Montevallo Fall Report: Turner and Radford Lead Falcons into 2026

Entering his 16th season at the helm, Head Coach Chandler Rose has established the Montevallo Falcons as a perennial contender in the Gulf South Conference. Coming off a 2025 campaign that saw the Falcons finish 29-25 overall and make a deep postseason run to the GSC Tournament Championship Game, the program is looking to build on that momentum despite significant roster turnover.

With a 401-328 career record and a regional appearance as recently as 2023, Rose remains optimistic about a squad that features 22 newcomers who are expected to make an immediate impact. The fall season was defined by strong chemistry building, as the coaching staff worked to integrate a large transfer class with a core group of returning veterans. While the team must replace key production from last year's lineup and rotation, Rose believes the 2026 roster has the offensive potential and defensive athleticism to compete at the top of the league once the new pieces settle into their roles.

The Offense

The Falcons return 31.3% of their offensive production from a year ago, anchored by one of the region's most dangerous hitters in McGwire Turner. The redshirt junior is making the move from second base to third base this spring after a stellar 2025 season where he slashed .404/.484/.559 with 86 hits, nine doubles, and 47 RBI. His production earned him ABCA First Team All-South Region and Second Team All-GSC honors, cementing him as a linchpin in the middle of the order. He is joined by fellow ABCA First Team All-South Region selection Evan Radford, a redshirt senior who provides significant thump from the DH spot. Radford was a force in 2025, batting .343 with 16 doubles and a team-high 16 home runs while driving in 56 runs.

The outfield sees the return of sophomore Ian Cartwright, who finished last season strong after battling injuries and followed it up with arguably the best fall performance on the team. In limited action last spring, Cartwright hit .347 in 49 at-bats, showing flashes of the consistency the staff expects this year. Behind the plate, redshirt junior Christian Kallaher returns to action after missing last season with an injury. Regarded as one of the team's best all-around players and leaders, his healthy return provides a significant boost to the lineup's stability.

A trio of transfers look poised to plug directly into the lineup. Junior Caleb Karll, a transfer from Division I Ohio University, is expected to hit in the middle of the order, with Rose praising his offensive potential. Junior Hollon Brock, who arrived from Lurleen B Wallace CC, turned heads with one of the best falls on the roster and will split time between catcher and first base. The coaching staff also highlighted freshman outfielder Mason Woolever and freshman shortstop Joe Chandler, both of whom had tremendous falls and are pushing for early playing time.

The Pitching Staff

The Falcons return 43.2% of their innings from 2025 but face the task of replacing their ace, Adiel Melendez. Melendez, a First Team All-Region selection who pitched to a 2.38 ERA over 98.1 innings, signed a free agent deal with the Atlanta Braves in the offseason. Stepping up to fill the void in the rotation is redshirt senior Mason Creacy, who was a key mid-year addition last season. Creacy posted a 4.10 ERA in 37.1 innings last spring and will be relied upon as a primary starter. Joining him in the rotation mix is junior Zach Wyatt, who finished 2025 strong and carried that momentum into a successful summer in the Northwoods League. Wyatt struck out 27 batters in 36.2 innings last season and looks to take a step forward in role and consistency.

In the bullpen, redshirt junior Logan Medsker is expected to anchor the back end of games. Medsker was a high-leverage arm last year, holding opponents to a .196 batting average against while striking out 30 batters in 21.1 innings. Senior left-hander Matthew Bullard returns as a versatile weapon who filled multiple roles in 2025, logging 59.1 innings with a 5.46 ERA. His experience will be vital for a staff that needs new arms to settle into defined roles.

Several newcomers have emerged as legitimate rotation candidates. Senior right-hander Bodie Vail, a transfer from Division I Samford, had a strong fall and is squarely in the mix for a starting spot. Freshmen right-handers Luke Holbrook and Matthew Sparks also impressed the coaching staff during the autumn camp, showing enough poise and stuff to compete for significant innings early in their collegiate careers.

Schedule & Outlook

The 2026 campaign begins at home on January 30 with a three-game series against Hillsdale. The Falcons face an early litmus test in the second week of the season when they travel to face defending National Champion Tampa from February 6-8. Tampa is coming off a dominant 55-10 season where they claimed back-to-back national titles, making this an elite early-season measuring stick for Rose's new group.

Conference play opens in mid-February with a home series against West Florida, a team that won 36 games last year and advanced to the South Super Regional. Other marquee GSC matchups include a road trip to Mississippi College (35-23 in 2025) and a late-season visit to Delta State, the defending GSC regular-season champions who finished 33-20 a year ago. The Falcons will also look to navigate a challenging slate that features Lee and Valdosta State, ensuring they are battle-tested by the time the GSC Tournament returns to Oxford, Alabama in May.

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