Lynn Fall Report: Can a High-Octane Transfer Class Fuel Another Regional Run?

The 2025 season marked a significant turning point for the Lynn baseball program, as the Fighting Knights clawed their way to a 30-18 overall record. This performance represented the program's first 30-win season since 2017 and secured their first NCAA Regional appearance since 2016. Under the steady hand of Rudy Garbalosa, who enters his 26th season with 688 career victories, Lynn finished third in the hyper-competitive Sunshine State Conference with a 19-11 mark.

The season was defined by resilient stretches, including a late-April surge where the Knights swept a three-game set from Florida Southern by outscoring them 41-15 over the weekend. Though the year ended with a tough loss to Albany State (GA) in the NCAA South Regional, the foundation was laid for a program back on the rise.

The Offense

The Lynn coaching staff enters 2026 facing a significant identity shift, as the roster retains only 22.6% of its offensive production from a year ago. The departure of several All-American caliber bats means the Fighting Knights will rely heavily on a blend of experienced returners and high-upside transfers. Amaris Harrison returns as a vital anchor in the infield; the First Team All-SSC selection provided a steadying presence last year, and in 120 ABs hit .308 with 5 doubles and 9 RBI while maintaining a sharp .430 on-base percentage. Joining him is Bryant Zayas, who showed flashes of versatility across the diamond; in 146 ABs hit .295 with 6 doubles, 3 HR and 19 RBI. The Knights are also eager to welcome back Luca Arenado, a veteran infielder who missed the previous campaign due to injury.

To fill the gaps left by departing stars, Garbalosa hit the recruiting trail hard, bringing in a wave of productive junior college and Division I talent. Scout Simpson arrives from Indian River State after a season where he slashed .331/.479/.455 with 16 stolen bases. The middle of the order gains significant punch with Kyle McSorely, a transfer from RCSJ Gloucester who helped lead his squad to a DIII JUCO National Championship by slashing .365/.565/.718 with 14 HR and 64 RBI. Justin Lopez further bolsters the infield after earning NJCAA DII First Team All-Region honors at Brookdale CC, where he slashed .369/.518/.601 with 8 triples. Behind the plate, Angel Matos looks to provide a veteran presence after hitting .348 at Hillsborough CC, while Jackson Tyer brings Division I experience from Delaware and a career .400 on-base percentage to the outfield.

The Pitching Staff

While the lineup is in flux, the pitching staff is the undisputed strength of the team, returning 62.9% of its innings from 2025. Leading the rotation is Ryan DiMaggio, a First Team All-SSC southpaw who established himself as one of the conference's elite starters. DiMaggio posted a 7-3 record with a 3.84 ERA in 77.1 IP, striking out 65 batters while leading the conference in ERA and ranking 6th in the conference in K% at 19.3%. He is joined by Mason Tinsley, who provided durability with a 3-4 record and a 5.76 ERA in 65.2 IP, and Noah Lucia, who was nearly untouchable in limited starts, posting a 1-0 record with a 2.76 ERA in 29.1 IP. Lynn also anticipates the return of Bryce Pratt, a senior right-hander who is back in the mix after being sidelined by injury last spring.

The bullpen features several arms capable of handling high-leverage situations. Alfonso Lombardi was effective in diverse roles, finishing with a 1-0 record and a 2.63 ERA in 13.2 IP. Hunter Shew also returns to the relief corps after a 2025 campaign where he notched a 3-1 record with a 6.11 ERA in 28 IP, recording one save and a 11.4% K-rate. The staff also gains a boost from Wagner transfer Andrew Ravelo, who struck out 18 batters in 15.1 IP while holding opponents to a meager .211 average last season. Freshman Yandiel Reyes, a highly-touted prospect from the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy, is expected to compete for immediate innings as well.

Key Departures

The Knights must replace an immense amount of hardware from the 2025 squad. The biggest loss is Cole Fowler, the reigning SSC Player of the Year and a D2 Baseball Second Team All-American. Fowler put up historic numbers, hitting .438 with 19 HR and 64 RBI, ranking 1st in the conference in batting average, OPS (1.281), and home runs. The pitching staff loses Nate Shane, an ABCA Second Team All-South Region selection who served as the team's primary closer with 9 saves and a 3.47 ERA. Freshman sensation Brad Benton, the SSC Freshman of the Year who went 7-0 with a 2.56 ERA, has moved on to the Division I level at USC Upstate. Other notable losses include All-Defensive team mainstays David Judge and Shawn Dougherty, as well as consistent run producers Leon Paulino and Blake Mayberry.

Schedule & Outlook

The 2026 road to the postseason begins in Boca Raton on January 30th as Lynn hosts Wingate, a 26-win squad that made an appearance in the SAC Tournament last year. The opening weekend continues with a double-header against Cal State East Bay and a matchup with Catawba, who went 46-14 and hosted a Southeast Super Regional in 2025. Lynn will face an early test in February with a road trip to USC Aiken followed by a rematch against Albany State, the team that ended their regional run last spring and who won the SIAC Tournament in 2025.

Conference play will be as grueling as ever, highlighted by a home series against the defending back-to-back National Champions, Tampa, starting February 27th. Other critical matchups include a home series against Molloy, the ECC Champions, in early March, and a late-season series against Nova Southeastern, who finished 2025 with 26 wins. The Fighting Knights will look to navigate this difficult schedule to return to the NCAA Regionals, which are slated to begin on May 14th. If you value this in-depth, non-paywalled coverage of D2 Baseball, please consider supporting our independent reporting efforts. Your contribution helps us continue providing free access to all our articles without relying on restrictive paywalls. To support our work, please visit our Patreon page: patreon.com/diviibaseball