Bradley Smart

Writer, photographer, and other things for @d1baseball. ACC Extra lead. Reach out: bradley at d1baseball dot com

[Bradley Smart @fridaystarters]

Wrapping up my review of my preseason breakout picks with a look at @StanfordBSB, @UVABaseball, @HokiesBaseball, and @WakeBaseball. Headliners in this grouping included Virginia Tech's Ethan Gibson and Virginia's Tyler Kapa.
https://t.co/VAWLvxmUBX

[Bradley Smart @fridaystarters]

Lorenzo Carrier ✔️
Mikey Ryan ✔️
Jayce Lee ✔️

Part 3 of revisiting my preseason breakout player predictions throughout the ACC includes a look at @NCStateBaseball, @DiamondHeels, @NDBaseball, and @Pitt_BASE
https://t.co/XQNzcDvRtu

[Bradley Smart @fridaystarters]

For @d1baseball ACC Extra subscribers, I put together a handy resource to stay up to date on all the offseason coverage. Portal, draft, year in review, podcasts, and other content is consolidated in one page to bookmark and come back to:
https://t.co/K6vnJFNtxV

[Bradley Smart @fridaystarters]

Jackson Blakely ✔️
Rob Evans ✔️
Griffin Crain ✔️

Continuing my look back at preseason breakout player picks with breakdowns of @FSUBaseball + @GTBaseball + @LouisvilleBSB + @CanesBaseball
https://t.co/PTyi2dtbkm

[D1Baseball @d1baseball]

🆕 MLB Draft Signing Deadline Smorgasbord – ACC Baseball Etc.

Daron Vaught and Bradley Smart assess the damage after the MLB Draft’s signing period has passed. Who’s returning to school for a senior season? Who signed unexpectedly?
https://t.co/TmEB8g6XCB

[D1Baseball @d1baseball]

Which @ACCBaseball lineup impressed you the most in 2026?

@fridaystarters looked back at every offense in the conference – from @GTBaseball's historic season to breakout groups at @Pitt_BASE, @NDBaseball and beyond.

Part 1 👉️ https://t.co/hxv3Aacxq4
Part 2 👉️ https://t.co/elqvoa2ZIG

[Bradley Smart @fridaystarters]

Hideki Prather ✔️
RJ Hamilton ✔️
Julio Solier ✔️

Revisiting my preseason breakout player predictions, starting with a look at @BCBirdBall + @CalBaseball + @ClemsonBaseball + @DukeBASE
https://t.co/ivnUL0Vx0d

[Bradley Smart @fridaystarters]

Our @d1baseball transfer portal hub and WAR rankings have been updated after the MLB Draft signing deadline. Commits that were drafted & signed have been cleared from class values. Arkansas took the biggest hit, losing 7.1 WAR (3 commits). https://t.co/VNzorf8IIP

[Bradley Smart @fridaystarters]

Fifth-round pick (163rd ovr) of the Brewers who will reportedly be returning to Clemson for his senior year. Interesting look at offseason tweaks here, coming off 5.81 ERA over 57.1 IP (13 GS) w/ 88-23 K-BB. Has made 44 career starts for the Tigers. All-ACC x2 to start career.

[Aidan Knaak @aidan_knaak]

Offseason Bullpen
slight changes to the arsenal, added a slurve. Still throwing, 4s, CH, 2seam, 12-6, and Gyro as well. Also have the trackman chart below to see the movement profiles

In this video
FB: 92-94
SLV: 82-83
CH: 77-79
GYRO: 85-87

[Bradley Smart @fridaystarters]

No team had a higher walk rate in 2026 than @Pitt_BASE, who drew a 16.6 BB% that was almost a point and a half higher than the next team.

The Panthers are covered in my second installment breaking down the ACC's lineups as I continue my season in review.
https://t.co/USjFpfWcOL

[Bradley Smart @fridaystarters]

Nice pickup for @HokiesBaseball as Truitt committed yesterday, one of the best remaining players in the portal by WAR. Has played second & outfield, career .283/.386/.421 hitter coming off a 20-steal campaign.

