for the draft to arrive). 'But it's fun. I'm excited. I'm not really nervous, and that's a testament to the great support I have around me.' Besides Hugus, other players with South Florida ties who have earned top 500 Baseball America rankings are: ex-Hurricanes infielder/outfielder Blake Cyr, now with Florida (ranked No. 272); True North left-hander Alan Soler, who is ranked No. 280 despite missing this past season due to elbow surgery; and Hurricanes closer Brian Walters (No. 426). The Marlins, by the way, have the seventh pick in the draft. The strength of the draft is the shortstop position. In fact, there could be as many as six prep shortstops selected among the top 15 players. Hugus, meanwhile, was Miami's ace this past season, going 6-7 with a 4.16 ERA and team highs in innings (93) and strikeouts (95). He also pitched a complete game in the Hattiesburg Regional, beating Columbia by striking out nine while allowing just one walk and one run in nine innings. Since the season ended, Hugus has continued to throw because he's not sure what the plans for him will be for whichever team selects him. He also traveled to Arizona for MLB's draft combine. 'I wasn't highly regarded coming out of high school,' said Hugus, who played two seasons for Cincinnati before making his Miami debut in 2025. 'Because of that, a lot of [MLB] teams didn't have prior knowledge of me. 'The combine was my chance to walk them through my career. It was pretty cool.' Hugus said he also used the combine as a chance to tell MLB executives about his teammates, and one of those players he bragged about was Walters, Miami's closer. Walters, drafted in the 19th round last year by Seattle, could go a bit higher this time around. In 2025, he went 2-3 with a 4.94 ERA and 11 saves. He appeared in 21 games, including seven starts. Walters, who has graduated from Miami with a Bachelor's degree in sports administration, is the third member of his family to get drafted, and all of them played for the Hurricanes. His uncle, former defensive lineman Matt Walters, was the New York Jets' fifth-round pick in 2003. And Brian's brother, Andrew, was drafted in the second round by the Cleveland Guardians in 2023. So, what advice did Andrew give his little brother about handling draft day? 'He told me to enjoy it,' Brian Walters said. 'The team that drafts you is the right team. Being drafted is an honor — no matter when it is. 'Matt told me pretty much the same thing. The draft is a mark on your career that you will always remember.' THIS AND THAT ▪ Other local players who could get drafted this year include: Hurricanes shortstop Jake Ogden; Columbus shortstop and Miami recruit Mario Magana; Douglas outfielder Nick Diaz, who is a College of Charleston recruit; Plantation American Heritage right-hander and UM recruit Dylan Dubovik; Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna outfielder and UCF recruit Zach Malvasio; and Pembroke Pines Flanagan shortstop and Miami Dade College recruit Miguel Colmenares. ▪ Hugus' older brother, Jackson Hugus, will play for Miami in 2026. Jackson is a catcher and a graduate transfer from Presbyterian College.
USA Today
28-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How former LSU baseball catcher Brady Neal fared with Alabama in 2025
After two years playing for LSU baseball, catcher Brady Neal transferred to a conference rival, landing at Alabama ahead of the 2025 season. With Alabama, Neal played in 41 games with 128 at-bats. He started all four of the Crimson Tide's postseason games behind the plate, two in the SEC Tournament and two in the Hattiesburg Regional at the NCAA Tournament, recording at least one hit and one run in three of the four. Neal batted .219 with a .373 on-base percentage. He totaled 40 runs, 28 hits, and 19 RBI. The catcher registered 29 walks and led the team with an 18% walk rate. During the three-game series against LSU, Neal went three for nine with a home run and two RBI. Neal played two seasons in Baton Rouge. He began 2023 as the everyday catcher but was sidelined with a back injury in April and never truly reclaimed the role in 2024. As part of the 2022 recruiting class, Neal was ranked the No. 2 catcher in the country and No. 29 overall prospect by Perfect Game. The Milwaukee Brewers selected him in the 17th round of the 2022 MLB Draft, but he opted for the college route. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Neal back with Alabama in 2026.
USA Today
24-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Alabama outfielder Bryce Fowler reportedly makes decision on 2026 college baseball season
With the 2025 college baseball season officially a wrap, Alabama Crimson Tide outfielder Bryce Fowler has reportedly made a decision about his plans for 2026. The redshirt junior and Alabama's everyday right fielder posted a highlight reel from this past spring to his official Instagram account late Monday. The video included a clip of Fowler saying: "I'm back, baby." The Tuscaloosa News' Emilee Smarr, citing a UA athletics representative, reported Tuesday that Alabama anticipates Fowler to return to the Crimson Tide for 2026. Those plans could change, the representative told The Tuscaloosa News, if Fowler is picked "higher than he'd expect" in next month's MLB Draft. The draft is July 13-14 during All-Star week in Atlanta. Fowler transferred to Alabama from Pearl River Community College (Poplarville, Miss.) in June 2024. He batted .260 in Alabama's 58 games in 2025, hitting six home runs and nine doubles to go with a .377 on-base percentage and .377 slugging percentage. A native of Madison, Miss., Fowler hit safely in his first 11 games for the Crimson Tide and collected a season-high six RBIs in their 15-1 win over Alabama State in seven innings on Feb. 19. In that game, he hit a grand slam, singled and walked. One of Fowler's biggest hits was a two-run home run that came in Alabama's 9-3 victory over No. 5 Georgia as part of a doubleheader sweep on April 11 at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Fowler went 3-for-7 in the doubleheader with two runs scored. The Crimson Tide finished 41-18 overall this past season, winning 40 games in a regular season for the first time since 2002 and going a perfect 13-0 in midweek play. Alabama was a No. 2 seed at the Hattiesburg Regional of the NCAA Tournament, where they fell to Miami and host Southern Miss on back-to-back days. Alabama was unranked in the final USA TODAY Sports baseball coaches poll on Monday after climbing to No. 8 at one point in the regular season. Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama Crimson Tide news, notes and opinion.
