Baseball Announces 2025-26 Incoming Class
Aug 27, 2025 | Baseball
NEW ORLEANS – The Tulane baseball team, under the direction of head coach Jay Uhlman, released its 23 newcomers for the upcoming 2026 campaign on Wednesday
"We welcome this class to Uptown with excitement for an incoming class that has four freshman, a handful of junior college arms and a 16-man portal class," Coach Uhlman explained. "We have bolstered our offensive group with a variety of physical pieces both left and right-handed. We have addressed our need of replacing valuable pieces from the pitching staff last year as well.  We targeted and secured the commitments of quality strike throwers that will foster a competitive environment within our pitching staff."
"I want to publicly praise and celebrate this recruiting class for its foundational pieces and then for the work put into the portal this summer by our coaches and academic support staff. The portal is fast paced which requires hyper-organization and coordinated efforts by many. This effort was led by Coach Izzio with major contributions from our GM Curtis Akey, PD/Analytics Director Frankie Niemann, Academic Advisor Wendy LeBlanc and Erinn Banks our Associate AD/Assistant Provost, NCAA Compliance.  For their exceptional efforts, we were rewarded with a portal class ranking of 16th nationally. Additionally, this class finished as the number one ranked portal class amongst all non-P4 programs."
"We are excited to begin our fall development with this group and look forward to the journey."
The team's freshman class includes Bryson Ayala (INF), Cole Berge (INF), Evan Burg (OF), and Matthew Major (OF/3B).
The incoming transfers are Jude Abbadessa (RHP), Jack Brafa (RHP), Johnny Elliott (C), Jack Frankel (RHP), Owen Geiss (RHP), A.J. Groeneveld (INF/OF), Jack Johnson (UTL), Sam Larson (RHP), Trent Liolios (INF), Max Mazinter (RHP), LuisPablo Navarro (LHP), Nolan Nawrocki (INF), Aidan Rath (RHP), Brett Rowland (C), Beau Sampson (LHP),  Caden Tarango (RHP), Jack Toporek (LHP),  Tom Vincent (LHP), and Tye Wood (OF).
High School (4)
Bryson Ayala (INF), Fr., 6'5", 210, Melbourne, FL / Melbourne
Prior to Tulane: Played four years of baseball at Melbourne High School for Coach Jose Soto where Ayala helped the team to a Cape Coast Championship, four playoff appearances playing primarily shortstop and third base…The team went 26-3 his freshman year, 16-9 as a sophomore, 13-13 as a junior and 18-10 as a senior…He was All-District, the team MVP and Defensive Player of the Year as a senior…Ended his career with a .310 batting average, 100 hits, 77 RBIs and 90 runs scored…Ranked as the 107th-best shortstop in the country and the 17th-best shortstop in the state of Florida by Perfect Game.
Personal: Son of Jessica and Ricardo Ayala…Has a younger sister, Layna…His father, Ricardo, played college baseball at Coastal Carolina…Intends to major in business management
Cole Berge (INF), Fr., 6'3", 160, Chandler, AZ / Hamilton
Prior to Tulane: Played high school baseball at Hamilton…Played for Coach Mike Woods and aided the program to pair of state championships (2022 and 2023)…Was All-Conference in 2025 after hitting .328 with 12 extra base hit and three home run.
Personal: Son of Karen and Eric Berge…..Has one older sibling, Addison,…His mother, Sarah, was a college basketball player at Pacific…He is a triplet with all three playing college baseball (Noah – Winthrop & Beau - Southern Wesleyan University).
Evan Burg (OF), Fr., 6'1", 190, Kenner, LA / Archbishop Rummel
Prior to Tulane: Played high school baseball at Archbishop Rummel…Aided program to district championship in 2024, the state finals and semifinals in 2023 and 2024…Was a two-time All-District selection…Ended his career with 89 RBIs and threw a no-hitter in 2025…Also played four years of football where he aided the program to four playoff appearances and the semifinals in 2023…Ranked by Perfect Game as the third-best outfield in the state of Louisiana and was the 15th ranked player overall in 2025.
Personal: Son of Laurie and Jeffrey Burg…Has an older brother, Matthew, and a younger sister, Emma…His father, Jeffrey, played collegiate baseball at Spring Hill College…His mother, Laurie, was a collegiate volleyball player at Ole Miss…Intends to major in Exercise Science / Kinesiology.
Matthew Major (OF/3B), Fr., 6'2", 210, Troy, OH / Pro5 Baseball Academy
Prior to Tulane: Played at Pro5 Baseball Academy his junior and senior seasons of high school…Ranked as the 256th-best player in the nation and 17th-best third baseman in the country by Perfect Game…Was the third ranked player in the state of Ohio and the top ranked third baseman in the state by Perfect Game…Attended Troy Christian High School for his freshman and sophomore seasons…A member of the National Honor Society…First Team All-Conference in both his freshman and sophomore seasons and named the league's Player of the Year as sophomore…All-State in 2023 when he lead the league in extra base hits…Hit .500 that season with an OPS of 1.278…As a junior, at Pro5 Baseball, led the league in home runs with eight and in OPS
Personal: Son of Amy and Marvin Major…Has two older brother, Marvin and Ben…Also has a younger brother, Parker…His father, Marvin, played college football at the University of Kentucky…His brother, Ben, was a collegiate baseball player and outfielder at Post University…Intends to major in business finance and minor in psychology.
Transfers (19)
Jude Abbadessa (RHP), R-Jr., 6'0", 200, Endicott, NY / UConn
Prior to Tulane: Spent the first three years of his college career at the University of Connecticut.
2025 Season: Appeared in 17 games and made four starts for the Huskies…Totaled 16.2 innings…Allowed 24 hits, 13 runs, walked 10 and struck out nine…Tossed 4.2 scoreless innings over the course of his first seven outings including scoreless frames against Penn State (2/16) and UCLA (3/1). Pitched 2.0 scoreless innings in a start against Boston College (3/25)…Logged 1.2 shutout innings vs. Army (4/23)…Pitched a season-high 2.1 innings in a start against URI (4/30)…In the 2025 MLB Draft League, he posted a 2.59 ERA with 30 strikeouts over. 24.1 innings pitched.
2024 Season: Missed the season with injury.
2023 Season: Appeared in 10 games in his first season in Storrs…Notched 6.2 innings and struck out seven on the bump...Made his collegiate debut on Feb. 20 vs. Ohio State and registered his first career strikeout in 0.2 innings of work…Retired both batters he faced at Hawaii (3/12)…Threw a scoreless inning of work at San Diego State (3/16) with a pair of strikeouts.
High School: Lettered three years for Coach Tim Harkness at Union Endicott High School in Endicott, NY…Spent one year lettering for Mike Vota at Niles High School in Niles, MI…In his career, threw 91.2 innings and struck out 187…He threw two perfect games in his high school career…Was a First Team All-Conference performer along with being a STAC All-Star and a member of Elite 15 baseball team…Also earned Preseason All-American status. Was a major contributor on the New York's Maine-Endwell Little League team that won the 2016 Little League World Series…Academic Scholar Athlete in high school and was a member of the National Honor Society…He graduated Summa Cum Laude…Also played point guard on the basketball team
Personal: Son of Alicia and Vincent Abbadessa…Has one brother, Christian…His brother played sprint football at Cornell…Intends to obtain his sports administration certificate at Tulane.
Jack Brafa (RHP), Jr., 6'3", 215, Medina, TN / Tennessee Tech
Prior to Tulane: Played his first two collegiate seasons at Tennessee Tech
2025 Season: Went 6-4 with a 3.48 ERA in 20 games with five games started…In 51.2 innings he struck out 38…Played in the Appalachian State for summer ball and put up a 2.70 ERA with two saves in five appearances along with nine strikeouts in 6.2 innings worked.
2024 Season: Went 1-1 with a 5.13 ERA in 14 games and seven games started…Totaled a pair of saves along with 37 strikeouts in 47.1 innings worked.
High School: Lettered at South Gibson High School in Medina, TN for Head Coach Lin Cates, playing second base and also pitching…As a senior, turned in a 1.78 ERA with 68 strikeouts to just 10 walks in 48.0 innings while hitting .447 with 37 runs and 48 RBI…Produced a .338 average with 32 RBI and 24 runs as a junior…Compiled a 2.30 ERA and 71 punchouts with just eight walks in 51.0 innings as a sophomore…During his career, earned TSWA 3A All-State honors and TBCA All-State Third Team accolades…Also picked up spots on the All-TBCA Coaches 3A Team and All-West Tennessee First Team…Collected District Pitcher of the year, All-District, and All-Region honors…Named the team's Position Player MVP and Pitching MVP…Led his team to three straight District titles and Regional Championships in 2022 and 2023… Also helped SGHS to a pair of state tournament appearances his final two seasons.
