Early March, as teams move into conference play, is when the college season begins to settle into its rhythm. Opening weekend adrenaline has faded, pitchers are starting to stretch deeper into outings, and hitters begin to reveal whether their early production reflects real skill or simply early-season timing against arms that are still building up.
This week brought a mix of environments and looks. I started in Westwood for UC Irvine at UCLA, moved down the freeway to Fullerton for UC Irvine at Cal State Fullerton, and finished the weekend in Long Beach for the final two games of the Hawai‘i–Long Beach State series.
As always, the focus was on draft-eligible players and prospects worth monitoring as the season unfolds.
Here’s what stood out.
UCLA Bruins
Roch Cholowsky — SS | 6’2”, 202 lbs. | Junior | R/R
Cholowsky looks like a professional the moment he walks onto the field. The frame is athletic and well proportioned — high waist, narrow hips, and good overall fluidity in the way he moves around the diamond. It’s an easy body to project.
Offensively, the swing is the standout tool. The bat stays in the zone for a long time and he finishes through the baseball with authority. The swing stays balanced throughout, and he reacts well to pitches on the inner half without losing his base.
There’s real leverage and bat speed here, along with present strength. The profile suggests legitimate power production, and it’s easy to see a 15–20 home run floor at maturity.
Defensively, I currently see an average shortstop with room for more. The body moves well and the actions are fluid. There is no pressing reason to move him off the position at this stage, and the arm strength supports the profile.
On the bases he accelerates well and uses his hips efficiently when turning, another indication of overall athleticism.
Roman Martin — 3B | 6’2”, 208 lbs. | Junior | R/R
Martin was the most impressive defensive third baseman I’ve seen so far this season… at least until the Long Beach State series.
His arm actions stand out immediately. The throwing motion is whippy but controlled, generating plenty of carry across the diamond. While most of his throws came from a traditional over-the-top slot, he showed the ability to adjust and throw effectively from multiple arm angles.
The hands and reactions were consistently sharp. He reads the ball well off the bat and moves comfortably at the position.
The body is athletic and durable enough to remain at third base long term, though if circumstances ever demanded it, the skill set would likely translate to right field as well. For now, though, there is no reason to move him.
Angel Cervantes — RHP | 6’2”, 215 lbs. | Freshman
Cervantes presents an interesting look on the mound. He’s lean through the torso with proportional shoulders and hips, though the lower half is somewhat thin for a pitcher of his size.
The delivery begins with a high leg kick that points almost toward second base before he drives down the mound. He holds the ball low through the delivery and reveals it late, releasing from a low three-quarter slot that adds deception.
He relies heavily on his fastball, but it’s a good one. The pitch shows riding life and plays well up in the zone.
His secondary mix includes a slider and a changeup. The slider is used effectively both to backdoor left-handed hitters and to frontdoor right-handers, while the changeup generates swings and misses within the zone.
The raw movement on the secondary pitches appears somewhat modest, but the deception built into the delivery makes the overall arsenal play better than the raw shapes might suggest.
UC Irvine Anteaters
Trevor Hansen — RHP | 6’2”, 195 lbs. | Junior
Hansen continues to look like the most complete draft follow among the arms I’ve evaluated so far this spring.
He has a lean, athletic build with room to add strength through the shoulders and upper back. The lower half provides functional strength without being overly thick, and he moves like a good overall athlete.
The arm is quick with excellent arm speed. His delivery can appear high-effort at times, even slightly violent, but he maintains enough balance and body control to repeat it consistently.
Hansen leans heavily on a fastball that sits 91–93 mph, and the pitch plays well thanks to its heaviness and his ability to locate it. He spots the fastball effectively and uses it both to challenge hitters in the zone and to expand the strike area.
His 12–6 curveball (around 83 mph) is a real weapon. It features significant vertical drop and he throws it confidently in any count, both for strikes and as a chase pitch.
The changeup (around 81 mph) showed the ability to generate whiffs within the zone, though it did not draw many chases in this particular outing.
When he missed with the fastball, the misses tended to be arm-side, suggesting command drift rather than deeper mechanical issues.
Velocity dipped slightly late in the outing, touching 89 mph by the fifth inning, but overall he repeated his mechanics well and maintained his approach.
Alonso Reyes — 1B | 6’0”, 195 lbs. | RS-Junior | R/R
Reyes is a converted catcher who now plays first base, and the athletic background shows.
The build is lean and athletic with noticeable lower-half strength and ropey forearms. He’s broad-shouldered without carrying excessive bulk, relying more on wiry strength than mass.
