MLB Draft Notebook: Live Like Lou College Baseball Classic Edition

LAS VEGAS -- The 2026 Live Like Lou College Baseball Classic is officially in the books.

Widely considered the best tournament outside of the College World Series, the Classic stood as a tremendous opportunity for some of college baseball’s top prospects to showcase their talents. Throughout the weekend, some of the best players lived up to the billing, while unheralded prospects turned some heads in their own right.

In this edition of The Sporting Tribune’s bi-weekly draft notebook, we go through who emerged from the tournament who saw significant impacts to their draft stock, as well as a couple unsung players who might have worked their way onto some radars with a strong weekend.

Ricky Ojeda, LHP, UC Irvine

After concerns arose regarding Ojeda after he showed a decrease in velocity on his fastball in the last notebook, the southpaw addressed at least some concerns during his start against Oregon on Saturday.

Ojeda’s fastball clocked in at the low-mid 90s, putting him right back in some good graces. It allowed his offspeed pitches to look a lot more effective, even though he only managed four strikeouts in seven innings of work.

Control was also an issue for Ojeda. While he did get hitters to fall into double plays to work himself out of trouble, he would also have three pitches get away from him that hit the batters.

Ojeda still profiles as someone who could go as early as Round Two, but he still needs to find a way to attack the strike zone without sacrificing velocity.

Tommy Farmer, CF, UC Irvine 

Farmer finally got some action going at the plate after a quiet start to the season, going four-for-12  (.333) throughout the three days of the tournament.

He showed some quality contact and speed, getting two doubles in three games. Farmer’s most impressive play, however, was using his wheels to turn what should have been an easy groundout into an infield single, showing why he earned the 70 rating for speed.

That athleticism should serve well to keep him in the outfield at the next level, where he profiles best as a middle-of-the-order hitter and a threat on the baselines.

Alonso Reyes, 1B/C, UC Irvine 

Reyes stayed primarily at first base throughout the weekend, going three-of-nine (.333) in three games.

Outside of a double on Friday, Reyes did not stand out in any particular way with the bat, but he made up for it with some impressive plate discipline. He managed to get three walks on Saturday alone while only striking out once, and finding ways to get on base is a guaranteed way to endear yourself to a coaching staff.

If Reyes can find a way to get some consistent pop from his bat, the Kevin Youkilis comparisons should come rolling in and bump his draft stock considerably.

Zach Fjelstad, SS, UC Irvine 

While the three Anteaters listed earlier are all known commodities, Fjelstad was the only one to make his way onto the All-Tournament Team.

Fjelstad was far and away the most consistent source of offense for the Anteaters all weekend, going six-for-15 (.400) and leading his team with five RBIs. He made an impact in both the batter’s box and the base paths, getting two doubles and scoring UC Irvine’s first run against Oregon on an Auggie Gutierrez sacrifice fly. His bat, like many others, fell silent against Arizona on Sunday, but the damage was already done.

Power might never be part of his overall game, but Fjelstad’s mix of solid contact and good speed is bound to get him some looks, especially if a team thinks he can remain at shortstop at the professional level.

Andrew Cain, OF, Arizona

Cain’s mostly been seen as a prospect for the later rounds so far, but he possesses some tools that could keep him around for a good while.

Mostly playing left field for the Wildcats, Cain only got one hit, but it was a double that ultimately led to Arizona’s first run on Saturday against Vanderbilt in a spirited comeback win. He also showed good plate discipline, getting three walks compared to two strikeouts.

Cain was a late scratch on Sunday against UC Irvine, so that is a situation worth monitoring, but both corner outfielders (Caleb Danzeisen in right field) came out of the weekend with some positives to build off off.

Mason Russell, LHP, Arizona 

After Arizona got out to a huge lead over UC Irvine on Sunday, Russell got his chance to showcase his skills.

The southpaw put together a mixed bag in his brief showing. His pitches showed some nice speed and movement, with his fastball clocking in at the low-mid 90s most of the time. However, his control escaped him at times with three walks in just 1.1 innings of work, and it ultimately led to the only earned run against the Wildcats.

