There’s something gratifying about watching a baseball weekend unfold in person: the rhythm of the game, the adjustments hitters make in real time, pitchers trying to carve out an identity. Week Two brought that in spades at Anteater Ballpark.
After Opening Weekend’s UCSD–UCLA series, I headed down to UC Irvine for games one and three against Cal, with a Saturday-night stop at USC for Rice–USC.
Here’s what stood out:
UC Irvine Anteaters
Trevor Hansen, RHP — 6’2”, 195, Junior
Hansen works with narrow shoulders and hips and doesn’t yet fully use his lower half, but he maintains effective mechanics and control. Fastball sits 91–92, buried down and glove-side, generating swings over the top. The breaking ball is effective inside on right-handers and for called strikes. He commands the black on both sides of the plate and pairs it with a changeup he can throw in any count. First-pitch strikes were excellent — 21 of 30 — and hitters did not feel comfortable in the box. Velocity dipped slightly late, but he found extra ticks when needed. No deception in delivery, but pitch mix and control keep hitters off balance. Early projection shows starter potential with continued refinement.
Tommy Farmer, CF — 6’3”, 210, B/T R/R, Junior
Farmer’s defense is impressive. First step and route efficiency are excellent, covering balls over his head and laterally with control. Not elite speed, but instincts and arm make him a viable center fielder at the next level. Turns hips well, accelerates efficiently, and runs the bases with good inline mechanics.
At the plate, he maintains a line-drive swing with above-average bat speed, sprays to all fields, and stays in the zone. Against quality breaking balls, he expanded and did not fully handle spin, indicating room for growth. Overall athleticism is real, and hit tool versus secondary stuff will define ceiling.
Zach Fjelstad, SS — 5’11”, 190, L/R, Junior
Fjelstad has strong defensive instincts with good lateral movement, consistent footwork, and over-the-top throwing mechanics. Arm strength is average, and he wasn’t tested with high-pressure infield throws.
Offensively, he maintains pull-side authority and a line-drive approach similar to Farmer but with less bat speed. His two-strike approach is strong; he protects the plate, shows good barrel awareness, and can handle spin when adjusting. Against quality breaking balls, he sometimes expanded, but also demonstrated the ability to handle a changeup away. Overall, the swing tool is real, with consistency versus secondary stuff determining offensive projection.
Tim Grack, RHP — 6’1”, 195, RS-Sophomore
Grack threw roughly 35 pitches in relief. Fastball sat 92–93, touching 95, with good shape. Deception is a strength — he tunnels well, hiding the ball until late in his delivery. Slider is usable for strikes and chases, while the changeup was less visible but reportedly present.
Important context: as a freshman in 2024, Grack appeared in 16 games with eight starts before undergoing Tommy John surgery, missing 2025. Current relief deployment likely reflects recovery and workload management. The arm is live and competitive; the question going forward is whether he can deepen the mix enough to stretch back into a starter role.
California Golden Bears
Oliver de la Torre, RHP — 6’4”, 225, Junior
De la Torre has a narrow body with room to add strength, particularly chest and back. Fastball sits 91–92 with glove-side movement, almost cutter-like at times. The changeup is a weapon, generating whiffs both in and out of the zone. He switches speeds effectively and does not panic with traffic on the bases, staying with his game plan.
Command is inconsistent; he misses in all directions, and hitters fouled him off comfortably at times. Early projection leans reliever if strike-throwing tightens, with the changeup providing a strong carrying pitch.
Hideki Prather, C— 5’10”, 195, R/R, Junior
Prather was a menace all weekend. Controls the zone, consistently finds the barrel, and loves to ambush first pitches. Pulls with authority and runs the bases well for a catcher. Lean and athletic. With two strikes, a well-shaped breaking ball can get him to expand, but overall he was the most consistently dangerous offensive presence for Cal.
USC Trojans
Grant Govel, RHP — 6’0”, 200, Sophomore
Govel’s fastball sat 92–93 with arm-side run, backdooring righties and attacking lefties inside. Changeup at 82 mph fades to arm side late, mirroring the fastball and getting whiffs in and out of the zone. Throws the 78 mph 10-to-5 curveball as a weapon, especially versus lefties. Also showed what looked to be a softer 88 mph slurvy slider with less impact.
Govel pounded the zone. Command and movement were repeatable, baffling hitters, and early results — 21 strikeouts, two walks in 12 scoreless innings through two starts — reinforce the projection. Controlled movement and pitch mix keep him atop the weekend’s arms.
Kevin Takeuchi, CF — 5’10”, 180, R/R, Junior
Takeuchi has an athletic build and adjusts well to spin, sending balls back up the middle. Stays inside the ball with pull-side authority, rarely chases, and demonstrates good speed and base-running mechanics. Did not get defensive chances in this look, leaving that side incomplete. Offensive approach is disciplined and contact-oriented.
Big West Dugout 