Baseball 1/29/2025 12:00:00 PM Chris Brannick

Central Oklahoma Baseball Returns For 2025 Campaign

Bronchos Bring Back Two Dozen From Last Year's National Tournament Squad

EDMOND – Central Oklahoma opens the 2025 baseball season Friday with the seventh annual Edmond First Pitch Classic at Wendell Simmons Field.

The Bronchos are welcoming eight teams to Edmond, with 14 games scheduled beginning Friday morning. Competition wraps up Monday evening.

"We're excited to get the season started," UCO head baseball coach John Martin said. "Almost half of our roster are returners, so that gives you a good feeling that everyone knows what we expect. The new guys are figuring it out. We've added some talented pieces to almost every position, so we're looking forward to getting started and seeing how they do."

Martin enters his 11th season leading Central Oklahoma. He owns a 282-164-1 record since 2015. The UCO skipper won the 2018 MIAA Championship and has led the Bronchos to four NCAA Division II Baseball Championship appearances (2017, 2018, 2019, 2024).

The Bronchos returned to the national stage last year, going 1-2 at the Central Regional. UCO returns 26 players that were with the team last season, including 22 that played (11 position players & 11 pitchers).

Central Oklahoma opens the season with Missouri – St. Louis Friday afternoon. The Bronchos will play Metro State Denver Saturday, Southeastern Oklahoma State on Sunday, and East Central Monday to wrap up the EFPC.

UCO will hit the road in Week 2 for a similar event hosted by Henderson State and Oauchita Baptist in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The Bronchos are playing HSU and OBU, as well as two games against Southern Arkansas.

The Bronchos host Colorado Christian for a four-game series Feb. 14-16, which almost completes the non-conference schedule for UCO. Central Oklahoma will host Arkansas Tech for a single midweek game in March and visit Oklahoma Baptist in April.

Central Oklahoma begins its 36-game MIAA schedule Feb. 21-23 at Washburn. The Bronchos will play three-game weekend series against 10 of 12 league opponents. UCO will play Northeastern State and Rogers State with three mid-week games against each rival.

The 2025 MIAA Baseball Championship is scheduled for May 7-11 in Joplin, Missouri. The NCAA Baseball Championship begins with regional rounds May 15-18, super regionals May 22-24, and the finals May 30 – June 7.

BREAKING DOWN THE BRONCHOS

INFIELD

Central Oklahoma returns infielders Orlando Gonzalez, Aidan Proctor, Garrett Long, Haden O'Toole, and Ty Chapman, as well as catcher Matt Baughn.

Gonzalez is a fixture at shortstop, appearing in and starting 103 and 104 games over the past two seasons. Proctor played in 40 games in 2023 and stole 34 bases (No. 6 for a single season at UCO). He appeared in 24 games in 2024. Baughn is another third-year Broncho. He played in and started 15 games in 2023 and played in 31 games with 26 starts in 2024.

Long, Chapman, and O'Toole made their UCO debuts last season, and all three played a role. Long played in 45 games and started 42. He was second on the team with eight home runs. Chapman played in 44 games with 25 starts and O'Toole 26 games with 21 starts.

Central Oklahoma will look to several newcomers with a chance to crack the lineup. Grant Randall, Brooks Miller, and Dylan Darnall all have a chance to play multiple positions, with Randall and Miller also vying for time in the lineup as outfielders.

Garrett Casey and Drake Lee can both play catcher and first base and both are, along with Joe Ricchio, working for innings behind the plate with the veteran, Baughn. Another newcomer, Benicio Diaz, is also competing for time in the lineup.

OUTFIELD

UCO has five outfielders returning with Carson Carpenter, Ty Hammack, Caden Robertson, Connor Cox, and Austin Oldham.

Carpenter, who played in 52 of 53 games led UCO with 30 extra-base hits including a team-high 14 home runs and four triples. Robertson missed the first month of the season but still played in 38 games and led the Bronchos with 16 doubles and had nine home runs and two triples. Hammack, who also played in 38 games and dealt with some injury time, had eight doubles, a triple, and two home runs.

Cox was 1-for-2 in four games played and Oldham scored three runs and stole two bases in 10 games played. The duo had a combined three plate appearances.

While Randall and Miller are options in the outfield, Luke Stout and Davan Brady are also competing for time in the lineup. Logan Firgens, a true freshman, is an outfielder that will redshirt this season.

PITCHERS

UCO, which had the best team earned run average in the MIAA last season, has a long list of returners on the pitching staff, including All-American closer Valek Cisneros. UCO returns six pitchers that accounted for 52 of 53 starts last season. Brett Pense, Brady Gilmore, and Dax Sharp all earned All-MIAA honors a year ago. Caleb Burchfield, Preston Giltner, and Chase Yarger also have starting experience and can help there or in long relief.

Pense went 7-5 with a 3.77 ERA and a team-high 63 strikeouts in 71 2/3 innings last season. Burchfield was 6-2 with a 4.21 ERA and had 49 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings of work. Gilmore boasted a 3.43 ERA with a 3-1 record in 42 innings. Sharp registered a 3.44 ERA and a 3-1 record in 36 2/3 innings. Yarger (3.60) struck out 38 in 40 innings and Giltner (6.60) struck out 34 in 36 2/3.

Austin Burda made 28 relief appearances, among the most in the country, and the setup man had a 4.58 ERA in 37 1/3 innings of work. Cisneros would follow and shut it down. The senior right-hander logged 14 saves in 25 appearances, had a 1-1 record, and put down 47 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings of work.

Denton Whiteside, Peyton Medeiros, and Eric Rohrer are also back competing for time out of the bullpen. Brody Berlowitz and Dillon Dibrell are returners that didn't play last year but are expected to serve a role in relief.

Newcomers vying for innings include Danny Satterlee, who will start, and a long list of middle relievers and specialists. Michael Lopez, Brett McComas, John Demcher, Tristan Wittau, Andrew Talburt, Trent Gerber, Brayden Thompson, Tyler Gray, Gage Norvell, Maddux Mayberry, Hagen Hacker, Aaron Baker, and Jesse Slimp are all in the mix.

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Players Mentioned

#21 Matt Baughn: C; 6' 0"; Senior; R/R

#32 Caleb Burchfield: P; 6' 3"; Senior; */R

#39 Valek Cisneros: P; 6' 5"; Senior; */R

#27 Orlando Gonzalez: IF; 6' 0"; Junior; R/R

#12 Brett Pense: P; 6' 4"; Redshirt Freshman; */R

#26 Chase Yarger: P; 6' 2"; Redshirt Freshman; */R

Brody Berlowitz: P; 6' 2"; Freshman; */R

#16 Austin Burda: P; 5' 10"; Junior; */R

#9 Carson Carpenter: OF; 6' 2"; Junior; L/L

#13 Ty Chapman: IF; 6' 3"; Junior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#21 Matt Baughn
: 6' 0"; Senior; R/R
: C

#32 Caleb Burchfield
: 6' 3"; Senior; */R
: P

#39 Valek Cisneros
: 6' 5"; Senior; */R
: P

#27 Orlando Gonzalez
: 6' 0"; Junior; R/R
: IF

#12 Brett Pense
: 6' 4"; Redshirt Freshman; */R
: P

#26 Chase Yarger
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Freshman; */R
: P

Brody Berlowitz
: 6' 2"; Freshman; */R
: P

#16 Austin Burda
: 5' 10"; Junior; */R
: P

#9 Carson Carpenter
: 6' 2"; Junior; L/L
: OF

#13 Ty Chapman
: 6' 3"; Junior; R/R
: IF