Kent State University
Eastern Kentucky
Flashes Open 2025 Season at South Alabama Invitational
2/13/2025 5:16:00 PM | Baseball
KENT- The Golden Flashes are set to open the 2025 campaign this weekend at the South Alabama Invitational. Kent State will face Eastern Kentucky on Friday, South Alabama on Saturday, and Southern Illinois Edwardsville (SIUE) on Sunday.
The game Saturday against South Alabama will be streamed. Live stats will be available for all three games.
About the Flashes
Kent State was picked second in the 2025 Mid-American Conference preseason coaches' poll, which was announced on Wednesday. The top six teams in the final standing will qualify for the MAC Tournament, which will be played at. Crushers Stadium in Avon from May 21-25.
Head coach Jeff Duncan enters his twelfth season leading the Golden Flashes with a 40-man roster that includes 16 newcomers. Along with the 16 new players on the roster. Also returning for the Flashes is longtime associate head coach Mike Birkbeck, who is entering his twenty-ninth season at Kent State. Alongside Duncan and Birkbeck on the staff is Zeke Pinkham, Dan Bertolini, Kade McClure, and Lance MacDonald who are all entering their first season as members of the Kent State coaching staff.
The Flashes return 68% of their innings pitch on the mound led by Eric Chalus (72.2), Benny Roebuck (47), and Ciaran Caughey (42).
Kent State also returns left-handed fireman Peyton Cariaco, who was recently named to the initial watch list for the 20th annual National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Stopper of the Year award. During his junior season last year, Cariaco made 25 appearances and posted a 3.15 ERA across 40 innings pitched. The lefty picked up five wins and saves (both team highs), struck out 29 batters, and limited opposing hitters to a .267 batting average.
Offensively Kent State returns Jake Casey who had eight homers and steals for the Flashes before going down with an injury in mid-April. Junior Backstop, Brody Williams returns as a consistent bat and primary catch for the Flashes. Also returning to the batting order is switch-hitting infielder Ripken Reese and designated hitter, Dom Kibler, who both look to build off their 2024 campaign.
The Flashes will also look to get an instant impact out of Saginaw Valley State Transfer Hayden Jatczak. The infielder hit .468/.551/.563 with 16 homers and 82 RBIs while earning DII All-American Honors. Also looking to make a big splash in the Kent State lineup is Youngstown State transfer Alejandro Covas who finished second on the country last season in triples with 10 on his way to earning Horizon League Freshman of the Year. Freshman outfielder, Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe has been tabbed as the preseason MAC Freshman of the Year by both Perfect Game and D1Baseball and looks to make an instant impact for the Flashes.
Weekend Rotation
Friday: Ryker Walton, RHP vs Gavin Jones RHP
Saturday: Zach Stevens RHP vs Eric Chalus LHP
Sunday: Brady Coon RHP vs Jake Bean RHP
Scouting the Opposition
Eastern Kentucky
The Colonels were picked to finish eighth in the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) preseason coaches' poll following their 21-37 campaign in 2024 and went 14-16 in conference finishing seventh. Friday will be the third all-time meeting between the two programs with the series tied at 1-1. The first two meetings coming in 2001.
On the bump, senior Ryker Walton is projected to get the start. The right-hander went 2-6 last season posting a 6.86 ERA.
Offensively the Colonels are led by sophomore Tait Nunnally. Last season the outfielder earned a spot on the ASUN All-Freshman Team after batting .283 with 11 home runs, 46 RBIs and 39 runs scored.
South Alabama
The Jaguars were picked to finish tenth in the Sun Belt Conference preseason coaches' poll following their 31-25 season in 2024 and went 14-16 in conference play finishing ninth. Saturday will mark the third meeting all time between the two programs with South Alabama leading the series 2-0.
Sophomore right-hander Zach Stevens is slated to get the start on the mound. The Millbrook native went 1-0 last season in 10 appearances posting a 6.35 ERA across 22 innings.
Redshirt Junior, Brennan Holt, looks to power the Jaguars offense. In 2024 the infielder played and started in all 56 games batting .266 while leading the team in hits (54) and stolen bases (19).
SIUE
The Cougars were picked to finish sixth in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) preseason coaches' poll following their 21-34-1 campaign in 2024 and went 12-15 in conference play. Sunday will mark the first meeting between SIUE and Kent State.
True freshman, Brady Coon, will be making his first collegiate start on Sunday against the Flashes.
Ryan Niedzwiedz looks to take his game to the next level following his freshman season that saw him land on the OVC All-Freshman team. The infielder led the team in home runs (11) and RBIs (51) and finished third on the team with a .296 batting average.
On Deck for the Flashes
The Flashes will head back down south to Macon Georgia for a three-game series with the Mercer Bears Feb. 21-23.
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