BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Head coach Jim Chester and the Gardner-Webb baseball team have announced the addition of 30 student-athletes to the Runnin' Bulldogs squad ahead of the 2026 season.
Via 64 Analytics, the Gardner-Webb recruiting class ranks 52nd nationally as well as 16th among non-Power 4 schools and 1st within the Big South Conference.
"Excitement is an understatement inside our program after delivering a nationally ranked recruiting class," said Chester. "I expect this to be the deepest roster we have had in my tenure in Boiling Springs! All the pieces are in place to deliver Gardner-Webb its first Big South Championship! Unbelievable effort by Coach [Curtis] Robison, Coach [Tom] Cockill, and Coach [Cam] Medic they were relentless in identifying young men of Faith, Character, and On-Field Talent!"
This year's class includes the following players:
Holden Murcer | Freshman | Catcher | Dallas, TX / Lake Highlands High School
Murcer was a standout catcher at Lake Highlands High School and 2025 team captain. He earned 2nd Team All-District honors in 2024 and 1st Team All-District in 2025, posting a .352 batting average, .630 on-base percentage, and 3 home runs that season.
Evan Fernandez | Freshman | Infield | Jupiter, FL / American Heritage
Fernandez was a standout two-way player and team captain, earning 3A Palm Beach Player of the Year and All-District honors. He hit .325 with 6 home runs and posted a 0.84 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 30 innings. A Dick Howser Award finalist and Perfect Game All-American (1st Team, Florida Region), Fernandez was ranked among the Top 5 third basemen and Top 75 overall players in Florida.
Colby Putnam | Freshman | RHP/UTL | Shelby, NC / Burns High School
Putnam helped lead his team to a 2023 state championship. In 2024, he was named 2A Player of the Year, posting a remarkable .495 batting average and a 0.63 ERA with 136 strikeouts on the mound. His strong performance continued into 2025, earning him the title of 2A Pitcher of the Year, solidifying his reputation as one of the top two-way players in the state.
Matt Stuart | Freshman | RHP | Chelmsford, MA / Chelmsford High School
Stuart was a top player in New England, earning multiple Player of the Year awards and setting school records with a 21-4 pitching record and .371 batting average. He led his team to its first MIAA state championship with a dominant 0.61 ERA in the tournament including throwing a complete game 9-innings leading his team to its first-ever MIAA state championship on short rest.
Trey Graydon | Freshman | RHP | Leesburg, VA / Riverside High School
Graydon, a three-year varsity starter and 2025 team captain, earned multiple All-District and All-Region honors. Named Riverside MVP in 2025, he posted a 2.8 ERA as a sophomore and improved to a 2.6 ERA with 55 strikeouts in his senior year.
Jesus Acuna Jr. | Freshman | UTL | Huntersville, NC / Lake Norman Charter
Acuna was a 2025 2nd Team Perfect Game National Preseason All-American. A three-year varsity starter and 2024-25 team captain, he earned SPC All-Conference honors in 2023-24 and made multiple Perfect Game All-Tournament teams. He hit .389 in the 2023 high school season and stole 22 bases.
Colby Humphries | Senior | RHP | Boiling Springs, NC / Crest High School / Limestone University
Humphries was named the 2022 3A Big South High School Pitcher of the Year while playing for Crest High School and earned a spot on the SCBL All-Star Team in 2025 with the Mooresville Spinners. At Limestone University, he pitched 18.2 innings with 15 strikeouts, posting a 5.79 ERA and a 2-1 record.
Zack Thompson | Senior | Catcher | La Grange, GA / La Grange High School / Gordon State / Mercer University
Thompson was the 2022 Georgia Dugout Club 4A Player of the Year and led his team to the Region 2 4A Championship as captain. He earned All-Region honors in both junior and senior years. In college, Thompson was a MINK League All-Star, two-time GCAA All-Conference selectee, and Academic All-District honoree. He also earned NECBL Week 1 Player of the Week in 2025. Thompson consistently hit above .330 and was known for his strong defense, catching numerous runners stealing.
Sebastian Garcia | Junior | Infielder | North Hills, CA / Granada Hills Charter / Los Angeles Valley College
Garcia was a 2021 Baseball Factory Pre-Season All-American and earned 1st and 2nd Team All West Valley League honors in high school. At Los Angeles Valley College, he was Honorable Mention in 2024 and 1st Team All Western State Conference in 2025. He hit over .330 throughout high school, summer league, and junior college, with 5 home runs at Los Angeles Valley College.
