Takeaways and Standout Performers from Stanford Baseball's Opening Weekend

It was an eventful opening weekend for Stanford baseball, showcasing a mix of big wins and close losses while facing off against some stiff competition. The Cardinal went 2-2 overall, getting a key ranked win over No. 24 Arizona to start the season, while also holding down Nebraska for nine innings on Monday.

Their two losses came to No. 12 Oregon State and Michigan, both by one run, showing that the Cardinal can play good teams close.

Coming into the 2026 college baseball season, Stanford had an intriguing roster filled with young fielders, veteran leadership at the plate, and intriguing depth on the mound. Let's take a look at some of the standouts for the program through the first four games, as well as some takeaways we noted.

5 takeaways from Stanford's opening weekend

Starting pitching needs work - Going into the weekend, Nick Dugan and Aidan Keenan were confirmed starters, while Parker Warner and Brock Ketelson came in Sunday and Monday after earning their chance. Warner had the best outing of the four, going 4 innings, giving up two unearned runs, walking one and striking out five.

The starting rotation ended the first weekend with an ERA of 7.02, and maxed out at 4 1/3 innings of work, provided by Keenan. Stanford will need more length and effectiveness from their rotation to be a real contender this season.

Relief pitching has been great - Whether it was Mike Erspamer saving the game across two innings on Friday, Toran O’Harran keeping Stanford in the game on Sunday, or Cohen Gomez getting the win on Monday, the relievers have taken a massive step up to limit damage and keep their team in the game.

The sophomores are taking a big step up - We already mentioned that Warner did a solid job on the mound against a tough Oregon State program, but he was joined by fellow sophomores Tatum Marsh, Rintaro Sasaki, and Charlie Bates in being Stanford’s key contributors.

Bates has been the early standout from this trio, going 7-for-17 (.412) with a double. Sasaki also had a huge opening night, which helped to propel the Cardinal to victory against Arizona.

JJ Moran is Stanford’s unsung hero - Moran has been the Cardinal’s best overall bat, despite having little hype going into the year. He is hitting .438, is tied for the team lead with seven hits, has scored five runs, has two doubles, and five RBI. If Moran continues to step up, Stanford's offense could have an extra gear in 2026.

Stanford is close to being a team worthy of Omaha - The Cardinal are currently 2-2, with a ranked win, a win over a power conference champion, and two losses against terrific programs by just one run. Stanford could be just a few small tweaks away from not only being a better team, but potentially reaching playing for a spot in Omaha in the coming weeks.

4 standout players for Stanford

JJ Moran - Playing just 14 games and starting five during his freshman season in 2025, Moran was expected to be an intriguing player, but not much more than that. However, he has been the Cardinal’s most outstanding player thus far this season.

Moran recorded at least one hit in every single game, including three against Oregon State and two doubles against Nebraska. The sophomore class was already great, but Moran makes it that much better.

Charlie Bates - Bates had an injury-filled, out-of-position freshman season, where he appeared in just 25 games. But now at shortstop, his natural spot, the hometown hero is ready to take over. Bates has as many hits as Moran in hits with seven, including three against Nebraska on Monday.

He is hitting .412 while showcasing consistency, but also some power, adding a double and a triple to his weekend tally. Four RBI to begin the year are a good sign for what could be coming.

Brady Reynolds - Coming off a great 2025 season, Reynolds looked to improve even more in his junior year. He's recorded six hits on the year, batting .353, with three coming against Michigan in Stanford's narrow loss, and another two coming against Nebraska in their dominant win. The Cardinal outfield is fantastic, and Reynolds is the veteran holding everything together.

Rintaro Sasaki - Sasaki was one of the most hyped college baseball players in recent history after dominating high school ball in Japan. Despite that past dominance, it was clear that Sasaki was still adjusting to the speed of the game in the United States throughout his freshman season.

The power hitter slugged just seven home runs, all coming later in the season. It was clear that Sasaki had to dominate early in 2026 if he wanted to show immediate improvement, while also putting his name back high up on draft boards.

Sasaki has three hits on the year, with the best one being a home run in his first game against Arizona. His other two hits both were doubles, which is a solid start, despit the low hit total. Three extra-base hits to begin the year is certainly the right track for Sasaki.

If Sasaki can remain more consistent, especially at the plate, the potential here is through the roof.