Knaak’s best pitch is his changeup, thrown in the upper 70s. He uses it effectively against both left and right-handed hitters, as it features plus fade and late tumble throughout its trajectory. It’s arguably the top offspeed pitch in the class, boasting a 50% whiff rate, the highest among changeups in 2025.
His fastball sits in the lower 90s and has touched 96 mph during the season. Knaak’s third pitch is a low-80s curveball with true 12/6 movement, averaging 10 inches of drop. Additionally, he incorporated a sinker last season, a low-90s pitch with a similar shape to his effective changeup.
Knaak checks every box for a weekend ace. It’s a durable frame, five-pitch mix with feel, and a competitive presence on the mound. He became the first pitcher in Clemson history to earn First-Team All-ACC honors in each of his first two seasons, with a third likely on the way. Look for another standout campaign in 2026 as Clemson aims to return to Omaha for the first time in over 15 years.
LHP Trey Beard, Florida State – 6’2, 185 lbs
The final two pitchers on this list are recent transfers to Power 4 programs, starting with southpaw Trey Beard, who’s now set to join Florida State. He was the top left-handed arm in the American Athletic Conference last season, logging 86 innings with a 3.14 ERA, 118 strikeouts, and holding opponents to a .199 batting average.
Beard is a prime example of a pitcher who benefits from working vertically through the zone. The fastball may not stand out in terms of velocity, sitting at 90–92 mph, but it plays up thanks to a release height just under 7 feet and 20 inches of induced vertical break.
Along with the fastball, Beard incorporates three offspeed offerings that achieved over a 40% whiff rate in 2025. His primary secondary is a mid-70s changeup with good separation off his fastball with late fade. Beard also throws a mid 70s curveball often, a pitch that gets 12/6 action and also a ton of depth. The fourth pitch is a low-80s slider with short, tight action. While Beard doesn’t use it often, it’s a good bridge pitch between his fastball and curveball.