University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Panthers Announce Fall Roster, 2026 Recruiting Class
9/17/2026 9:25:00 AM | Baseball
PITTSBURGH – Head coach Mike Bill and the Pitt baseball program announced the release of their fall roster and 2026 recruiting class today.
The Panthers welcomed 26 newcomers to campus this month. Pitt's 2027 fall roster is made up of 11 returners, 11 freshmen and 15 transfers.
Per 64Analytics, Pitt had a top 20 transfer portal recruiting class in 2026 which ranked them fourth in all of the ACC. Bell and his staff found talent from all across the country and all levels of college baseball.
Among the returning position players, Pitt welcomes four key starters back into the fold in outfielders Mason Ligenza and Derrick Tarpley Jr., and infielders Trey Fenderson and Kai Wagner. Fenderson and Wagner played and started in all 57 of the Panthers' games in 2026 and each played key roles in their run to an ACC Tournament Semifinal appearance.
On the mound, Pitt returns their most experienced pitcher in Drew Lafferty. In his two years with the program, the 5th year senior has made 28 starts and has thrown 124 innings for the Panthers. Left-hander Antonio Doganiero picked up where he left off in 2025 as Pitt's midweek starting pitcher for the first half of the 2026 season. Doganiero ended the year making five weekend starts and picking up a key win over Notre Dame in the final series of the regular season. The Panthers also welcome back right-hander Joey Ciancimino and left-hander Brandon Reiter who delivered out of the bullpen on a consistent basis.
Pitt is set to play four games this fall, three of which will be hosted at Charles L. Cost Field. Click here to view the Panthers' full fall schedule.
Fall Roster Breakdown
15 newcomers
11 freshmen
11 returners
Newcomer Profiles
#4 Colin Guerra
Hometown: Olathe, KA | Position: INF | B/T: S/R | Class: Sophomore
Guerra File: Spent the first two years of his collegiate career at Chipola College where he was a two-time all-conference honoree…In 107 games for the Indians, Guerra batted .326 with 117 hits, 83 RBI, 20 home runs, 11 home runs while swiping 31 bags…as a sophomore, he played and started in all 55 games, hitting .344, slugging 8 home runs and driving in 48 runs…went to Olathe South High School where he won a state championship…was ranked as the No. 2 player in the state of Kansas out of high school by Perfect Game.
Hometown: Bayonne, NJ | Position: C | B/T: R/R | Class: Senior
Paradine File: Transfer from Siena where he played and started in 100 games for the Saints…In his two years at Siena, Paradine batted .342, with 125 hits, 80 runs scored, 79 RBI, 22 doubles and 12 home runs…Hit .370 in 2025, ranking 66th nationally…Earned ABCA/Rawlings Second Team All-Region and Second Team All-MAAC honors in 2025…voted by D1Baseball as the top college prospect in the MAAC…holds the MAAC record for most hits in a game with six…won the Cape Cod Baseball League with the Bourne Braves in 2025…spent his freshman year at Northwest Florida Junior College…played at Bayonne High School where he was a Gatorade Player of the Year nominee, earned All-State honors and was named a Perfect Game Third Team All-American…ranked as the No. 1 catcher in New Jersey, and No. 34 catcher overall, by Perfect Game coming out of high school.
#6 John Badala
Hometown: Nokomis, FL | Position: OF | B/T: R/R | Class: Freshman
Badala File: Ranked as the No. 14 outfielder in the state of Florida by Perfect Game…Played at Cardinal Mooney High School where he earned Herald-Tribune All-Area honors as a senior in 2026…Helped the Cougars win their District Championship in his final two years…Hit four playoff home runs as a senior, including two in their Regional Quarterfinal game.
Hometown: Bridgeville, PA | Position: OF | B/T: L/L | Class: Senior
Krewson File: Pittsburgh native who transferred back home for his senior year…played and started in 54 games as a junior at Rutgers in 2026…Collected 52 hits, 35 runs scored, 30 RBI and nine home runs as a Scarlet Knight…Spent his sophomore year at UCF where he played in 45 games and made 40 starts for the Knights in 2025…Began his collegiate career at Duke helping lead the Blue Devils to a 2024 ACC Tournament championship…Hit .331 in 46 games as a true freshman with 35 runs scored, 22 RBI, five home runs and eight outfield assists…Played at local South Fayette High School where he was the consensus top outfielder in Pennsylvania…Earned First Team All-WPIAL and First Team All-Conference honors in each of his final two years at South Fayette… Played travel ball for US Elite under his father, Rick.
