What Players From Your State Are Playing in the College World Series?

June 13, 2024
By: Andy Sroka
Managing Editor, Scouting

The ‘Hotlist’ is a series that provides weekly insight into the high school baseball scene spanning the country, curated by Prep Baseball’s state directors who are situated nationwide, with vital intel on the prospects who are in their own backyards. Each week, we’ll publish our ‘Hotlist’ on varying topics that are timeliest to the national baseball calendar at that point in time.

This week’s topic: With the College World Series upon us, please share the name of a prospect from your state playing in the CWS, or a player from your state that had a strong college season.

+ Learn of our directors stationed nationwide by visiting the staff directory.
+ View which Prep Baseball events are headed your way next at this page.
+ Read about previously published ‘Hotlist’ topics here.

♨️ The ‘Hotlist’ (6/13):

Alabama

(3/15/24)

+ AJ Causey, RHP (Sparkman HS, 2021) | Tennessee:

“Causey, a part-time starter and key reliever out of the bullpen for the #1 ranked Vols, has been an important arm in his first year on Rocky Top after transferring from Jacksonville State. Causey, the #25 prospect in Alabama in 2021, was a two-way standout for Sparkman High School as he hit in the middle of their lineup while also serving as the ace of the pitching staff. Causey's stock really took off later in his high school career when he decided to drop the arm slot while keeping his upper 80's/low 90's velocity while also developing a wipeout slider. He will still occasionally mix in a changeup (mainly against LHH) but the fastball-slider combo from the low slot is a difficult task for opposing hitters to get comfortable against. The Vols will need Causey to continue to give them quality innings in Omaha. ”

– David Sharp, Deep South Supervisor

Arizona

+ Mason White , SS (Salpointe Catholic HS, 2022) | Arizona :

“Arizona Stat line (Hosted Regional): .305 avg., 19 HR, 102 AB, 65 RBI, 73 H.”

– Shea Sbranti, Arizona Scouting Director

Canada

+ Émilien Pitre, 2B (ABC Academy HS, 2021/Junior) | Kentucky:

“Pitre was a Future Gamer back in 2019 before committing to Kentucky, and his stock has done nothing but continue to rise during his time with the Wildcats.

The draft-eligible infielder will be a fun watch throughout the College World Series as he's been a driving force in Kentucky's offense all year, batting .298 with 29 extra-base hits and has 45 walks to just 25 strikeouts.”

– Cam Black-Araujo, Asst. Director (Canada)

Florida

+ Ashton Wilson, OF (TNXL Academy - Now at Florida HS, 2022) | Charleston Southern - Transferred to Florida:

“Ashton Wilson was a member of Team Florida at the 2020 Future Games. He committed to Charleston Southern following the event and spent his freshman season there. This fall, he transferred to Florida where he now bats in the three-hole as they head to the College World Series.”

– Rocco Iervasi, Florida Managing Director

Illinois

+ Dominic Voegele, RHP (Columbia HS, 2023) | Kansas:

“Voegele found a lot of success in year one with the Jayhawks, finding himself named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year as well as a Freshman All-American. He finished the season 7-2 with 80 strikeouts, 29 walks and a 3.89 ERA. Voegle’s best game of the season came against Pacific as he punched out 10 batters, the most by a Kansas freshman since 1984.”

– Gavin Smith, Illinois Content Manager, Scout

Kansas

(2/6/22)

+ Dylan Dreiling, OF (Hays HS, 2022) | Tennessee:

“The Vols 3-hole made an impact as a Freshman and has continued to get better as he becomes one of the top bats in college baseball. Dreiling was a Super 60 participant that put of solid showcase numbers, but was always more of a "gamer". That competitive edge continues to serve him well as he tracks to be a high round draft pick next summer. ”

– Andy Urban, Central Region Scouting Director

Louisiana

+ Kade Anderson, LHP (St. Paul’s HS, 2023) | LSU:

“Anderson missed his entire senior season on the mound at St. Paul’s last spring, as he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. Many didn’t know if Anderson would throw or how much he’d throw this spring, as a freshman for the Tigers, but he ended up logging meaningful innings and put together a solid freshman campaign. The St. Paul’s product finished the year 4-2 with a 3.99 ERA and recorded 59 K’s across 38 1/3 IP. He’s put himself in a great position to move from a mid-week starter/bullpen arm to a potential weekend starter next year as a sophomore. ”

– Alex Armand, Louisiana Scouting Director

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine

+ Evan Blanco, LHP (Austin Prep HS, 2022) | Virginia:

“He has taken the ball in Game One of both the Regionals and the Super Regionals. Solid left-hander with an above-average change up. He is a strike thrower with a fastball that sits in the low-90s. This is based off seeing him pitch on TV this past weekend.”

