Baseball America continues its series of fall baseball updates with a look at UC Santa Barbara ace Jackson Flora and more programs shaping their 2026 outlooks.
Jackson Flora Adds To Arsenal & More UCSB Notes
Few programs in college baseball have built a reputation for producing elite arms quite like UC Santa Barbara. And Jackson Flora is next in line to uphold that standard.Â
The righthander enters 2026 as the Gauchos†ace and one of the nationâ€s most promising pitchers following a sophomore season that hinted at his considerable ceiling. Flora has logged 122 career innings with a 3.69 ERA and 126 strikeouts to just 42 walks. In 2025, he set career highs across the board, posting a 3.60 ERA with 86 strikeouts to 17 walks over 75 innings while working almost exclusively as a starter.
Now, UCSB coach Andrew Checketts and Flora are intent on turning potential into dominance.
The offseason focus began with Floraâ€s fastball, which Checketts told Baseball America could “get dead zone at times.†To address that, the staff made mechanical adjustments designed to give the pitch more carry and life to match its already premium velocity. The early returns have been electric—Flora sat at 98.5 mph in his first fall outing, with his first pitch registering 99 and showing better shape, especially at the top of the zone.Â
From there, Checketts sought to improve Floraâ€s weapons against lefthanded hitters, who occasionally gave him trouble in 2025. That led to the introduction of a kick changeup, a pitch increasingly common at the professional level that prioritizes arm speed and grip over supination. After struggling to find consistency with splitters and circle change variants last year, Flora has taken to the new pitch quickly. Heâ€s also added a curveball with a slurvy shape that is somewhere between his calling-card sweeper and tighter, mid-to-high-80s slider.
While Floraâ€s top-of-the-draft potential has dominated conversation, the Gauchos†pitching depth remains impressive.
Lefthander Cole Tryba has shown encouraging signs this fall as he stretches into a potential starting role. His curveball features strong depth, and his fastball has ticked up to 94 mph during early workouts. Righthander Calvin Proskey, who turned in a 3.78 ERA with 71 strikeouts to 28 walks over 66.2 innings last season, has also taken a step forward. He’s now touching 94 while adding strength to sustain his velocity deeper into outings and maintain his effectiveness as the season wears on.
Sophomore righty Nathan Aceves might be UCSBâ€s next breakout arm. He flashed elite promise last spring with a 1.65 ERA in 27.1 innings and opened fall camp by touching 98 mph. Though his velocity leveled off in his second outing, Aceves†breaking pitches and changeup have drawn strong reviews, giving him a legitimate chance to claim a rotation spot.
Offensively, UCSB looks capable but less defined. Outfielder Rowan Kelly (an All–Big West honorable mention in 2025), catcher Ian Fernandez, middle infielders Jonathan Mendez and Corey Nunez and corner infielder Xavier Esquer headline a group of returning producers. Mendez, in particular, has begun drawing increased scouting attention after posting a 92% in-zone contact rate last year with plus bat speed. If he refines his approach and limits chases on breaking pitches outside the zone, he could emerge as a significant offensive catalyst.
Even as the Gauchos retool their lineup, the identity of the program remains unchanged. UCSB is once again built around its arms, with multiple pitchers boasting early-round potential and Flora standing at the forefront of that tradition as he looks to lead the next great staff in Santa Barbara.
Southern Miss Built Around Returning Talent
Southern Miss has become synonymous with postseason baseball, and 2025 was no exception.
The Golden Eagles were above the hosting line in what proved to be a banner year for the Sun Belt, reaffirming their place among the nationâ€s most reliable programs. Though they lost key contributors like ace JB Middleton, outfielder Jake Cook and infielder Nick Monistere, coach Christian Ostrander believes his 2026 groupâ€s depth, returning talent and what he called “absolutely outstanding, impressive leadership†have positioned the team to sustain that success.
At the center of the lineup sits Matthew Russo, a lefthanded-hitting first baseman poised to be the teamâ€s offensive anchor after hitting .290/.407/.563 with 18 home runs, 11 doubles, 30 walks and 21 hit-by-pitches last season. He also produced excellent underlying data: a 91.4 mph average exit velocity, 107.1 mph 90th percentile exit velocity, 51% hard-hit rate, 23.5% barrel rate and 87.5% zone-contact rate. Russoâ€s power makes him one of the Sun Beltâ€s most dangerous hitters, and Ostrander expects him to be a focal point of the offense in 2026, especially if he can limit chases and improve his discipline.
