2026 Fall College Baseball Reset: Little Rock

Back in 2025, the Trojans won 27 total games but backed into the tourney thanks to an OVC title. Little Rock then nearly beat eventual champion LSU as the #4 seed in the Baton Rouge Regional. Last year, the school went 3-0 in the Hattiesburg Regional, moving to the Supers before losing to Troy. So, what does the two-time Cinderella have in store for 2027?

The Returnees

Little Rock’s roster is filled with transfers and JC/CC additions, and many of those pieces acquired in past summers helped push the Trojans to new heights over the past two seasons. For 2027, several of Little Rock’s top performers from last year are back.

Redshirt junior Kade Smith, a transfer from Arkansas and Harding, had a team-best 85 hits last season for Little Rock last season. Nine of those hits came during the NCAA tournament, and four against Troy in the Super Regionals.

Senior infielder Nolan Freund, a senior infielder, cracked 76 total hits, eight of which were home runs last season. It was a very strong 2026 campaign from Freund, a transfer from Cloud County CC.

Little Rock also got back seniors Jerdy Lopez, Easton Roe, and Blake Simpson. Lopez posted a .374 on-base percentage last season. Roe played 44 games and slashed .314/.382/.432 in 2026 but didn’t play much throughout the second half. Simpson, another transfer add from the SEC, hit .341 for the Trojans last season.

As for the pitching staff, Little Rock brought back two of their regular starters from last season: Nic Bronzini and Zack Busick. Bronzini finished second on the Trojans last season in total strikeouts (61 over 53.2 IP), while Busick had 37 strikeouts and 31 walks over 35 innings.

Reliever Gage Haley, a Mississippi State transfer who worked in 28 games and struck out 55 in 2026, is back for the Trojans. Isaac Evanview, a redshirt senior and Oregon transfer, logged 42.2 IP for Little Rock in 2026.

Another notable returning pitcher is redshirt sophomore Tag Andrews, a redshirt sophomore who posted a 3.13 ERA and struck out 46 over 46 innings. Andrews, like Kade Smith, is an Arkansas transfer.

The Newcomers

There are not many new freshmen on Little Rock’s 2027 roster. Only four are true freshmen: pitcher Jake Taylor, catcher Kannon Ring, infielder Tanner Evans, and outfielder GT Taylor.

Little Rock does have two redshirt freshmen. Those two would be pitchers Marcelo Rodriguez and Grant Wren. Rodriguez is from Arizona State, while Wren came from the Arkansas Razorbacks.

As for the newcomers, Keyler Gonzalez came over from Missouri. Gonzalez, a senior right-hander, finished third on the Tigers last season in strikeouts (36) over 28 innings. He worked as both a reliever and starter in 2026.

Dylan Biddick transferred from New Orleans. As a junior, Biddick was, arguably, the best hitter for the school in 2026. He led the Privateers in hits (65), finished second in home runs (12), and also walked 45 times.

And the JC/CC scene also added new pieces for Little Rock. That includes pitchers Brett Holland (South Arkansas JC), Jack Hamm (Cowley JC), and Jayden Gould (Connors State CC).