2025 Fall College Baseball Reset: Stanford

Two seasons ago, the Stanford Cardinal had a .400 winning percentage after losing premier talent from their 2023 team that went to the College World Series. In their first season with the ACC, the Cardinal posted a winning overall record (27-25). However, Stanford went just 11-19 in conference play. Heading into 2026, the Cardinal return several regulars from the 2025 group, including outfielder Tatum Marsh.

The Returnees

The big name that piqued attention heading into 2025 was Rintaro Sasaki. Much of that can be attributed to his background, as he opted not to go pro in Japan and instead headed to university & tried to build his profile in the United States.

While Sasaki is back for his sophomore season, his 2025 wasn’t exactly an ideal campaign. Sasaki slashed .269/.377/.413 (.790 OPS) with 15 extra-base hits, seven of which were home runs. He struck out a bunch, and Sasaki’s value from a draft perspective is down after hitting .107 in the Cape.

Tatum Marsh, meanwhile, shone in his freshman campaign. Marsh hit a team-high .377 for the Cardinal in 2025, and he returns for his sophomore campaign. The San Jose native, just like Sasaki, is draft-eligible for 2026.

Aside from Marsh, Stanford got back several other regulars, including 2025 home run leader Jimmy Nati and junior outfielder Brady Reynolds. Both were regulars last season.

Stanford also got back junior Luke Lavin, who played just 27 games for the Cardinal last year. Lavin didn’t have a strong run in the Cape with Cotuit, as he slashed .170/.281/.189 across 22 contests.

Other returnees include sophomore Charlie Bates, as well as pitchers Nick Dugan, Cohen Gomez, Ryan Speshyock, Trevor Moore, and Ben Reimers. However, their two most-used pitchers last year are not back.

Last year’s rotation revolved around Joey Volchko and Matt Scott. Both Scott and Volchko had up-and-down seasons but neither returned to campus. Instead, the two transferred to Georgia. Scott could have gone pro but will instead look to raise his stock in the SEC after he posted an ERA north of 6.00 in 2025.

The Newcomers

The 2026 roster for Stanford includes 11 freshmen, one of whom is Quinten Marsh. Quinten is the younger brother of Tatum.

However, arguably the most notable freshman add was Brock Sell, a utilityman/outfielder who accomplished quite a bit in high school. A former PG All-American, Sell flashed plus tools. including low-90s velocity out of high school and a 6.48-second run in the 60-yard dash.

Sell flashed that speed in summer ball this year. The 18-year-old swiped 24 bases in 48 games for Bellingham in the West Coast League. Nine extra-base hits (no home runs) but a lot of walks; 36 in the WCL.

Brock Ketelsen is another one of those freshmen to watch. Ketelsen, a two-way player, hit .328 (.925 OPS) in the WCL this past summer.

As for the transfers, ex-Cal Poly catcher Henry McDonald and former Columbia infielder Eric Jeon join the Cardinal. McDonald didn’t play much for Cal Poly. Jeon, meanwhile, hit .320 two seasons ago. He joined the Cardinal for his junior campaign.

Summary

It won’t be easy for Stanford in the ACC this season. The conference is loaded with premier talent among the power schools. And with Scott and Volchko gone, it’ll be very interesting to see how the Stanford rotation aligns for 2026.

The good news is that the Cardinal have a lot of exciting hitting talent, headlined by Tatum Marsh. Whether this group will have enough to make it back to the NCAA Tournament remains to be seen.