Around him, Drey Barrett, Davis Gillespie, Ben Higdon and Joey Urban all return after ranking among the teamâ€s statistical leaders last year. Seth Smith and Ty Long, both reserves in 2025, are battling for the shortstop job this fall.Â
The Southern Miss coaching staff supplemented its core with a small but targeted transfer class. Kyle Morrison, a transfer from South Alabama, hit .294/.399/.521 with nine home runs and 13 doubles while posting an 88.8 mph average exit velocity, 46% hard-hit rate and 28.2% barrel rate. He homered five times this fall, and Ostrander said his swing “seems to fit perfectly†at Pete Taylor Park. Louisiana transfer Caleb Stelly missed fall workouts due to a back injury but is recovering well and expected to be ready by Opening Day.
The pitching staff is once again a strength. Veteran righthander Colby Allen, who worked extensively out of the bullpen last season, is moving into a weekend rotation role after sitting 90-93 mph this fall with his sinker, paired with a slider and a newly-developed changeup. Lefthander Grayden Harris (3.39 ERA in 58.1 innings) has seen his fastball climb to 94 mph while expanding his secondary arsenal. Fellow lefty Kros Sivley, who has logged nearly 200 career innings, brings experience and what Ostrander described as “closer-type stuff.â€
The breakout candidate is McCarty English, a 6-foot-1 righty who threw only two innings last year while recovering from a 2024 elbow stress fracture. English returned to form this fall, sitting 94-95 mph with multiple sharp breaking ball shapes and allowing just five hits over 16 innings. Ostrander believes he has the potential to be a major weapon.
With a deep roster, proven leadership and a track record of pitching development, Southern Miss once again looks equipped to contend atop the Sun Belt and remain a fixture in the NCAA Tournament conversation.
Little Rock Aiming To Prove 2025 Postseason Was More Than Magic
Few programs in the country experienced a more transformative year in 2025 than Little Rock. The Trojans not only reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time under coach Chris Curry, but also pushed eventual national champion LSU to a winner-take-all regional final, earning their first-ever postseason victory along the way. The breakthrough sparked a wave of local support and led the school to extend Curryâ€s contract through 2030, solidifying his place at the center of one of college baseballâ€s most inspiring recent turnarounds.
Curryâ€s optimism for 2026 is fueled by both experience and growth. First baseman Angel Cano, the emotional and offensive catalyst of the Trojans†postseason run, returns fully healthy after an injury-plagued season in which he hit .247/.307/.443 with seven home runs and 13 doubles across 45 games. Curry said Canoâ€s strength and presence make him a lineup fixture with the potential to far exceed last yearâ€s numbers.
Among newcomers, junior college transfer Nolan Freund has impressed as a plus defender at third base after a standout offensive year in which he hit .422/.495/.641 with 23 doubles, nine home runs and 71 RBIs while drawing more walks (32) than strikeouts (31).
On the mound, righthander Jack Cline—who threw a complete game in the Baton Rouge Regional—is back and poised to anchor the staff. His stuff has continued to tick upward, and he looks every bit the part of a rotation leader.
Curry said this is “one of the best teams†he has fielded at Little Rock. Built through a deliberate emphasis on junior college recruiting to add experienced, productive players, the Trojans†older, deeper roster could help sustain the momentum of a season that redefined the programâ€s trajectory.
More Fall Ball Notes
- Florida outfielder Jaden Bastian suffered a compound fracture in his right leg that required emergency surgery after an on-field incident that brought an ambulance onto the field. Bastian is now home with his family and resting following what a source described as a successful procedure. There is no timetable for recovery, and he is not expected to play in 2026 barring an unprecedented recovery. Bastian ranked just outside Baseball Americaâ€s 2026 Top 100 draft prospects.
- NC State outfielder Ty Head has been one of the most talked-about players among scouts this fall. Known for his plus athleticism, Head is now showing emerging strength in his swing—one of the key areas evaluators had been monitoring. He recently entered Baseball Americaâ€s Top 100 draft rankings and could climb higher if his combination of barrel control and true center field defense continues to progress.
- Florida righthander Liam Peterson has looked dominant this fall, carrying his strong finish from 2025 into an impressive stretch of workouts. After focusing on getting stronger and throwing from a more over-the-top slot, Peterson has consistently lived in the high 90s and is approaching triple digits while featuring three distinct offspeed pitches.
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