Hometown: Lees Summit, MO | Position: C/INF | B/T: L/R | Class: Freshman
Zumwalt File: Rated by Perfect Game as the top catcher in the state of Missouri and the No. 12 ranked catcher in the country…Earned All-State honors in each of his final two years at Summit Christian Academy…Played travel ball for Canes National.
#16 Owen Rozzi
Hometown: West Chester, PA | Position: OF | B/T: L/R | Class: Freshman
Rozzi File: Rated as the No. 3 outfielder and No. 19 player in Pennsylvania by Perfect Game…Played at West Chester East High School where he was a four-year varsity letterwinner and two-time team captain…named First Team All-State as a senior after batting .463 with 38 hits, 11 doubles, five home runs two triples…earned First Team All-Conference honors three times at West Chester East and was a Daily Local News First Team All-Area selection twice…played travel ball for Victus Vandals South Jersey.
#17 Carter Groen
Hometown: Missouri City, TX | Position: OF | B/T: R/R | Class: Senior
Groen File: Transfer from La Salle where he set the program's single-season RBI record in 2026…Played and started in all 55 games for the Explorers as a redshirt sophomore, batting .338 with 76 hits, 72 RBI, 45 runs scored, 14 doubles and 13 home runs…Spent his sophomore season in the Big East at UConn after beginning his collegiate career at Iona…Earned MAAC All-Rookie Team honors as a true freshman for the Gaels in 2024…Named to the Dean's List at all three of his previous institutions…Was a two-sport athlete at Ridge Point High School, playing both baseball and football.
#18 Jack Picozzi
Hometown: Hatfield, PA | Position: RHP | B/T: R/R | Class: Senior
Picozzi File: Spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Ithaca College…Named the 2025 Liberty League Pitcher of the Year…Has earned First Team All-Conference, D3Baseball.com Region 3 Second Team and ABCA Region 3 Third Team honors throughout his career…In 33 appearances for the Bombers, Picozzi struck out 177 strikeouts over 156.2 innings while earning 11 wins…Helped Ithaca win the Liberty League Tournament Championship in 2024…At North Penn High School, he was named the Courier Times/Intelligencer Baseball Player of the Year as a senior…On the mound, Picozzi went 6-0 with a 2.07 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 57.3 innings, while at the plate, he batted .354 with a 1.054 OPS , 27 hits, 17 RBI and 11 doubles.
#19 Tucker Biehl
Hometown: Carlsbad, CA | Position: INF | B/T: R/R | Class: 5th Year
Biehl File: Transfer from Akron after spending the first three years of his collegiate career at Ohlone College…Played in 44 games and made 41 starts for the Zips in 2026…Compiled 31 hits, 29 runs scored, 10 RBI, five doubles and one triple while swiping 14 bags for Akron…In 76 games at Ohlone, Biehl batted .348 with 81 hits, 53 runs scored, 43 RBI and 38 stolen bases…Won an ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove as a redshirt sophomore in 2025.
#20 Thomas Collins
Hometown: Upper Saddle River, NJ | Position: LHP | B/T: L/L | Class: Freshman
Collins File: Rated as the No. 4 LHP and the No. 25 overall player in New Jersey by Perfect Game…Allowed just four earned runs in his two years at the varsity level at Don Bosco Prep…Finished his senior year with an unblemished 6-0 record, 61 strikeouts and a 0.72 ERA over 39 innings of work…Earned All-Bergen County honors…Played travel ball for Wladyka Baseball.
#21 Joe Sabbath
Hometown: Pequannock, NJ | Position: RHP | B/T: R/R | Class: Senior
Sabbath File: Transfer from Rhode Island where he spent the first three years of his collegiate career…Earned Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors as a sophomore in 2025 while serving as the Ram's primary closer…In 69 innings of work, Sabbath has compiled eight wins, eight saves and 71 strikeouts for Rhode Island… Played in the Cape Code League in 2025 where he was named an All-Star and Third Team All-Cape Cod for the Falmouth Commodores…Was a two-time First Team All-Conference performer while attending Pequannock High School …Helped his team win both a State and a League Championship as a senior…A two-sport athlete for the Panthers, earning four letters in baseball and two in football…Finished his senior campaign with a 2.10 ERA and a career-high 119 strikeouts.
