Baylor knows it can always turn to junior shortstop Nick Loftin when it needs a big hit.

Take this past weekend's Shriners College Classic as a prime example. The Bears' situation against LSU looked rather bleak entering the sixth inning of Saturday's contest and middle game of the tournament. The Tigers had a commanding 4-0 lead and righthander Landon Marceaux looked to be in total control.

That was until Loftin, one of the nation's premier players and prospects, saw Marceaux for a third time on the afternoon. In the first two at bats, Marceaux had struck out the All-American shortstop and gotten a ground out in his second at bat. But on the third? It was a much, much different story.

With a runner on second base, Loftin uncorked the most impressive home run of the weekend - a two-run shot that cleared the train tracks in left field and exited the ballpark entirely. It sent oohs and ahs throughout the crowd.

Loftin's majestic home run sparked the Bears and they went on to beat LSU 6-4 and finished the weekend with an unblemished 3-0 record. Loftin finished the weekend 4-for-11 (.364) with four RBIs, a home run and a double.

Even Loftin himself was impressed with the power he showed on that specific home run.

"I've never really seen anything go that far before," Loftin said with a laugh. "It was really cool to see, but it was a good team win."

While Loftin much prefers to talk about his team and teammates and not himself, there must be times where even he takes a step back and marvels at his own talents.

And moments like the one against LSU this past weekend have become standard procedure for Loftin throughout his Baylor career. When BU needs a bit hit, it always knows who to call.

"I mean, he's a kid who, from the first day he stepped on campus, his swing has always worked, and that's what I really like about him," Baylor coach Steve Rodriguez said. "He's done some things to change his approach a little bit, and even with that, he's still a phenomenal hitter. He's done a great job of turning himself into a great baseball player. His barrel to ball skills are unreal, and defensively, you kind of saw what he could do out there this past weekend."

While Loftin, the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder, has formed into a premier prospect over the past two seasons, he wasn't that guy out of high school. He has gradually gotten better and better, and that seems to be the theme so far this season, too.

Loftin was ranked in the 200s by Prep Baseball Report out of high school and went undrafted the summer before his arrival at BU. Certainly not a bad ranking by any means, but also not a surefire future high-round pick.

As a freshman for the Bears, Loftin made an instant impact with a .306 average, six home runs and 36 RBIs, along with a .370 OBP. But he still had plenty of work to do. He wanted to be more consistent.

Then, Loftin's sophomore campaign arrived. With the Bears looking to make a third-straight NCAA tournament appearance, Loftin once again raised the bar. He had a phenomenal season that included a .323 average, six home runs and 41 RBIs, along with a .502 slugging percentage. He also established himself as one of the nation's premier defenders, getting the attention of Eric Campbell and USA Baseball, and earning himself a spot on the USA Collegiate National Team.

Now, Loftin appears to be ready for yet another step forward in what is his crucial junior campaign. Loftin is ranked the No. 28 college prospect for the 2020 MLB Draft, and that ranking is likely to improve in our updated midseason prospect rankings.

In addition to his strong showing in Houston, Loftin is off to a torrid start offensively this spring. He's hitting .341 with four doubles, a triple, two home runs and 11 RBIs. He has also improved his slugging percentage and currently sits with an OPS of 1.006. Loftin has good bat speed and can hit the ball to all fields. As a defender, he has good instincts, excellent play-making ability and a strong arm.

But he can be even better.

"Just looking at him in glimpses over the weekend, you can tell he has the swing, the bat speed and the bat path you want to allow yourself to hit a lot," one coach at the Shriners College Classic said about Loftin. "Loftin plays a premium position and he's an excellent player. He'd be a Top 15 type of pick for me.

"He's also really good defensively," he continued. "He makes things look really easy at shortstop, and he's just out there doing a great job of slowing the game down. He makes everything look easy and does a nice job with the tough plays, too. He has a strong arm, good body and makes all the plays."

Another coach at the tournament echoed almost the same sentiment.

"Nick is what I call a ball player. He approaches and plays the game the right way," he said. "We went after him, but in hindsight we should've been a little more careful because he picked up a big two-out hit against us. We made a mistake on a pitch and he delivered. That's what good hitters do. He's just one of those guys who can beat you in a lot different ways."

Baylor has a new-look offense this spring without some key cogs from last year's club. But some guys such as freshman Jared McKenzie have risen to the occasion, giving Loftin some assistance in the lineup. Should that continue, look for Loftin's production to only increase as the season progresses.

Baylor has reached the NCAA tournament in each of Loftin's two seasons in Waco, and the junior hopes to make it a third-straight postseason appearance in 2020.

When in doubt, just call on Loftin. He'll be ready.

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