He still has plenty of time to turn it around with his first year of eligibility being next year, but this weekend probably did not do much to change his stock either way.

Smith Bailey, RHP, Arizona 

Leading up to Luc Fladda’s 14-strikeout gem on Sunday, Bailey put together an excellent outing on Saturday to help Arizona upset Vanderbilt.

Bailey looked the part of Arizona’s best pitcher of the weekend, putting together six strikeouts and only one earned run across six innings. His fastball was consistently in the mid 90s as high as 95, and he had an impressive array of breaking balls (low 80s slider, high 70s curveball) that kept the Commodores off balance.

Bailey has likely secured some second-round hype for 2027, and continuing to string together promising outings on the mound could see him start to get some first-round projections.

Nate Novitske, INF, Arizona 

Novitske was not on many 2027 radars heading into this weekend, but it would be remiss not to include the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.

An absolute contact machine, Novitske was the only player to secure at least three hits in all three games. The utility infielder did a little bit of everything for the Wildcats on offense, showing off some speed in the process with a stolen base on Saturday against Vanderbilt, as well as a double against UC Irvine on Sunday. Novitske would finish the day with four RBIs and went nine-for-14 (.643) in his at-bats.

The lack of power in his bat could be an issue, but Novitske’s mix of solid contact, speed and defensive versatility made him arguably the big winner of the tournament.

Brodie Johnston, 3B, Vanderbilt 

Johnston came into the weekend as one of the top 2027 prospects, but his performance during the tournament felt somewhat lacking.

The powerful third baseman only went three-for-12 (.250) during the three games, so the power Johnston is known for never truly got a chance to register. He did get a double against Arizona on Saturday, however, so he did not leave Las Vegas empty-handed.

Johnston’s impressive start to the season so far likely overshadows this weekend, but he has to be looking back on this as a missed opportunity.

Braden Holcomb, OF, Vanderbilt 

Holcomb’s position is still up in the air, but he made positive strides to secure his status as an early-round draft pick.

Despite only having one hit in the first two games, Holcomb still stayed active defensively with some highlight-reel catches, suggesting that center field is not necessarily out of line for him despite his six-foot-five frame. Against Oregon on Sunday, however, Holcomb finally got his key moment of the tournament with a 461-foot home run off of Luke Morgan to inch Vanderbilt closer to a comeback that ultimately never happened.

Holcomb can safely be penciled in as a second-round projection, even if his massive frame means a move to the corner outfield is in his future.

Austin Nye, RHP, Vanderbilt 

It is hard not to come away with some sympathy for Nye, who had a golden opportunity taken away through no fault of his own.

Starting on Saturday against Arizona, Nye was dealing early and attacking the strike zone, even if his pitches were somewhat on the slower side. However, a deflection off a Novitske hit in the first inning caused Vanderbilt to err on the side of caution, meaning Nye only got one inning of work. For what it’s worth, freshman reliever Wyatt Nadeau did well in his own right with four scoreless innings (97 speed fastball), but it was a shame watching one of the more interesting pitchers in the 2027 class leave so quickly.

Hopefully Nye’s early exit was just for precautionary purposes, as an injury could make his draft stock more difficult to predict.

Connor Hamilton, RHP, Vanderbilt 

Hamilton was one of the best freshman arms present at the tournament, and he got an inning of work against Arizona on Saturday. 

Hamilton got an inning of work in on Saturday against Oregon, and he was arguably the best reliever for the Commodores this weekend. He got two strikeouts with a combination of mid-90s fastballs and a trio of offspeed pitches (slider, change up, curveball). It is uncertain if Vanderbilt views him as a rotation or bullpen arm, but performances like this are promising either way.

An unsigned 14th round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2024, expect Hamilton’s name to be called much higher next time around (as soon as 2027).