At the plate he shows discipline overall but will expand the zone against quality offspeed pitches. There is raw strength in the profile, though it did not consistently translate into game power in this look — something that may limit the offensive ceiling if he remains at first base.
Defensively, however, he moves extremely well for the position. The lateral quickness and reactions stand out, and he adjusts smoothly to hops while reading plays quickly.
The footwork is instinctive but still somewhat raw, which makes sense given his relatively recent transition to the position. At times the speed of the game can still catch up with him, but the athleticism suggests improvement with experience.
Given the mobility and arm strength, it would not be surprising if he eventually saw time in a corner outfield role as well.
Zach Fjelstad — SS | 5’11”, 190 lbs. | Junior | L/R
Fjelstad has a compact, durable build with a high-cut frame and solid overall athleticism.
The hands and arm are both playable. He receives the ball cleanly and can make throws from multiple arm slots, showing a strong internal clock on defensive plays.
However, his first step and range are both limited, and those traits likely prevent him from remaining at shortstop at the professional level.
The bat may carry the profile. In this look he ambushed a first-pitch changeup and drove it the opposite way over the left-field wall, showing the ability to adjust and generate impact.
Given the defensive limitations at shortstop, a future move to second base, third base, or even right field could allow the offensive profile to play.
Cade Castles — LHP | 6’2”, 175 lbs. | Freshman
Castles has a thin, long-limbed frame and releases the ball from a low, almost sidearm slot with good arm speed.
His best pitch in this look was a changeup, which he showed the confidence to throw in any count against both right- and left-handed hitters.
The fastball features good horizontal movement, while the breaking ball showed tumbling action but lacked sharpness.
The delivery includes a sweeping leg lift that does not always repeat cleanly when fatigue sets in. In this outing the command drifted badly, and he was hit hard by UCLA’s lineup, recording just two outs while allowing nine runs (five earned).
There are still interesting traits here, but the consistency will need to improve.
Peyton Rodgers — RHP | Sophomore
Rodgers was used briefly but showed intriguing traits.
His fastball sits 89–90 mph but features significant horizontal movement and comes out of his hand with a whippy arm action.
The changeup mirrors the fastball well out of the hand, which helped disrupt hitters’ timing.
Not a finished product yet, but someone worth keeping an eye on.
Cal State Fullerton Titans
Mikiah Negrete — LHP | 6’1”, 205 lbs. | Senior
Negrete has a compact, muscular frame with a strong lower half that drives his delivery.
His fastball sits 91–92 mph and shows vertical ride, generating swings and misses in the zone. He relies heavily on the pitch, pairing it with an 83 mph changeup used primarily to keep hitters honest.
The breaking ball — a 76 mph slurvy curve — did not prove effective in this look, and he appeared reluctant to use it.
Negrete worked deep into the game, reaching 98 pitches, though the fastball velocity dipped late. His 93rd pitch was an 89 mph fastball, suggesting limited stamina or velocity sustainability.
Defensively, however, he showed impressive athleticism. He drops his hips well, pivots quickly, and uses his front leg effectively to set up throws across the infield.
Given his age and physical maturity, it’s difficult to project additional velocity gains.
Cameron Kim — 3B/DH | 6’4”, 215 lbs. | Junior | R/R
Kim is long-limbed with room to add additional strength to his frame.
Offensively he shows strong strike-zone awareness and makes good swing decisions. The swing path is fairly level and produces a line-drive approach.
However, his barrel accuracy is inconsistent and he struggled against quality offspeed pitches in this look.
There may be more power in the profile if he learns to better utilize his leverage and incorporate additional lift into the swing.
Ty Thomas — 3B/1B | 6’3”, 215 lbs. | Junior | R/R
Thomas has a barrel-chested build with broad hips and carries most of his weight in the lower half.
Defensively he has a strong arm and soft hands, showing the ability to throw accurately from multiple arm slots and while on the run.
However, limited lower-body mobility likely pushes him away from third base long term.
Offensively he covers the plate well and shows the ability to drive the ball to all fields. He keeps his hands inside the ball but can speed up his swing against velocity on the inner half.
The body remains a concern, and I would need additional looks before committing to him as a draft follow.
Paul Contreras — RF | Junior
Contreras immediately looks like a ballplayer.
Lean and athletic with good strength, he favors a pull-side approach and handled inside velocity comfortably in this look.
Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors
Elijah Ickes — SS | 6’0”, 190 lbs. | Junior | R/R
Ickes may currently be my favorite prospect in the Big West based on live looks this season.
The build is compact and strong, with a thick lower half and developed forearms and wrists.
