The 2025 DBU Baseball season kicks off this Friday as the Patriots take the field at Horner Ballpark to host North Dakota State. As the countdown begins, starting Monday, we'll provide an in-depth preview of this year's team, beginning with a comprehensive look at the pitching staff and what to expect on the mound this season.

PITCHING PREVIEW
Last year's dynamic one-two punch in the weekend rotation of Ryan Johnson and Jaron DeBerry ranked among the elite pitching tandems in college baseball. As the Patriots head into the 2025 season, they face the challenge of replacing two cornerstone arms - Johnson, the program's all-time strikeout leader and a second-round MLB Draft pick by the Los Angeles Angels, and DeBerry, who was selected in the third round by the Milwaukee Brewers.

Despite these departures, the Patriots' pitching staff retains a formidable core, returning several arms that played pivotal roles last season. Among the team's eight returning pitchers, three saw time in the weekend rotation, including James Ellwanger, Jerrod Jenkins, and Luke Pettitte, who are each poised to be integral to DBU's rotation in 2025.

Ellwanger arrived at DBU as one of the most highly coveted pitching prospects in the nation, having starred at Magnolia West High School before being selected in the 19th round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals. Opting to continue his development journey at the collegiate level, the electric right-hander made an immediate impact as a freshman at DBU. He opened the season as the Patriots' Sunday starter, lighting up the radar gun with a fastball that touched 100 miles per hour in his collegiate debut. Over the summer, he honed his skills in the Cape Cod League, the nation's premier summer league, further solidifying his reputation as one of the top young arms in the country heading into his sophomore campaign.

Jenkins enters his junior year riding the momentum of a breakout sophomore season in which he posted a flawless 6-0 record with a 3.48 ERA. Initially a bullpen weapon, he transitioned into a midweek starter role before earning a spot in the weekend rotation. His dominance was on full display on April 28 in Miami, Florida, when he combined with Ellwanger for a seven-inning no-hitter against FIU, tossing six hitless frames in a dazzling performance. He continued to thrive on the big stage, tossing six scoreless innings in the Conference USA Tournament to earn All-Tournament honors and enters this season as the CUSA Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

Pettitte is as another key weapon on the mound, coming off a stellar freshman campaign that saw him earn Conference USA Freshman of the Year honors and was tabbed a Second Team Freshman All-American by Perfect Game. Much like Jenkins, he began the season in a relief role before rapidly ascending to the weekend rotation, where he made eight starts and finished the season with a 3-2 record and a 4.17 ERA. With exceptional command, Pettitte struck out 43 batters and issued just nine walks in 36.2 innings of work.

DBU's bullpen remains a strength heading into 2025, with six key arms returning to solidify the staff. Among them are seasoned left-handers Dillon Haines and Tyler Schott, junior Jace Russell, sophomores Charlie Atkinson and Zach Todd, and redshirt freshman, David Heefner. Haines and Schott provide versatility beyond traditional lefty specialists, proving effective against both left- and right-handed hitters. The duo combined for 41 strikeouts over 37.0 innings, showcasing their ability to miss bats in high-leverage situations.

Atkinson is an intriguing bullpen weapon who made an immediate impact as a freshman, logging 20 appearances—just three shy of Chris Haney's 2008 program record for most outings by a freshman. His heavy sinker generated a team-high eight double plays, making him a valuable ground-ball inducer. Todd, another promising young arm, figures to play a key role in 2025. After redshirting his freshman year, he returned to the mound midway through last season and flashed electric stuff, racking up 15 strikeouts in just 11.2 innings while posting a 4.63 ERA.

Russell also showed encouraging signs in his limited action, making five relief appearances without surrendering an earned run in two innings of work. Meanwhile, Heefner is set to make his debut on the mound after redshirting his freshman year and spending last summer in the Alaska Baseball League.

DBU bolsters its pitching staff with a talented group of 14 newcomers, including eight transfers and six freshmen. Leading the Patriots' transfer class are three Division I arms—Nick Bonn (Pepperdine), Micah Bucknam (LSU), and Rian Schwede (Villanova),who each bringing valuable collegiate experience to the mound.

Bonn spent last season in Pepperdine's weekend rotation, making 13 starts in the Friday night spot after serving in a relief role two years ago as a freshman. Bucknam was a 16th round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021 and was part of LSU's national championship as a freshman in 2023. Last year, he made eight relief appearances for the Tigers. Schwede comes to DBU from Villanova where he pitched in 19 games and was second on the staff in strikeouts.

DBU's junior college transfer class brings a wealth of talent and experience, with several arms poised to make an immediate impact on the mound. Left-hander Mason Peters, a transfer from Temple College, possesses electric stuff and is coming off an impressive fall, positioning himself as a potential difference-maker. Joining him is fellow lefty Liam Watt, who arrives at DBU with a championship pedigree after leading LSU Eunice to an NJCAA Division II national title, where he earned National Championship Tournament MVP Pitcher honors.

The Patriots also strengthened their staff with three right-handers from the junior college ranks—Landon Abrahamson, Ryan Borberg, and Ashton Branson. Abrahamson spent the past two seasons at Patrick & Henry Community College, while Borberg, who began his collegiate career at Illinois State, excelled at Johnson County Community College, earning All-Conference honors in 2024. Branson was a dominant force for Crowder College, leading the staff with 96 strikeouts in 66.0 innings while helping guide his team to the NJCAA Division I National Championships.

DBU's incoming class of freshman arms features four promising talents, including left-hander Park Prater and right-handers Avery Duncan, Athan Kroll, and Will Yeary. Prater arrives as a highly touted two-way player after leading Argyle High School to back-to-back state championship appearances in 2022 and 2023. As a junior, he posted the second-lowest ERA in Texas and was ranked the No. 58 left-handed pitcher in the nation by Perfect Game.

Duncan, a standout from Green Bay, Wisconsin, was a First Team All-State selection at Notre Dame Academy and recently earned recognition as the No. 86 right-handed pitching prospect in the class of 2025 by Perfect Game. Kroll was a dominant force at Valor Christian High School, where he helped lead his team to a Class 5A state championship and earned First Team All-State honors as a junior. Perfect Game also ranked him as the No. 3 overall player in Colorado.

Yeary, a local product from Mansfield, Texas, made his mark at Covenant Christian Academy, where he was a two-time All-State selection and named District Pitcher of the Year as a senior.