#23 Reece Wagner
Hometown: Parker, CO | Position: RHP | B/T: R/R | Class: Senior
Wagner File: Transfer from Northern Colorado where he earned First Team All-Summit League honors in his first year with the program in 2026…Made 15 starts in his 16 appearances for the Bears, going 5-3 with 69 strikeouts in 78.2 innings of work…Began his collegiate career at Blinn Junior College where he struck out 27 batters in just 15 innings pitched for the Buccaneers…Was a CHSAA/MaxPreps All-State Honorable Mention honoree at Legend High School…Brother of Pitt third baseman, Kai Wagner.
#24 Elijah Barr
Hometown: Pittston, PA | Position: RHP | B/T: R/R | Class: Freshman
Barr File: A three-time District Champion at Pittston Area High School…Pitched a two-hit gem in the District 2 Class 5A Championship Game as a junior…Starred both on the mound and at the plate for the Patriots throughout high school…Earned five wins and four saves with a 1.72 ERA during his junior year while he hit .382 and drove in 15 runs…Rated as the No. 16 right-handed pitcher, and No. 29 overall player, in Pennsylvania by Perfect Game.
#27 Jack Paulick
Hometown: Centerville, OH | Position: C | B/T: R/R | Class: 5th Year
Paulick File: The reigning Horizon League Player of the Year at Northern Kentucky in 2026…Has earned First Team All-Conference, Second Team All-Region and All-Freshman Team honors throughout his collegiate career…Paulick has started in 144 of his 151 games played at NKU, batting .291 with 156 hits, 137 RBI, 133 runs scored, 103 walks, 42 doubles and 29 home runs…Played at Centerville High School where he was named First Team All-Area and First Team All-GWOC for his play on the diamond.
#28 JT Adams
Hometown: Olathe, KS | Position: RHP | B/T: R/R | Class: Senior
Adams File: Transfer from Creighton who began his collegiate career at Fort Scott Community College…Did not allow a run in nine of his 14 appearances at Creighton in 2026…Earned six wins in his two seasons at Fort Scott CC, striking out 44 batters over 54.1 innings of work…Has made the Honor Roll in every semester of his collegiate career…Helped his Olathe North High School Eagles win a 2023 District Championship as a senior…Named Honorable Mention All-Sunflower League in 2022…Was a two-sport athlete in high school, playing both baseball and football.
#30 Mavrik Clement
Hometown: Butler, PA | Position: C | B/T: R/R | Class: Freshman
Clement File: An All-State performer at local Butler Area High School…Played in 86 games at the varsity level for the Golden Tornadoes…Helped lead his team to a WPIAL 6A Championship for the first time in school history in 2026…Compiled 55 hits, 55 walks, 35 RBI, 25 runs scored and 19 doubles throughout his high school career…A two-sport athlete at Butler, playing both baseball and basketball…Rated as the No. 6 shortstop in Pennsylvania by Perfect Game…Played travel ball for the Marucci Spikes in Pittsburgh.
#32 Luke Deschenes
Hometown: Emmaus, PA | Position: RHP | B/T: R/R | Class: 5th Year
Deschenes File: Transfer from Seton Hill where he earned Second Team All-Conference honors in 2026…Threw 72.2 innings and earned seven wins in his final year at Seton Hill…Struck out 48 batters while maintaining a 3.72 ERA as a senior…Compiled 136 innings, 99 strikeouts and 10 wins throughout his career with the Griffins…Named the All-Area Pitcher of the Year following his senior season at Emmaus High School.
#33 Riley Iffrig
Hometown: Edwardsville, IL | Position: INF | B/T: L/L | Class: Senior
Iffrig File: Transfer from Saint Louis who began his career at Indiana State…earned Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors in each of his two years at Saint Louis…Played and started in all 111 games over the past two seasons…Batted .323 with 134 hits, 93 RBI, 77 runs scored, 28 doubles and 12 home runs for the Billikens…Played in 10 games and made six starts as a freshman at Indiana State…Started in three NCAA Tournament games for the Sycamores, compiling three hits and an RBI…Named Second Team All-America as a senior at Edwardsville High School while helping his team to two-consecutive state championships.
