Following a heartbreaking NCAA Regional extra-innings exit in Athens, Ga. to u[sic]GA last May, the Jackets coaching staff and players worked hard throughout the offseason to prepare for a deeper postseason run. While much of the hype surrounds sophomore center fielder Drew Burress because of his stellar play last year, nearly breaking the single season home run record and winning freshman of the year in all of college baseball, many underestimate the strong recruiting class that head coach Danny Hall brought in through both the transfer portal and high school.
Hall’s 2024 high school recruiting class finished as number two overall according to Perfect Game, featuring 22 high school commits and three top 100 athletes. “Catcher U,” as many refer to Tech in the baseball world, adds the number three catcher and 23rd overall prospect in Drew Rogers from Arizona. The emergence of sophomore catcher Vahn Lackey during the back half of last season will put Rogers’ playing time behind the plate in question, but expect Rogers to still find ways to crack the lineup in 2025.
Tech’s two other top 100 prospects are effective two-way players Connor Shouse and Alex Hernandez. While both Shouse and Hernandez had stand-out hitting stats throughout their high school careers, expect them to both get chances pitching, as well. The program’s woes always seem to be on the mound, and with Aeden Finateri transferring and Cam Jones graduating, pitching coach Matt Taylor will have to find someone to fill the innings.
Other freshman pitching options that Taylor could turn to are Connor Chicoli, Ryan Johnson, Joshua Evans and Cole Royer. The freshman pitchers will be integral in the success of the 2025 season if the Jackets want to return to Omaha for the first time since 2006.
In combination with this stellar high school recruiting class, Tech specifically targeted transfers to make an immediate impact. Tech looked within the southeast to get sophomore first baseman Kent Schmidt and graduate right handed pitcher Sam Swygert. As a freshman, Schmidt started 56 games, led Georgia Southern with 16 doubles and finished with a .321 average (AVG) and .432 on-base percentage (OBP). Schmidt, a Marietta native, will be an instant starter for the Jackets at first base and will look to gain more power throughout the 2025 season. Swygert, a graduate of The Citadel Bulldogs, pitched the most innings on the Bulldogs last year with 67 and struck out a team-best 58 hitters. Swygert will be used heavily in the Jackets pitching rotation either as a starter or a reliever.
Graduate catcher/designated hitter Nathan Waugh and junior shortstop Kyle Lodise are two other day one starters for the Jackets from the portal. Waugh, hailing from Cornell University, will be a crucial bat for the Jackets lineup, hitting .305 AVG for his career and a .410 OBP. If Waugh can make the successful jump from mid major to power four then he will be a lethal weapon for the duration of the season. Lodise transfers from Augusta University where he was Peach Belt Second Team All-Conference in both his first and second years. Last year, Lodise hit .369 with 14 home runs and 24 stolen bases all while playing a stellar shortstop. In multiple scrimmages so far, Lodise has led off followed by Burress in the two hole.
Even with these new additions to the team, the Jackets’ success will come down to how their key returners have developed throughout the offseason. Apart from the superstar Burress and emerging star Lackey, Tech returns sophomore starting pitcher Tate McKee, graduate student corner infielder John Giesler and redshirt sophomore relief pitcher Riley Stanford among many other rotational arms. This season, Giesler earned the honor of wearing the late Jim Poole’s number 21. Poole was a standout pitcher for the Jackets in the 1980s and exemplified “Tech man” characteristics both on-and-off the field. Poole passed away from ALS in 2023, and, for the past three seasons, one Jacket has been selected to wear the number for the duration of the season in his honor.
With the combination of key returners and newcomers, the expectations of the program remain high.
“I know this is the [last year] of Coach Hall’s contract… and we don’t exactly know what’s in store. But at the end of the day, we’re going to make sure we send him out on a good season. We want to get him back to Omaha and that is our goal.” Burress told the Technique.
Notable series and games on the schedule include a home stand against ACC rival Clemson, a single standoff against u[sic]GA at Truist Park, and a home against old SEC foe Auburn. Tech will host over 30 games this upcoming season at Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium, including five full ACC series. The team kicks off the season against Old Dominion on Fri. Feb. 14 at 4:00 p.m. on the flats.