Following a 31-27 record for Rich Witten and the FIU Baseball program, the team has undergone a significant turnover, with 26 players departing and 29 incoming. Only 14 players remain from the 2025 roster.
Below is the full offseason movement breakdown:
Departing players(26): Alex Ulloa, Derek Bermudez, Javier Crespo, Kareh Valentin, Owen Puk, Bryce Greene, Jaydon Bishop, Logan Runde, Austin Dearing, Kishon Frett, Evan Alwine, Tristian Dietrich, Albert Serrano, Toby Haarer, Sebastian Berrios, Nelson Rivera Flores, Brylan West, Kevin Martin, Ryan Hunter, Brendan Roney, David Eckaus, Easton Marks, Shane Tucker, Juan Villarreal, Imarion Stanberry and Logan Voelz
Returning players (14): Tracen Cameron, Adonys Velez, Cole Cleveland, March Hersh, Samuel Fischer, Hector Candelas, Julian Mlodzinski, Rene Lastres, Jarek Woodward, Andrew Illdefonso, Enrique Alvarez Jr., Ryan Reyerson, Kyle Koehler and Bryce Turner
Incoming players (29): Taggert Cameron, Vicente Feliciano, Preston Leon, Aidan Cohall, Luca Reyes, Enrique Sierra, Boston Doechot, Cooper Rasmussen, Caden Sammler, Brennan Confreda, George Adams, Rudy Marichal, Quin McManmon, Mario Trivella, Jordan Vargas, Braden Consaul, Mason Koczwara, Aris Rivera, Alex Walsh, Tyrus Riley, Jeremy Urena, Preston Prince, Aiden Lenzen, Matthew DelVecchio, Cooper Foster, Clayton Sherwood, Tyler Mecchella, Trey Freeman and Alex Garcia
Just one day away 😤@CBrooksSports previews the upcoming 2026 season 📺 pic.twitter.com/90qePNlvne
— FIU Baseball (@FIUBaseball) February 12, 2026
2026 roster breakdown by class
Freshman (4): Taggert Cameron, Brennan Confreda, Rudy Marichal and Alex Garcia
Sophomore (8): Adonys Velez, Cole Cleveland, Marc Hersh, George Adams, Bryce Turner, Tracen Cameron, Luca Reyes and Andrew Illedfonso
Junior (13): Enrique Sierra, Boston Doeschot, Cooper Rasmussen, Samuel Fischer, Caden Sammler, Mario Trivella, Jordan Vargas, Mason Koczwara, Alex Walsh, Cooper Foster, Clayton Sherwood, Trey Freeman and Aidan Cohall
Senior (15): Vicente Feliciano, Julian Mlodzinski, Quin McManmon, Aris Rivera, Jeremy Urena, Preston Prince, Matthew DelVecchio, Kyle Koehler, Tyler Mecchella, Preston Leon, Rene Lastres, Jarek Woodward, Enrique Alvarez Jr., Aidan Lenzen and Ryan Reyerson
Graduate Student (3): Hector Candelas, Braden Consaul and Tyrus Riley
Position Preview
Catcher: Marc Hersh, Caden Sammler and Aris Rivera
March Hersh
Hersh, a true freshman last season, slashed .313/.361/.594/.955 with two home runs, five RBI and a 113 wRC+ in 18 games of action. The Florida native served as the backup to Brendan Roney, Rene Lastres and Nelson Rivera Flores last season. It was a small sample size of games, but it was an encouraging stretch for Hersh who has been held in high regard by the coaching staff at FIU. Expect him to be the team’s Opening Day catcher.
Caden Sammler/Aris Rivera
Aris Rivera makes it 9-2 with his first RBI as a Knight ⚔️ @Aris_rivera32 pic.twitter.com/gSYIfrXrs9
— UCF Baseball (@UCF_Baseball) March 2, 2025
Sammler, a transfer from Ellsworth Community College, hit .389 with 10 home runs and 53 RBI in 56 games played last season. As for Rivera, he comes from UCF, where in 20 games, he slashed .281/.361/.313/.674 with four RBI and a 70 wRC+. Rivera’s power is impressive, likely the best amongst the group. The battle for the backup catcher role will be the one to keep an eye out for here. Sammler likely has the edge given his overall success from last season with Rivera likely catching some games, but also assuming a DH role to get his power in the lineup.
First base: Aidan Cohall and Enrique Alvarez Jr.