Matt Manley | Junior | RHP | Huntsville, AL / Madison Academy / Samford University
Manley lettered three seasons in baseball at Madison Academy in Huntsville, Alabama. Ranked No. 15 overall player in Alabama's class of 2023 by Perfect Game, he earned 5A Area 16 Baseball Pitcher of the Year honors in 2022 and was named second-team all-state. Recognized as Perfect Game's Showcase Top Prospect for the 2020 National Underclass and 2021 Jr. National Showcase, he posted a 14-6 career record with 163 strikeouts, six shutouts, and two no-hitters through two years of high school.
Oliver Ellison | Junior | RHP | Brunswick, MD / Brunswick High School / Coastal Carolina University
Ellison was a four-year varsity player and earned First Team honors in the Valley League in 2024, posting a 1.2 ERA over 22 innings pitched. He spent two years at Coastal Carolina, where he recorded a 4-2 record over 46 innings pitched, striking out 28 batters and walking 15.
Brendan Lysik | Redshirt- Junior | LHP | Upper Saddle River, NJ / St. Joseph Regional High School / Texas Tech University
Lysik is a left-handed pitcher from Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, and attended St. Joseph's Regional High School. In high school, he pitched 46 innings with a 2.14 ERA and 42 strikeouts. During his time at Texas Tech, he was an important part of the team's pitching staff throwing 24.2 IP, striking out 30.
Sebastian Paz | Senior | UTL | Miami, FL / Immaculata La Salle High School / Delaware State University
Paz was a standout first baseman, earning First Team All-American honors and making the 3A-15 All-District Team in 2021. He also played on the Senior All-Star Private Team that year. At Immaculata-La Salle in 2021, he posted an impressive .580 batting average. He continued his strong performance with a .380 average at Hood College in 2024 and hit .298 at Delaware State University in 2025.
Joseph Eichelberger | Senior | Outfield | Lithonia, GA / Strong Rock Christian School / Paul D Camp CC / Jackson State University
Eichelberger earned JUCO First Team and Second Team All-SWAC honors. At Jackson State in 2025, he hit .341 with 3 home runs, 41 RBIs, and 47 runs scored, posting a .405 on-base percentage and a .486 slugging percentage. In 2024, he batted .375 with 3 home runs, 75 runs, 53 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases. In 2023 at Paul D. Camp Community College, he posted a .405 batting average with 17 home runs, 12 doubles, 7 triples, 58 runs, and 62 RBIs, along with a .484 on-base percentage and .822 slugging percentage.
JD Smith | Redshirt-Sophomore | RHP | Valdosta, GA / Valdosta High School / College of Central Florida / Georgia State
Smith was a standout pitcher and infielder, earning Region 1 6A First Team honors as a pitcher and Second Team as an infielder in 2021. He was named Pitcher of the Year and featured on the cover of Georgia Dugout Magazine in 2022. He earned preseason All-American honors in 2022 and was a two-time All-State selection by Georgia Dugout Preview magazine. In 2023, Smith helped lead the Patriots to a NJCAA World Series Championships. He went 4-0 on the mound, reaching 100 strikeouts by March 2022, including several complete games with dominant performances against top teams.
Jude Littrell | Redshirt-Senior| Outfield | Brawley, CA / Brawley Union High School / Wabash Valley CC / Erskine College
Littrell earned 2025 Male Individual Player of the Year honors and was named to the 2nd Team All-Conference at Erskine College, finishing the season with a strong .342 batting average. Prior to Erskine, he played a key role in Wabash Valley's 2022 NJCAA College World Series run, where the team finished 3rd in the nation. Littrell's baseball journey began at Brawley Union High School, where he was part of the 2017 Division 3 San Diego Section Championship team.
Allan Camarillo | Junior | Infield | Chula Vista, CA / Otay Ranch High School / Azusa Pacific University
Camarillo earned 1st Team Mesa League All-Conference honors and was selected as a San Diego Padres All-Star at Otay Ranch High School, where he hit .411. He continued his success in the Northwoods League, batting .314 against top collegiate competition.
Nicholas Angelakos | Redshirt-Junior | RHP | Woodstock, GA / Etowah High School / Samford University / Berry College
Angelakos earned 1st-Team All-Region and Team MVP at Etowah in 2021 and posted a 2.08 ERA with a 6-0 record at Berry College in 2024. Angelakos also made the SoCon and SAA All-Academic Teams, earned 2nd-Team All-Conference honors, and played for the Greek National Team, winning the 2024 Prague Baseball Week.
