GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University baseball team will open its 2025 season this weekend as the Sons of Davy Crockett travel to Florence, South Carolina to face Francis Marion University for a three-game series.
Head coach Brandon Steele, who is entering his seventh season at the helm of his alma mater, returns 21 lettermen from last year's 26-26 club who finished third in the South Atlantic Conference. Four starting position players return for the Pioneers, while two-thirds of the weekend pitching rotation are also back.
SERIES HISTORY
This weekend's series will begin on Friday with a 4 p.m. contest followed by Saturday's 1 p.m. doubleheader. Tusculum and FMU have played four previous times with the series tied 2-2.
The teams first met in Florence on Mar. 7, 2000 as Tusculum came away with a 5-1 victory. The clubs met again on May 14, 2009 to open the NCAA Southeast Regional in Aiken, South Carolina. FMU, who was ranked seventh in the country, blanked the Pioneers 5-0.
The last two encounters both came during the 2012 NCAA Southeast Regional in Mt. Olive, North Carolina. Tusculum defeated the Patriots 7-2 in the regional second round on May 18, 2012. The teams met again the next day as FMU dropped the Pioneers to the loser's bracket, 9-3.
RETURNING POSITION PLAYERS
Two-time All-SAC shortstop Ben Scartz leads the charge offensively for Tusculum. The graduate student from Tarpon Springs, Florida has posted a .370 batting average in his 89-game career in Greeneville where he has amassed 129 hits which includes 25 doubles, four triples, one home run and 72 RBI. He has struck out only 20 times in his 349 career at-bats in the Black and Orange.
In 2024, Scartz finished second on the team with his .377 batting average which included 69 hits as well as a team-best 14 doubles in his 46 starts. He also led the team with three triples and finished with 38 RBI. He led the Southeast Region in "toughest to strikeout" fanning only once in every 22.9 at-bats, which was also the fourth-best ratio in NCAA Division II. He accounted for 20 multiple-hit games last year including nine outings with three or more hits.
Sophomore Omar Carreras played in 38 games in his rookie season including 35 starts, mostly at third base. The North Brunswick, New Jersey product batted .279 with 34 hits including nine doubles and 26 RBI. He finished third on the club with his 29 walks against 16 strikeouts. He scored 22 runs and was hit by a pitch on seven occasions. He accounted for 11 multiple-hit contests in his freshmen campaign.
Jake Absher made 44 appearances in the Tusculum line-up as a freshman last season where he batted .261 with 37 hits including eight doubles, four homers and 34 RBI. The Lenoir, North Carolina sophomore finished second on the club with his 10 times being hit by a pitch to go along with his 23 walks and 23 runs scored. He made 39 starts as a freshman including 31 in the outfield.
Senior outfielder Luis Reyes (Queens, N.Y.) returns after seeing action in 47 outings last season. He totaled 39 hits with two doubles, one triple, 13 RBI and a .257 batting average. He accounted for an outstanding .440 on-base percentage as he finished second on the roster with 32 walks and led the team with nine sacrifice bunts and 15 stolen bases. He recorded five outfield assists and was responsible for a 19-game on-base streak.
Reyes has played in 71 games with the Pioneers where he has recorded 56 hits, 53 runs, 46 walks, 25 stolen bases and 20 RBI. He came to Tusculum from Mohawk Valley Community College where he was a NJCAA All-American as he posted 61 stolen bases in 61 attempts in 2022.
Local product Avery Collins returns for his senior season. The Greeneville High School graduate appeared in 27 outings in 2024, including 23 starts, mostly at catcher. He batted .254 with 17 hits including five doubles, one triple, 13 RBI and 10 walks. He threw out nine base runners in his debut season with the Pioneers. While at Greeneville, he led the Greene Devils to a TSSAA State title and he was an All-State performer. He has played the past three summers as a member of the Greeneville Flyboys in the Appalachian League.
Veteran Max Schmarder is back after playing in 23 games last year with 17 starts, mostly in the infield. The graduate student from Buffalo, New York recorded 17 hits in 2024 with six of them going for extra bases (2 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs). He belted a seventh-inning grand slam in a 15-12 road win at King University. He also posted a pair of two-run homers against Anderson and nationally-ranked Young Harris. He tallied 15 RBI and had five multiple-hit games.
Schmarder previously played two seasons at Monroe Community College where he was a two-time All-Conference performer while batting .383 with 98 hits including 41 of the extra base variety.
Graduate student Jayden Singleton played in 18 games with 15 starts in his first Tusculum season a year ago. He recorded 11 hits with four doubles, one homer and 11 RBI. The Des Moines, Iowa outfielder came to Tusculum from Missouri Western State University where he appeared in 42 games with 35 starts which included 10 multiple-hit outings.