Aidan Cohall
T8 | MAKE THAT 2⃣
Aidan Cohall crushes his second homer of the day!🤯#GoHill | #NECBASE pic.twitter.com/P4uMz3jaNJ
— Stonehill Baseball (@StonehillBASE) May 13, 2025
A transfer from Stonehill, Cohall is a name that FIU fans will be very familiar with if you tuned in last season. Cohall faced the Panthers during opening weekend. Cohall hit two home runs in that weekend. He finished the season slashing .365/.430/.702/1.132 with 14 home runs, 60 RBI and a 158 wRC+ in 46 games played. Cohall may be the Panthers’ top power bat in the everyday lineup.
Cohall only struck out 13.0% of the time and walked 7.7% of the time. His approach at the plate was strong given the type of hitter he is. Cohall may very well be the most complete bat in FIU’s Opening Day lineup when it is all said and done.
Enrique Alvarez Jr.
Alvarez is one of the returners that FIU will have this season. In 2025, he slashed .200/.429/.500/.929 with one home run, three RBI and a 123 wRC+ in just seven games. Alvarez’s biggest flaw is the high strikeout rate (28.6%). Cohall likely profiles as the starter, with Alvarez filling in when Cohall is the DH and Alvarez can also assume the designated hitter role.
Infield: Vicente Feliciano, Adonys Velez, Cooper Rasmussen, Samuel Fischer, Rudy Marichal, Mario Trivella, Preston Leon, Trey Freeman and Boston Doeschot
Vicente Feliciano
Hailing from Seattle, Feliciano slashed .287/.352/.489/.841 with eight home runs, 34 RBI and a 92 wRC+. He finished the season ranked third in OPS (.841) at Seattle University. Feliciano provides great plate discipline, only striking out 18.3% of the time. Although he is fighting for the starting shortstop spot, he can slide in at second if need be. He has experience playing the middle infield spots and third base as well.
Adonys Velez
Adonys brings home Javi on the RBI groundout!@VelezAdonys pic.twitter.com/h4ZXJngng7
— FIU Baseball (@FIUBaseball) May 7, 2025
Velez, one of the returners, only saw action in 26 games, slashing .118/.182/.196/.378 with one home run and five RBI. Although he is fighting for the starting shortstop job as well, he may project more as a bench piece, seeing action during midweek games. His defense is what has carried him, showing strong athleticism and a good arm.
Cooper Rasmussen
Rasmussen transferred over from Butler Community College, and in 52 games, he slashed .372/.480/.733 with 16 home runs and 53 RBI. Cohall and Rasmussen seem to be the two biggest run-producing threats in the lineup for the Panthers this upcoming season when it comes to the newcomers on the roster. Expect him to be FIU’s starting third baseman when it is all said and done.
Samuel Fischer
Three straight games with a RBI single for Sammy! 🤌
T4 | FIU 4, MTSU 8 pic.twitter.com/cHnIX3MGQI
— FIU Baseball (@FIUBaseball) March 29, 2025
Fischer, a returner, finds himself in battles all across the infield, seeing where he can potentially find himself starting on Opening Night. He showed impressive improvement in the fall, per the coaching staff, but now, it is all about putting it together for the junior. He slashed .222/.400/.289/.689 with seven RBI and an 86 wRC+. He was primarily used in pinch-hitting situations, where he came through as he boasted a 13.3% walk rate.
Rudy Marichal
Marcihal, an incoming freshman, comes from Monsignor Edward Pace. Perfect Game had Marichal as a top 100 player in the state of Florida. His great-uncle is Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal. Expect him to primarily make an impact early in the season, especially during non-conference games. Marichal will likely see more playing time in 2027, given the current veteran experience in the infield.
Mario Trivella
Uncommitted Sophomore from SCF
Looking for 4 year opportunities
(786-205-3295)
INFIELD VIDEOS pic.twitter.com/Ffs2JDbpXE— mario trivella (@Mj17Trivella) May 16, 2025
The Venezuela native spent the 2025 season at State College of Florida, where he slashed .324/.468/.525 with seven home runs and 44 RBI in 56 games played. His defense at shortstop is impressive, with a strong combination of athleticism and arm strength. He likely slots in as the starting shortstop, but will need to show more with the bat to win the job over Feliciano and Velez.