– Dennis Healy, State Director New England

Nebraska

+ Dalton Bargo, C/3B/1B/DH (Omaha Westside HS, 2022) | Tennessee:

“2024 Stats - .294 avg / .961 OPS 102 AB, 27 R, 30 H, 5 2B, 8 HR, 27 RBI, 12 BB”

– Pascal Paul, Nebraska State Director

Nevada

+ Chris Cortez, RHP (Silverado HS, 2021) | Texas A&M:

“Although the power righthander did not pitch this weekend for the Aggies, he may have finally figured out how to harness his stuff this spring. After walking 40 in 41.2 innings last season, he has now walked just ten in 19.2 innings this spring. It’s still not an ideal walk rate, but it is much improved and a sign of progress. Cortez already had one of the best arms in the country with his fastball averaging 97 mph this season. His 86-87 slider, although still scattered with command, has a 51.5% (96th percentile) whiff rate. That’s top-of-the-scale raw stuff that will likely have 4th to 5th-round value this summer.”

– Brett Harrison, West Coast Supervisor

New York

+ Jason DeCaro, RHP (St. Anthony's HS, 2023) | North Carolina:

“Decaro & the Tar Heels are on their way to Omaha, and he’s in the midst of an outstanding Freshman campaign. He is currently leading the team with 17 games started, 85 innings pitched with a 3.89 ERA, 1.28 WHIP & a 6-1 record. In his most recent start, DeCaro went 6.1 IP giving up 2 H, 1ER, 2BB, 5K's to help UNC advance to the World Series in Omaha. ”

– Joe Walentin, New York Scouting Director

North Carolina

(4/18/24)

+ Vance Honeycutt, OF (Salisbury HS, 2021) | University of North Carolina:

“With the ACC being well represented in this year's College World Series, we will see a ton of players with North Carolina backgrounds playing in Omaha. One player to watch will be Vance Honeycutt, the JR. Center Fielder from UNC who played a huge role in getting the Tarheels to the prized destination. Honeycutt was a multi-sport athlete in high school who jumped onto pro radars shortly after his performance at the North Carolina ProCase in February of his SR year in high school. Honeycutt turned down overtures to enroll at UNC and should be a Day 1 selection in the 2024 MLB Draft... but first, he will star in Omaha.”

– Brandon Hall, Mid-Atlantic Director of Scouting

Utah

+ Daniel Dickinson , 2B/SS (Utah Valley U HS, 2026) | : Utah Valley

“Dickinson has solicited himself as the #1 prospect in the WAC for the 2025 MLB 1st Year Player Draft. A former walk-on at Utah Valley, Danny’s combination of power and speed, up the middle makes Dickinson a top draft prospect. With a 1st Team All-WAC selection on his resume in his first two seasons the Wolverines, Dickinson was the WAC preseason pick for Player of the Year. A 2023 freshman All-American, all Dickinson did this past spring was hit .367 with 90 hits, 73 runs scored, while showing the power/speed combo of hitting a program record 18 HR and swiping 32 bags in 37 tries. Awarded the District 8 Player of the Year by the NCBWA a week ago, Dickinson who was rumored to be a portal entry, has decided to return to the green and black and with his tools and skill set, and off the charts performance in his two years at the Orem, Utah based school. The mainstay Wolverine 2B, has transitioned back to his SS roots, during the 2nd half of this past season, MLB scouts have Dickinson squarely in their crosshairs as a potential top 100 draft pick next year. ”

– Jeff Scholzen, Utah Scouting Director

Wisconsin

+ Nate Snead, RHP (South Milwaukee HS, 2022) | Tennessee:

“Snead had seen rapid development since his sophomore year as a prep before ultimately landing himself on the pro radar. The power right-hander is armed with a fastball that reaches into the upper-90s paired with a swing-and-miss slider.

In his freshman year at Wichita State, Snead found himself in a high leverage role out of the ‘pen where he struck out 53 batters in 42.2 innings. Now at Tennessee, Snead finds himself in a similar role, with a 9-2 record and five saves across 24 appearances. ”

– Josh Fields, Area Scout