2026 Baseball Season Preview

The Davenport baseball team has captured three league regular-season and tournament championships in the last five years. It is the front-runner for the 2026 season after earning the nod in the GLIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Panthers received 32 poll points and three first-place votes, but the journey will not be easy with a mixture of returners and newcomers who will need to mesh into the program's championship DNA.

Davenport rebounded from a sub-par 2024 to finish 42-15 in 2025 with a 21-3 GLIAC record. DU would earn the number one seed in the NCAA Midwest Regional, but could not advance to the next level with two losses at home against the University of Indianapolis. Head Coach Kevin Tidey returns for his 15th season at Davenport and is the reigning GLIAC Coach of the Year. He is excited about this year's roster and optimistic about guys stepping up to replace some of last year's production.

The Panthers had the GLIAC Player of the Year in Xander Reisbig and GLIAC Pitcher of the Year in Keegan Batka. Fellow First Team All-GLIAC selection Logan Todd joined those two standouts. The Panthers also will be without Second Team All-GLIAC performers in Coltrane Rubner and Adam Berghorst. Despite losing a solid core, the team will return First Team All-GLIAC picks in first baseman Justin Johnson, second baseman Sam Clay, and relief pitcher Brandon Skorupski. Also returning is Honorable Mention All-GLIAC selection in outfielder Cody Hultink.

Johnson batted .330 with nine home runs and a team-high 52 RBI. Clay batted .333 with 50 starts and finished with 45 runs scored, 13 doubles, four home runs, and 39 RBI. He also stole 12 bases, which ranked third on the team. Skorupski made 17 appearances out of the bullpen and had a 3.60 ERA in 35 innings with two saves and a 3-3 record. Hultink led the team with 53 runs scored and batted .311 with 52 hits, including six doubles, one triple, and two home runs. He also led the squad with 19 stolen bases in 25 attempts.

The rotation will see several new faces looking to replace the great productivity from last year. Sean Knorr, a transfer from Central Michigan, is fighting for the ace role. Easton Remick, a transfer from Lansing Community College, and Jeff Agar, a transfer from Michigan State University, are returning from injury in 2025 and hope to fill innings. Lucas Coll, a transfer from Appalachian State, spent two seasons with the Mountaineers and made four appearances in 2025.

The bullpen will return Brayden Flanders, Ian Dixon, and Conor Apligian. Flanders had a stellar 2.93 ERA in 15.1 innings with 11 strikeouts. Dixon tossed 10 innings and earned three saves. Apligian had a 2-0 record in eight appearances covering 14 innings with 14 punchouts. Gabe Helder, a redshirt sophomore from Lowell, Michigan, will get the first crack at the closer role. He spent two seasons at the University of Illinois and redshirted at USC-Upstate in 2025.

The outfield will be patrolled by Hultink in center, and battling for the corner outfield spots are Wyatt Epple and Parker Neel. Epple was used primarily as a pinch runner last season, but did go 4-for-5 at the plate in limited opportunities. Neel batted .375 with three hits in eight at-bats in 2025.

The infield must replace the left side due to the absence of Todd and Chase Kemp. Kemp played and started in 56 of the possible 57 games with a .293 batting average and 28 RBI. Todd hit .315 in 52 starts at shortstop with 30 runs scored and 30 RBI. Joey Barboza and Julian Contreras are competing for time at shortstop. Barboza hit .217 with five hits in 23 at-bats as a freshman at Davenport last season. Contreras, a freshman from Dearborn, Michigan, by way of Detroit Western, has a ton of upside and was named all-city four times and all-state as a senior. Travis Liford played a reserve role at third base last season and is now ready for a more permanent role at the hot corner. He played in 15 games last season and batted .308 with four hits in 13 at-bats. Senior Dylan Pawenski is back at catcher and brings experience behind the dish after 52 starts in 2025. Pawenski batted .277 with 51 hits, including eight doubles and tying the team lead with nine homers. He drove in 38 runs with a .478 slugging percentage.

The season gets underway with a three-game set in Nashville, Tennessee, against Rockhurst beginning on Feb. 13. The Panthers will also play Indianapolis, Quincy, Illinois-Springfield, and Tampa in a rugged non-conference schedule. The GLIAC schedule begins on Mar. 20 at home in the home opener against Roosevelt at 3:00 PM.

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Players Mentioned

#4 Sam Clay: INF; 5' 9"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R

#19 Ian Dixon: RHP; 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore; L/R

#29 Brayden Flanders: RHP; 6' 4"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R

#17 Chase Kemp: 3B; 5' 10"; Senior; R/R

#27 Parker Neel: OF; 5' 10"; Senior; R/R

#14 Xander Reisbig: OF/1B; 6' 3"; Senior; L/L

#2 Coltrane Rubner: OF; 6' 1"; Senior; L/R

#28 Brandon Skorupski: LHP; 5' 9"; Junior; L/L

#5 Logan Todd: INF; 5' 11"; Senior; R/R

#9 Joey Barboza: SS; 5' 11"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#4 Sam Clay
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R
: INF

#19 Ian Dixon
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore; L/R
: RHP

#29 Brayden Flanders
: 6' 4"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R
: RHP

#17 Chase Kemp
: 5' 10"; Senior; R/R
: 3B

#27 Parker Neel
: 5' 10"; Senior; R/R
: OF

#14 Xander Reisbig
: 6' 3"; Senior; L/L
: OF/1B

#2 Coltrane Rubner
: 6' 1"; Senior; L/R
: OF

#28 Brandon Skorupski
: 5' 9"; Junior; L/L
: LHP

#5 Logan Todd
: 5' 11"; Senior; R/R
: INF

#9 Joey Barboza
: 5' 11"; Freshman; R/R
: SS