Preston Leon (INF/OF)
It is more likely to see the Minnesota transfer in the outfield this upcoming season, but FIU’s website currently lists him as an infielder as well. He did not see any game action at Minnesota, but prior to that, he was at Lansing Community College, where he slashed .411/.527/.576 with two home runs, 39 RBI and 59 stolen bases.
Leon led all JUCO with his 59 stolen bases and was named to the 2nd Team Juco All-American by The National Scouting Bureau. Likely to see plenty of playing time, he will be a late-game pinch-runner and get plenty of reps in the outfield
Trey Freeman
Last season at Santa Fe College, Freeman slashed .303/.421/.426 with two home runs and 25 RBI. Freeman has been in a battle for the starting third base job.
Boston Doeschot
Last season at the JUCO level, Doeschot hit .401 with 22 homers, 80 RBI, 17 doubles, and two triples. He was named a NJCAA First Team All-American. Doeschot is still fighting for a starting spot, either at second or third base. He was also teammates with catcher Caden Sammler at Ellsworth.
Outfielders: Luca Reyes, Cole Cleveland, Hector Candelas, Kyle Koehler, Andrew Ildefonso, Aidan Cohall and Preston Leon
Luca Reyes
Reyes, a transfer from Rowan College of South Jersey Gloucester, slashed .357/.516/.580 with seven home runs and 45 RBI in 49 games. Prior to that, he was at the University of Miami, but did not play. Reyes will likely slot in as a depth outfielder who could see action in all three outfield spots.
Cole Cleveland
DOMINANT duo ⭐️
🔗 https://t.co/UbGB3lkKjB pic.twitter.com/28EgghPuwh
— FIU Baseball (@FIUBaseball) January 29, 2026
Cleveland, a Preseason All-Conference selection, slashed .291/.395/.489/.885 with five home runs, 32 RBI, 13 stolen bases and a 111 wRC+. The Delray Beach native will slot in at the top of the lineup and play center field.
The lone concern with Cleveland is the 26.8% strikeout rate, but put the ball in play quite a bit, with a .391 BABIP. Cleveland is one of the Panthers’ key returners this season. He is coming off a 2025 Conference USA All-Freshman selection.
Hector Candelas
The vet of the team is Candelas. He is coming off a season where he hit .255/.427/.362/.786 with two home runs, 17 RBI and a 106 wRC+ in 43 games played. After being a fourth outfielder last season, Candelas will likely slot into a corner outfield spot to start the season.
Candelas’ approach really stands out, only striking out 18.5% of the time and walking 12.3% of the time. In 2025, Candelas was used in a lot of late-game pinch-hitting situations. A runway to more consistent playing time could be a huge for the Puerto Rico native. He could see himself towards the middle or lower part of the lineup.
Kyle Koehler
Koehler likely has the best raw power on the team, but approach issues have been a reason for his lack of playing time and players who have performed over him during the last year. In 2025, he only played in nine games, striking out eight times in 15 plate appearances.
In 2026, Koehler could potentially see more playing time with the departures of certain players from last year’s team, but unless he surges in the fall, he will likely be a bench piece that can enter games in certain pinch-hit situations and split his time between a corner outfield spot and DH.
Andrew Ildefonso
Ildefonso sprung onto the scene last season, early on as a pitcher, but hit his way into the Panthers everyday lineup and finished the 2025 season slashing .304/.393/.497/.890 with six home runs, 37 RBI and a 110 wRC+. Ildefonso, along with Cleveland, was selected as a Preseason All-Conference player. Ildefonso will likely find himself hitting between the third and fifth spot in the lineup, similar to last season.
Only striking out 13.6% of the time in 191 plate appearances, Ildefonso may have one of the better approaches and lower strikeout rates on the team. He finished with the third-fewest amount of strikeouts (26) in 2025, behind Kareh Valentin and Javier Crespo. Iledfonso also did a good job of elevating the ball, which led to 11 doubles, which was third on the team, but with the departures of Alex Ulloa and Kishon Frett, he is the team’s current leader in doubles.
Left-handed pitchers: Brennan Confreda, George Adams, Preston Prince, Ryan Reyerson, Cooper Foster and Tyler Mecchella
Brennan Confreda
Confreda, an incoming freshman from Viera High School, may get some midweek looks, but with the high volume of veteran experience on the team, looks may be limited.
George Adams
Adams, a transfer from Stony Brooks, threw 40.1 innings, posting a 7.59 ERA, 6.77 FIP, 10.04 K/9 and 4.91 BB/9. Adams will likely come in as a key piece of the bullpen in certain matchup situations. The coaching staff is high on Adams and they believe he can be a key contributor.
