It was a cold weekend, but a good series between two of the better teams in the BIG10. Indiana got off to a slow start despite having some pretty good MLB Draft prospects. Maryland had been hot but really struggled once they got into BIG10 play. Indiana had the upper hand in this series but lost the final game on Sunday. The offense came to play as they outscored Maryland 29 to six in the first two games. Here is how some of the 2024 and 2025 MLB Draft prospects faired.
2024 MLB Draft
RHP Connor Foley, Indiana
Foley had one of his most impressive outings of the year on Saturday against a pretty stacked Maryland lineup. Over six innings, Foley struck out ten giving up zero runs while allowing just one hit and walking three. Early on, Foley lived around the zone. He was keeping hitters off balance with his changeup and his slider had some good bite to it. He was able to generate some good swing-and-miss. The fastball was about 93-95 MPH through the first inning or two. Then it starts to fall off the inning by inning. 91-94 MPH in the third, 90-93 MPH in the fourth, and eventually 89-92 MPH in the fifth and sixth. Foley just isn’t able to maintain his velo into the later innings. Along with the velocity drop, his command started to waiver late as well. He lost confidence in his fastball and was going more to his offspeed which seemed to lead to the walks and hit by pitches. A team will likely take a shot on Foley in possibly the fourth or fifth round as his velocity has been up to 98 MPH in the past and there could be a fairly good reliever there
OF Carter Mathison, Indiana
Power is the name of the game for Mathison. Even though he didn’t get one out of the park in this series, he was constantly hitting the ball hard to all fields, even if it wasn’t landing. Swing-and-miss in his games limits him from tapping into his full power potential. He struggled mostly with offspeed and would try to jump on fastballs early in counts. He showed off above-average speed on the base paths and got a good jump on his one stolen base attempt. Mathison really showed off his ability in centerfield. He tracked down everything hit his way and would take great routes to the ball. The potential to stick in centerfield and untapped power potential will interest teams on draft day, even if it is in the fifth round or later.
SS Tyler Cerny, Indiana
Outside of Maryland’s Kevin Keister, Tyler Cerny was probably the second most impressive guy this weekend. He had five hits over the two games, smashing two doubles and driving in two. The draft-eligible sophomore didn’t show off massive power or speed but was sort of a sum-of-all-parts type of guy at the plate and in the field. The only downside to his bat is he tends to overswing at times leading him to chase out of the zone, but when he was able to get barrel to ball he hit it fairly hard showing off some of the gap power he has. He played the field well and showed a decent ability to get balls to his left and right. The arm was about average and might eventually move him to second base. He’s likely to be a late-round sign for a team.
SS Kevin Keister, Maryland
Keister is the epitome of a cheap, but solid senior sign. He is a sparkplug for Maryland on both sides of the ball. You can easily see why Head Coach Matt Swope made him the team captain. Coming in at 5’9, 180 lbs, he’s the type of guy that gets overlooked due to his age and his size. The other downside to Keister is that he doesn’t possess much power or speed. He can generate some decent pop from time to time which gives you hope there could possibly be double-digit power there. He struggled to do much at this plate in this one. Keister is athletic despite his small frame and will look to make things happen on both sides of the ball. Defensively, he has very good range at shortstop, and a strong enough arm to make the plays needed. He was making constant web gems in the two games I saw him. That is where his best skills lie. There are questions about whether there is enough there for him to hear his name called on draft day, but scouts in the stands seemed to rave about him. He could be a cheap senior sign for someone to save some money or an undrafted free agent sign.
OF Elijah Lambros, Maryland
The positives to Lambros’ game definitely come on the defensive side of the ball. He played centerfield really well, showing off good range and routes to the ball. He had decent arm strength and carried on his throws as well. He’s impressive out there and is quick and twitchy. He’s a very good runner, which helps him track balls down in the outfield and keeps him from being a clog on the base paths. The downside to Lamrbos is at the plate. A combination of poor swing decisions and weak contact really keep him from being able to tap into some of the power he had last year. Lambros could potentially have his name called late on draft day or be offered an undrafted free agent sign due to his defensive ability, but there is also a very high chance he returns to Maryland for his senior season.
2025 MLB Draft
OF Devin Taylor, Indiana
Taylor was the biggest name in terms of draft prospects despite being a 2025 MLB Draft-eligible player. Outside of Texas A&M’s Jace LaViolette, Taylor might be the most exciting college position player prospect. His usual raw power wasn’t on display in this one. Taylor struggled a bit to make solid contact due to his inability to get the barrel to ball in the first two games. He rolled over a lot and popped the ball up quite a bit. His timing just seemed off and he was chasing too much out of the zone. Not sure if it was due to the frigid cold weather. He of course hit a home run in the third game I was unable to attend. Despite his struggles in this one, you can see why scouts like him. Taylor was trying to make things happen with his athleticism even though he knew he wasn’t feeling right at the plate. Whether it was bunting for a base hit or taking a walk and then trying to make things happen on the base paths, he wasn’t going to let the cold weather completely take away his ability to be a spark plug. He’s an average runner both on the base paths and in the outfield, but he’s got enough speed to likely stick in left.