#34 Peter Nolan
Hometown: Sea Girt, NJ | Position: RHP | B/T: R/R | Class: Freshman
Nolan File: Rated as the No. 13 right-handed pitcher and No. 36 overall player in New Jersey by Perfect Game…Struck out 126 batters over 70.2 innings of work at the varsity level for St. Rose High School…Also produced at the plate for the Purple Roses, batting .417 with 105 hits, 66 RBI, 25 doubles and a .587 slugging percentage throughout his career…Named the High School Male Athlete of the Year.
#36 Aaron Lake
Hometown: Ellwood City, PA | Position: RHP | B/T: R/R | Class: Freshman
Lake File: Named the 2026 Beaver County Times' High School Baseball Player of the Year…Earned First Team All-State honors as a pitcher, and Post-Gazette All-Section honors as a pitcher and infielder…Led his Ellwood City Wolverines to a WPIAL Class 3A Championship as a senior and was named the WPIAL Championship MVP…Played in 81 games at the varsity level for Ellwood City…On the mound, he went 15-1 with a 0.73 ERA in his final two years with the Wolverines…Batted .302 with 75 RBI, 67 hits and 17 doubles throughout his high school career…A two-sport athlete for Ellwood City who played also basketball and golf…Averaged 14 PPG and 10.2 RPG on the basketball court as a senior…Played travel ball for the Marucci Spikes.
#38 Owen Shannon
Hometown: San Clemente, CA | Position: RHP | B/T: R/R | Class: Freshman
Shannon File: Helped his Mater Dei Monarchs to a top-15 ranking in 2026 among teams in the Southland…Rated as a top 100 right-handed pitcher in the state of California.
#39 Tyler Bunnell
Hometown: Hightstown, NJ | Position: RHP | B/T: R/R | Class: Freshman
Bunnell File: A standout on the diamond and the court at Robbinsville High School, playing both baseball and basketball for the Ravnes…Earned seven wins in 11 appearances on the mound as a senior…Finished his high school career with a 1.85 ERA and 276 strikeouts…Struck out 181 batters during his junior and senior seasons…Batted .444 with 40 hits, 24 RBI and 21 runs scored as a senior for the Ravens…Earned All-CVC honors in both baseball and basketball…Robbinsville basketball's all-time leading scorer with 1,579 career points.
#41 Cole Egan
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA | Position: LHP | B/T: L/L | Class: Senior
Egan File: Transfer from Eastern Michigan who began his career at George Mason…Threw 23.1 innings while earning two wins and one save in his MAC-leading 24 appearances for the Eagles in 2026…Made 22 appearances in his two years at George Mason…Struck out 26 batters over 23.2 innings of work for the Patriots…Three-year letterwinner in both baseball and golf at local West Allegheny High School…Earned First Team All-WPIAL honors as a senior and helped his Indians to a WPIAL Championship in 2022.
#41 Ryan Bailey
Hometown: Blauvelt, NY | Position: RHP | B/T: R/R | Class: Junior
Bailey File: Spent the first years of his collegiate career at Maryland…Made 29 appearances for the Terps, striking out 41 batters in 40 innings pitched…Earned two wins and a save as a sophomore in 2026…Played his high school ball at Iona Prep where he was named the 2023 Ron Patnosh Player of the Year…Was a two-time First Team All-CHSAA selection for the Gaels…Rated by Perfect Game as the No. 14 right-handed pitcher in New York in high school.
#48 Logan Bingham
Hometown: Jeffersonville, IL | Position: RHP | B/T: R/R | Class: Junior
Bingham File: Transfer from John A. Logan College who began his collegiate career at Middle Tennessee State…A Gold Glove Award winner on the mound in 2026…Allowed just 11 walks in 62.1 innings pitched for John A. Logan College…Earned seven wins in 15 starts for the Volunteers…Made one start in four appearances at Middle Tennessee as a freshman…Named the Jeffersonville Pitcher of the Year in each of his final two years in high school…Was the Jeffersonville MVP and Tony Winburn Male Athlete of the Year in 2024…Earned First Team All-Conference honors as a junior and senior.
#55 Carter Davis
Hometown: Blackhawk, PA | Position: RHP | B/T: R/R | Class: Freshman
Davis File: Played in 71 games at the varsity level for Blackhawk High School…As a hitter, had a career .383 batting average with 64 hits, 53 RBI, 12 doubles and eight home runs…Earned five wins in seven starts on the mound as a junior for the Cougars…Struck out 63 batters over 31 innings pitched throughout his career…Played travel ball for the Allegheny Pirates.