Defensively he shows excellent instincts. His internal clock is outstanding and he never appears rushed. He moves extremely well to his right and shows real arm strength from the hole, including the ability to execute jump throws.
In the second game of the series he displayed great footwork while covering third base on a bunt and nearly turned a double play with a strong throw to first.
The reactions are excellent and the overall movement patterns are fluid and athletic.
Offensively he has a compact, line-drive oriented swing with good barrel feel. The bat enters the zone on plane and finishes with natural lift.
He reads spin reasonably well but will expand the zone at times. Improving pitch recognition could be the next step in his development.
Still, the overall profile — defensive actions, arm strength, and offensive feel — is extremely appealing.
Ben Zeigler-Namoa — 1B | 6’1”, 195 lbs. | Graduate Student | L/L
Zeigler-Namoa has a strong, well-filled frame and stays balanced through his swing with the bat remaining in the zone for an extended period.
He employs a line-drive approach to all fields and shows gap power.
Defensively he reads hops well and handles difficult balls cleanly.
However, given his age and position — and the fact that the offensive profile is solid rather than exceptional — he has been removed from my follow list.
Hekili Robello — RHP | 6’5”, 220 lbs. | Junior
Robello has a long, athletic pitcher’s frame with broad shoulders and strong legs.
He works downhill effectively and uses his lower half well through the delivery, releasing from a low three-quarter arm slot.
The fastball plays well despite unknown velocity readings, and he demonstrated the ability to move it in and out while changing eye levels.
The changeup consistently had hitters out in front, and the sweeping slider generated both swings-and-misses and chase.
Command was inconsistent in this outing, with misses often occurring when his downhill stride shortened.
He also showed an excellent move to first base and strong defensive instincts on the mound.
Liam O’Brien — RHP | 6’5”, 215 lbs. | Senior
O’Brien has the classic look of a power pitcher: tall, long-limbed, and well proportioned with a strong lower half.
His fastball sat 95–96 mph and touched 98, pairing with an 85 mph hammer curveball.
He commands the fastball well to the outer half and frequently challenges hitters at the top of the zone, generating swings and misses with the pitch’s arm-side life.
The curveball serves as a chase pitch capable of expanding the strike zone.
He hides the ball well in the delivery, holding it toward second base behind his shoulder before releasing from a high three-quarter slot with strong arm speed.
During the outing he showed resilience after allowing a home run, walk, and hit batter in succession, settling down and making adjustments.
Without a consistent third pitch, however, the long-term profile likely fits best in a relief role, where the power fastball-curveball combination could allow him to move quickly through a professional system.
He is also somewhat slow to the plate and did not show strong control of the running game.
Long Beach State Dirtbags
Trevor Goldenetz — CF | 6’0”, 180 lbs. | Freshman | L/R
Goldenetz looks like a potential future star for Long Beach State — if the program can keep him.
The build is lean and athletic with strength concentrated in the legs and core.
Defensively he shows advanced instincts for a freshman. His first step is clean, his routes are efficient, and he glides easily to baseballs with long strides.
The glove is steady and the arm strength is more than adequate for center field.
At the plate he shows plus bat speed, a compact stroke, and a line-drive approach with gap power and some pull-side pop.
He also shows an advanced feel for recognizing spin for his age.
Everything about the profile suggests a high-level collegiate center fielder, and he would not look out of place in a larger program should the transfer portal come calling.
Jake Evans — 3B | 5’11”, 180 lbs. | Sophomore | R/R
Evans has a compact, muscular build with strength throughout the upper body.
At the plate he generates natural loft and pull-side power with loud contact when he squares the ball.
However, he cheats slightly toward the outer half of the plate, leaving him vulnerable to velocity inside. The swing length also produces some swing-and-miss.
Defensively he reads the ball well, fields cleanly, and throws from a three-quarter slot with good carry.
He is not a burner but shows solid agility and mobility.
Dylan Lina — 1B/3B | 6’0”, 215 lbs. | Senior | R/R
Lina is a natural third baseman who has spent most of the season at first base due to the presence of Evans.
With Evans serving as designated hitter in this game, Lina returned to third base and handled the position competently. His lower-body mobility is solid and he reads the ball off the bat well.
The arm strength is roughly average for the position.
Offensively, the power is the defining tool. Lina hunts pitches on the inner half and has the bat speed to punish velocity there, demonstrated when he pulled a 95 mph fastball from O’Brien over the left-field fence.
He is an aggressive hitter who chases more than ideal, but the ability to change the game with one swing is real.
The raw power grades comfortably as plus.
Big West Dugout 