Personal: Son of Chanda and JD Brafa.
Johnny Elliott (C), So., 6'4", 217, Newport Beach, CA / USC
Prior to Tulane: Played his first collegiate baseball season at the University of Southern California (USC).
2025 Season: Appeared in 33 games with 24 starts…Hit .271 with a .388 slugging percentage and a .329 on-base percentage…Scored nine runs on his 19 hits plus drove in eight runs…Recorded a season-high three hits against Michigan State (5/11)
High School: Played four season at Mater Dei High School under Coach Richard Mercado…As a senior hit .308 with .439 slugging percentage…Played travel ball in 2024 for the Bend Elks where he hit .350 with 12 RBIs in 16 games… Perfect Game ranked him as the 15th best catcher and the 107th best player in the state of California.
Personal: Son of Aimee and Kent Elliott…Has two sisters, Chloe and Ava…His grandfather, John Elliott, played football for Cal (1948-1952) and his father played lacrosse at Cal (1988-1992)
Jack Frankel (RHP), So., 6'2", 205, Plano, TX / Liberty
Prior to Tulane: Played a season of collegiate baseball at Liberty University.
2025 Season: Went 4-3 with a team-leading 3.40 ERA plus 32 strikeouts in 18 games and 45 innings pitched as a member of the Flames...Earned a place on the CUSA All-Freshman Team…Made the Dean's List with a 3.9 GPA.
High School: Graduate of John Paul II High School…A three-time All-District team member…Also played basketball…A member of USA Prime National team…Named to numerous Perfect Game All-Tournament teams.
Personal: Son of Julie and Jonathan Frankel.
Owen Geiss (RHP), Jr., 6'4", 195, Mission Viejo, CA / Long Beach State
Prior to Tulane: Played his first two seasons of college baseball at Long Beach State.
2025 Season: Settled into the weekend rotation after pitching in various roles early in 2025...After spot-starting, pitching in long relief, and closing for a game, he became a weekend starter against Cal Poly (3/15)...Reset his career-high when he threw seven innings and 114 pitches against UC Santa Barbara (3/30)...Struck out four and limited the Gauchos to four hits while only giving up one run…Tied his previous career-high when he threw 6.2 innings in the 10-0 victory at UC San Diego (3/23)...Limited the Tritons to six hits, struck out five, and walked two….Again reset his career-high with a 7.2 effort as he picked up his sixth win at UC Riverside (5/10)...Also set a career-highs with nine strikeouts against the Highlanders…Was second on the team in victories with six (6-8 overall) and third in ERA (4.90)...Pitched 68 innings, the second most on the club...His 44 strikeouts were the third-most on the team...Named as a finalist for the 2025 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. I Gold Glove team...Did not commit an error in 24 chances (8 PO-16 A), was part of one double play, and was on the mound as four of the seven runners attempting to steal were thrown out.
2024 Season: Third on the team in innings pitched with 50.2 ...Threw the final 4.1 innings of the 17-inning tie against Washington...Appeared in 14 games...Started five games including the final three weeks on the weekend in Big West play...Went 4-3 with a 5.33 ERA...Struck out 36 while walking 11...Opponents batted .296 against him.
High School: A three-year letter winner in baseball for Capistrano Valley High School, missing the 2020 COVID season as a freshman…As a sophomore helped lead his high school to a South Coast League championship…Repeated as a champion as a junior…Had a breakthrough season as a senior, earning South Coast Pitcher of the Year honors as well as First Team All-League and being named to the North/South Orange County All-Star team…Competed in the 2022 Area Code Games and the 2022 Area Code Select game.
A.J. Groeneveld (INF/OF), 6'1", 195, Pembroke Pines, FL / Eastern Kentucky
Prior to Tulane: Played his first season of collegiate baseball at Eastern Kentucky University.
2025 Season: Named to the Atlantic Sun Conference All-Freshman Team …Played in 50 games and started 45 times …Led the team with a .300 batting average and 11 stolen bases (11-for-11) …Second on the team with 24 runs scored and 25 walks … Posted a .413 slugging percentage and a .404 on-base percentage…Had eight doubles, two triples, two home runs, and 14 RBIs … Went 3-for-4 at West Georgia (2/28) …Had a 3-for-5 game against Bellarmine (3/14) … Finished 3-for-3 with a run at Lipscomb (4/25) … Went 3-for-3 with a home run, two runs and an RBI at North Alabama (5/10)…Selected to the Atlantic Sun Conference Academic Honor Roll.
High School: Preseason All-American as a senior … Suffered a season-ending injury four games into his senior season, hitting .444 with six runs, two RBIs, one home run and one double … First team all-district and Miami Herald Second Team All-County as a junior after batting .333 with three triples, five doubles, 14 RBIs and 26 runs scored.
Personal: Son of Mark and Elizabeth Groeneveld … Has one sister, Emma … His dad, Mark, played collegiate baseball at Nova Southeastern University and played independent professional baseball with the Virginia Rail Kings.
Jack Johnson (INF), Gr., 6'1", 200, Thousand Oaks, CA / Baylor
Prior to Tulane: Spent four years as part of Baylor's baseball program.
2025 Season: Did not play due to injury…Graduated with a double major from the Hankamer School of Business in both marketing and management.
2024 Season:Â Played in 12 games and made two starts...Hit .100 (1-for10) with one HR and one RBI...Hit first-career home run vs. Incarnate Word (4/6), a 430-foot blast over the batter's eye...Made first start of the year vs. Incarnate Word (4/7)...Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection.
2023 Season: Played in 27 games and made 16 starts, including eight at first base, seven at third base and one as the DH…Hit .185 on the year and drove in six runs…Tallied 12 hits, including two doubles, and scored eight runs…Swiped one bag at Texas Tech (4/22)…Made his collegiate debut on Opening Day against Central Michigan (2/17), batting second and starting at third base…Delivered the game-winning RBI base hit to walk-off Central Michigan on Opening Day (2/17), which was also his first-career hit…Had a pinch-hit, RBI double vs. Mercer (3/12)…Produced four-game hit streak from April 22 to April 28, including a two-hit performance vs. West Virginia (4/28)…Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection.
2022 Season:Â Did not play due to injury.
High School: Four-year letterwinner at Westlake High School in Westlake Village, CA… Named to All-Marmonte League First Team…Earned a spot on the All-Area First Team … Voted MVP in his senior season…Received Scholar Athlete Award in each of his four years … Hit .370 with 30 hits, five home runs, 22 RBI and three stolen bases...Also played club ball for GBG Marucci Navy 2021.
Personal: Son of Angela and Kevin Johnson…His father, Kevin, played in the Montreal Expos organization…His younger brother, Nate, is also member of Tulane's baseball team…His younger brother, Nolan, is a member of Duke's baseball team….Intends to work toward his graduate degree in sports administration.
Sam Larson (RHP), Jr., 6'4", 195, Lake Forest, IL / Denison
Prior to Tulane: Played his first two seasons of collegiate baseball at Denison University
2025 Season: Appeared in 14 games, making eight starts…Went 6-1 with a 1.91 ERA in 56.2 innings…Recorded 71 strikeouts and a .181 opponent batting average…Led the Big Red in ERA and earned runs (12)...Named Second Team All-NCAC…Named D3Baseball.com Second Team All-Region and ABCA/Rawlings Third Team All-Region...Named D3Baseball.com Second Team All-America.
2024 Season: Appeared in four games making two starts…Played summer ball in the Northwest League for the Lakeshore Chinooks where he struck out 10 in seven innings in three games.
Personal: Son of Kavi and Mark Larson…Was an Honor Roll student…Was a member of National Honors Society, Environmental Club, Spanish Club and History Club in high school…A member of Investment Club and Economics Club at Denison
Trent Liolios (INF), Jr., 6'4", 215, Newport Beach, CA / Northwestern
Prior to Tulane: Â Played his first three season at Northwestern University where he graduated in three years.