Chance Mako | Junior | RHP | Salisbury, NC / East Rowan High School / NC State University / Coastal Carolina University
Mako is a standout baseball prospect from Salisbury, N.C., ranked among the top 200 players in the 2023 MLB Draft by multiple scouting services, including No. 155 overall by Kiley McDaniel and No. 162 by MLB.com. He competed in the 2023 MLB Draft Combine and boasts impressive high school stats, including a 4-0 record with a 1.45 ERA as a sophomore and an 8-1 record with a 1.62 ERA and 83 strikeouts as a junior at East Rowan High School.
Anthony Hausner | Senior | Infield/RHP | Apex, NC / Guilford Tech CC / The Citadel
Hausner was a two-year varsity starter and earned 2022 NJCAA Region X First Team honors. At The Citadel, he finished with a .336 batting average in 2025 and hit 7 home runs in 2024. As a pitcher at GTCC in 2023, Hausner posted a 1.80 ERA, a 2-0 record, and struck out 42 batters in 25 innings.
Marion Creech | Redshirt-Freshman| LHP | Greenville, SC / Riverside High School | Oregon University / North Greenville University
Creech was named to the 2023 All-Region Team and selected as a 2025 GLCBL All-Star. In the Great Lakes College Summer League, he pitched 16.1 innings, striking out 20 batters with a 1.65 ERA, 2 saves, and a 2-0 record.
Anthony Umbach | Junior | Infield | Midland, NC / Hickory Ridge High School / Southern Indiana
Umbach earned All-Conference honors in both his junior and senior years at Hickory Ridge. He was named Conference Player of the Year and helped lead his team to a conference championship and All-Region recognition during his senior season. He posted a .307 batting average as a sophomore at Southern Indiana.
Jackson Murcer | Redshirt-Sophomore| RHP| Dallas, TX / Lake Highlands High School / Cisco College
Murcer was a 1st Team All-District Texas 6A selection in both 2022 and 2023 at Lake Highlands High School. In the 2023-2024 season, he logged 44.1 innings, striking out 46 batters with a 2.84 ERA.
Brandon Eldridge | Junior | RHP | Conway, SC / Conway High School / Western Carolina / Florida Southwestern State College
Eldridge was named All-State in 2022 and competed in the 2022 North-South All-Star Game. A four-year varsity starter, he posted a 1.70 ERA with 72 strikeouts over 59 innings that season. At Florida Southwestern State College, Eldridge pitched 37 innings, striking out 44 batters.
Miller Cox | Freshman | UTL | Lexington, SC / P27 Academy
Cox is an incoming utility player from P27 Academy in Lexington, South Carolina.
Alejandro Sanchez | Redshirt-Sophomore | Outfield | Miami, FL, Florida Christian School / Miami Dade College
Sanchez earned All-Dade Team Honorable Mention in 2023 and posted a .320 batting average at Miami Dade in 2024.
Kelvin Agosto | Senior | Outfield | Vega Baja, PR / Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy / Trinidad State College / Alabama State University
Agosto developed his skills under Denise Perez at the Carlos Beltrán Baseball Academy, earning Most Valuable Player honors and being voted the best outfielder while hitting .412 with six doubles. He then played two seasons at Trinidad State College under Jason Veyna, appearing in 104 games with a .431 batting average, 30 doubles, 11 triples, 14 home runs, and 36 stolen bases. In 2023, Agosto set a school record with nine triples and hit .431 while stealing 10 bases. As a sophomore, he hit .384 and stole 24 bases.
Jaden Bitter | Junior | RHP | Los Gatos, CA / Valley Christian High School / Gavilan College / Ball State University
Bitter helped lead his team to the 2021 CCS Championship and earned First Team All-Conference honors in 2024. In 2025, he was named the CCL Strikeout King. In the 2025 CCL summer league, he pitched 31 innings and struck out 44 batters.
Daniel Smith | Junior | Outfield | Cumming, GA / Forsyth Central High School / Gordon State College
Smith earned the 2025 GCAA Gold Glove and was named to the 2025 JUCO Pipeline All-Conference Team. He was also the 2023 Forsyth Central Scholar Athlete of the Year and a 1st Team All-Region selection. In the 2024-2025 JUCO season, Smith hit .349 with 9 home runs and 26 stolen bases.
Nick Blaszczak | Junior | RHP | Suwanee, GA / Lambert High School / Marion Military Insititute
Blaszczak struck out 19 batters in 17 innings during conference play in the 2025 season at Marion Military Institute.
Abe Maurer | Redshirt-Freshman| Catcher | North Fond Du Lac, WI / Horace Mann High School / Quincy University
Maurer was a four-year varsity starter and two-time team captain. He earned Flyway All-Conference Honorable Mention in 2021, First Team honors in 2023, and Second Team honors in 2024. Over his career, Maurer caught 50 runners stealing and posted a .360 batting average.
