The Westminster College baseball program enters 2025 picked to finish 6th among 10 teams in a recent SLIAC preseason poll. The Blue Jays will look to take the next step after back-to-back deep conference tournament runs. Westminster enters the season with 49 players, including new additions of 17 freshmen and 8 transfers.
With a final record of 17-25, the Blue Jays were an inconsistent bunch for much of 2024. Missing several key pieces from 2023's record breaking offense, the Blue Jays relied on youth and inexperience to supplement a core of seniors. Pitching and defense were a concern throughout the season, while the offense had good days and bad. The Blue Jays particularly struggled on the road, finishing 7-18 away from Saucier Field.
Despite these challenges, Westminster began playing their best baseball by the end of the season. A late-April home sweep over MUW allowed the Blue Jays to snag the 6th and final spot in the SLIAC baseball tournament. The team clashed again with MUW in the first round, upsetting the third seeded Owls 7-5. Westminster would go on to drop the next game to eventual champion Spalding, before defeating Greenville in an elimination game and setting up a clash with Webster. There, the Blue Jays' run ended with an extra-inning classic that saw the Gorloks advance to the conference championship on a walk-off bunt.
If the Blue Jays are to return to the conference tournament in 2025, they'll need to replace the production of a whopping 15 seniors who graduated in 2024, including 3 who will be playing and attending graduate school at other institutions. All-conference shortstop Payton Whitehead (Belleville, IL) moves on to UMaine-Orono (D1), hard-throwing righty Kobe Allen (Maryland Heights, MO) to St. Louis University (D1), and workhorse lefty Bode Gebbink (St. Joseph, IL) to Missouri S&T (D2). The Blue Jays also graduated everyday players Matt Lukins (Clark, MO), Austin Mayton (Wentzville, MO), Jason Pesold (Arnold, MO), and Chris Louie (Calgary, AB), along with key bullpen pieces Matt Trout (Lee's Summit, MO) and Ryan Mills (Festus, MO).
The Jays enter 2025 with a relatively young roster and only 5 seniors. Hunter Pethan (Boonville, MO) and Kaleb Hinkle-Pruett (Alton, IL) are the longest tenured members of the team. The rest of the senior class is made up of former transfers in their second year with the program. Power-speed combo Keli'i Price (Belleville, IL) will look to build off his 2024 debut, where he slugged 7 homers and drove in 26 runs. Right-hander Charlie Schweppe (Ballwin, MO) appeared in 13 games last season and is expected to hold down a rotation spot this spring. Brett Cira (O'Fallon, MO) rounds out the senior class. The two-way player will work out of the bullpen and hopes to have a breakout season with the bat.
Much of the Blue Jays' experience will come from a strong junior class of 12 players. Westminster's lone returning all-conference selection, Troy Romero (Trophy Club, TX), looks to build off a stellar 2024 campaign, where he slashed .352/.481/.509 and stole 23 bases as the Blue Jay leadoff man. Romero has tallied 108 hits over two seasons and will play shortstop this spring. Top starting pitcher Derek Archer (St. Charles, MO) also returns. The righty has logged 141 innings to date and was the SLIAC new-comer of the year in 2023. Other junior arms include Hayden Sanborn (Arnold, MO), Salvador Moncada (Altamonte Springs, FL), Dawson Willard (Lookeba-Sickles, OK), and Brayden Knittel (Ballwin, MO). In the outfield, Donovan
Bohler (St. Louis, MO) will compete for time after posting a .437 on-base percentage in 56 at-bats as a sophomore. Westminster's junior class is bolstered by the addition of 5 transfers. Catcher Caleb Warren (Lexington, SC) projects as an impact bat, Andrew Kuehn (Arnold, MO) should start in the outfield, and the big lefthander, Blake Althuisius (Waynesville, MO) is expected to log significant innings on the mound.
For Westminster, much of the success of the 2025 campaign will hinge upon the emergence of the sophomore class. Aden Pecka (Washington, MO) has the most experience and returns to roam centerfield after logging 129 at-bats as a freshman. In the infield, Domenic Nordmann (Dardenne Prairie, MO) was excellent down the stretch last season and will step into an everyday role at second base. Several more sophomores should see their responsibilities expand in 2025. William Crabtree (Edmond, OK) is expected to be in the lineup, splitting time between third base and catcher, Beno Ballard (Rolla, MO) will see action at first base, and William Ashmore (Springdale, AR) will compete for outfield time. On the mound, Richard DeCola (Leawood, KS) is primed to make his debut after medically redshirting last season.
The Blue Jays round out their roster with an exciting crop of 17 freshmen. The program has added depth at every position, including 8 pitchers. Jack Page (Henderson, NV) is a name to watch on the mound. The righty will jump straight into the starting rotation and has the makings of a frontline arm. Other freshmen arms include righthanders Joshua Escobedo (San Antonio, TX), Colyn Wright (Chesterfield, MO), Tayden Harlow (St. Charles, MO), James Duckworth (Wesley Chapel, FL), Ethan Roewe (New Haven, MO) and Owen Tarry (Scott City, MO), along with lefty TJ Grassl (Scottsdale, AZ). On the positional side, Cameron Schlegl (St. Louis, MO) provides a powerful bat at first base and is one of several left-handed hitters who will see action. Brett Montgomery (Rolla, MO) and Braden Eye (Ballwin, MO) should both contribute in the infield, and Sam Alles (St. Peter's, MO) and David Weinhold (Perryville, MO) provide quality depth in the outfield.
Time will tell if the new-look Blue Jays have what it takes to be competitive in 2025. There is optimism surrounding the offense. Even with the loss of big bats Whitehead and Lukins, the lineup feels more complete this year. There is depth and competition at every position, with speed and athleticism being a major strength. The Blue Jays stole 81 bases last year, good for fourth in the SLIAC, and that number is expected to increase. The team is particularly athletic up the middle and across the outfield, which should improve a defense that ranked in the bottom half of the league in fielding percentage and errors committed in 2024.
The biggest questions remain on the mound. Archer, Schweppe and Page will make the bulk of the starts, and they'll need to be strong for Westminster to advance deep in the postseason. In the bullpen, Hinkle-Pruett is the teams' active appearance leader with 33, while the rest of the relievers are inexperienced. The Jays hope to get quality innings from Althuisius, DeCola and Escobedo, among others. A major key will be limiting the long ball. Westminster's staff allowed 60 homers last season, leading the SLIAC by a wide margin.
This year, the Blue Jays kick off the season on Valentine's Day weekend. They'll head to Conway, AR for 4 total games against Hendrix and Millikin Feb. 14-16. The home opener will be the following weekend against Loras. To prepare for a tough conference schedule,
Westminster has beefed up its non-league slate. This year's opponents had a .572 winning percentage against D3 competition in 2024. Three of the teams made conference finals and two advanced to NCAA regionals.
SLIAC play begins Mar. 22 at Greenville, and the first home conference game will be the following weekend against Spalding. The Golden Eagles are two-time defending champions and are again picked to finish first, returning most of their roster. Westminster will play 18 conference games in total and need to finish among the top 6 teams to qualify for the postseason. This year's tournament is scheduled for May 6-10, with the champion advancing to regional play. The Blue Jays last won it all in 2016.