2025 Season: Appeared in 51 games, starting 49…Finished second in program history in single-season home runs with 16 which was tied for eighth in the Big Ten…Finished second on the team in home runs (16), on-base plus slugging (.975) and slugging percentage (.623) and third in RBIs (39)...Hit two homers and drove in four runs in a 6-2 win over Long Beach State (2/15)... Homered and doubled with two runs and two RBI against The Citadel (3/8)...Powered another home run while reaching three times in a win over The Citadel (3/9)...Launched a home run and doubled while driving in three runs against Penn State (3/15)...Had a career day with five hits and three home runs in a win over Penn State (3/16)...Notched two hits including a double and two RBI against Illinois (3/21)...Tallied two RBI, scored two runs and reached three times in a win over Illinois (3/22)...Homered twice including a game winning 10th-inning blast in a win over Maryland (3/28)...Launched a three-run home run in a win over Maryland (3/29)...Hit a go-ahead 10th inning home run in a 2-1 win over UIC while stealing a base (4/1)...Doubled and scored against Iowa (4/5)...Hit a homer in a win over Iowa (4/6)...Mashed a two-run home run in a win at Notre Dame (4/8)...Tripled and scored against Washington (4/26)...Hit his 16th blast of the year against Butler (4/29).
2024 Season: Appeared in all 52 games for the Wildcats, starting 51 of them…Slugged nine home runs and added 36 RBIs…Hit his first home run of the season as part of a two-hit, four-RBI win at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (3/19)…Logged three hits, including a home run in a win over McNeese (3/22)…Went 5-for-5 including a home run against Northern Illinois, adding three RBI and two runs (3/26)...Homered against Maryland in a three RBI game (4/12)…Homered for the second time in a weekend against Maryland (4/14)…Hit a solo shot in a win at Ohio State (5/12)…Homered in a win over Minnesota (5/16).
2023 Season: Went 2-5 with a double and two runs batted in at Saint Louis (3/10)...Picked up a double and two RBIs in a 5-1 win over Butler (3/19)...Reached base three times against UTSA (3/24)...Hit a home run and drove in three runs against UIC (4/11).
High School: An All-Region Academic Team as a junior…Hit six home runs as a third baseman and pitcher for the Newport Harbor Sailors…Was also captain of the football team as a quarterback and defensive end…Played one year of club baseball with the SoCal Giants.
Personal: Son of Stacy and Scott Liolios…His mother, Stacy, was a collegiate softball player at Ohio State…Has an older brother, Clay, and a younger brother, Brock…Intends to obtain his business studies professional certificate at Tulane.
Max Mazinter (RHP), Jr., 6'5", 208, Scottsdale, AZ / South Mountain CC
Prior to Tulane: Played his first two collegiate baseball seasons at South Mountain Community College.
2025: Missed season due to injury.
2024: Appeared in 14 games and made six starts as a freshman ...Finished 1-2 with 45 strikeouts and a 5.63 ERA in 38.1 innings of work...Earned the win with five innings of relief and four strikeouts against Western Nebraska CC (3/12)...Had a season-high eight strikeouts in three innings against Phoenix College (4/13)...Had six K's in five innings against El Paso CC and six against Southern Nevada (5/18).
LuisPablo Navarro (LHP), So., 6'2", 185, Amado, AZ / Pima CC
Prior to Tulane: Played a season of college baseball at Pima Community College.
2025 Season: Appeared and started 14 games for the Aztecs in going 7-2 with two complete games plus 75 strikeouts in 70 innings pitched and a 3.60 ERA…Was Second Team All-Conference…Played summer ball in the Northwest League for the Lacrosse Loggers…With the Loggers he was 2-0 with 1.33 ERA in five games and four starts with a 23 strikeouts in 20.1 innings pitched.
2024 Season: Played baseball at Walden Grove High School…Was a First Team All-State selection, the Region Player of the Year and a three-time First Team All-Region selection…Ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 270th-best lefthanded pitcher in the country as a senior…Was ranked No. 9 among all lefthanded pitchers in the state of Arizona in 2024 and the No. 73 overall ranked player in the state.
Personal: Son of Marysol and Luis Navarro…Has a pair of older sisters, Solymar and Marbrisa…His father, Luis, played baseball at Arizona Western, Portland State and Colorado Mesa and was in spring training with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Nolan Nawrocki (INF), Sr., 6'1", 200, Rockville Centre, NY/ South Carolina
Prior to Tulane: Played a collegiate baseball season at South Carolina after starting his career at Clemson.
2025 Season: An SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll…Played in 14 games with 12 starts for the Gamecocks…Had five runs scored, a pair of doubles, a home run and seven RBIsWas 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored in a win over Milwaukee (2/23)…Doubled and drove in a pair of runs in a win over Sacred Heart (2/15)…Had a single, a stolen base and an RBI on Opening Day vs. Sacred Heart (2/14)…Had a hit in his first four games of the season before injuries derailed his campaign.
2024 Season (Clemson): An ACC All-Academic Team selection…Chosen for the ACC Academic Honor Roll….Played in 36 games with 34 starts, hitting .264 with 28 runs scored, five doubles, four home runs and 24 RBI…Was a perfect 11-for-11 in stolen bases in tying for the team lead…Had a .400 slugging and .352 on-base percentage…Started the year on a 13-game hitting streak…Hit .317 with runners in scoring position…Had a grand slam and scored a pair of runs against Xavier (2/16)…Went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run against Kansas State (3/6).
2023 Season (Clemson): An ACC All-Academic Honor Roll selection as he redshirted the season
High School: Prepped at Chaminade High School in Mineola, NY, where he helped the Flyers to a New York State Catholic League championship as a senior…Was the No. 9 overall player and No. 2 shortstop in the state of New York in the class of 2022 by Perfect Game…Helped Chaminade to a Long Island Catholic League championship as a junior…Played summer baseball for the Martha's Vineyard Sharks in the NECBL in 2023, where he was an NECBL All-Star Game selection.
Personal: Son of Tricia Hall and Ray Nawrocki…His father, Ray Jr, played baseball at Cumberland and football at Pace…His grandfather, Raymond Sr., played baseball and football at Columbia.
Aidan Rath (RHP), Gr., 6'6" 250, Kalona, IA / Eastern Kentucky
Prior to Tulane: Played two years at Eastern Kentucky University after starting his collegiate baseball career at Kirkwood Community College
2025 Season: Appeared in two games late in the season after returning from an injury…Pitched a total of one inning …Atlantic Sun Conference Honor Roll selection…Made the Dean's List
2024 Season: Made two appearances…Did not allow a run and gave up just one hit in three innings of work…Held opponents to a .100 batting average...Atlantic Sun Conference Honor Roll selection…Made the Dean's List
2023 Season (Kirkwood CC): Missed the season due to an injury.
2022 Season (Kirkwood CC): Made seven appearances and started five games …Went 2-1 with a 6.11 ERA …Struck out 29 batters in 17 and two-thirds innings …Averaged 14.77 strikeouts per nine innings.
High School: Graduated from Mid-Prairie High School in 2021…Chosen First Team All-State as a senior after batting .494 with 12 home runs, a 1.106 slugging percentage, a 5-2 record with a 1.60 ERA on the mound and 63 strikeouts in 30.2 innings …Also selected as All-Conference and All-District his senior season…Batted .562 with five home runs and 29 RBIs in 18 games as a junior in 2020…All-State as a member of the Mid-Prairie basketball team…State runner-up in track
Personal: Son of Amy Hartsock and Allen Rath…Has two older sisters, Alex and Addison…His dad, Allen, was drafted out of high school played college baseball at the University of Iowa where he ended his career as the school's all-time leader in career victories and strikeouts…His mom, Amy, played college softball at the University of Iowa where she was a pitcher…His sister, Alex, was an infielder at the University of Iowa…His sister, Allison, was a basketball player at Mount Mercy…Intends to pursue his master's degree in public administration at Tulane.
Brett Rowell (C), Gr., 6'1", 210, Shalimar, FL/West Florida
Prior to Tulane: Played the last two seasons at the University of West Florida after starting his career playing two seasons at Coastal Alabama.
2025 Season: Earned Third Team CSC Academic All-America® honors…Earned ABCA/Rawlings Second All-Region honors after hitting .355 with 14 doubles, eight home runs and 52 RBIs in his final campaign with the Argos…Aided the program to NCAA DII Super Regionals in 2025…Graduated Magna Cum Laude in the spring of 2025.
2024 Season: Played in 39 games, starting 34...Batted .311 with four doubles, four home runs and 22 RBIs...Registered six RBIs, including game-winning grand slam, in doubleheader sweep over Florida Southern (2/3)...Notched a hit in four straight games against Alabama Huntsville (3/3), Mississippi College (3/9 & 3/10) and Christian Brothers (3/15)...Went 3-3 in win over Shorter (3/30)...Blasted home run in GSC Tournament victory over Valdosta State (5/6)...Posted two multi-hit games in NCAA Regional against Delta State (5/18) and Embry-Riddle (5/19)...Recorded 155 putouts with 12 assists while throwing out five base runners, defensively…Helped the team win the 2024 Gulf South Conference Championship and a run to the NCAA DII Regional.
