2026 baseball roster thread

Very nice pick up at the 24th hour.

 

Sam Miller
Columbia SS Junior HT/WT: 6'2", 180
BAT/THRW: R/R
2025 Stats
AVG.338 HR 16 RBI 57 R 49 H 73


Batting Statistics
Year Team POS BA OBP SLG OPS GP PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI HBP BB K SB CS
2023 Columbia 3B .308 .351 .577 .928 6 57 52 8 16 3 1 3 17 2 2 14 1 1
2024 Columbia SS .355 .411 .651 1.061 43 191 169 43 60 12 1 12 43 7 11 40 4 0
2025 Columbia SS .338 .407 .606 1.013 49 241 216 49 73 10 0 16 57 3 22 39 1 0
Career All SS .341 .402 .620 1.022 108 489 437 100 149 25 2 31 117 12 35 93 6 1

 

Hope this is allowed, implication from de la Torre on twitter 1 more on the way.

 

Didn't realize D2, well who knows.

For sure UT has a damn solid program at D2 level, remember some noise Joe Urso was a possible target for USF when that job as open. Used to go to baseball camp at UT, it's pretty impressive how everything is improved from 20+ years ago.

 

Keep an eye on Ole Miss Transfer Ethan Surowiec a big 1b/3b from Ole Miss with 3 to play. Big time player out of High school that can really swing it and is very athletic with a 6.74 60. Ole Miss planned on him being a big part of their lineup this year.

If not him look for Braun from USF a very, very needed lefty that could be a Sunday starter. Big year a USF last year at eight and four and former Santa Fe kid.

 

Do not contact tag….hopefully us due to Santa Fe?

Transfer news: South Florida lefthander Corey Braun has entered the portal with a do-not-contact tag. He's draft eligible. Braun pitched to a 3.71 ERA with 97 strikeouts to 24 walks over 97 innings in 2025. Fastball sat at 90 mph and was up to 94.

 

Why not both? Greed is good.

 

Cole Stanford

• Position Catcher
• Height 6-0
• Weight 215
• Class Redshirt Senior
• Hometown Ellerslie, GA
• Highschool Harris County HS

Biography
2025 Preseason All-SAC First Team
2024 All-SAC Third Team

Lenoir-Rhyne University (2024): Played in 39 games, starting in 36...Cole finished with .294 in 136 at-bats, scored 31 runs and 40 hits...Tallied 42 RBIs for the Bears.

Lenoir-Rhyne University (2023): Appeared in 52 games which included 46 starts....Hit .304 in 171 at-bats, scored 38 runs and 52 hits....Registered six doubles, eight home runs and drove in 37 runs

Gordon State College: Appeared in 64 games....Hit .366 in 202 at-bats, scored 56 runs, registered six home runs and drove in 42 runs.

2025 stats
GS AB R H RBI 2B 3B HR BB IBB SB SBA CS HBP SH SF GDP K AVG
58 214 54 84 56 18 0 20 27 0 5 5 0 10 1 1 5 27 .393


HICKORY, NC - For the first time in their program's history, the Lenoir-Rhyne Baseball team has a CSC Academic All-American. Thanks to his performance on the field and in the classroom, Cole Stanford was named an All-American First Team honoree.

The Ellerslie, Georgia, native competed as a graduate student this past season and held a 3.81 GPA in Business Management. He was an All-SAC First Team honoree and was named to three All-Region and All-American teams. His 20 home runs is third most in a single season in LR history and helped the Bears set a new NCAA DII home runs record. Thanks in part to Stanford's accomplishments on the field the Bears advanced to the NCAA DII Championships for the first time in program history.

 

We get them both and we are in great shape.
Braun takes the Sunday slot and addresses our issue with being low on left handers.

Bowen-Malzone- Stanford completely addressed catcher concerns with Bowen being a plug and play starter- Malzone could fill in at 2 other spots other than catcher and is a solid bat, while Stanford is a guy that swung it at a almost 400 clip in a very competitive D-2 setting.

Reeth, Sandefer, Walls- love this group as all are proven and definitely strengthen our staff. In Walls we possibly have an excellent 4th starter, a good mid week guy, and a possible future weekend guy. Add Braun to group and it’s a great group.

Bastian- most likely a plug and play guy.

Sam Miller- just picked up another starter who has proved himself. Huge pickup.

Summary:

3 starters picked up in Bowen, Miller, and Bastian and possibly a 4th in Walls. Pretty darn good and between Reeth and Sandefer to excellent veterans.

Now, go get Braun.

 

UF has done well in the portal but like any signings, they come with some question marks. Bastian is still struggling on the Cape (3-30) and while I think the bat will transition well to the SEC, we’ll have to see. Similar question with Cole Stanford who will have to make a much bigger jump from DII. Miller had a really good year offensively at Columbia and while that should continue next season, he did make 14 errors and will have to improve defensively. Despite losing the starting catcher job at TCU last year, I like Bowen either at catcher or 1B (if Stanford wins the starting catcher job) but there is still a question concerning the upcoming draft. Bottom line is that UF had several holes in the everyday lineup entering the upcoming portal period and at least on paper, have done a pretty good job filling them.

Also, Braun would be a big get. We need a LH starter and except for getting knocked around in his last two starts against East Carolina (which should sound familiar to Gator fans), Braun threw really well for USF last year. Finally, Surowiec would be a great pickup also. Not sure what happened at Ole Miss but the kid can hit and is currently having a big summer in the Northwoods League. Lot of Tennessee smoke on social media but would love to see Surowiec in Gainesville next year.

 

With NIL and the portal every season is going to be almost a brand new team every year. Don't like it, but that's where we are. Ass always, though, I really look forward to Gator baseball & softball as much or more than any other sport on campus.

 

I think we can certainly do better relative to competition but yes overall you're correct.

 

Thinking/hoping Bastian will be fine as his performance against better competition was pretty good and his speed is impressive.

Stanford-I don’t see him in a starting role but do see him as possibly a solid contributor off the bench. In that capacity if he hits 275-285 we are good. He won’t hit 393 here but I believe he can still give very solid at bats/quality AB’s. 393 at highly competitive D-2 is very impressive.

Bowen to me is an big pick up at catcher. Defensive numbers of runners thrown out before injury were 5/13 I believe. Small sample size but impressive.

and with Braun and Surowiec In a perfect world we get both, but would be really happy with Braun. I know some might say we don’t have the roster space for both, but I think that could easily be worked out. I’d say if Tennessee is in it for Surowiec that’d be a tough one.

Do you know when Transferring Players need to be committed? Like there’s got to be a final day or deadline, correct?