Ryker Waite, SS, Vanderbilt 

Similar to most top Vanderbilt prospects, Waite was another name that did well enough, but maybe left more on the table than he would have liked.

Waite was not particularly noticeable at the plate, and Sunday’s three-strikeout game against Oregon was certainly a downer. However, Saturday’s game against Arizona went a little smoother, with him showing good plate discipline for a younger player with two walks. Waite also showed good speed and awareness on a stolen base, so there were at least a few tools on display throughout the weekend.

The contact was not quite there, but Waite’s 2027 eligibility means there are still plenty of chances for the shortstop to try and lock a first-round selection down.

Nate Taylor, RHP, Vanderbilt 

Taylor is one of the more hyped 2027 arms in the class, but his start against Oregon on Sunday was a mixed bag of tricks.

The first impression of Taylor is that he is more of a finesse pitcher than a straight hurler; his fastballs typically clocked somewhere in the low 90s, but he often showed excellent command of the strike zone throughout. Unfortunately, some throws hung on him for too long, resulting in him being the victim of four home runs at the hands of the Ducks.

Taylor’s projection for 2027 is still up in the air, but this may have thrown a bit of cold water on the early-round hype. How he responds will be crucial.

Burke-Lee Mabeus, C, Oregon 

A Henderson native, Mabeus made sure to have a memorable homecoming.

Mabeus found himself in a number of high-pressure situations, and he often delivered. Friday’s game against Arizona saw him pick up both a double and a RBI, but Sunday’s performance against Vanderbilt saw him pick up a home run in front of the hometown crowd. The strong effort made him an easy choice for catcher on the All-Tournament Team, joining a litany of Ducks in the honors.

The Bishop Gorman graduate has a real shot at the second round next year, with the potential for more should his power continue to be as prominent as it was this weekend.

Maddox Molony, SS, Oregon 

Molony had to deal with shining among a group of quality infielders, but he had his moments of brilliance.

Saturday’s game against UC Irvine was somewhat difficult to gauge, if only because Molony took two wild pitches from Ojeda. He did get a chance to show off his power on Sunday against Vanderbilt, however, getting the scoring started with a home run to straight left field. Molony secured at least one hit in every game during the tournament, one of only four Ducks who could make such a claim.

While there was not much of a chance for Molony to showcase his speed, the power and defensive prowess at shortstop should make him a strong candidate for the first round this year.

Brayden Jaksa, C, Oregon 

While playing behind one of the better catchers in the nation in Mabeus can be a challenge, Jaksa made the most of his brief playing time this weekend.

He got the start over Mabeus on Saturday against UC Irvine, and he was serviceable in that regard. Jaksa showed some impressive speed for a catcher on an infield single, and his command behind home plate kept opposing baserunners honest.

Despite being more of a utility player who can stay at the corners, he was never tested in that area, so his defensive versatility was not quite on display.

It is unclear what Jaksa’s ultimate professional position is going to be, but he has a window to figure that out, given his first year of eligibility is 2028.

Gabe Miranda, 1B, Oregon 

It took until the final day, but Miranda showed the power that is going to make him an interesting draft option.

Up until Sunday, Miranda was going through a bit of a slump, managing only one hit in eight at-bats with three strikeouts. However, he finally managed to get a pitch he liked and blasted it to right center field to finish the scoring for the Ducks on the day.

First basemen can tend to be tough sells for scouts, but Miranda’s hitting will be his calling card in the pros, and he got the chance to showcase it in Las Vegas.

Cal Scolari, RHP, Oregon

The middle round projections for Scolari this year are looking like they might have been conservative estimates.

Despite a high-powered lineup from Vanderbilt, they were unable to do anything on Sunday until Scolari left the mound. Through six shutout innings, Scolari notched eight strikeouts and only two walks, threw fastballs that hit as high as 98 on the radar gun, and rarely found himself in bad positions.

He was an easy pick for the All-Tournament Team starter as a result of the incredible performance.

The UC San Diego transfer has torn it up to start the season, and the possibility is there for him to break into the third round, if not higher.