The long ball really hurt Adams last season, surrendering 12 home runs (2.68 HR/9). If he can limit that and the walks, Adams can be a sneaky pen arm that not many people see coming.
Adams will start for the Panthers in game two of the season against Villanova.
Preston Prince
Prince, who comes from Rutgers, will be one of the most exciting pitchers to watch. Sitting in the upper 90’s, Prince’s role is to be determined, but is one of the more exciting gets out of the transfer portal for the program. In 14 appearances (five starts), Prince posted a 5.57 ERA, 5.68 FIP, 9.43 K/9 and 12.86 BB/9 in 21.0 innings pitched. Clearly, he was a bit wild and struggles with command/control, but that is something we have seen with former FIU flamethrowers in the past, such as Easton Marks, who ended up getting drafted following the season to the Colorado Rockies.
By no means will someone like Prince be put up to that high level yet, but it does speak to the work and improvements that the staff has made with their pitching development and bringing in players such as Prince and turning it around here at FIU. If it all comes together, we can potentially see a weekend starter or high-leverage arm.
Ryan Reyerson
Reyerson is the lone left-handed pitcher returning. Last season, he came back late into the season as he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. In eight appearances (two starts), Reyerson posted a 9.39 ERA, 9.59 FIP, 8.22 K/9 and 9.39 BB/9 in 7 2/3 innings pitched.
With Reyerson, you need to take the 2025 stats with a grain of salt, given he was getting back into the swing of things after an injury. He should be one of FIU’s more-used relievers this upcoming season.
Cooper Foster
Foster comes from Chandler-Gilbert Community College, where he posted a 5.61 ERA and 12.45 K/9 in 51.1 innings pitched. With the needed experience from left-handed pitchers, Foster will be a name who will see some action.
Tyler Mecchella
After stops at Presbyterian and Saint Leo. In 2025 with Saint Leo, the right-hander appeared in 16 games, posting a 3–5 record with two saves while striking out 44 batters over 47.1 innings. Despite a 7.04 ERA, Mecchella showed durability and swing-and-miss stuff, taking on multiple roles out of the bullpen and in longer relief stints.
Right-handed pitchers: Enrique Sierra, Julian Mlodzinski, Rene Lastres, Quin McManmon, Jordan Vargas, Jarek Woodward, Braden Consaul, Mason Koczwara, Tyrus Riley, Jeremy Urena, Matthew DelVecchio, Clayton Sherwood, Bryce Turner, Taggert Cameron and Tracen Cameron
Enrique Sierra
In 2025 at Miami Dade College, he appeared in 16 games with 11 starts, striking out 61 batters over 61.1 innings. He delivered several strong outings, including multiple scoreless appearances and a season-high six innings against Santa Fe College, showing consistent swing-and-miss ability throughout the year.
Julian Mlodzinski
In 2025 as a junior, he made 14 bullpen appearances, posting a 1–1 record with 21 strikeouts over 17.2 innings. He was a reliable late-inning option, delivering multiple scoreless outings and earning a win at Sam Houston with 2.1 shutout innings and three strikeouts.
Rene Lastres
Lastres, who was a catcher last season, is now a pitcher who has shown high velo and will be an option out of the bullpen. It is tough to really gauge what type of pitcher we will see, but the first week of the season will be a big evaluation period.
Quin McManmon
In 2025 at Georgia State, he made nine appearances (six starts), going 1–1 with a 6.45 ERA across 22.1 innings. He recorded 22 strikeouts, highlighted by a six-strikeout season opener vs. Belmont, and earned a win with a solid four-inning outing against Kennesaw State.
Jordan Vargas
In 2025 at Miami Dade College, he appeared in 18 games with nine starts, posting a 10–2 record and a 3.90 ERA across 64.2 innings. He delivered multiple strong outings, including an 11-strikeout complete game at Gulf Coast State College and several one-run or scoreless performances, establishing himself as a dependable arm in the rotation and in relief.
Jarek Woodward
As a redshirt junior in 2025, he appeared in 18 games with five starts, posting a 3–1 record with two saves while striking out 36 batters over 38.1 innings. He provided steady multi-inning relief and spot starts, highlighted by a seven-strikeout outing vs. Merrimack and key late-season performances, including scoreless work in conference tournament play.
Woodward will start on Sunday in the series finale against Villanova.
Braden Consaul
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