Junior outfielder Connor Jurek (Knoxville, Tenn.) is entering his third season with the Pioneers where he has appeared in 31 career games and owns a .240 batting average with 18 hits, eight RBI and three stolen bases.
Also returning for the Pioneers are position players: Caleb Webster (RFr., IF, Franklin, Tenn.), Ty Smith (Jr., OF, Elizabethton, Tenn.), Landon Dockery (RFr., OF, Maryville, Tenn.), Jack Gagen (Jr., C, Ashburn, Va.), Caleb Mulcahy (Sr., OF, Dover, Tenn.), Seth Sherman (Sr., OF, Orlando, Fla.), Justin Millsaps (So, IF, Louisville, Tenn.), Grant Van Rossum (Sr., IF, Atlanta, Ga.), Derek Farley (Sr., IF, Denver, N.C.), Seth Charlton (RFr., IF, Chuckey, Tenn.), Garrett Gregory (Sr., IF, Lakewood Ranch, Fla.), Jack Lyndrup (Sr., C, Macomb, Mich.), Jacob Kent (Sr., IF, Atlanta, Ga.), Anthony Cobb (Sr., C, Oxford, Ohio) and Tyler Tamargo (So., OF, Miami, Fla.).
RETURNING PITCHERS
The Tusculum pitching staff returns nine lettermen who accounted for 57 percent of the innings pitched in 2024 including two hurlers from the starting weekend rotation.
Senior right-hander Brice Anders (Brevard, N.C.) went 5-5 in his 14 mound appearances including 13 starts. He led the team with his 69.2 innings of work as he finished with a 5.43 earned run average and 44 strikeouts. He pitched one complete game and owned a WHIP of 1.64.
Senior Luke Absher (Lenoir, N.C.) has been the weekend opening game starter for the Pioneers in each of the last two seasons. In his 12 starts in 2024, he went 2-6 with 44 strikeouts in his 53 innings on the bump. That followed a 4-3 campaign in 2023 as he led the team with 81.2 innings and 57 strikeouts. He has a 5.88 career ERA in his 26 appearances at Tusculum where he owns a 6-9 worksheet and has totaled 101 strikeouts.
Senior right-hander Caid Sanders tied for the team-lead with his 20 mound appearances. The Hendersonville, Tennessee product went 2-0 with a 5.28 ERA in his 30.2 innings on the mound. He tallied 22 strikeouts against 14 walks. Prior to his arrival in Greeneville, he pitched two seasons at Volunteer State Community College.
Senior pitcher Drew Sliwinski (Knoxville, Tenn.) battled through injuries in his 2024 junior campaign. In his 16 appearances, he went 1-2 while recording four saves and 32 strikeouts in his 29.2 innings of work. He finished with a 5.16 ERA while recording a win against Palm Beach Atlantic and posted saves against Carson-Newman, Anderson and twice in a series win over eventual SAC Champion Catawba.
Sliwinski has made 53 appearances including six starts where he has a 4.82 ERA with 106 strikeouts and six saves in his 112 career innings, averaging 8.52 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.
Graduate student Jake McKenna (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.) accounted for a solid first season at Tusculum where he made 10 appearances with one start. He posted a 3-0 record with a 4.02 ERA in just 15.2 innings. He recorded 15 strikeouts against nine walks and limited the opposition to a .158 batting average. He joined the Pioneers from Lynn University where he played two seasons for the Fighting Knights.
Senior Luke Maicon (Wake Forest, N.C.) also made his TU debut last season after earning JUCO All-America distinction at Caldwell Tech. Maicon had a 6.20 ERA to go along with a 1-1 record in 24.2 innings of work. He pitched four innings in relief in a home win over 15th-ranked Lee University. He pitched a shutout inning in the regular-season finale win at Limestone as Tusculum secured a third-place finish in the league.
Senior Corey Binion (Morehead, Ky.) fought through injuries as he made four appearances with three starts for the Pioneers. Binion recorded seven innings on the mound and finished with a 6.43 ERA. He has made 18 mound appearances with 31.2 innings and 32 strikeouts in his career.
Also returning to the TU pitching corps are: Mason Huffstickler (So., RHP, Ellenboro, N.C.), Scout Martin (Jr., LHP, Murfreesboro, Tenn.), Max Mull (Jr., RHP, Alexander, N.C.), Payne Ladd (RFr., RHP, Bristol, Tenn.), Aiden Tipton (RFr., RHP, Knoxville, Tenn.), Kenny Kinzler (Sr., LHP, Hayward, Calif.) and Cadin Tullock (RFr., RHP, Afton, Tenn.).
