LA MIRADA --- The Eagles have reloaded heading into the 2022 season. A mix of transfers and freshman litter the BU roster, as the team looks forward to its first full campaign since 2019. Biola baseball is also excited for its 2023 recruiting class that is already rounding into an impressive group.

The 2022 recruiting class stacks up nicely with the west region and across the nation. According to Perfect Game, the Biola 2022 recruiting class ranks No. 7 in NCAA DII and No. 1 in the west coast/west of Texas region. In the early going for the 2023 class, Biola currently ranks No. 1 in the nation.

2022 Newcomers:

Taylor Justus is coming in from NCAA DI San Jose State as a catcher. Justus started 20 games behind the plate for the Spartans and was a standout high school player at Agoura.
 
Coach Calhoon: Taylor is a great example of an "OKG" in regards to our overall program development. A high quality student-athlete in the classroom at San José State, solid baseball player, and an even better young man. Getting the opportunity to work with him over the next couple of years is something I am looking forward to.
 
A product of Grand Rapids Christian School, Sam Lisiak is coming all the way from Michigan to join the Biola Boys. Sam was a captain of his high school team and hit .341 with two home runs and 12 doubles. Lisiak played club baseball for Arsenal and Team Ohio over the past summers.

Coach Calhoon: Sam is another type of player we are looking for yearly in the recruiting process. Physical player, great student, and a young Christian man that we are looking forward to pouring into. Sam is a solid catcher who has big bat potential. He impressed us leading up to our prospect camp and left the camp with us even more excited about getting to work with him on a daily basis behind the plate and in the batter's box.
 
The Eagles have also brought in a San Diego City College transfer, Jorge Lucero. The infielder tore it up in the COVID shortened 2019 season, hitting .351 with two home runs and 14 RBIs in 19 games.
 
Coach Calhoon: Jorge is a player I have been excited to work with even before the pandemic struck in 2020. We have waited a couple years to finally have him on our field and in our program and cannot wait to get started. He is a strong defender, solid athlete, and an even better young man.
 
Matthew Nyce will come to La Mirada as a transfer from Lackawanna College. The speedster was 100% on stolen bases last year, adding four doubles and an on-base percentage of .357. He was a catalyst for an offense that made a run deep in the National Junior College playoffs. He was also a standout high school player at Princeton Day School in New Jersey, hitting .367 with six doubles and two triples his senior year.
 
Coach Calhoon: Matthew comes from a very highly regarded junior college in Lackawanna College, playing for a great coaching staff led by Coach McCarry on their way to a NJCAA World Series appearance last year. Matthew is a winner who brings toughness and grit to our program. Another great student who is ready to help lead this team to success on and off the field.
 
The Eagles added to their outfield depth with Gavin Ayers transferring from Wenatchee Valley College. The sophomore started his collegiate career with a .250 batting average with two home runs and a triple in a season shortened by injury.

Coach Calhoon: Gavin is another Northwest product from the NWAC who brings a great set of tools, energy, and work ethic to the program. I am pumped to work with him on a daily basis in our program. He is a competitor who comes from a program that pushes toughness on it's players which is a large part of why Gavin is a great fit in our program.
 
Bobby Brown will join the BU squad in 2022, as an infielder and right-handed pitcher. He played in the Alaska Baseball League this past summer and spent his high school seasons playing for Club MVP.

Coach Calhoon:  Bobby is an exciting two-way player. He is a fantastic student, strong Christian young man, and competitive player that brings an ability to play both in the infield and on the mound for us. I look forward to seeing how Bobby's development in our sports performance program goes in these next four years.

Caleb Bennett will be joining the Biola Boys, as a NCAA DI transfer from Nebraska. The pitcher was ranked as the No. 27 pitcher in California by Prep Baseball Report in 2019 at Corona Centennial. In his high school career, he compiled a 3.71 ERA and recorded 78 strikeouts in 54.2 innings. In the Sunset Collegiate League this summer he had 27 strikeouts and gave up only 12 hits in 14.1 innings.

Coach Calhoon: Coming full circle with the signing of Caleb Bennett, as we spent time with him and his family in the recruiting process while at UC San Diego and now get the opportunity to be a part of his development. He comes from a great family and brings a work ethic and mindset that fits into what our program is built on. I am fired up to see how Caleb's progression goes in our program this fall and in the future.

True freshman Jordan Brown was a standout athlete at Trabuco Hills High School. He went 6-0 on the mound as a senior in 2021 with a 1.52 ERA. Brown helped lead the Mustangs to the CIF Southern Section Division II Championship Game.

Coach Calhoon: Jordan brings great numbers from a solid high school program led by Coach Brouwer, a Biola baseball alum. He stood out at our prospect camp last fall, and I look forward to seeing his development in our sports performance program as well. Jordan has a high ceiling that makes him an interesting prospect in our program.

Biola also added a Parkland Community College transfer in Tristan Cazel. He appeared in 6 games for Parkland CC in Illinois in 2021. Cazel pitched in the Premier Collegiate Development League and worked out at Premier Pitching Performance this summer in St. Louis, MO.

Coach Calhoon: Tristan comes highly recommended by his junior college coach John Goebel as a player that fits into the back of our bullpen. Tristan has a strong work ethic, high academic prowess, and a mentality that makes me excited to give him the ball late in games this fall and spring. 

Nick Merkin was a two-year member at Golden West Community College, before transferring to BU in 2022. He had 11 appearances for the Rustlers in 2021, recording 14 strikeouts and one save in 11 innings pitched.

Coach Calhoon: Another student-athlete we have spent a couple years working with in the recruiting process. Nick brings a left-handed arm that we look forward to using out of our bullpen. He prepped with coaches I respect at Great Oak HS, Eric Morton, in junior college at Orange Coast College for Hall of Fame coach John Altobelli, and Golden West College under my friend and colleague Drew Ramos. I'm juiced to see Nick compete this fall.

