Three years removed from a magical 2022 NCAA D2 baseball championship, North Greenville is primed and ready for another phenomenal season.
The Trailblazers are ranked 8th in the 2025 NCWBA Division II Preseason Poll after finishing last season 41-14, its worst record since 2021. Although 2024 was successful, it ended with dissatisfaction after losing to Mount Olive in the Conference Carolinas Championship tournament.
The Trailblazers are young this season, boasting 17 freshman and 11 sophomores. This season’s incoming class is headlined by two University of Southern Carolina transfers: Tyler Dean and Tristan Salinas. Dean pitched 29.1 innings across three seasons with Virginia Tech and South Carolina. He posted 4.72 ERA with eight walks and 10 strikeouts over 13 innings in 2024. Salinas redshirted last season.
The Trailblazers lost some talent this offseason, graduating 10 seniors and their star corner infielder David Lewis to the transfer portal. Lewis led the team in home runs (24,) RBI (79) and hits (205), but transferred to Virginia Tech. Pat Montieth, one of the 10 graduated seniors from 2024, was second in home runs and RBI for the Trailblazers.
Even with major losses, North Greenville has 11 seniors and talent returning across the diamond. Redshirt Junior RHP Jake Monroe is returning after posting a 3.86 ERA in 60.2 innings last season. Senior LHP Matthew Taubensee had a phenomenal 2.12 ERA over 34.0 innings out of the bullpen last season and is expected to play a major role this season. Taubensee is the son of former Major League Baseball catcher, Eddie Taubensee, who played for the Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, and Cleveland Indians in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Incoming transfer Gideon Antle stood out at Ohio University last season, batting .350 with 10 home runs and 48 RBI over 48 games. He will play a key role in the Trailblazers’ outfield. Another incoming transfer of note is RHP Bennett Roemer. The righty threw well in his last full season, posting a 3.14 ERA over 77.1 innings and 76 strikeouts in 2023.
NGU routinely boasts a strong baseball program and expects to produce another high-level season in 2025. With strong pitching and elite bats scattered throughout the lineup, this edition of the Trailblazers will certainly produce another dominant season.
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CSU Hoping to Build on `24 Late-Season Momentum
Coming off a surprise run in the Big South conference tournament last season, Charleston Southern has experienced pieces ready for the 2025 season.
In 2024, the Bucs advanced to the Big South conference semifinals before losing to USC Upstate. The 2025 Bucs are exciting and hopeful to finish over .500 for the first time since 2000 when they went 31-31-1. This team is full of upperclassmen, boasting 19 juniors and 14 seniors or graduate students with transfers throughout.
Karl Kuhn will begin his first season as the head coach of the club. Kuhn served as the pitching coach the last two seasons for Charleston Southern. The 55-year-old formerly coached Radford University from 2019-2022, boasting two .500+ seasons.
Star Junior first baseman Chandler Tuupo is returning after batting .351 with 10 home runs and 46 RBI. Incoming freshman LHP Chris Laieta is an exciting arm to watch this season. The lefty can touch low 90s with his fastball and the ninth ranked high school LHP out of New York according to Perfect Game.
The most exciting incoming transfer is two-way star Ryan Cole who hit .415 with six home runs and drove in 64 RBI with 20 stolen bases over 45 games as a sophomore for Brookdale CC last season. The right-handed pitcher threw exceptionally, completing two games with a 1.94 ERA, 13.57 K/9 over 60.1 innings. Another incoming transfer is Kain Collins, who batted .333 with 10 doubles, two triples and 27 stolen bases as a sophomore for Cleveland State CC in 2024.
With solid incoming talent, the Bucs certainly are losing talent as well. Closer Evan Truitt compiled a 3.81 ERA with six saves in 64.0 innings last season. Truitt was drafted in the 12th round of the MLB draft by the Seattle Mariners. Another backend bullpen loss is Anthony Ramirez whose 3.53 ERA led the team over ten appearances and 35.2 innings last year.
Thanks to significant incoming transfer talent and experienced depth everywhere, the Bucs are poised to compete for their first Big South championship in 2025. Coach Kuhn’s promotion adds excitement to the middling organization while Cole adds needed versatility and power to the lineup. Charleston Southern may surprise many with a solid season.
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Anderson U Hoping to Build on .500 Season
Coming off a mediocre 2024 season, the Anderson Trojans have a nice young core entering 2025. The Trojans finished 24-24 in 2024 and missed the conference tournament by four games.
Head coach P. J. Zocchi is entering his sixth season leading the program and has found minimal success throughout his tenure. The Trojans have made the South Atlantic Conference (SAC) Championship tournament only once under Zocchi’s leadership.
Despite their young core, the Trojans have exciting players joining the roster. Carson Roberts, a right-handed pitcher and infielder from Crescent High School and Kaleb Owens from Easley High School are two strong arms among the plethora of freshman pitchers. Both sit in the upper 80s with their fastballs and have the potential to become impact pitchers. J.T. Carter is a transfer catcher and first baseman from Catawba Valley Community College. Carter batted .294/.438/.441 over 35 games in his sophomore season in 2024. Expect the veteran bat to provide stability in the lineup.
The Trojans are losing senior Ryan Brash who posted a 2.73 ERA over 16 relief appearances and 29.2 innings last season with four saves. Carolos Hernandez graduated after leading the Trojans with a .362 average over 48 games last season. Right-hander Ben Smith, who transferred to Houston Christian University, led the starting pitchers in 2024 after posting a 3.64 ERA and two complete games over 13 games.
Despite losing big pieces, Anderson retained Mac Ketchin who was third for the Trojans in batting average and second in hits over 47 games in 2024. Outfielder Zach Stover is also returning, among other pieces. Stover was top five in average, hits and OPS for the Trojans in 2024.
Even with an experienced head coach leading the inexperienced Trojans, the SAC is difficult as ever. With Coker and Catawba fresh off phenomenal seasons, the path to the top won’t be easy. Regardless, expect Anderson to start and end 2025 in exciting fashion.