LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Nolan Pender and Ross Goldschlag have transitioned from the Bellarmine University baseball pitching staff to the Knights' coaching staff.

Both having just completed their respective college playing career, Pender is a graduate assistant with Bellarmine while Goldschlag is a student assistant under first-year head coach Ben Reel. The pair served together in the bullpen as primary relievers for the Knights in 2024.

"It's an incredible privilege to add former Bellarmine baseball alumni Nolan Pender and Ross Goldschlag back to our program, this time as members of the coaching staff," Reel said. "As former players, they understand our culture, values and what it takes to succeed here. Their passion for the game, combined with their unique experiences and leadership qualities, will be a tremendous asset to our team. We're excited to see the positive impact they'll have on our players both on and off the field."

Last season, Pender completed a five-year career with Bellarmine. The right-hander finished his tenure fourth in program history in starts (45), tied for fourth in strikeouts (240), eighth in innings pitched (255.2) and 10th in appearances (68). His 86 strikeouts in 2023 are tied for the seventh most in a single season. The Louisville native is atop a slew of D1-era program records — all but one of his outings came after the Knights' transition from D2. He was a perennial ASUN Honor Roll recipient and two-time member of the College Sports Communicators' Academic All-District Team.

"Having played at Bellarmine for the past five years, it only feels right to experience the game from the other side," Pender said. "Applying the skills that I learned from my time as a student-athlete has allowed me to help develop our players throughout the fall and will continue to during our spring season. Whether playing for the team or coaching with the staff, Bellarmine has given me countless opportunities and continues to do so every day. With many new faces amongst our staff, it still stands true that this is the start of the new era of Bellarmine baseball!"

Goldschlag was a graduate transfer at Bellarmine last season after spending his first four years at Sonoma State. The native of Encinitas, California, led the Knights in saves (four) and opposing batting average against (.209), ranked second in relief appearances (20), tied for second in strikeouts (31), was third in innings pitched (39.1) and was fourth in total appearances (20). The right-hander was an ASUN Roll recipient and member of the CSC Academic All-District Team.

"I'm very excited to join the Bellarmine coaching staff and get the opportunity to learn from a great group of coaches and help get our players prepared for this season," Goldschlag said. "I feel very lucky to be in a position to be able to serve many players I played with at Bellarmine and to grow the Bellarmine baseball brand."

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