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J.D. Thompson (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Baseball America is tracking the outings of Friday aces. Here are 15 who stood out in Week 10, plus honorable mentions. Please note that due to most games being played from Thursday-Saturday in Week 10 due to Easter, this list includes pitching performances from Thursday and Friday night. Players are listed alphabetically.
Trey Beard, LHP, Florida Atlantic
Trey Beard wasn’t quite as dominant as usual Thursday night, but the Florida Atlantic lefthander still turned in another quality start against Wichita State, continuing what’s been a breakout season. Beard, one of the national leaders in strikeouts, is closing in on the century mark and remains a top contender for AAC Pitcher of the Year honors alongside Charlotte’s Blake Gillespie. With the way he’s performing, it’s fair to wonder if Beard could become a coveted transfer portal commodity this offseason, potentially drawing major interest from major Power 4 programs.
Final line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 7 K
Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
Tyler Bremner’s junior season at UC Santa Barbara hasn’t unfolded the way many projected, with inconsistency dogging him and his ERA hovering around 4.00 for much of the year. But Thursday night against a red-hot Cal Poly team, Bremner delivered arguably his best outing of the season, striking out a career-high 13 batters across seven strong innings while allowing three runs to score. It marked his third consecutive start with double-digit strikeouts. Though his overall numbers might not pop the way they were expected to, Bremner remains a highly regarded draft prospect with a premium changeup and one of the most enticing arsenals in college baseball.
Final line: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R/ER. 1 BB, 13 K
Evan Dempsey, RHP, Florida Gulf Coast
Evan Dempsey has quietly developed into one of the more dynamic two-way players in the country, and Friday’s start against Jacksonville was just the latest example. The FGCU righthander delivered his fourth-straight quality start, tossing seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts, although he was hit with a tough-luck no decision. Beyond his success on the mound, Dempsey is also batting .274 and offering capable defense in the outfield, making him an essential contributor for the Eagles on both sides of the ball. His rise as a legitimate two-way threat has been one of the bigger developments…