D1 Baseball's Burke Granger provides analysis, data and video on draft prospects from Southern Miss and Oregon.
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Granger Angle: Emptying the notebook on Southern Miss
by:
BURKE GRANGERApr 15, 2025
Welcome back to the Granger Angle, where I get the opportunity to show our subscribers what it’s like to see the game we love from my point of view. This notebook-style article will feature notes, data and video from my in-person looks in recent weeks.
This collection of observations was accumulated during Oregon’s recent trip to Ohio State, where the
Ducks were upset by the Buckeyes, and when Southern Miss traveled to Marshall, where they dropped two-of-three against the
Thundering Herd.
While those linked features contained takeaways from the victors of those weekends, this piece highlights players from the other teams that caught my attention in my recent trips to the yard.
JB Middleton | RHP | Southern Miss
Middleton has done well to improve his draft stock thus far in 2025, although he’s still a bit of an under-the-radar prospect. After flashing pro stuff out of the pen last year, the consistency of that stuff has improved considerably during his transition to the front of the rotation. Middleton’s strikeout rate has climbed a bit from 26.8% to 28.7% while he’s nearly halved his walk rate from 15% to 7.9%. Although he’s a bit undersized at 6-foot, 178 pounds, he’s been up to 97 mph with his heater, averaging 94.4 mph (95th percentile), and he holds his velocity deep into games. Middleton isn’t afraid to throw his two-seam inside on the hands of righties, which tunnels and complements his breaking ball. His hard 85-91 mph slider, with spin up to 2700 rpms, gets a little cutterish when at the upper end of that velo band, but it’s better and has more late bite when thrown at 85-87. Middleton can miss bats with his full arsenal, but his upper-80s changeup – which he deploys just 10% of the time – generates a remarkable 54.5% (97th percentile) whiff rate. In his recent 83 pitch start against Marshall, he threw 67% strikes and got 16 swinging strikes.
Colby Allen | RHP | Southern Miss
Allen excelled as a standout closer on the Golden Eagles’ 43-win regional team last spring, going 10-2, 3.58 with seven saves. Moreover, he had 82 strikeouts compared to just 18 walks in 65.1 innings. Like Middleton, Allen isn’t the most physical guy at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds. But he also shares Middleton’s penchant for filling up the zone. Over 118.2 career innings, Allen is sporting a 6.0% walk rate while he’s punching out hitters 27.3% of the time. Almost an exclusively two-pitch guy, his fastball averages 92.2 mph this spring and has been up to 95. His mid-80s slider is a true putaway pitch, eliciting a 40.3% chase rate (95th percentile) with a 49.3% whiff rate (95th percentile).
Jake Cook | CF | Southern Miss
A former two-way guy, Cook has focused on hitting this spring and the early returns have been impressive. Holding down center field and hitting out of the leadoff spot, he’s leading the Golden Eagles in hitting (.376), while sporting a .911 OPS with seven doubles and nearly as many walks (9), as strikeouts (10). Sporting a lean, 6-foot-1, 185-pound build, Cook is a long striding runner and his speed is his standout tool. At least a double-plus runner, I had him with eye popping home-to-first times, including 3.76 on a bunt and 3.97 on a groundout. His speed and athleticism are evident in the outfield as well, as he has the closing speed to run down balls in either gap. As someone who touched 96 mph during his days on the mound, Cook displays a strong, accurate arm from center field. Though he doesn’t possess much present over-the-fence pop, he employs a swing path conducive to solid contact and has produced exit velos as high as 107 mph this spring.
Nick Monistere – 2B – Southern Miss
Monistere burst on the scene as a freshman in 2023, posting a .946 OPS as the Golden Eagles everyday second baseman. The numbers dipped a bit in the encore last spring, as he hit just .247 but he managed to impact the baseball for 11 homers and 53 RBIs, both good for second on the team. Now a junior, Monistere is back in the top 10 in the Sun Belt in slugging (.597), Hits (46), RBI (38), and home runs (10). Despite going just 3-for-14 in my look, he was on the barrel consistently and had a few tough luck lineouts. Monistere is feasting on heaters this spring, slugging .825 (98th percentile) against fastballs. He showed a quick exchange and a strong arm from second base. Like Cook, Monistere is a former two-way guy, and he was up to 94 mph from the mound as a freshman. He has present athleticism and runs well, leading the Eagles with six stolen bases in seven attempts.
