2026 Baseball Season Preview
2025 record: 16-28 (9-23 Heart)
Starters returning/lost: 5/4 fielders; 0/6 pitchers
Letterwinners returning/lost: 12/15
Notable returners:
Jagger Mitchell, Sr., Rock Springs, Wyo.
(Letterwinner, .292 BA, 12 RBI, 16 R)
Aiden North, Jr., Oskaloosa, Iowa
(Letterwinner, .303 BA, 31 RBI, 16 R)
Abraham Arroyo, Grad., Camuy, P.R.
(Letterwinner, .310 BA, 9 HR, 28 RBI, 41 R)
Keoni Young, Sr., Las Vegas, Nev.
(All-Heart, .333 BA, 23 RBI, 30 R)
Ened Perez, Jr., Orocovis, P.R.
(Letterwinner, .313 BA, 24 RBI, 23 R)
Notable losses:
Zach Otten
(Heart Gold Glove)
Abel Madueno
(All-Heart)
Bradley Soto
(All-Heart)
Hector Dominguez
(Letterwinner)
Notable newcomers:
McGwire Jephson, Jr., Rigby, Idaho
Shane Mailloux, So., Santee, Calif.
Garrett Neiman, Jr., Arvada, Colo.
Sawyer Hardman, Jr., American Fork, Utah
Albert Jaquez, Jr., Gurnee, Ill.
Andrei Gordeev, Sr., Balashikha, Russia
With a strong class of newcomers joining a talented batting lineup, the William Penn baseball team is looking to get back on track in 2026.
Head Coach Mike Laird, in his 44th season, is leading the Statesmen, a year after they went 16-28 overall (9-23 Heart).
Laird and his staff are looking to build on last season as they return a staunch infield and have a host of transfers to fill holes left in the pitching staff.
Headlining the returners are 2025 all-Heart honoree Keoni Young (Sr., Las Vegas, Nev., Exercise Science) and 2023 first-team all-Heart performer Abraham Arroyo (Grad., Camuy, P.R., Master's of Sports Management).
Pitcher
Newcomers Andrei Gordeev, (Sr., Balashikha, Russia, Business Management), Anthony Estrada (Jr., Santa Clarita, Calif., Political Science), Ethan Peters (Jr., Hortonville, Wis., Sports Management), Erik Mejia Jr. (So., Las Vegas, Nev., Exercise Science), and Garrett Neiman (Jr., Arvada, Colo., Sports Management) are projected to compete for starting roles this spring.
The squad returns only nine innings of pitching from the 2025 campaign, courtesy of Ben George (So., Sarnia, Ontario, Elementary Education) and Jack Nesje (Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D., Biology), who will be looked upon out of the bullpen.
Fellow returners Peyton Locke (Fr., Capital City, Mo., Kinesiology), Connor Gaddis (Fr., Kansas City, Mo., Exercise Science), Ethan Soldner (So., Columbus, Wis., Sports Management), and Corbin Krueger (So., Hayfield, Minn., Business Management) will vie for innings as well.
Catcher
Aiden North (Jr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Industrial Technology) will return on the receiving end of the battery. The junior hit .304 with 31 RBIs and 16 runs scored last season.
Transfer Sawyer Hardman (Jr., American Fork, Utah, Kinesiology) will also be catching this season, while getting opportunities in the outfield as well. When Hardman is not catching, he may be utilized at the plate as a designated hitter.
Jagger Mitchell (Sr., Rock Springs, Wyo., Business Management) is battling for the lineup spot as well; he hit .292 a year ago with 12 RBIs and 16 runs scored. Mitchell will also have opportunities to pinch hit.
First Base
Transfers Shane Mailloux (So., Santee, Calif., Business Management) and Albert Jaquez (Jr., Gurnee, Ill., Kinesiology) are battling for the first base spot.
Leland Riley II (Sr., Victorville, Calif., Kinesiology) is also in the mix at first base, while likely earning plenty of pinch-hit opportunities. Riley II had 23 at-bats last season and hit .174 with three RBIs and one run.
Second Base
Andres Pineda (Sr., Cartagena, Colombia, Business Management) is back for his senior season and could also get some innings in the outfield after hitting .240 last year with six runs in 25 at-bats.
Adrian Ayala (Jr., Omaha, Neb., Exercise Science) and Felix Zamora (Fr., La Puente, Calif., Mechanical Engineering) will compete for innings in the middle infield as well.
Shortstop
Transfer McGwire Jephson (Jr., Rigby, Idaho, Business Management) will likely get the nod at shortstop.
Ened Perez (Jr., Orocovis, P.R., Kinesiology) played at shortstop last season, but his versatility could allow him to make the lineup in several other infield and outfield positions. The junior hit .313 with 24 RBIs and 23 runs last year.
Third Base
Young will be at third base after a 2025 all-Heart campaign that saw him hit .333 with 30 runs and 23 RBIs.
Outfield
Arroyo, who was an all-conference performer three seasons ago, will lead the outfielders. The graduate student posted a .310 average in 2025 with nine homers, 41 runs, and 28 RBIs.
Fellow returners Logan Bialek (Jr., South Elgin, Ill., Exercise Science) and Jackson Conjardi (Sr., Schaumburg, Ill., Education) have made strides in the offseason and may also compete for a spot in the grass.
Additionally, Mitchell is slated to be in the outfield when he is not catching.
Designated Hitter
The impressive bats of North, Hardman, Jaquez, Mitchell, and Mailloux will be utilized in the DH spot.
Schedule
The Statesmen open 2026 on Saturday and Sunday with contests in Ponca City, Okla. against Waldorf. It is the start of 19 non-conference bouts which will prepare WPU for a 28-game Heart schedule.
William Penn opens its home slate against Siena Heights on February 27-28. The navy and gold will be home for 14 of their league matchups, and will start league play by hosting Graceland on March 14-15.
WPU is seeking a spot in the Heart Championship that will be held April 29-May 4 in Ozark, Mo.