2023 Season (at Coastal Alabama): Played in 33 games...Had a .301 batting average...Tallied 28 hits, 10 doubles, a triple and a home run...Racked up 18 RBIs and ran in 22 runs...Recorded 170 putouts and 15 assists.
2022 Season (at Coastal Alabama): Played in 47 games...Hit .338 with 15 doubles and three home runs...Racked up 30 RBIs...Scored 28 runs...Recorded 88 putouts and 12 assists.
Personal: Son of Glenn and Elicia Rowell...Has three younger siblings, Cameron, Aaron and Jayden...Also played football in high school.
Beau Sampson (LHP), Jr., 6'6", 226, St. George, UT / Oklahoma
Prior to Tulane: Played a collegiate baseball season at Oklahoma after starting his collegiate baseball career at Salt Lake Community College.
2025 Season: Made 13 appearances in relief, finishing the season with a 5.06 ERA through 10.2 total innings pitched …Tallied 10 strikeouts and gave up just one extra base hit….Played in the Cape Cod League for the Cotuit Keetler where he went 1-0 with 15 strikeouts in 12 innings pitched. Â
2024 Season (at Salt Lake Community College): Appeared in 16 games for 32.1 innings for a 2.51 ERA and 34 strikeouts…Played in the Cape Cod League for the Cotuit Keetler where he went 1-0 with six strikeouts in 4.0 innings pitched.Â
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High School: Attended Crimson Cliffs High School in Washington, UT...Coached by Justin Abbott ...One-year letterman in baseball.
Personal: Son of Mark and Mitzi Sampson ...Has two sisters.
Caden Tarango (RHP), R-Jr., 6'5", 235, Roanoke, IN / LSU-Eunice
Prior to Tulane: Played his last two collegiate seasons at LSU-Eunice after starting his collegiate baseball playing career at Dayton.
2025 Season: Went 10-0 with 3.55 ERA in 16 games with 15 games started…Pitched 71 innings with 91 strikeouts…Aided program to the Region 23 Championship.
2024 Season: Appeared in one game throwing an inning with a strikeout.
2023 Season (at Dayton): Made season debut versus Eastern Kentucky (3/29)…Pitched four innings.
High School: Was a three-year varsity athlete at Homestead Senior in Roanoke, Indiana…a 2x Sectional Champions…Awards: Grand Park summer league all-star senior year, Member of DECA, Played in the PBR future games for Team Indiana, Played travel ball with the Canes, and Try State Arsenal…A 2x Sectional Champions in football
Personal: Son of Kimberly and Shawn Tarango…Has a younger brother, Caleb…His father, Shawn, played football at Baker University…His uncle, Kevin, was a collegiate golfer at Boise State.
Jake Toporek (LHP), Gr., 6'1", 192, Dana Point, CA / Wagner
Prior to Tulane: Spent four years at Wagner College.
2025 Season: Made 15 appearances with 14 starts on the mound…Went 8-1 with a 3.49 ERA in 87.2 inning pitched with 69 strikeouts and a .224 batting average against…A First Team All Northeast Conference selection…Named an NEC Prime Time Performer three times…Graduated Magna Cum Laude from Wagner.
2024 Season: Made 16 appearances out of the bullpen, pitching 22 innings and striking out 13 batters... Returned to action on February 18 at North Carolina with 1.2 innings of work... Pitched three scoreless innings on April 16 versus Seton Hall.
2023 Season: Did not appear in any action.
2022 Season: Appeared in 12 games... Made his collegiate debut on Charleston (2/20)...Recorded a career-high five strikeouts on at Mount St. Mary's (4/1)...Picked up his first career win on vs. Saint Peter's (4/5)
High School: Four-year varsity baseball player at TVT Community Day School… Received OC Athletic Director Association 2021 Athlete of Character… Posted a 3.09 ERA with 5 wins and 42 strikeouts in his senior year.
Personal: Son of Staci and Jeffrey Toporek…Has two younger brothers, Max and Noah…His cousin, Alex Toporek, played two years of baseball at John Hopkins University.
Tom Vincent (LHP), Gr., 6'3", 225, Houston, Texas / Rice
Prior to Tulane: Spent the last four collegiate seasons at Rice after starting his collegiate baseball career at Texas A&M
2025 Season: Limited to four appearances, including one start… Made his season debut vs. Michigan at the Puerto Rico Baseball Challenge in Ponce, Puerto Rico (2/15) and did not pitch again until (3/16) vs. HCU… Threw a scoreless inning vs. East Carolina (3/30) and made his final appearance at Tulane in the first game of the doubleheader (4/5).
2024 Season: Led the Owls and was tied for fourth in the AAC with a career-high 28 appearances overall and tied for second with 15 appearances in conference action…28 games were the most appearances by an Owl since 2016…Stranded 11 of his last 17 inherited runners over 16 appearances…2.81 ERA in 13 road appearances…Appeared in 10 of 15 games in April as the Owls went 8-7…Came on with the Owls down one in the bottom of the eighth and a runner at second at Houston and struck out the next two hitters...Averaged 9.6K/9 this year compared with 6.6 in his career prior to 2024…Struck out three in 1.2 scoreless innings at Wichita…Earned the win vs. Houston Christian working a career-best five innings in relief and striking out a career-high six…AAC All-Academic 2024
2023 Season: Third on the team with six starts among his 18 appearances…Did not allow a run in his first four appearances, including his first career start vs. Sam Houston State…Matched that effort in a start vs. LA Tech as part of a combined shutout of the Bulldogs…Struck out four in a start vs. HCU…2023 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll
2022 Season: Redshirt freshman was 1-1 in 13 appearances in his first collegiate action… Made his debut at Texas, striking out a pair… Picked up his first career victory by tossing 1.1 shutout innings vs. Sam Houston State…Worked 2.0 innings vs. Harvard…Tossed 1.2 scoreless innings against Texas A&M…Worked in back-to-back games at Marshall…2022 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll
2021 Season (Texas A&M): Redshirted year at Texas A&M.
High School: A three-year letter winner for Coach Jeremy York at Memorial High School... Hit .545 with 15 RBI while tossing 11 innings with a 2.55 ERA in a shortened senior season… 2019 Preseason All-American list…Led his team to the third round of the playoffs during his junior campaign, hitting .348 with 43 RBI, while recording an 8-2 record on the mound with a 2.05 ERA in 61.1 innings…6A All-Houston First Team as a DH in 2019…TSWA 6A All-State team…District 17-6A MVP.
Personal: Son of Melanie and Griffin Vincent…Has two older sisters, Sarah Moore and Ellie Vincent…His sister, Ellie, is a former Tulane swimmer…Intends to get his cyber defense graduate certificate at Tulane.
Tye Wood (OF), Gr., 5'10", 185, Gardner, KS / New Mexico
Prior to Tulane: Played his last two seasons at the University of New Mexico after starting his collegiate career at perennial junior college powerhouse, Iowa Western.
2025 Season: Batted .317 on the season with 53 runs, 51 hits, 14 doubles, a triple, five home runs, 32 RBIs, 34 walks, an on-base percentage of .448 with 82 total bases and seven stolen bases…Was named the Mountain West Player of the Week (4/15).
2024 Season: Batted .325 on the season with eight doubles, four triples and three home runs … Ranked 44th in the nation and No. 2 in the MW in on-base percentage (.488) … stole 20 bases, the second-most in the MW and most by a Lobo in a single season since Josh Melendez in 2012 (23) … Earned the start in right field on Opening Day against Oregon State (2/16/24) for his D-I debut, finishing with a hit and a run … Finished the season with 12 multi-hit games and 10 multi-RBI games … Hit a grand slam for a career-high four RBIs against Hofstra (March 3) … Wore 15 HBP on the season in total, the fourth-most in a single season in program history.
2023 Season (at Iowa Western): Saw action in 44 games, posting a .413 batting average…scored 59 runs and drove in 29…Stole a league-leading 23 bases for the second year in a row … Named First Team All-Region for second consecutive season.
2022 Season (at Iowa Western): Played in 44 games and batted .375 on the season with six doubles, four triples and a homer … stole 23 bases … drove in 21 runs with a .375/.500/.508 slash line … Named First Team All-Region following the season's conclusion.