NEWCOMERS (POSITION PLAYERS)
Ten (10) newcomers have joined the Tusculum program this year in the field including three transfers and seven true freshmen.
Junior infielder Jude Morton (Jacksonville, N.C.) comes to Greeneville after playing last season at Caldwell Tech. In his 37 games with the Cobras, he batted .346 with 45 hits including 14 doubles, two homers and 24 RBI. He played his prep career at Jacksonville High School where he was a two-time All-State performer.
Junior infielder Sawyer Pace competed the last two years at Schoolcraft Community College in Michigan. During his 89-game JUCO career, he totaled 90 hits, 16 doubles, 60 RBI, 41 walks, 33 hit by pitch and 44 stolen bases. The Tecumseh, Ontario native was a two-time All-Conference honoree while finishing with a .357 batting average.
Senior Julian Jennings comes to Tusculum from Southeast Region foe Barton College. The Port St. Lucie, Florida native played his prep career at Treasure Coast High School where he was a three-time letterman.
Freshman outfielder Ryan Ortega comes to Tusculum after playing at Palmetto Senior High School in Miami, Florida. He posted a .312 career batting average, including .333 in his junior campaign. Ortega is a familiar with the TU program as his brother Christian Ortega was an All-SAC third baseman with the Pioneers two years ago.
Rookie catcher Nick Satterly (Erwin, Tenn.) was a two-time All-Conference selection at Unicoi County High School. He was an All-Tournament selection and a member of the National Honor Society.
Freshman infielder Jake Trottier had a decorated prep career at Southwest Florida Christian Academy in Fort Myers, Florida. Trottier was an All-Area and All-County selection last year where he posted a .397 batting average which including 18 RBI with four doubles, two triples and three home runs.
Jake Smith, a freshman infielder from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was a two-time Offensive Player of the Year and All-Mid-Piedmont Conference honoree at Oak Grove High School. Last spring, he batted .375 with 33 hits and 23 steals. In his junior campaign, he had a .376 batting average to go along with a school-record 37 stolen bases.
Freshman outfielder Blake Bible was a two-time All-District performer at Lakeway Christian Academy. The Morristown, Tennessee native led the Lions to their first playoff victory while also being tops on the club in hits, stolen bases, games played and put outs.
Nathan Hayworth, a rookie outfielder from Rockwell, North Carolina, earned All-Conference and All-County honors at East Rowan High School including last year where he was a member of the NCHSAA 3A State Championship team. During his 95-game prep career, he batted .311 with 60 hits, 41 RBI and 40 stolen bases.
Freshman outfielder Cutter Womack (Cleveland, Tenn.) was a two-time All-District standout at Cleveland High School, including last year where he was named to the All-Region team. He batted .524 during his junior campaign which was a ranked in the top-15 in the state.
NEWCOMERS (PITCHERS)
Five newcomers will be making their Tusculum pitching debuts in 2025.
Phillip Miller, a junior left-hander from Flat Rock, Michigan, joins the TU club after two seasons at Schoolcraft Community College. He earned All-Conference laurels in 2024 where he went 4-4 in his 11 starts and accounted for a 4.60 ERA with 66 strikeouts. In 2023, he went 3-2 with 46 strikeouts in his 35.2 innings of work. Miller was an All-League and All-District selection at Woodhaven High School as he led his prep squad to a pair of District titles and a 2022 league championship.
Hector Jaimes, a junior right-hander from Trenton, Michigan, was an All-Conference pitcher at Macomb Community College. In 2024, he went 4-3 with a 2.08 ERA, 36 strikeouts and three complete games. He earned All-City status at Detroit Western International High School.
Sophomore Noah Vickers, a native of Milan, Tennessee, led his Milan High School club to a third place finish in the state and won District and Region championships.
Freshman Ayden Moore played his prep baseball at Friendship Christian School in his native Lebanon, Tennessee. He was a LYB All-Star as he posted a 3.30 ERA and recorded 70 strikeouts.
Cooper Emery, a freshman pitcher from Lakeland, Florida, was a two-time All-County selection at Lakeland High School. He was a member of the Polk County All-Star Team and led Lakeland to the region semifinals.
UPCOMING GAMES
Following this weekend's trip to South Carolina, Tusculum will host Illinois Springfield for a four-game series at Pioneer Park (Feb. 7-9) to begin a five-game home-stand. TU will host Carson-Newman on Feb. 11 for a mid-week, non-conference clash with the Eagles.
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