WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – With William & Mary baseball coming off a 32-win season, Head Coach Mike McRae's third-year staff brought in a class of 28 newcomers, adding depth and experience to an already talented roster.
 
Each of McRae's seasons as the program's skipper have realized a steady increase in on-field production and in a highly anticipated year, the Tribe look to follow their 32-25 campaign with another of the program's winningest since 2019.
 
In a dominant display on the mound in 2023, the Tribe brought in new arms to expand upon a staff which finished ninth in the nation with a 4.17 ERA in 2023. The Tribe limited opponents to three or fewer runs in 22 contests, allowing only a single run to score six of them and producing a shutout.  
 
Despite the story of the 2023 being the dominance on the mound, the Tribe offense contributed to some record wins, producing ten double-digit scores and twice scoring over 30 runs in a single game.
 
The Tribe finished an even 15-15 in conference, winning seven conference weekend series, and securing a ranked midweek win over then-No. 15 Campbell to take down the Fighting Camels, 3-2. With the addition of Campbell to the conference, the Tribe will look to face them once more in the final week of the regular season, this time as CAA foe.
 
With a pair of MLB Draft picks in 2023, the Tribe look to adjust to the departure of the 2023 leading hitter, as Ben Williamson's career in Green & Gold culminated in a the second-highest MLB Draft selection in program history, going at No. 60 overall in the second round to the Seattle Mariners. The Tribe also saw right-handed pitcher Cory Wall go in the eighth round. Wall produced 63 strikeouts and a 3.98 ERA over his 52 innings of work, earning a pair of saves in 10 appearances out of the bullpen in addition to his five starts.
 
The addition of 14 transfers and 14 freshmen to the Tribe roster means an influx of talent and experience arrives to the program in the form eight graduate transfers and six undergraduate additions. A pair of highly touted DIII All-American graduate transfers in right-handed pitcher Zack Potts and power-hitting outfielder Ben Parker headline the new arrivals.
 
A freshman class of eight position players adds depth to the lineup, with a trio looking to make quite the impact on the infield. Six first-year pitchers round out the new players, with righty Hank Lippman tabbed as a CAA impact freshman by D1Baseball.
 
 
Infield
In the infield, the strong core of newcomers is making their bids for the starting lineup. McRae cites "a plethora of talent," particularly in the middle infield, posing a unique question mark for the Tribe.
 
Graduate transfer Luca Trigiani will be a mainstay of the middle infield. The graduate transfer comes to William & Mary via St. Joseph's, where he hit .307 with seven home runs. Trigiani looks to add leadership and experience to a younger-skewing infield.
 
Freshman Josiah Seguin was praised by McRae, "Josiah is a highly skilled, highly touted, switch-hitting, freak athlete," and is joined by Kevin Francella as an emerging talent in the middle infield after an impressive fall.  
 
Returner Corey Adams will see time at both second and third base, making a jump in the offseason from his freshman year in which he hit .250, appearing in 53 of the Tribe's 57 contests while racking up 41 hits nine stolen bases.
 
Trey Christman is a freshman who could see a significant amount of time at third base as he embodies the physical elements of the game. Coach McRae cites his "hit the ball hard" approach as a big, strong third baseman. 
 
First base is loaded with talent as graduate transfers, Jakob Cohn (Williams College), Henry Jackson (Carson-Newman) and Derek Holmes (Moravian) and W&M returner Jerry Barnes are vying for time on the experienced side. Barnes will also make a case for the designated hitter role.
 
First-year Anthony Greco is expected to see some time at first base for his left-handed bat, making a case with a strong fall and preseason where he put his surprising pop on display. The freshman could also see time in right field.
 
 
Outfield
With the greatest area of growth being the improvement in offensive depth, the outfield gained experience and power with the addition of graduate transfers Ben Parker and Henry Jackson. 
 
Joe Delossantos hit .271, joining Williamson as the only other player to make 55 starts for the Tribe last season. He finished second on the team in hits (61), runs (52), RBI (44) and extra base hits (23), while belting eight home runs. He led the team with a whopping 23 stolen bases. The fifth-year senior will return to the lineup with four years of experience.
 
Dubbed a tremendous power threat with plus speed by McRae, Parker was the Tribe's top hitter in the fall. As a DIII All-American, Parker's three full seasons of undergrad culminated in eight career statistical records and five single-season records at Whitman, and the centerfielder will look to adjust to the William & Mary lineup.
 
