US Bank to Host Cambria Classic and Many Draft Prospect (March 3-5)

[Jeremy Nygaard]

The college season is underway, but most of those games are happening where the weather is much more pleasant. That will change this coming weekend as US Bank Stadium is hosting a three-day, six-team, nine-game round robin tournament.  In an even better bit of news, this year's field will feature a number of draft prospects.

The Gophers will host five other teams, including two Big Ten teams and two SEC teams. Ole Miss (#4) is the highest-profile team, but Vanderbilt (#10) and Maryland (#13) are also teams who could make a run at the College World Series. And you can catch as many as nine games at US Bank Stadium over three days starting on Friday. 

The inaugural event was hosted in 2020 and returned in 2022. The three Big Ten teams will rotate playing the non-Big Ten teams over the weekend.

Friday, March 3
11:00 am                Vanderbilt vs Nebraska
3:00 pm                 Ole Miss vs Maryland
7:00 pm                 Hawaii vs. Minnesota
 
Saturday, March 4
11:00 am                Maryland vs Vanderbilt
3:00 pm                 Nebraska vs Hawaii 
7:00 pm                 Ole Miss vs Minnesota
 
Sunday, March 5
9:30 am                 Hawaii vs Maryland
1:30 pm                  Nebraska vs Ole Miss
6:00 pm                 Vanderbilt vs. Minnesota

Ole Miss will feature the top prospect in shortstop Jacob Gonzalez. Gonzalez helped lead Ole Miss to a 2022 College World Series championship and has also played for Team USA's Collegiate National Team for two years. There are a lot of similar traits to 2022 first round pick Brooks Lee. Gonzalez consistently puts together good plate appearances, walking more than he strikes out and also has home run power. Whereas Lee is a switch-hitter, Gonzalez is strictly a left-handed hitter. On the flip side, Lee will likely move off of shortstop while Gonzalez is seen as more likely to remain there (though he could play third base or second base). This will give the Twins brass an easy look at the potential Top 5 pick. Catcher Calvin Harris also sneaks into Baseball America's Top 200 at #199. Harris hasn't gotten a ton of time behind the plate in the his first two years at Ole Miss, but he figures to be the man this year and has shown traits in the past that make him a catching prospect to follow.  LHP Hunter Elliott was exceptional as a freshman and figures to be a top prospect in the 2024 draft, though he's currently dealing with some forearm tightness and his availability for the weekend is in question. 

Vanderbilt also brings a potential Top 10 pick in centerfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr. Though he struggled in his debut weekend, Bradfield does things on the base paths and in the outfield that are rarely seen thanks to his speed. Not a lot of guys are tagged with 80-grade speed, but Bradfield has it. He's also going to have to be the rare prospect with 20- to 30-grade power. But if you love watching players make a difference with their legs, Bradfield is your guy. Patrick Reilly is a big right-hander who throws in the high-90s with a wild fastball and also features a nice slider and developing change-up. A good year could propel him up boards, while another year of demonstrating poor control could point him directly into a bullpen role. LHP Hunter Owen (#178) and C/OF Jack Bulger (#194) also make appearances towards the back of BA's Top 200. Two other players who figure to be in the conversation in the first round of the 2024 draft are LHP Carter Holton and RHP Andrew Dutkanych. Holton was drafted by the Brewers out of high school but made it to campus and has been very good and features a four-pitch mix and projects to start despite being undersized. Dutkanych is interesting because he withdrew from the 2022 draft when he had a chance to be a first-day pick (due to the lack of pitching depth). There isn't much for a college track record yet, but he will be draft-eligible after his sophomore season. 

Maryland is not your perennial college baseball powerhouse, but they do boast a first-round prospect of their own in shortstop Matt Shaw. Shaw was extremely impressive in 2022 (.985 OPS with 22 home runs) and then showed out in the Cape Cod League, where he also demonstrated his ability to steal bases (21-of-24). Shaw likely figures to be a second baseman as a professional as he's on the smaller side (5-11, 185). Like Shaw, teammate Luke Shliger also had an impressive 2022 backed up by a good showing in the Cape. Also on the smaller size, Shliger projects as a two-way catcher. RHP Jason Savacool leads the starting staff, but may profile best as a reliever professionally. 

Minnesota's RHP George Klassen (#173) and Nebraska's 3B Max Anderson (#91) both appear on BA's Top 200 because of power. Klassen with his powerful right arm that reaches triple-digits and Anderson because of the power potential in his bat. There are plenty of questions with both - Can Klassen harness the fastball? Can Klassen put the ball in the air? - but both are enough to tease scouts at this early point of the season. 

You'll be able to follow Gophers baseball more closely this year as former Gopher Alex Boswell will be writing about the program. 

Hawaii does not have any notable draft prospects. 

Tickets for this weekend's event are available here. 

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[MN_ExPat]

Should be some good baseball.  If I was in town, it would be pretty cool to see the SEC go head to head with some of the Big Ten-fourteen (or whatever they are calling themselves this week ).

[Monkeypaws]

US Bank looks funky with the baseball setup.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

16 minutes ago, Monkeypaws said:

US Bank looks funky with the baseball setup.

In fairness, US Bank looks funky in general.

[MplsFan]

Awesome.  I appreciate the heads up this is happening plus the rundown of who to watch out for there

[Monkeypaws]

If I lived up there and had the time, I would love to spend a day watching high-level college baseball in comfort, if for the novelty alone.