Personal: Prepped at Gardner Edgerton High School.
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"We welcome this class to Uptown with excitement for an incoming class that has four freshman, a handful of junior college arms and a 16-man portal class," Coach Uhlman explained. "We have bolstered our offensive group with a variety of physical pieces both left and right-handed. We have addressed our need of replacing valuable pieces from the pitching staff last year as well.  We targeted and secured the commitments of quality strike throwers that will foster a competitive environment within our pitching staff."
"I want to publicly praise and celebrate this recruiting class for its foundational pieces and then for the work put into the portal this summer by our coaches and academic support staff. The portal is fast paced which requires hyper-organization and coordinated efforts by many. This effort was led by Coach Izzio with major contributions from our GM Curtis Akey, PD/Analytics Director Frankie Niemann, Academic Advisor Wendy LeBlanc and Erinn Banks our Associate AD/Assistant Provost, NCAA Compliance.  For their exceptional efforts, we were rewarded with a portal class ranking of 16th nationally. Additionally, this class finished as the number one ranked portal class amongst all non-P4 programs."
"We are excited to begin our fall development with this group and look forward to the journey."
The team's freshman class includes Bryson Ayala (INF), Cole Berge (INF), Evan Burg (OF), and Matthew Major (OF/3B).
The incoming transfers are Jude Abbadessa (RHP), Jack Brafa (RHP), Johnny Elliott (C), Jack Frankel (RHP), Owen Geiss (RHP), A.J. Groeneveld (INF/OF), Jack Johnson (UTL), Sam Larson (RHP), Trent Liolios (INF), Max Mazinter (RHP), LuisPablo Navarro (LHP), Nolan Nawrocki (INF), Aidan Rath (RHP), Brett Rowland (C), Beau Sampson (LHP),  Caden Tarango (RHP), Jack Toporek (LHP),  Tom Vincent (LHP), and Tye Wood (OF).
High School (4)
Bryson Ayala (INF), Fr., 6'5", 210, Melbourne, FL / Melbourne
Prior to Tulane: Played four years of baseball at Melbourne High School for Coach Jose Soto where Ayala helped the team to a Cape Coast Championship, four playoff appearances playing primarily shortstop and third base…The team went 26-3 his freshman year, 16-9 as a sophomore, 13-13 as a junior and 18-10 as a senior…He was All-District, the team MVP and Defensive Player of the Year as a senior…Ended his career with a .310 batting average, 100 hits, 77 RBIs and 90 runs scored…Ranked as the 107th-best shortstop in the country and the 17th-best shortstop in the state of Florida by Perfect Game.
Personal: Son of Jessica and Ricardo Ayala…Has a younger sister, Layna…His father, Ricardo, played college baseball at Coastal Carolina…Intends to major in business management
Cole Berge (INF), Fr., 6'3", 160, Chandler, AZ / Hamilton
Prior to Tulane: Played high school baseball at Hamilton…Played for Coach Mike Woods and aided the program to pair of state championships (2022 and 2023)…Was All-Conference in 2025 after hitting .328 with 12 extra base hit and three home run.
Personal: Son of Karen and Eric Berge…..Has one older sibling, Addison,…His mother, Sarah, was a college basketball player at Pacific…He is a triplet with all three playing college baseball (Noah – Winthrop & Beau - Southern Wesleyan University).
Evan Burg (OF), Fr., 6'1", 190, Kenner, LA / Archbishop Rummel
Prior to Tulane: Played high school baseball at Archbishop Rummel…Aided program to district championship in 2024, the state finals and semifinals in 2023 and 2024…Was a two-time All-District selection…Ended his career with 89 RBIs and threw a no-hitter in 2025…Also played four years of football where he aided the program to four playoff appearances and the semifinals in 2023…Ranked by Perfect Game as the third-best outfield in the state of Louisiana and was the 15th ranked player overall in 2025.
Personal: Son of Laurie and Jeffrey Burg…Has an older brother, Matthew, and a younger sister, Emma…His father, Jeffrey, played collegiate baseball at Spring Hill College…His mother, Laurie, was a collegiate volleyball player at Ole Miss…Intends to major in Exercise Science / Kinesiology.
Matthew Major (OF/3B), Fr., 6'2", 210, Troy, OH / Pro5 Baseball Academy
Prior to Tulane: Played at Pro5 Baseball Academy his junior and senior seasons of high school…Ranked as the 256th-best player in the nation and 17th-best third baseman in the country by Perfect Game…Was the third ranked player in the state of Ohio and the top ranked third baseman in the state by Perfect Game…Attended Troy Christian High School for his freshman and sophomore seasons…A member of the National Honor Society…First Team All-Conference in both his freshman and sophomore seasons and named the league's Player of the Year as sophomore…All-State in 2023 when he lead the league in extra base hits…Hit .500 that season with an OPS of 1.278…As a junior, at Pro5 Baseball, led the league in home runs with eight and in OPS
Personal: Son of Amy and Marvin Major…Has two older brother, Marvin and Ben…Also has a younger brother, Parker…His father, Marvin, played college football at the University of Kentucky…His brother, Ben, was a collegiate baseball player and outfielder at Post University…Intends to major in business finance and minor in psychology.
Transfers (19)
Jude Abbadessa (RHP), R-Jr., 6'0", 200, Endicott, NY / UConn
Prior to Tulane: Spent the first three years of his college career at the University of Connecticut.
2025 Season: Appeared in 17 games and made four starts for the Huskies…Totaled 16.2 innings…Allowed 24 hits, 13 runs, walked 10 and struck out nine…Tossed 4.2 scoreless innings over the course of his first seven outings including scoreless frames against Penn State (2/16) and UCLA (3/1). Pitched 2.0 scoreless innings in a start against Boston College (3/25)…Logged 1.2 shutout innings vs. Army (4/23)…Pitched a season-high 2.1 innings in a start against URI (4/30)…In the 2025 MLB Draft League, he posted a 2.59 ERA with 30 strikeouts over. 24.1 innings pitched.
2024 Season: Missed the season with injury.
2023 Season: Appeared in 10 games in his first season in Storrs…Notched 6.2 innings and struck out seven on the bump...Made his collegiate debut on Feb. 20 vs. Ohio State and registered his first career strikeout in 0.2 innings of work…Retired both batters he faced at Hawaii (3/12)…Threw a scoreless inning of work at San Diego State (3/16) with a pair of strikeouts.
High School: Lettered three years for Coach Tim Harkness at Union Endicott High School in Endicott, NY…Spent one year lettering for Mike Vota at Niles High School in Niles, MI…In his career, threw 91.2 innings and struck out 187…He threw two perfect games in his high school career…Was a First Team All-Conference performer along with being a STAC All-Star and a member of Elite 15 baseball team…Also earned Preseason All-American status. Was a major contributor on the New York's Maine-Endwell Little League team that won the 2016 Little League World Series…Academic Scholar Athlete in high school and was a member of the National Honor Society…He graduated Summa Cum Laude…Also played point guard on the basketball team
Personal: Son of Alicia and Vincent Abbadessa…Has one brother, Christian…His brother played sprint football at Cornell…Intends to obtain his sports administration certificate at Tulane.
Jack Brafa (RHP), Jr., 6'3", 215, Medina, TN / Tennessee Tech
Prior to Tulane: Played his first two collegiate seasons at Tennessee Tech
2025 Season: Went 6-4 with a 3.48 ERA in 20 games with five games started…In 51.2 innings he struck out 38…Played in the Appalachian State for summer ball and put up a 2.70 ERA with two saves in five appearances along with nine strikeouts in 6.2 innings worked.
2024 Season: Went 1-1 with a 5.13 ERA in 14 games and seven games started…Totaled a pair of saves along with 37 strikeouts in 47.1 innings worked.
High School: Lettered at South Gibson High School in Medina, TN for Head Coach Lin Cates, playing second base and also pitching…As a senior, turned in a 1.78 ERA with 68 strikeouts to just 10 walks in 48.0 innings while hitting .447 with 37 runs and 48 RBI…Produced a .338 average with 32 RBI and 24 runs as a junior…Compiled a 2.30 ERA and 71 punchouts with just eight walks in 51.0 innings as a sophomore…During his career, earned TSWA 3A All-State honors and TBCA All-State Third Team accolades…Also picked up spots on the All-TBCA Coaches 3A Team and All-West Tennessee First Team…Collected District Pitcher of the year, All-District, and All-Region honors…Named the team's Position Player MVP and Pitching MVP…Led his team to three straight District titles and Regional Championships in 2022 and 2023… Also helped SGHS to a pair of state tournament appearances his final two seasons.