[Brantley Truitt @brantley_truitt]

Transfer from UNC-G (D1-SOCON),
Batted .300 the past two seasons and have two years of eligibility remaining given the 5/5 rule.
2026 Season Stats
- 4 HR’s
- 3 Triples
- 9 Doubles
- 20 Stolen Bases
- 30 Walks

[Bradley Smart @fridaystarters]

Continuing our season review with the first of two pieces breaking down the ACC's lineups. Cover half the league (alphabetically) in this one, including a look at the formidable Georgia Tech lineup which paced the league in most categories.

https://t.co/jX2Xmg9tSF

[Bradley Smart @fridaystarters]

Next up in my ACC Season Review series: A look at starting rotations, specifically throughout the 10-week conference slate. Deep dive on all 16 rotations and how they fared.

🔗 https://t.co/QmsU8JKHsF

[Bradley Smart @fridaystarters]

After a Draft-induced hiatus, back with a deep dive on how the ACC's bullpens fared throughout the conference slate. Interesting mix of teams that leaned heavily on 2-3 arms as well as those that just searched for answers anywhere.

https://t.co/M5VgxztRRT

[Mike Rooney @Mike_Rooney]

This was a GREAT listen!!!
What I learned:
Coach Hall coached both Barry Larkin and Nomar Garciaparra!!!
🤯🤯🤯
@DaronVaught @fridaystarters

[Bradley Smart @fridaystarters]

Shogo Miyauchi and Genei Sato (Penn State) in '27 are following in the footsteps of Rintaro Sasaki & others in opting to go the college baseball route in hopes of a faster path to MLB. Sasaki signed with Marlins as 8th round pick.

[Matt Jones @ByMattJones]

RHP Shogo Miyauchi will play baseball at Arkansas next season.

I spoke to Miyauchi about becoming the first Japanese player to ever sign with an SEC program out of high school.

https://t.co/xK99L4SJG8

[Bradley Smart @fridaystarters]

Looked at ACC bullpen numbers in conference play as I continued my season in review series ... the arm talent @WakeBaseball has returning in '27 is elite. Numbers below reference ACC games, that freshman pairing totaled 73.1 IP w/ 101 Ks over full season with 4.30 ERA.

[D1Baseball @d1baseball]

No team in the ACC missed more bats out of the bullpen than @wakebaseball, whose RP posted a 12.4 K/9, nearly a full strikeout ahead of the next-closest staff

The Pen was led by true freshmen Evan Jones and Marcelo Harsch, who combined for 53 Ks in 44 IP. @D1BaseballACC

[Bradley Smart @fridaystarters]

Rich Witten has been hired by @HokiesBaseball as general manager & director of baseball operations. Former FIU HC started his coaching career in the ACC as a volunteer assistant at Miami, knows Virginia well having spent five seasons at VCU under now-Notre Dame HC Shawn Stiffler.

[Kendall Rogers @KendallRogers]

SOURCES: @FIUBaseball is parting ways with head coach Rich Witten, I'm told. Whitten spent the last four seasons with the #FIU program. FIU recently finished the 2026 campaign with a 19-35 overall record, 10-20 mark in #CUSA action.

UPDATED CAROUSEL: https://t.co/v8FWgZsLMN

[Bradley Smart @fridaystarters]

Really fun conversation with former @GTBaseball head coach Danny Hall, who is a member of the 2026 College Baseball Hall of Fame class and will be officially inducted in February 2027.

[D1Baseball @d1baseball]

Legendary Georgia Tech Coach Danny Hall Joins [ACC Baseball Etc.] https://t.co/oaA5w6gVeb

[Bradley Smart @fridaystarters]

@dubyac30 Learned my lesson this year on that, it's been very hard as of late for the defending champs to make it back to Omaha. Feels very hard to do so with the portal calendar. Vandy 2019 -> 2021 technically with the COVID gap, Florida 2017 -> 2018 before that.

[Bradley Smart @fridaystarters]

Impossible task every year. Went 3/8 last year with North Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia correct. Felt good entering tournament with No. 1 & No. 2 seeds UCLA/GT. LSU was the lone team I had that didn't at least make a regional.

[D1Baseball @d1baseball]

Who are you picking for Omaha in 2027?

🤝 @ChinookSeedery