Dakota Hudson throws really hard. A lanky 6-foot-5 right-hander, the Mississippi State ace sits in the mid-90s with his fastball, sometimes running it up to 97 miles per hour.
But he won’t be the hardest thrower No. 21 UCLA baseball (3-5) faces this weekend. That title belongs to Oklahoma righty Alec Hansen, a 6-foot-7 righty who flirts with triple digits and was a leading preseason candidate to be the draft’s first overall selection.
Hudson and Hansen are not the only reasons that scouts flock to the talent-packed Dodger Stadium Baseball Classic, an annual tournament that features UCLA, USC and two other prominent programs from around the nation.
Last year, ex-Vanderbilt shortstop Dansby Swanson stood out at the early-season event and rode the momentum the rest of the spring on his way to being the draft’s top pick.
“There’s going to be a lot of scouting directors in there and cross checkers, decision-makers,” said D1Baseball national writer Aaron Fitt. “You can make an early impression here that can linger in their minds right through the draft.”
Hudson, who Fitt said is a potential top-10 pick this spring, will get his chance to light up scouts’ radar guns Friday night, when he starts for the No. 20 Bulldogs (7-2) against Bruin sophomore starter Griffin Canning. It’s the most intriguing matchup of the weekend, Fitt said.
“Canning against Hudson, I think that’s a real treat right there,” Fitt said. “UCLA needs to get it going here a little bit and that’s a tough assignment on Friday night.”
Hansen, who will start for the Sooners (4-5) Saturday afternoon against the Bruins, may be an easier assignment even though he displays more velocity and potential.
Whereas Hudson has carved his way through two starts this season, posting 17 strikeouts and allowing just two runs in 11 innings, Hansen has faltered in his two turns, walking seven and allowing four earned runs in just four innings.
“He’s not able to throw strikes but he’s got a huge arm. He’ll show you high-90s – it’s easy to dream on him,” Fitt said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he touched triple digits. It’s that kind of arm, it’s really electric.”
Hudson’s and Hansen’s elite velocity will present a challenge for the Bruin hitters, but UCLA coach John Savage said he thinks his team’s season-opening series against North Carolina served as preparation.
“UNC had enormous arms so we’ve seen velocity this year,” Savage said. “We want to face the best arms … Now we can see this velocity and know that we’ve seen it before.”
In a tournament with more pitching than position-player talent, Savage will counter with two compelling pitchers of his own this weekend. Fitt said Canning, who made the Freshman All-American team last year, has an impressive feel for his secondary pitches and could add to his low-90s velocity as he develops.
“He’s got really good fastball command – that’s his calling card,” Fitt said of Canning. “Maybe he’s not going to overpower you with velocity but he’s got enough fastball and he’s got really good angle on the fastball and he commands the heck out of it. I think he does have a pretty bright future.”
UCLA freshman pitcher Kyle Molnar also drew Fitt’s attention. Although Molnar has posted two subpar outings to begin his college career, Fitt said the blue-chip prospect’s changeup has drawn rave reviews. As of press time, Molnar is slated to start Sunday at Dodger Stadium against the No. 22 Trojans.
“I’m hoping he doesn’t feel the pressure,” said former major leaguer Kevin Stocker, who will work as an analyst on Pac-12 Networks’ broadcast of Sunday’s game. “I think Savage does a really good job of controlling that. I think that’s really an aspect that he has. He really knows how to handle young players.”
There’s a chance Savage won’t roll Molnar out in Dodger Stadium, but not for pressure-related reasons.
He would think about moving the freshman to start Saturday if it seems clear that Sunday’s game will be rained out, a major possibility that the UCLA coach said would be frustrating considering the growing popularity of the annual event at the big-league park.
“It would be a chronic shame if we got rained out on Sunday,” Savage said. “It makes me sick to my stomach.”
Email Cummings at mbcummings@media.ucla.edu or tweet him @mbcummings15.