Pitching and shadows top factors in the first round of 2025 Men’s College World Series

(NCAA photo)

By Andrew Riedell

As we wrapped up the opening round of the Men’s College World Series and approached elimination Sunday, a couple storylines have emerged so far. Every game, it’s remarkable how good the pitching has been. In the late afternoon/early evening games, the other is how difficult it has been to hit when the sun is setting and shadows start to form.

So far through four games here in Omaha, we have had only two home runs hit, both muscled out with the wind blowing in. They were both hit by lefties known for their power and barely got out against two really good pitchers. Mason White of Arizona went opposite field against Coastal Carolina, and Reese Robinett of Arkansas took LSU’s Kade Anderson over the right field bullpen on Saturday night, the only run scored by the Hogs in a 4-1 loss.

Pitching has changed over the last 10-15 years, as more advanced analytics have increasingly influenced strategy, and pitchers are obviously throwing much harder. With the involvement of pitching coaches taking help from Driveline, Tread, and Cressey Sports Performance, pitchers have become athletes despite the usual stereotype. And where better to showcase the highest level of pitching dominance than in Omaha?

So far, we have seen that, especially from Dax Whitney of Oregon State and Anderson, both of them guys who are almost certain to hear their names called in the first round whenever they are drafted. Whitney faced Louisville and went 5 1/3 innings, allowing only three hits while striking out nine Cardinal hitters. He displayed a fastball sitting 93-95 and touching 97 against a very solid Louisville lineup, but he enhanced it with a soft loopy curveball averaging 73-75 and a spin rate of 2500-2700. Perhaps most importantly, Whitney got ahead with 13 first-pitch strikes, registering 15 whiffs in his outing on Friday.

Anderson as well had a very good outing for his first start in Omaha, facing in Arkansas the probable favorite to win the whole thing. It came just a month after logging six innings against the same lineup, giving up three runs and striking out ten. A projected Top 10 pick in the upcoming MLB draft, Anderson was dominant again, lasting seven innings, sitting 93-95 and touching 96-97 a few times as well.

Anderson also relied on his off-speed pitches to get ahead early and put away the Arkansas hitters with a really good changeup, slider, and curveball mix. The line blemish in his outing was a solo home run that left the ballpark at 104 MPH and traveled 386 feet into the right field bleachers.

Another pitcher whose outcome wasn’t as good but merits mentioning is Patrick Forbes from Louisville. He toughed it out against a very good Oregon State lineup, striking out 10 Beaver hitters and registering 18 whiffs as well. Forbes displayed a dominant fastball, sitting upper 90s, and executed his off-speed pitches well to retire Oregon State hitters. He just found himself on the wrong side of the score, allowing seven hits and three runs.

The best thing about the MCWS in Omaha is that it shows the best of the best, and we see who will perform in the dusk and under the lights the best. This continues throughout the week, and by the time you read this, it may not be long to wait for the heavyweight matchup between Coastal Carolina and Oregon State on Monday night. The Beavers are expected to throw lefthander Ethan Kleinschimdt, and the Chanticleers start ace Jacob Morrison in what should be a low-scoring, but exciting nonetheless, affair.

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