Carson Speegle will enter Biola, after appearing in eight games for Everett Community College in 2021. In 22.2 innings pitched, Speegle recorded 27 strikeouts with only two walks and 13 hits allowed and a 1.99 ERA. He also recorded two saves.

Coach Calhoon: Carson had one of the most dominant showings of any pitcher we saw this spring in the NWAC. He is another back end bullpen arm who brings a shut-the-door attitude to the game when he gets on the mound. He comes from another friend and former head coach JoJo Howie at Everett. I am excited to see how his rehab process goes and I know he will be a big part of our program when he is cleared for competition.

Andrew Zittel is coming from Scottsdale Christian Academy. The lefty pitcher posted a 1.24 ERA in 23 appearances in high school. He went 16-2 in 90 career innings with 125 strikeouts to only 35 walks and 52 hits allowed. As a senior in 2021, Zittel went 6-2 with a 1.81 ERA, as well as posting 62 strikeouts in 38.2 innings. He also threw a perfect game in 2021.

Coach Calhoon: Drew impressed at an event last fall and is another great overall fit for our program. He is a great student, strong Christian young man, and is a big left-handed pitcher who has the stuff and the ceiling to be a solid pitcher in our program. Drew has a chance to be the next in a line of great LHP that have come out of Biola over the past few years.

Wyatt Thames will join the Biola Boys in 2022, as an outfielder. The freshman graduated from Coalinga High School in 2021.

Coach Calhoon: Wyatt was our first commit in this class back in February of 2020. He has tools with a very high ceiling of where they can take him. He is an outstanding student, strong Christian young man, and the type of player we want to build our program around. He also comes from a fantastic family who have instilled a work ethic in him that will allow for him to become a special player in our program.

Wyatt Duncan spent 2020-21 at NCAA DI Wagner College in Staten Island, New York, before transferring to BU for the 2022 campaign. He played in 15 games for the Seahawks as a designated hitter and first baseman. He posted a .320 on-base percentage in his time there in two shortened seasons. Duncan prepped at Los Osos High in Rancho Cucamonga, California.

Coach Calhoon: Wyatt is a midyear transfer and we are excited to have him join our program. He brings a physicality and toughness to our program we are constantly recruiting as a mentality for our players. He is an outstanding student, another player who comes from a great family, and has the work ethic to make an impact in our program over the coming years. He adds a power bat to our lineup both this year and in the future and we look forward to seeing him develop.

BU head coach Jeff Calhoon had this to say about the overall 2022 recruiting class, "This group has been outstanding through the recruiting process. They have overcome going through this with cancellations of camps, seasons, and tournaments. They stayed the course and are being rewarded on signing day. CJ Baker has done a great job as the recruiting coordinator putting this class together. As a whole, they come from great families who have been fantastic through this process. I am so thankful for their faith in us to continue to develop their sons as both young Christian men and as baseball players.."

BU continues to look ahead and is excited about its current 2023 incoming class.

Chris McClean 
Coach Calhoon: Chris is an exciting right-handed pitcher who already has feel for three pitches. Chris has an opportunity to make an immediate impact for us on the mound upon his arrival to campus. Chris comes from a great high school program and club program in Washington. We cannot wait to have Chris join our family on campus next fall!

HS Coach: Matt Stevens - Cedar Park Christian
Club Coach: Darran Littlefield - FCA Seattle

Ethan Guerra
Coach Calhoon: We got to meet Ethan last November at our prospect camp and immediately hit it off. He is a player that will stay in the middle infield and can play all three infield spots. He is advanced defensively and brings a switch-hitting bat to our lineup. He is a great fit for both Biola and our program. Cannot wait to get him on campus with our staff!

HS Coach: Josh Perkins - Olathe South
Club Coaches: Blake Iles & Tyler Kincaid - Kansas City Royals Scout Team

Sam DeCarlo  
Coach Calhoon: Sam brings a championship mentality to our program immediately upon arriving on campus next fall. Coming off a CIF Championship last spring, Sam is a great competitor who brings a solid glove to our infield next fall. He plays with a high motor, brings great speed to our offense, and is a fantastic student. I am looking forward to having Sam be a part of our program and to bring a winning mentality to our campus.

HS Coach: Ron Keester - Millikan High School
Club Coach: Pat Murphy - CBA Bears

Noah Ruiz
Coach Calhoon: Noah is one of the most cerebral players we have recruited in our time here. He brings a bat with power to our middle infield and solid defensive acumen. He is an advanced baserunner who fits into our offense upon arriving on campus next fall. I cannot wait to have Noah make an impact not only in our baseball program but on our campus here at Biola.

HS Coach: Ryan Smith - Maranatha Christian
Club Coach: Derric Waller - San Diego Longhorns

Blake Wentz
Coach Calhoon: Blake is another member of our two-way position group we have had success with in our program upon arriving on campus. Blake is a physical middle of the order type of bat that will play in the corner infield for us. He is going to be an asset on the mound bringing competitiveness and toughness to the program that we cannot wait to have next fall!

HS Coach: Deric Yanagisawa - Fountain Valley High
Club Coach: José Murrillo - GBG Renegades

James Whitman 
Coach Calhoon: James is a physical two-way player from San Diego County that looks to be the next in our line of student-athletes from that area we have been able to land. He has an imposing physique at 6'5" 230lbs and is athletic. He has the ability to leave the yard anytime he steps to the plate, and has the tools to be a solid pitcher for us as well. He impressed us in the summer and fall with his competitiveness and athleticism. We look forward to the next four years with this player in our program.


HS Coach: Cole Holland - Helix High School
Club Coach: Edgar Garcia - PFA Matadors