Troy Baseball Inks Top 20 Transfer Class

TROY, Ala. - Troy head coach Skylar Meade announced the signing of 15 transfers to the 2026 Troy baseball roster on Tuesday. The 13 transfer portal additions and two junior college transfers join six freshmen and four junior college transfers that signed last fall / winter.

Troy's 2025 transfer portal haul ranks 19th nationally according to 64Analytics, including coming in at No. 2 among mid-majors. It is also the highest-ranked class by a Sun Belt program since 64Analytics began its transfer rankings in 2023.

"We are incredibly proud of our entire class, but this group we locked in as Trojans this year will be welcomed with open arms," Meade said. "We had to address only 21% of our innings returning, but we feel that has been accomplished by this crew. On the position player front, we filled some specific needs of defense, bat-to-ball skills, and right-handed bats. As always, the future is bright in 2026, and we can't wait to see these guys compete in the fall."

Aaron Piasecki | INF | Muskegon, Mich. | Central Michigan

Piasecki made 55 starts at second base for Central Michigan this spring, hitting .318 with an OPS of .856 to go along with more walks (25) than strikeouts (21). The left-handed hitter roped 15 doubles to go along with three triples, three homers and 33 RBIs and 14 stolen bases during his lone season with the Chippewas.

Over the summer, Piasecki led the Northwoods League with a .406 batting average while playing for the Traverse City Pit Spitters. He tallied 84 hits on the summer, which was a new team record.

Prior to Central Michigan, Piasecki played two junior college seasons at Kellogg Community College, where he was named an NJCAA First Team All-American in 2024.

Cole Garner | C | LaGrange, Ga. | Chipola College

Garner batted .300 for Chipola College as a sophomore this spring, totaling 33 hits, three doubles, a home run and 19 RBIs while drawing 15 walks and ten HBPs to 17 strikeouts. From behind the plate, Garner gunned down 13 base stealers in 43 attempts while posting a .996 fielding percentage.

Nolan Book | INF | Manheim, Pa. | Mount St. Mary's

Book was an MAAC All-Rookie shortstop as a freshman this spring, hitting .326 with an .847 OPS in 50 games. Book swiped 15 bases, and totaled ten doubles, three home runs and 37 RBIs while drawing 19 walks and 12 HBPs to 26 strikeouts.

Lucas Litteral | LHP | Paintsville, Ky. | Western Kentucky

Litteral is a left-hander who struck out an impressive 70 batters across 53.1 innings across his sophomore and junior seasons at WKU. Litteral posted a 4-4 record with four saves during his time with the Hilltoppers, making 35 appearances and one start.

The southpaw spent his freshman campaign at Rend Lake College, going 8-3 with a 2.91 ERA in 13 starts.

Tate Farquhar | RHP | Highland, Mich. | Michigan State

Farquhar started 18 games with seven starts for the Spartans this spring after being sidelined for his first two collegiate seasons due to injury. Farquhar struck out 34 hitters on the season, tying for second on the team in wins (3) and ranking third in innings pitched (44.2).

Tommy Egan | RHP | Chicago, Ill. | Illinois-Chicago

Egan held down a starting spot at UIC in 2025 after redshirting in 2024, going 5-2 with a 4.76 ERA. In 51.0 innings, the righty racked up 43 strikeouts and held his opponents to a .254 batting average while holding his opponent to three or fewer earned runs in eight of his nine starts.

Egan spent his freshman year at Iowa Western C.C. before making six appearances and three starts at Houston in 2023.

Hayden Smith | LHP | Nicholasville, Ky. | Kentucky

After making four appearances as a redshirt freshman in 2024, Smith was a reliable left-hander out of the Wildcat bullpen in 2025. Smith was scoreless in 12 of his 14 appearances on the year and struck out 15 hitters across 10.1 innings.

Zach Crotchfelt | LHP | Jackson, N.J. | Texas Tech

Crotchfelt comes to Troy after making 13 appearances and one start as a junior for the Red Raiders, striking out 15 hitters, 17.2 innings of work. The Southpaw spent his first two collegiate seasons at Auburn, where he appeared in 24 games with six starts for the Tigers while picking up 55 strikeouts in 49.0 innings.

Blake Dean | RHP | Acworth, Ga. | Kansas State

A 2024 Big 12 All-Freshman selection, Dean struck out 100 hitters in 92.1 innings of work during his time with the Wildcats. The right-hander owns a career 6-5 record with a pair of saves and has held opposing hitters to a .266 average. Dean led K-State with 29 appearances as a freshman, and he recorded scoreless appearances against nationally ranked Arkansas and North Carolina as a sophomore.

Dylan Alonso | RHP | Tiger, Ga. | Columbia State C.C.

Alonso starred as a sophomore at Columbia State C.C., earning First Team All-TCAA honors. In 13 starts, the right-hander pitched 55.2 innings and went 7-3 across 13 starts. Alonso racked up 87 strikeouts on the season and allowed just 39 hits. As a freshman at Middle Tennessee State, Alonso made 11 appearances and two starts, owning a 4.22 ERA.

Cooper Ellingworth | RHP | Orlando, Fla. | USC Upstate

Ellingworth appeared in 42 games over the last two seasons for USC Upstate, including seven starts on the mound. The right-hander recorded four wins and six saves during his time with the Spartans, breaking out in 2025 with a 4.86 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 53.2 innings to go along with a .271 opponent batting average.

Ben Stubbs | LHP | Macon, Ga. | Flagler

Stubbs dominated Division-II baseball across his three seasons at Flagler, logging 153 strikeouts in 129.1 innings. The left-hander went 12-3 during his time with the Saints and was an All-Peach Belt Conference First Team selection in 2025 after going 6-1 with a 3.44 ERA in 14 starts.

Josh Pyne | INF | Bloomfield, Ind. | Indiana

Pyne leaves Indiana ranked fifth in program history with 58 doubles after starting 183 games at third base for the Hoosiers. A 2022 D1Baseball Freshman All-American and 2023 All-Big Ten Third Team selection, Pyne hit .300 with an .808 OPS throughout his Indiana career to go along with 15 home runs and 152 RBIs. The right-handed hitter appeared in just five games in 2025 before taking a medical redshirt.

Nico Azpilcueta | INF | Sherman Oaks, Calif. | Stony Brook

Azpilcueta racked up the hardwood during his lone season at Stony Brook, as he was named the All-CAA First Team designated hitter, along with being named to the ABCA Northeast All-Region First Team. The right-handed hitter hit .320 on the season while leading the CAA in home runs (20), ranking second in RBIs (61) and third in OPS (1.101).

Azpilcueta played two seasons at Saint Mary's, redshirting in 2022 before making three appearances on the mound in 2023. In 2024, the California native was named a ABCA/Rawlings Pacific Association All-American at Ohlone College.

Judah Buckner | RHP | Starkville, Miss. | West Alabama

Buckner spent the last two seasons at West Alabama, taking home NCBWA Division-II Third Team All-American honors in 2025. This spring, Buckner recorded six saves and was scoreless in 18 of his 20 relief appearances. He owned a 1.99 ERA with 33 strikeouts and a .135 opponent batting average in 22.2 innings.

The right-hander began his collegiate career at Northwest Mississippi C.C., making 23 appearances across 2021 and 2023 while redshirting in 2022.

Troy University Athletics

Related Videos