Baseball 21st in NAIA Preseason Poll

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Loyola Wolf Pack baseball team will begin the 2025 season as the No. 21-ranked team in the NAIA. The NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 Ratings were released on Wednesday, and it marked the third time in the last four years Loyola has made an appearance in the preseason rankings. 

No. 9 William Carey, No. 18 Faulkner and the Wolf Pack make it three from the Southern States Athletic Conference in the Top 25. The SSAC released its preseason coaches' poll in October, and Loyola was picked third out of the 11 teams and behind WCU (115) and Faulkner (114). 

The Wolf Pack finished the 2024 campaign with a 37-19 overall record and an 18-12 mark in league play to place fourth in the conference and receive its third national tournament berth in the last four years. Loyola returns most of its offensive firepower for the 2025 season, bringing back nine of its Top 10 hitters. The Wolf Pack pitching staff returns a lot, too. 

Sophomore Jaxon Buratt broke the school record as a freshman with a .432 batting average in 2024, adding a team-high 79 hits with 63 runs, 38 RBI and seven doubles. Senior Brandon Mooney re-broke his own school record set two seasons ago with 73 runs scored last season, also contributing a .357 batting average, 76 hits and 49 RBI. Collin Zeringue led the team with 55 RBI, eight homers and 12 doubles, while Jake Mills (.368), Marcus Steen (.336), Landon Manson (.319), Anthony Fernadez (.308) and Garrett Beadle (.304) all produced a batting average better than .300. Former SSAC All-Conference selection Cole Romero is back on the team after a season away, and the Wolf Pack added Nicholls State transfer Garrett Felix, Drew Lee from LSU Eunice, Copiah Lincoln's Jordan McKenzie, and Ben Harris from Nunez.  

The Loyola pitching has nearly everyone back as well, but it'll have to replace a four-year ace in Stephen Still. Prescott Marsh (3.91 ERA), Brady Bown (4.64), Matthew Weil (6.32), Payton Cooper (5.67), Frank Fernandez (3.77), Hunter Ponson (5.56) and Luca Tosca (4.15) all had at least one start last season. Transfer Jake Cohen from Southeastern (Fla.) and freshman Ryder Loup from Baton Rouge look to contribute to the staff this season. 

The Wolf Pack will open their season with a three-game home series against LSU Alexandria starting on Friday, Jan. 31.