Personal: Son of Chanda and JD Brafa.
Johnny Elliott (C), So., 6'4", 217, Newport Beach, CA / USC
Prior to Tulane: Played his first collegiate baseball season at the University of Southern California (USC).
2025 Season: Appeared in 33 games with 24 starts…Hit .271 with a .388 slugging percentage and a .329 on-base percentage…Scored nine runs on his 19 hits plus drove in eight runs…Recorded a season-high three hits against Michigan State (5/11)
High School: Played four season at Mater Dei High School under Coach Richard Mercado…As a senior hit .308 with .439 slugging percentage…Played travel ball in 2024 for the Bend Elks where he hit .350 with 12 RBIs in 16 games… Perfect Game ranked him as the 15th best catcher and the 107th best player in the state of California.
Personal: Son of Aimee and Kent Elliott…Has two sisters, Chloe and Ava…His grandfather, John Elliott, played football for Cal (1948-1952) and his father played lacrosse at Cal (1988-1992)
Jack Frankel (RHP), So., 6'2", 205, Plano, TX / Liberty
Prior to Tulane: Played a season of collegiate baseball at Liberty University.
2025 Season: Went 4-3 with a team-leading 3.40 ERA plus 32 strikeouts in 18 games and 45 innings pitched as a member of the Flames...Earned a place on the CUSA All-Freshman Team…Made the Dean's List with a 3.9 GPA.
High School: Graduate of John Paul II High School…A three-time All-District team member…Also played basketball…A member of USA Prime National team…Named to numerous Perfect Game All-Tournament teams.
Personal: Son of Julie and Jonathan Frankel.
Owen Geiss (RHP), Jr., 6'4", 195, Mission Viejo, CA / Long Beach State
Prior to Tulane: Played his first two seasons of college baseball at Long Beach State.
2025 Season: Settled into the weekend rotation after pitching in various roles early in 2025...After spot-starting, pitching in long relief, and closing for a game, he became a weekend starter against Cal Poly (3/15)...Reset his career-high when he threw seven innings and 114 pitches against UC Santa Barbara (3/30)...Struck out four and limited the Gauchos to four hits while only giving up one run…Tied his previous career-high when he threw 6.2 innings in the 10-0 victory at UC San Diego (3/23)...Limited the Tritons to six hits, struck out five, and walked two….Again reset his career-high with a 7.2 effort as he picked up his sixth win at UC Riverside (5/10)...Also set a career-highs with nine strikeouts against the Highlanders…Was second on the team in victories with six (6-8 overall) and third in ERA (4.90)...Pitched 68 innings, the second most on the club...His 44 strikeouts were the third-most on the team...Named as a finalist for the 2025 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Div. I Gold Glove team...Did not commit an error in 24 chances (8 PO-16 A), was part of one double play, and was on the mound as four of the seven runners attempting to steal were thrown out.
2024 Season: Third on the team in innings pitched with 50.2 ...Threw the final 4.1 innings of the 17-inning tie against Washington...Appeared in 14 games...Started five games including the final three weeks on the weekend in Big West play...Went 4-3 with a 5.33 ERA...Struck out 36 while walking 11...Opponents batted .296 against him.
High School: A three-year letter winner in baseball for Capistrano Valley High School, missing the 2020 COVID season as a freshman…As a sophomore helped lead his high school to a South Coast League championship…Repeated as a champion as a junior…Had a breakthrough season as a senior, earning South Coast Pitcher of the Year honors as well as First Team All-League and being named to the North/South Orange County All-Star team…Competed in the 2022 Area Code Games and the 2022 Area Code Select game.
A.J. Groeneveld (INF/OF), 6'1", 195, Pembroke Pines, FL / Eastern Kentucky
Prior to Tulane: Played his first season of collegiate baseball at Eastern Kentucky University.
2025 Season: Named to the Atlantic Sun Conference All-Freshman Team …Played in 50 games and started 45 times …Led the team with a .300 batting average and 11 stolen bases (11-for-11) …Second on the team with 24 runs scored and 25 walks … Posted a .413 slugging percentage and a .404 on-base percentage…Had eight doubles, two triples, two home runs, and 14 RBIs … Went 3-for-4 at West Georgia (2/28) …Had a 3-for-5 game against Bellarmine (3/14) … Finished 3-for-3 with a run at Lipscomb (4/25) … Went 3-for-3 with a home run, two runs and an RBI at North Alabama (5/10)…Selected to the Atlantic Sun Conference Academic Honor Roll.
High School: Preseason All-American as a senior … Suffered a season-ending injury four games into his senior season, hitting .444 with six runs, two RBIs, one home run and one double … First team all-district and Miami Herald Second Team All-County as a junior after batting .333 with three triples, five doubles, 14 RBIs and 26 runs scored.
Personal: Son of Mark and Elizabeth Groeneveld … Has one sister, Emma … His dad, Mark, played collegiate baseball at Nova Southeastern University and played independent professional baseball with the Virginia Rail Kings.
Jack Johnson (INF), Gr., 6'1", 200, Thousand Oaks, CA / Baylor
Prior to Tulane: Spent four years as part of Baylor's baseball program.
2025 Season: Did not play due to injury…Graduated with a double major from the Hankamer School of Business in both marketing and management.
2024 Season:Â Played in 12 games and made two starts...Hit .100 (1-for10) with one HR and one RBI...Hit first-career home run vs. Incarnate Word (4/6), a 430-foot blast over the batter's eye...Made first start of the year vs. Incarnate Word (4/7)...Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection.
2023 Season: Played in 27 games and made 16 starts, including eight at first base, seven at third base and one as the DH…Hit .185 on the year and drove in six runs…Tallied 12 hits, including two doubles, and scored eight runs…Swiped one bag at Texas Tech (4/22)…Made his collegiate debut on Opening Day against Central Michigan (2/17), batting second and starting at third base…Delivered the game-winning RBI base hit to walk-off Central Michigan on Opening Day (2/17), which was also his first-career hit…Had a pinch-hit, RBI double vs. Mercer (3/12)…Produced four-game hit streak from April 22 to April 28, including a two-hit performance vs. West Virginia (4/28)…Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection.
2022 Season:Â Did not play due to injury.
High School: Four-year letterwinner at Westlake High School in Westlake Village, CA… Named to All-Marmonte League First Team…Earned a spot on the All-Area First Team … Voted MVP in his senior season…Received Scholar Athlete Award in each of his four years … Hit .370 with 30 hits, five home runs, 22 RBI and three stolen bases...Also played club ball for GBG Marucci Navy 2021.
Personal: Son of Angela and Kevin Johnson…His father, Kevin, played in the Montreal Expos organization…His younger brother, Nate, is also member of Tulane's baseball team…His younger brother, Nolan, is a member of Duke's baseball team….Intends to work toward his graduate degree in sports administration.
Sam Larson (RHP), Jr., 6'4", 195, Lake Forest, IL / Denison
Prior to Tulane: Played his first two seasons of collegiate baseball at Denison University
2025 Season: Appeared in 14 games, making eight starts…Went 6-1 with a 1.91 ERA in 56.2 innings…Recorded 71 strikeouts and a .181 opponent batting average…Led the Big Red in ERA and earned runs (12)...Named Second Team All-NCAC…Named D3Baseball.com Second Team All-Region and ABCA/Rawlings Third Team All-Region...Named D3Baseball.com Second Team All-America.
2024 Season: Appeared in four games making two starts…Played summer ball in the Northwest League for the Lakeshore Chinooks where he struck out 10 in seven innings in three games.
Personal: Son of Kavi and Mark Larson…Was an Honor Roll student…Was a member of National Honors Society, Environmental Club, Spanish Club and History Club in high school…A member of Investment Club and Economics Club at Denison
Trent Liolios (INF), Jr., 6'4", 215, Newport Beach, CA / Northwestern
Prior to Tulane: Â Played his first three season at Northwestern University where he graduated in three years.
