Who's In, Who's Out and Who's Back for Louisville Baseball in 2026

Taking a look at the roster turnover between the 2025 and 2026 seasons for the Cardinals.

Louisville baseball players vs. Miami in game two of the 2025 Louisville Super Regional. | Jared Anderson - Louisville Cardinals On SI

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Ever since the 2025 season ended for the Louisville baseball program, it has been a whirlwind of roster upheaval. Between players transferring in and out, as well as new recruits joining the fold, at times it has been hard to track which scholarship players are joining, leaving and staying for another year.

Now the dust is beginning to settle a bit, and we are starting to have some idea as to what Louisville's roster will look like for next season. As of the most recent update, the Cardinals are currently at 45 players.

As we progress through another long offseason, take a look below on who's in, who's out, and who's back for the Cardinals for the 2026 season:

*Each player's class is noted by their 2026 class.*

*This list will be updated if/when additional roster moves are made. Last updated: July 26, 2025 - 4:45 p.m. EST*

Left-Handed Pitchers

Who's In (3): Nicholas Ballard (Fr.), Anthony Karbowski (Fr.), Joe Olson (Fr.)
Who's Out (2): Jared Lessman (Transfer - UIC), Justin West (MLB Draft)
Who's Back (8): Wyatt Danilowicz (Sr.), Ethan Eberle (So.), Aaron England (So.), Coen Evrard (So.), Colton Hartman (Jr.), Casen Murphy (So.), T.J. Schlageter (Jr.), Ty Starke (Jr.)
On Roster: 11

Summary: While not as deep as their right-handed counterparts, Louisville's got a couple really good lefties. Eberbe was a standout starter as a freshman, and Danilowicz was one of the Cardinals' best relievers. If they can get a few other southpaws to take a step forward, it will help with the staff's regular season inconsistencies.

Right-Handed Pitchers

Who's In (6): Jake Bean (Jr., - Transfer - Kent State), Dominic Jacoby (Jr., JUCO Transfer - Harper College), Bryce Koch (R-Fr., Transfer - Cincinnati), Brandon Shannon (Fr.), Zane Stahl (Fr.), Tanner Thomas (Fr.)
Who's Out (4): Tucker Biven (MLB Draft), Brennyn Cutts (Grad.), Patrick Forbes (MLB Draft), Alex Gay (Transfer - TBD)
Who's Back (8): Jack Brown (So.), Brandin Crawford (So.), Parker Detmers (Jr.), Jake Gregor (So.), Eli Hoyt (Sr.), Peter Michael (Sr.), Jake Schweitzer (So.), Kian Vorster (So.)
On Roster: 14

Summary: Forbes and Biven might be off to the Majors, but even still, Louisville's crop of right-handers for 2026 is a good one. Schweitzer were great out of the bullpen, Michael was solid in the starting rotation when healthy, and Bean was a First-Team All-MAC selection. Combine them with the lefties, and the Cardinals' pitching staff has a chance to have a bounce back 2026 season.

Catchers

Who's In (2): Andrew Freeman (Fr.), Jimmy Nugent (Jr., JUCO Transfer - Lincoln Trail)
Who's Out (2): Matt Klein (MLB Draft), Tagger Tyson (Transfer - Kentucky)
Who's Back (2): George Baker (Jr.), Collin Mowry (So.)
On Roster: 4

Summary: Klein heading off the majors, the outlook at catcher for 2026 is a little murky. Both offensively and defensively, he was sorely missed whenever a broken arm sidelined him for two months. While Nugent put together a good year at the JUCO level, this position will collectively have to take a step forward in fall ball.

Infielders

Who's In (7): Zach Davis (Fr.), Kade Elam (Fr.), Jax Hisle (Jr., JUCO Transfer - Parkland College), A.J. Martin (R-Jr., Transfer - Charleston Southern), Collin Osenbaugh (Fr.), Kaden Schoenly (Fr.), Carson Shee (Fr.)
Who's Out (5): Nate Earley (Transfer - USF), Ethan Edinger (Transfer - TBD), Jake Munroe (MLB Draft), Kamau Neighbors (Grad.), Tanner Shiver (Grad.)
Who's Back (3): Alex Alicea (Jr.), Tague Davis (So.), Bayram Hot (Sr.)
On Roster: 10

Summary: While there's a good amount of moving pieces in the infield, Louisville has a couple impact players coming back. Davis set the Louisville freshman home run record and was named a Freshman All-American, while Alicea was steady force both on defense and at the top of the lineup. However, they do lose two important figures in Munroe and Neighbors, so someone at those respective positions will have to step up.

Outfielders

Who's In (2): Chase Porter (Fr.), Ben Slanker (Jr., Transfer - Ohio)
Who's Out (4): Cole Crafton (Transfer - Illinois), Eddie King Jr. (MLB Draft), Michael Lippe (Transfer - Minnesota), Garret Pike (Grad.)
Who's Back (4): Kyle Campbell (So.), Griffin Crain (So.), Lucas Moore (Jr.), Zion Rose (Jr.)
On Roster: 6

Summary: Even with King's departure for the 2025 MLB Draft, Louisville is in line to have a very good crop of outfielders. Not only do they get Moore back, who led the nation in stolen bases and earned All-American honors, Rose and his incredibly high ceiling is also running it back. Additionally, Slanker was a First-Team All-MAC selection at Toledo as well.

(Photo of Louisville players: Jared Anderson - Louisville Cardinals On SI)

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