Gavin Hunter

Baseball Preview: Blue Streaks Excited for Life in NCAC

2/18/2026 3:32:00 PM | By: Liam Dodge, Staff Writer

The Blue Streaks return plentiful talent but have holes to fill after successful 2025 season

The John Carroll Baseball season is on deck, and with that comes an exciting opportunity to show their skills in the North Coast Athletic Conference.

JCU was recently ranked fifth out of nine in the NCAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, hoping to defy expectations.

When asked about the opportunity to join the NCAC this season, Head Coach Bobby Bell said, "[I'm] looking forward to playing in the NCAC, I respect every team in this league, and our goal is simple: Be smart in our preparation, play hard, and make our mark in the conference standings."

Recapping 2025
After a solid final season in the Ohio Athletic Conference, finishing with an overall record of 23-17, The Blue Streaks are bringing back some solid pieces, while restocking on some young talent.

A season full of highs and lows, the 2025 JCU squad started the year 7-3 at the RussMatt Invitational. JCU notched a 5 game win streak in mid-March, including a sweep of their first OAC opponent Otterbein University, as well as a sweep of Marietta College and Wilmington College towards the end of the year. Despite getting swept in the regular season by Mount Union, they ended up beating their rivals in the first round of the OAC Tournament.

A big story entering the season is the unfortunate loss of some key seniors and Graduate Students from last year's team. CF Erik Daugenti, SS Michael Persichetti, 3B Connor Mayle, and 1B Jack Harmon all started in at least 35 games last season each. These 4 accounted for 108 of the 258 total runs scored, and 80 of the 228 total runs batted in. The infield especially will look much different this year.

On the bright side, these losses present opportunities for younger players to make their mark on the Blue Streak Baseball program this season.

The Players
Some breakout names from 2025 are returning for John Carroll this season. This includes the Blue Streaks' qualified leader in OPS and batting average, Ethan Glossa. The All-OAC senior was primarily the designated hitter for JCU last season, playing some outfield throughout the season, with a huge bat, hitting .353 and slashing .451/.503/.954 in 153 at bats.

Along with him is All-OAC junior George Haracz, who is the only returning starting infielder from last season. The second basemen broke out in a huge way, finishing the year with a .886 OPS, which was second amongst qualified hitters on the Blue Streaks. He also rose to the occasion in the playoffs, earning All-OAC Tournament honors.

Also earning All-OAC Tournament honors are returning senior starting pitchers Roger Simon and Jake Corll. Simon finished the year with 8 starts in 12 total appearances and a 1.97 ERA with a 1.15 WHIP. Corll finished with 10 starts in 11 total appearances and a 4.24 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP, racking up 44 strikeouts. These two will be a huge duo on the rubber for John Carroll.

There are a few seniors returning hoping to find their way into the lineup more consistently. This includes outfielder Jordan Suvak who, in 22 games played, had a .311 AVG and a 1.004 OPS. Catcher Chris Bach will return looking to man the plate. In 19 starts and 24 games played, Bach had a .277 AVG and 13 RBI's. Frank Freeman will hope to bounce back, finishing his 10 appearances with a 5.54 ERA but 37 total strikeouts.

"Our seniors set the standard every day — their experience anchors the clubhouse. Our younger players bring great energy that will push our team forward."

Junior pitchers Kiayuan Baskerville and Kevin Holland had solid seasons last year for JCU. Baskerville started 7 games and appeared in 12 total, finishing the year with 42 total innings and a 4.50 ERA. Holland had 6 relief appearances with 7 strikeouts in 10.2 innings. Both will look to make an impact on the mound this season.

Last year's first year class had some early risers. Entering 2026, sophomore utilityman Dylan Sowers and catcher Dominic Trivisonno have the opportunity to start consistently in just their second season. Sowers started in 16 games, including all three OAC Tournament games in the outfield. He finished with a .307 batting average and a .782 OPS in 75 at bats. Trivisonno started in 10 of his 18 appearances behind the dish and finished with a .267 average.

On the other side of things, pitchers Noah Trojanowski and CJ Desmond made strong impressions in their first seasons with the program. Trojanowski had a 2.57 ERA in 10 appearances and Desmond had 7 strikeouts in his 7 appearances.

The Blue Streaks have some exciting first years and transfers joining the roster this spring who will look to make an impact as well.

The Schedule
The John Carroll Baseball program will take on some new faces this season being in a new conference.

Coach Bell is looking forward to the beginning of the season.

"This year will be full of strong competition. We purposely scheduled difficult opponents because we want to test ourselves early and learn quickly before conference play gets underway."

The NCAC schedule begins Saturday, March 28, as they host Wabash College, one of four teams ranked above them in the preseason poll.

The Blue Streaks also get second ranked Wittenberg University squad at home on Saturday, April 18, as well as fourth ranked The College of Wooster on Tuesday, April 28. They'll close their season out on the road in Granville, OH taking on first ranked Denison University before the NCAC Tournament.

The Blue Streaks will take on a familiar rival in the University of Mount Union on February 27 in University Heights. JCU travels to Florida for the annual RussMatt Invitational beginning March 3, where they will play five games.

As mentioned earlier, John Carroll has their sights set on the NCAC Tournament, which is expected to begin on Thursday, May 7th.

The Blue Streaks are hopeful to begin their season next week, weather permitting.

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