LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University baseball team saved its best for last in the 2025 campaign.

Although Bellarmine finished 17-38 overall, the Knights concluded the season on an exhilarating four-game winning streak that included the program's first-ever D1-era victory over a ranked opponent (10-9 at No. 22 and College World Series-bound Louisville) and a home sweep of Atlantic Sun Conference rival Eastern Kentucky.

"Last season taught us a lot about who we are when it matters most," said Bellarmine head coach Ben Reel, who is in his second season at the helm. "The biggest takeaway wasn't just the way we finished — it was how we grew into that stretch. Our guys learned how to handle pressure, how to stay present in tight games and how to trust each other. We became more consistent in our preparation, more disciplined in our approach and more connected as a group. That doesn't happen overnight. It was built through some adversity earlier in the year, and I think that shaped us."

Buoyed by the out-with-a-bang finish, Bellarmine won 70 percent more games than the previous year while setting new D1-era program records for overall victories and ASUN wins (11).

"As far as whether it's been a springboard — it absolutely can be, and I believe it has been in the right ways," Reel said. "The confidence that comes from finishing strong is real, but what's more important is the understanding of what it took to get there. Our players saw firsthand that the little things — daily habits, attention to detail, accountability — are what allow you to play your best baseball at the end.

"We've carried that mindset into this season. The expectation level is higher. The standard in practice is sharper. There's a different level of maturity in how our guys go about their work. We're not living off last year's finish, but we're building off the lessons from it. If we stay focused on the process the way we did down the stretch, we'll give ourselves another opportunity to compete at a high level."

Although Bellarmine will have a significant amount of new faces, five returners have been appointed team captains in seniors Luke Scales, Charlie Rife, Eli Watson and Oliver Ward, and junior Chase Carver.

"Our captains lead by example every single day," Reel said. "They're steady, accountable and they keep this group locked in on the standard. All five of these guys genuinely care about this team. They lead with heart, they bring guys together and they make everyone around them better."

Here's a positional prospectus of the 2026 Knights:

STARTING PITCHERS
Three of Bellarmine's four projected starting pitchers are transfers. Carver is the returner after finishing the 2025 regular season tied for first in the ASUN in pitching starts (14) and ranking ninth in innings pitched (70.1). The junior right-hander earned three wins in conference play.

Redshirt junior right-hander Karl Ralamb is a transfer from Saint Louis who made nine starts in 12 appearances with the Billikens last season. Graduate student and right-hander Lucas Letsinger played the previous two seasons at Ball State and logged 20 outings with the Cardinals. Graduate student and right-hander Deaton Oak played the last three seasons at reigning ASUN Gold Division champion Austin Peay and made 12 appearances the last two years.

"Our starting pitching has been much improved from a year ago," Reel said. "We have four that will give us a chance each and every outing."

BULLPEN
Ward made 14 appearances last season and thrived in ASUN play, where the senior right-hander recorded a 2.51 ERA and two saves in six conference outings. Sophomore right-hander Chase Chamberlain is another returner and made seven appearances in his debut season.

Several imports are projected to help fortify the bullpen. Sophomore right-hander Brandon Newland did not allow an earned run in eight appearances for Michigan last season. Junior left-hander Evan Hart began his career at Kentucky before playing last season for Frontier CC, where he made 17 appearances and struck out 44 over 38.1 innings pitched. Senior right-hander Cade Rusch made 33 appearances over three seasons at IU Southeast, including 16 in 2025.

Senior left-hander Presley Monteforte logged 10 outings at New Mexico last year. Redshirt sophomore right-hander Connor Sims, another transfer from IU Southeast, carried a 3.38 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 72.0 innings pitched for the Grenadiers over two seasons. Right-hander Drew Jennings is a true freshman.

"Our pitching staff from top to bottom has taken a step forward," Reel said. "We have a talented group of bullpen arms that will be versatile and dependable. These guys will throw some of the biggest innings in program history."

CATCHERS
Rife (six homers, 25 RBI in 2025), a senior, has appeared in over 100 games at Bellarmine. Sophomore Mason Acton saw action in 26 games in his debut season with the Knights, and redshirt senior Connor Pawlowski appeared in 22. Senior Logan Murphy was a two-time River States Conference first-team All-Conference selection at IU Southeast while also earning a pair of RSC Gold Glove Team notices.

"One of the best group of catchers in the ASUN," Reel said. "It's an experienced, veteran group that will all log meaningful time."

INFIELDERS
Redshirt sophomore Landon Akers was the Preseason All-ASUN Team selection at shortstop after a second-team All-ASUN debut season in which he set a new D1-era program record for hits (80) while batting .356 with six homers, 15 doubles, 16 stolen bases and 48 runs scored. Scales (.276 avg., 12 doubles, 31 RBI), a senior, is a career starter who has appeared in 138 games and will man either third or second base.

Redshirt senior Zac Jones, who made 27 appearances last season, is a third baseman while senior Sawyer Pace, who batted .281 in 34 games with Tusculum last season, could play either middle infield slot. Bryce Anderson, a graduate student who was a second-team SIAC All-Conference selection last season at Spring Hill after batting .361 with seven homers, four triples, 14 doubles, 23 steals and 52 RBI, will be utilized in a utility role, as will true freshman Jake Bell.

At first base, AJ Swader, a graduate student, was a first-team SIAC All-Conference and NCBWA first-team All-South Region recipient last season at Spring Hill, where he batted .407/.500/.719 with 12 homers, 12 doubles, 51 runs scored and 56 RBI. Watson and Pawlowski could also see action at first base.

"(Swader) is a talented transfer that will hit in the middle of the order and is someone that will lead the way at the hot corner," Reel said. "(In the other spots), all these infielders have the ability to play anywhere in the infield. It's a split group of underclassmen and seniors, but this group really has blossomed over the preseason."

OUTFIELDERS
Now a redshirt senior, Watson batted .280 with 36 RBI last season for the Knights, while redshirt junior Nick Gnardellis appeared in 33 games. Junior Luca Hoerger was a fixture for Arizona Western the last two seasons and, in 2025, batted .289 with three homers, 14 doubles, 10 steals, 38 RBI and 45 runs scored.

In addition to catching, Murphy is anticipated to see action in the outfield. True freshmen Cole Huett and Brayden Bruner are options as well.

Bellarmine will be bolstered by the return of redshirt sophomore infielder/outfielder McKay Whitaker, junior left-hander Carson Brower, junior right-hander Sam Matherly, redshirt senior right-hander Cole McMichael and redshirt junior left-hander Aaron Ragat.

Additional transfers joining the Knights are junior right-hander Austin Egan (Chandler-Gilbert CC), senior right-hander Brandon Metivier (Lake Erie), junior left-hander Nikau Heeney (Skyline College) and redshirt junior right-hander Owen Payne (Lincoln Trail College).

Additional true freshmen coming aboard Bellarmine are infielder Cody Decker, outfielders Ethan Carroll and Connor Johnston, utility Gavin Speranza and right-handed pitchers Jaxson Howard and Raygan New.

2026 SCHEDULE
Starting with a three-game series Friday-Sunday at Middle Tennessee, Bellarmine is set for a 56-game schedule, including 24 home games and 30 ASUN contests.

"They're competitive, hungry and coachable," Reel said of his 2026 charges. "We've got a group that shows up ready to work every day and doesn't shy away from accountability. There's good energy, but it's focused energy — they care about getting better and playing the game the right way."

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