2025 Season: Appeared in 51 games, starting 49…Finished second in program history in single-season home runs with 16 which was tied for eighth in the Big Ten…Finished second on the team in home runs (16), on-base plus slugging (.975) and slugging percentage (.623) and third in RBIs (39)...Hit two homers and drove in four runs in a 6-2 win over Long Beach State (2/15)... Homered and doubled with two runs and two RBI against The Citadel (3/8)...Powered another home run while reaching three times in a win over The Citadel (3/9)...Launched a home run and doubled while driving in three runs against Penn State (3/15)...Had a career day with five hits and three home runs in a win over Penn State (3/16)...Notched two hits including a double and two RBI against Illinois (3/21)...Tallied two RBI, scored two runs and reached three times in a win over Illinois (3/22)...Homered twice including a game winning 10th-inning blast in a win over Maryland (3/28)...Launched a three-run home run in a win over Maryland (3/29)...Hit a go-ahead 10th inning home run in a 2-1 win over UIC while stealing a base (4/1)...Doubled and scored against Iowa (4/5)...Hit a homer in a win over Iowa (4/6)...Mashed a two-run home run in a win at Notre Dame (4/8)...Tripled and scored against Washington (4/26)...Hit his 16th blast of the year against Butler (4/29).
2024 Season: Appeared in all 52 games for the Wildcats, starting 51 of them…Slugged nine home runs and added 36 RBIs…Hit his first home run of the season as part of a two-hit, four-RBI win at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (3/19)…Logged three hits, including a home run in a win over McNeese (3/22)…Went 5-for-5 including a home run against Northern Illinois, adding three RBI and two runs (3/26)...Homered against Maryland in a three RBI game (4/12)…Homered for the second time in a weekend against Maryland (4/14)…Hit a solo shot in a win at Ohio State (5/12)…Homered in a win over Minnesota (5/16).
2023 Season: Went 2-5 with a double and two runs batted in at Saint Louis (3/10)...Picked up a double and two RBIs in a 5-1 win over Butler (3/19)...Reached base three times against UTSA (3/24)...Hit a home run and drove in three runs against UIC (4/11).
High School: An All-Region Academic Team as a junior…Hit six home runs as a third baseman and pitcher for the Newport Harbor Sailors…Was also captain of the football team as a quarterback and defensive end…Played one year of club baseball with the SoCal Giants.
Personal: Son of Stacy and Scott Liolios…His mother, Stacy, was a collegiate softball player at Ohio State…Has an older brother, Clay, and a younger brother, Brock…Intends to obtain his business studies professional certificate at Tulane.
Max Mazinter (RHP), Jr., 6'5", 208, Scottsdale, AZ / South Mountain CC
Prior to Tulane: Played his first two collegiate baseball seasons at South Mountain Community College.
2025: Missed season due to injury.
2024: Appeared in 14 games and made six starts as a freshman ...Finished 1-2 with 45 strikeouts and a 5.63 ERA in 38.1 innings of work...Earned the win with five innings of relief and four strikeouts against Western Nebraska CC (3/12)...Had a season-high eight strikeouts in three innings against Phoenix College (4/13)...Had six K's in five innings against El Paso CC and six against Southern Nevada (5/18).
LuisPablo Navarro (LHP), So., 6'2", 185, Amado, AZ / Pima CC
Prior to Tulane: Played a season of college baseball at Pima Community College.
2025 Season: Appeared and started 14 games for the Aztecs in going 7-2 with two complete games plus 75 strikeouts in 70 innings pitched and a 3.60 ERA…Was Second Team All-Conference…Played summer ball in the Northwest League for the Lacrosse Loggers…With the Loggers he was 2-0 with 1.33 ERA in five games and four starts with a 23 strikeouts in 20.1 innings pitched.
2024 Season: Played baseball at Walden Grove High School…Was a First Team All-State selection, the Region Player of the Year and a three-time First Team All-Region selection…Ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 270th-best lefthanded pitcher in the country as a senior…Was ranked No. 9 among all lefthanded pitchers in the state of Arizona in 2024 and the No. 73 overall ranked player in the state.
Personal: Son of Marysol and Luis Navarro…Has a pair of older sisters, Solymar and Marbrisa…His father, Luis, played baseball at Arizona Western, Portland State and Colorado Mesa and was in spring training with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Nolan Nawrocki (INF), Sr., 6'1", 200, Rockville Centre, NY/ South Carolina
Prior to Tulane: Played a collegiate baseball season at South Carolina after starting his career at Clemson.
2025 Season: An SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll…Played in 14 games with 12 starts for the Gamecocks…Had five runs scored, a pair of doubles, a home run and seven RBIsWas 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored in a win over Milwaukee (2/23)…Doubled and drove in a pair of runs in a win over Sacred Heart (2/15)…Had a single, a stolen base and an RBI on Opening Day vs. Sacred Heart (2/14)…Had a hit in his first four games of the season before injuries derailed his campaign.
2024 Season (Clemson): An ACC All-Academic Team selection…Chosen for the ACC Academic Honor Roll….Played in 36 games with 34 starts, hitting .264 with 28 runs scored, five doubles, four home runs and 24 RBI…Was a perfect 11-for-11 in stolen bases in tying for the team lead…Had a .400 slugging and .352 on-base percentage…Started the year on a 13-game hitting streak…Hit .317 with runners in scoring position…Had a grand slam and scored a pair of runs against Xavier (2/16)…Went 2-for-4 with a three-run home run against Kansas State (3/6).
2023 Season (Clemson): An ACC All-Academic Honor Roll selection as he redshirted the season
High School: Prepped at Chaminade High School in Mineola, NY, where he helped the Flyers to a New York State Catholic League championship as a senior…Was the No. 9 overall player and No. 2 shortstop in the state of New York in the class of 2022 by Perfect Game…Helped Chaminade to a Long Island Catholic League championship as a junior…Played summer baseball for the Martha's Vineyard Sharks in the NECBL in 2023, where he was an NECBL All-Star Game selection.
Personal: Son of Tricia Hall and Ray Nawrocki…His father, Ray Jr, played baseball at Cumberland and football at Pace…His grandfather, Raymond Sr., played baseball and football at Columbia.
Aidan Rath (RHP), Gr., 6'6" 250, Kalona, IA / Eastern Kentucky
Prior to Tulane: Played two years at Eastern Kentucky University after starting his collegiate baseball career at Kirkwood Community College
2025 Season: Appeared in two games late in the season after returning from an injury…Pitched a total of one inning …Atlantic Sun Conference Honor Roll selection…Made the Dean's List
2024 Season: Made two appearances…Did not allow a run and gave up just one hit in three innings of work…Held opponents to a .100 batting average...Atlantic Sun Conference Honor Roll selection…Made the Dean's List
2023 Season (Kirkwood CC): Missed the season due to an injury.
2022 Season (Kirkwood CC): Made seven appearances and started five games …Went 2-1 with a 6.11 ERA …Struck out 29 batters in 17 and two-thirds innings …Averaged 14.77 strikeouts per nine innings.
High School: Graduated from Mid-Prairie High School in 2021…Chosen First Team All-State as a senior after batting .494 with 12 home runs, a 1.106 slugging percentage, a 5-2 record with a 1.60 ERA on the mound and 63 strikeouts in 30.2 innings …Also selected as All-Conference and All-District his senior season…Batted .562 with five home runs and 29 RBIs in 18 games as a junior in 2020…All-State as a member of the Mid-Prairie basketball team…State runner-up in track
Personal: Son of Amy Hartsock and Allen Rath…Has two older sisters, Alex and Addison…His dad, Allen, was drafted out of high school played college baseball at the University of Iowa where he ended his career as the school's all-time leader in career victories and strikeouts…His mom, Amy, played college softball at the University of Iowa where she was a pitcher…His sister, Alex, was an infielder at the University of Iowa…His sister, Allison, was a basketball player at Mount Mercy…Intends to pursue his master's degree in public administration at Tulane.
Brett Rowell (C), Gr., 6'1", 210, Shalimar, FL/West Florida
Prior to Tulane: Played the last two seasons at the University of West Florida after starting his career playing two seasons at Coastal Alabama.
2025 Season: Earned Third Team CSC Academic All-America® honors…Earned ABCA/Rawlings Second All-Region honors after hitting .355 with 14 doubles, eight home runs and 52 RBIs in his final campaign with the Argos…Aided the program to NCAA DII Super Regionals in 2025…Graduated Magna Cum Laude in the spring of 2025.
2024 Season: Played in 39 games, starting 34...Batted .311 with four doubles, four home runs and 22 RBIs...Registered six RBIs, including game-winning grand slam, in doubleheader sweep over Florida Southern (2/3)...Notched a hit in four straight games against Alabama Huntsville (3/3), Mississippi College (3/9 & 3/10) and Christian Brothers (3/15)...Went 3-3 in win over Shorter (3/30)...Blasted home run in GSC Tournament victory over Valdosta State (5/6)...Posted two multi-hit games in NCAA Regional against Delta State (5/18) and Embry-Riddle (5/19)...Recorded 155 putouts with 12 assists while throwing out five base runners, defensively…Helped the team win the 2024 Gulf South Conference Championship and a run to the NCAA DII Regional.
