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Pitchers are arguably the most important position in baseball as they serve as playmakers in defense by throwing which pitch is appropriate to every batter and situation. The most exciting moment for a pitcher is when they strike out batters as it builds adrenaline and the desire to work more innings to help his team win the game.
This season, college baseball has seen a lot of impressive pitchers, who carry teams to victory by throwing as many strikeouts as possible. Most of them have fastballs that reach 100 miles per hour and some of them are incredibly smart at disguising their pitches with accurate variations.
With this in mind, here are the top five pitchers with the highest strikeouts as of May 8, 2024.
Top 5 pitchers with the most strikeouts this season
#5. Brody Brecht, Iowa, 108 strikeouts
Brody Brecht has picked up where he left off from last year's impressive showing. The six-foot-four junior has started in 12 games this season and has a 3-2 record. He has struck out 108 batters in 63 innings - a major improvement from last year's 109 Ks in 77 innings.
This season, Brecht has an ERA of 3.43 which could improve in the Hawkeyes' future assignments. In his last start on May 4 against Northwestern, he was on the plate for eight innings and recorded a season-high 13 punchouts.
Iowa is fifth in the Big 10 standings with a 13-8 record and 28-18 overall. The Hawkeyes have six games remaining in the regular season which would determine their ranking in the Big 10 Tournament set for May 21-26 at the Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Nebraska.
#4. Trey Yesavage, East Carolina, 124 strikeouts
Trey Yesavage has recorded impressive numbers for East Carolina, striking out 124 batters in 74.2 innings this season - a big leap from 105 punchouts in 76 innings pitched the previous year.
The six-foot-four right-hander is at the top of the leaderboard in wins, going 10-1 in 12 starts. Furthermore, he has allowed an ERA of 1.69 and given up .152 in batting average against. In his last start against South Florida on May 3, Yesavage struck out 11 and allowed five hits and one earned run in seven innings.
Thanks to his pitching prowess, the Pirates have moved to the top spot of the American Athletic Conference standings at 16-5 and No.6 overall in the NCAA Division I rankings with a 37-10 record.
#3. Hagen Smith, Arkansas, 125 strikeouts
Hagen Smith is arguably the most sought-after pitching prospect in baseball. He has registered 125 strikeouts in 12 games for the Razorbacks this season.
Smith has pitched 66 innings and allowed a 1.36 ERA and .132 BAA. The left-hander holds an immaculate 9-0 record for Arkansas, who is at the top of the SEC West standings at 17-7 and 40-9 overall.
In his last game against Kentucky on May 3, Smith pitched six innings and recorded 14 Ks. He allowed three hits and one earned run to lead the Razorbacks to a 10-3 win over the Wildcats.
Arkansas would need Smith's pitching prowess to hurdle stronger opponents in the upcoming SEC Tournament and the NCAA Baseball Tournament.
#2. Ryan Johnson, DBU, 129 strikeouts
Ryan Johnson has impressively carried Dallas Baptist to the top of the Conference USA standings.
In 12 starts, Johnson has a record of 8-2 with an ERA of 2.03. The six-foot-six right-hander has allowed foes to hit .200 in 84.1 innings pitched. Last year, the junior had an 8-4 record on 116 Ks. However, he allowed an ERA of 4.43 and a .239 BAA.
In his last game against Jackson State, Johnson struck out 11 in five innings to earn the win. Johnson and the Patriots would need to win all their remaining games in their series against Liberty and Middle Tennessee to improve their rankings in the Conference USA Tournament and secure a possible Field of 64 slot.
#1. Chase Burns, Wake Forest, 140 strikeouts
Chase Burns is at the top of the heap in strikeouts with 140 Ks. The Tennessee transfer has played brilliantly for Wake Forest this season as he is 9-1 in 12 starts.
Burns has pitched 75 innings and allowed a BAA of .168 and an ERA of 3.00. In his last game against Western Carolina, the six-foot-three right-hander struck out 13 batters in six innings. He did not allow an earned run to guide the Demon Deacons to a 9-2 win over the Catamounts.
Wake Forest is in fifth place in the ACC Atlantic Division at 12-12 and 30-16 overall. The Demon Deacons need to win more games to move up the rankings with the ACC Tournament on the horizon.
