2025 Baseball Season Preview

2/19/2025

The Brown baseball team is set to start its 2025 season this Friday evening with game one of a four-game series at North Florida. The series marks the end of a long offseason and the start of a new campaign that will feature many returners who have seen extensive playing time over the last two years, as well as the largest incoming class of recent years that will have several members see playing time right away.

Brown was tabbed eighth in the Ivy League Preseason Poll, but the Bears have good reason to expect steps forward from last season.

Brown boasts a roster of 34 players in 2024, with 22 returners, 12 newcomers, 16 pitchers and 18 position players. Offensively, the squad returns nearly 75 percent of its hits from a season ago that the coaching staff believes is the deepest and most talented offensive group in recent years.

STARTING PITCHING

On the mound, the Bears will look to several experienced returners in senior Santhosh Gottam, junior Dylan Reid, sophomore Ryan Oshinskie, junior Christian Keel, and senior Jacob Young to handle starting duties as the season gets underway.

The team will need to replace graduated senior Paxton Meyers, as well as ace Jack Seppings, who signed after his junior season with the Milwaukee Brewers. Together, the duo combined for 24 of Brown’s 39 starts on the mound and 38 percent of the team’s innings in 2024.

Gottam has been a three-year starter as a midweek arm in 2022, followed by time as a weekend starter each of the last two seasons. In 2024, he saw action in the Cape League with the Falmouth Commodores. A dependable innings-eater, he tied for a team-high innings in 2024 (65.0), pitching at least 6.0 innings in seven of his 11 starts, including four starts of at least 7.0 innings.

Sophomore Ryan Oshinskie, who had a solid freshman campaign out of the bullpen last season followed by an all-star summer and was named the NECBL Reliever of the Year for the Bristol Blues will look to work his way into the rotation as he builds back after being limited to start the spring and will factor heavily into the starting equation upon his return.

A key piece to the bullpen the last two years, Keel made 13 appearances overall including three midweek starts down the stretch. He struck out 28 batters over 32.1 innings. Young boasted one of the highest strikeout rates on the team last season with 28 K’s over 23.2 innings, leading the team in appearances with 17, all out of the bullpen. Reid will look to build upon what he accomplished in his freshman season of 2023 before missing all of 2024 with an elbow injury. He made eight starts as a rookie in 2023 and ranked seventh during Ivy League play by limiting opponents to a .248 batting average.

BULLPEN

The Bears will welcome back Peter Dubie to the bullpen mix as the junior will be looked to in high leverage situations and will likely hold down the closer’s role. Prior to missing the 2024 season due to injury, Dubie picked up two saves in 10 appearances as a freshman in 2023, striking out 17 batters over 14.0 IP.

Young will also likely see time in the bullpen this season in addition to the rotation as a relied upon left-handed reliever after leading the team in relief appearances last season.

Junior Stiles Begnaud saw an expanded role in relief last season by striking out 13 batters over 13.1 innings and will look to build upon that in 2025.

The Bears will also look to a large group of seven newcomers for bullpen depth, including first-year Luke Trout who impressed throughout the fall.

INFIELD

With three starters returning on the infield and multiple freshmen ready to crack the lineup, the Bears infield is a deep and talented group that is filled with athleticism and versatility.

Senior Gunner Boree who has been a starter for the last three years at second, third, shortstop and left field will slot in as the Bears’ second baseman. Boree was third on the team with a .287 batting average last season and led the team in on-base percentage (.421), slugging (.522), and home runs (5). He was second with 24 walks and 60 total bases, and third with 22 RBIs.

Junior DJ Dillehay, who has been the Bears’ shortstop the last two years is shifting to third base this season after ranking second on the team with a .291 batting average and a .468 slugging percentage with four home runs and a team-leading 10 doubles and 74 total bases while being one of three players to start all 39 games 2024.

Junior first baseman Mark Henshon also returns after making 38 starts as a sophomore. In his first year as a full-time first baseman in 2024, he made just one error in 342 chances for a stellar .997 fielding percentage. He ranked third among qualified players with a .402 on-base percentage and led the team with 32 runs scored.

Freshman Cam LaGrassa is expected to start the season as the team’s primary shortstop after making a strong impression during the fall. Sophomore Miles Newsome, who made 20 appearances, nine starts and won an Ivy League Rookie of Week honor last season will also see time in the infield for Brown and could also DH, while freshmen Christian Butera will factor into the mix in the infield. Fellow first-year Jack Edmunds will provide depth at both first base and catcher and could also DH.

OUTFIELD

Brown returns two of its three starting outfielders from last season in senior Nathan Brasher and junior Mika Petersen. Both have earned All-Ivy honors in their careers with Petersen earning First team honors in 2023 after leading the league with a .424 batting average in league games. Last season, he led the team with 28 RBIs and ranked third with 42 hits and eight doubles.

Brasher earned Second Team All-Ivy honors in 2024 after leading the team with a .315 batting average. His 18 stolen bases ranked third in the Ivy and were the most by a Brown player since 2011. He also led all Bears with 14 multi-RBI games while compiling an eight-game hitting streak and 19-game on-base streak during the season.

The third outfield spot will be between junior Logan Meusy, freshman Alex Benevento and senior Jared Johnson. Meusy reached base at a .488 clip last season with five steals in six attempts. Johnson missed most of 2024 due to injury but hit .292 in 2022 with four home runs, seven doubles and 14 RBIs in 2023. Benevento looks to bring a combination of power and speed to the lineup.

CATCHERS

Brown will have four catchers in the mix this season to provide a strong defensive presence behind the plate and help lead the pitching staff. Conor Cooke returns after making 16 starts last season. Sophomores Brandon Chang and Andrew Hanlon are also back in the fold. Hanlon made 22 starts a season ago while Chang made three starts before missing the rest of the year due to injury. Edmunds will provide depth at catcher while also seeing action at first base.