Van Froling is UCSB’s sneaky-valuable lefty who can miss bats in big spots
In the 2026 season, Van Froling emerged as a high-leverage arm for UC Santa Barbara, highlighted by a career-best 3.2 scoreless innings with 6 strikeouts for his first save against Hawai‘i and a 2-2 record with 22.2 innings and a 5.16 ERA in the Gauchos’ official season stats[2][3][6]. He also logged a win in relief against Saint Mary’s and was trusted in pressure moments, including USC and Texas postseason games[4][13][12]. The differentiator: he’s a competitive left-hander who can punch out hitters and stay cool when the game gets loud, with summer-ball honors backing up the upside[10].