Jackson has emerged as a leader on the team and a frontrunner for the starting right field position. At Carson-Newman, Jackson was a mainstay of the lineup, finishing his career with a .342 batting average and a .427 on base percentage. In a position group crowded with talent, the age and experience provide a drastic shift from last season's young outfield.
 
Returners Lucas Carmichael and Charlie Iriotakis provide left-handed power options and speedster Christian Rush (Lackawanna) joins the tribe as a defensive leader.
 
 
Catchers
Catchers round out the position players, led by Nate Goranson, who returns to the Tribe lineup after seeing action in 52 games as a junior. The fourth-year W&M senior posted 39 hits last year, with ten doubles, a triple and six home runs. A clutch hitter in his third year, Goranson's 10 multi-RBI games was third on the team and he produced eight multi-hit contests.
 
Sophomore Jerry Barnes and undergraduate transfer Witt Scafidi (Bryant & Stratton) are likely to shoulder the rest of the catching load, and freshman Charlie Felmee rounds out the additions to the backstops.
 
 
The Pitchers
Maintaining high expectations on the mound to follow a season in which the Tribe finished with a ninth nationally ranked 4.17 team ERA, the Tribe pitching staff continues to try to find the right combinations in a deeper, more talented pool of arms.
 
Carter Lovasz and Nate Knowles highlight the returners among the staff, each earning multiple preseason recognitions ahead of 2024. Lovasz was named the No. 33 relief pitcher by D1Baseball and tabbed to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year watchlist while Knowles was recognized as the No. 140 starting pitching in the country. The pair were both honored as preseason All-CAA selections. 
 
The pair will be counted on to lead the team, and the coaching staff is expecting big things out of each of the two leading returners.
 
Graduate transfer Zack Potts also looks to be an anchor on the staff. The righty comes to William & Mary by the way of 2023 DIII National Champion Lynchburg, earning All-America honors and getting named Most Outstanding Player at the DIII College World Series last season. Concluding his decorated undergraduate career, Potts posted a No. 35 nationally ranked 2.16 ERA over 120.2 innings pitched in 18 appearances, while fanning 99 batters.
 
Alex Markus (Roanoke) is another highly touted graduate addition with tremendous stuff who McRae cites having high expectations for.
 
Brendan Kelly, a graduate transfer from Stonehill, had a tremendous fall. McRae notes Kelly was highly effective, working quick and attacking the zone to impress in his first preseason with the Tribe.
 
Looking to replace the innings of Wall and five-year graduate departures in Rojo Prarie and Zach Tsakounis, the coaching staff is anticipating major steps forward from the bulk of the returning arms. A trio of third-year lefties in Nick Lottchea, Mike Weidinger and Mark Hindy are joined by sophomore duo Noah Hertzler and Owen Pierce as returners, looking to make jumps.
 
A pair of undergraduate transfers with raw talent are poised to make a strong debut in the Green & Gold as Reed Interdonato (Monmouth) and Travis Garnett (Maryland) enter the rotation with tremendous stuff.
 
Hank Lippman was dubbed a top-20 CAA impact freshman by D1Baseball ahead of his freshman campaign, following an outstanding fall for the Tribe. The staff has high hopes for the first year who runs his fastball into the low 90s.
 
Opening Week
The Tribe kicks off their 2024 campaign at home at 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 16 with the first of three opening-weekend games against Holy Cross. Saturday and Sunday's games will each feature a 1 p.m. first pitch.
 
Single game tickets are available for purchase at TribeAthletics.com.
 
Clear Bag Policy
William & Mary Athletics, in conjunction with the William & Mary Police Department, has implemented a clear bag policy that regulates the size and type of bag that may be carried into W&M Athletics facilities during the 2023-24 year, including Busch Field, Kaplan Arena, Martin Family Stadium, Plumeri Park, and Zable Stadium.
 
Information as well as approved and prohibited items is available at TribeAtheltics.com.
 
Follow the Tribe
Follow William & Mary baseball on Twitter/X (@WMTribeBaseball), Instagram (@WMTribeBaseball) and Facebook (/WMTribeBaseball) for more information, gameday updates and Tribe baseball content.