2023 Season (at Coastal Alabama): Played in 33 games...Had a .301 batting average...Tallied 28 hits, 10 doubles, a triple and a home run...Racked up 18 RBIs and ran in 22 runs...Recorded 170 putouts and 15 assists.
2022 Season (at Coastal Alabama): Played in 47 games...Hit .338 with 15 doubles and three home runs...Racked up 30 RBIs...Scored 28 runs...Recorded 88 putouts and 12 assists.
Personal: Son of Glenn and Elicia Rowell...Has three younger siblings, Cameron, Aaron and Jayden...Also played football in high school.
Beau Sampson (LHP), Jr., 6'6", 226, St. George, UT / Oklahoma
Prior to Tulane: Played a collegiate baseball season at Oklahoma after starting his collegiate baseball career at Salt Lake Community College.
2025 Season: Made 13 appearances in relief, finishing the season with a 5.06 ERA through 10.2 total innings pitched …Tallied 10 strikeouts and gave up just one extra base hit….Played in the Cape Cod League for the Cotuit Keetler where he went 1-0 with 15 strikeouts in 12 innings pitched. Â
2024 Season (at Salt Lake Community College): Appeared in 16 games for 32.1 innings for a 2.51 ERA and 34 strikeouts…Played in the Cape Cod League for the Cotuit Keetler where he went 1-0 with six strikeouts in 4.0 innings pitched.Â
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High School: Attended Crimson Cliffs High School in Washington, UT...Coached by Justin Abbott ...One-year letterman in baseball.
Personal: Son of Mark and Mitzi Sampson ...Has two sisters.
Caden Tarango (RHP), R-Jr., 6'5", 235, Roanoke, IN / LSU-Eunice
Prior to Tulane: Played his last two collegiate seasons at LSU-Eunice after starting his collegiate baseball playing career at Dayton.
2025 Season: Went 10-0 with 3.55 ERA in 16 games with 15 games started…Pitched 71 innings with 91 strikeouts…Aided program to the Region 23 Championship.
2024 Season: Appeared in one game throwing an inning with a strikeout.
2023 Season (at Dayton): Made season debut versus Eastern Kentucky (3/29)…Pitched four innings.
High School: Was a three-year varsity athlete at Homestead Senior in Roanoke, Indiana…a 2x Sectional Champions…Awards: Grand Park summer league all-star senior year, Member of DECA, Played in the PBR future games for Team Indiana, Played travel ball with the Canes, and Try State Arsenal…A 2x Sectional Champions in football
Personal: Son of Kimberly and Shawn Tarango…Has a younger brother, Caleb…His father, Shawn, played football at Baker University…His uncle, Kevin, was a collegiate golfer at Boise State.
Jake Toporek (LHP), Gr., 6'1", 192, Dana Point, CA / Wagner
Prior to Tulane: Spent four years at Wagner College.
2025 Season: Made 15 appearances with 14 starts on the mound…Went 8-1 with a 3.49 ERA in 87.2 inning pitched with 69 strikeouts and a .224 batting average against…A First Team All Northeast Conference selection…Named an NEC Prime Time Performer three times…Graduated Magna Cum Laude from Wagner.
2024 Season: Made 16 appearances out of the bullpen, pitching 22 innings and striking out 13 batters... Returned to action on February 18 at North Carolina with 1.2 innings of work... Pitched three scoreless innings on April 16 versus Seton Hall.
2023 Season: Did not appear in any action.
2022 Season: Appeared in 12 games... Made his collegiate debut on Charleston (2/20)...Recorded a career-high five strikeouts on at Mount St. Mary's (4/1)...Picked up his first career win on vs. Saint Peter's (4/5)
High School: Four-year varsity baseball player at TVT Community Day School… Received OC Athletic Director Association 2021 Athlete of Character… Posted a 3.09 ERA with 5 wins and 42 strikeouts in his senior year.
Personal: Son of Staci and Jeffrey Toporek…Has two younger brothers, Max and Noah…His cousin, Alex Toporek, played two years of baseball at John Hopkins University.
Tom Vincent (LHP), Gr., 6'3", 225, Houston, Texas / Rice
Prior to Tulane: Spent the last four collegiate seasons at Rice after starting his collegiate baseball career at Texas A&M
2025 Season: Limited to four appearances, including one start… Made his season debut vs. Michigan at the Puerto Rico Baseball Challenge in Ponce, Puerto Rico (2/15) and did not pitch again until (3/16) vs. HCU… Threw a scoreless inning vs. East Carolina (3/30) and made his final appearance at Tulane in the first game of the doubleheader (4/5).
2024 Season: Led the Owls and was tied for fourth in the AAC with a career-high 28 appearances overall and tied for second with 15 appearances in conference action…28 games were the most appearances by an Owl since 2016…Stranded 11 of his last 17 inherited runners over 16 appearances…2.81 ERA in 13 road appearances…Appeared in 10 of 15 games in April as the Owls went 8-7…Came on with the Owls down one in the bottom of the eighth and a runner at second at Houston and struck out the next two hitters...Averaged 9.6K/9 this year compared with 6.6 in his career prior to 2024…Struck out three in 1.2 scoreless innings at Wichita…Earned the win vs. Houston Christian working a career-best five innings in relief and striking out a career-high six…AAC All-Academic 2024
2023 Season: Third on the team with six starts among his 18 appearances…Did not allow a run in his first four appearances, including his first career start vs. Sam Houston State…Matched that effort in a start vs. LA Tech as part of a combined shutout of the Bulldogs…Struck out four in a start vs. HCU…2023 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll
2022 Season: Redshirt freshman was 1-1 in 13 appearances in his first collegiate action… Made his debut at Texas, striking out a pair… Picked up his first career victory by tossing 1.1 shutout innings vs. Sam Houston State…Worked 2.0 innings vs. Harvard…Tossed 1.2 scoreless innings against Texas A&M…Worked in back-to-back games at Marshall…2022 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll
2021 Season (Texas A&M): Redshirted year at Texas A&M.
High School: A three-year letter winner for Coach Jeremy York at Memorial High School... Hit .545 with 15 RBI while tossing 11 innings with a 2.55 ERA in a shortened senior season… 2019 Preseason All-American list…Led his team to the third round of the playoffs during his junior campaign, hitting .348 with 43 RBI, while recording an 8-2 record on the mound with a 2.05 ERA in 61.1 innings…6A All-Houston First Team as a DH in 2019…TSWA 6A All-State team…District 17-6A MVP.
Personal: Son of Melanie and Griffin Vincent…Has two older sisters, Sarah Moore and Ellie Vincent…His sister, Ellie, is a former Tulane swimmer…Intends to get his cyber defense graduate certificate at Tulane.
Tye Wood (OF), Gr., 5'10", 185, Gardner, KS / New Mexico
Prior to Tulane: Played his last two seasons at the University of New Mexico after starting his collegiate career at perennial junior college powerhouse, Iowa Western.
2025 Season: Batted .317 on the season with 53 runs, 51 hits, 14 doubles, a triple, five home runs, 32 RBIs, 34 walks, an on-base percentage of .448 with 82 total bases and seven stolen bases…Was named the Mountain West Player of the Week (4/15).
2024 Season: Batted .325 on the season with eight doubles, four triples and three home runs … Ranked 44th in the nation and No. 2 in the MW in on-base percentage (.488) … stole 20 bases, the second-most in the MW and most by a Lobo in a single season since Josh Melendez in 2012 (23) … Earned the start in right field on Opening Day against Oregon State (2/16/24) for his D-I debut, finishing with a hit and a run … Finished the season with 12 multi-hit games and 10 multi-RBI games … Hit a grand slam for a career-high four RBIs against Hofstra (March 3) … Wore 15 HBP on the season in total, the fourth-most in a single season in program history.
2023 Season (at Iowa Western): Saw action in 44 games, posting a .413 batting average…scored 59 runs and drove in 29…Stole a league-leading 23 bases for the second year in a row … Named First Team All-Region for second consecutive season.
2022 Season (at Iowa Western): Played in 44 games and batted .375 on the season with six doubles, four triples and a homer … stole 23 bases … drove in 21 runs with a .375/.500/.508 slash line … Named First Team All-Region following the season's conclusion.
Personal: Prepped at Gardner Edgerton High School.
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