WAKEFIELD, RI - Just under a month out from the college baseball season, D1 Baseball has published their Top 25 Rankings ahead of the highly anticipated 2026 season. Of the top 25, a combined five total programs have active and former members of the Ocean State Waves. 

 

As we prepare for the 2026 season at Old Mountain Field, we wanted to give a brief preview on what to expect, teams to cheer on, and players to be on the lookout for.

 

8. University of Louisville

Coming into his fourth season with the Ocean State Waves, and second as the Head Coach, Jalen Borders will return to Wakefield following the conclusion of his second season as a member of the coaching staff at Louisville. 

 

Borders got his start with the Waves as a player in 2023, where he made three appearances before an injury sidelined him for the summer. He concluded his playing career at Belmont University in May of 2024, and returned to the Waves as the Pitching Coach that summer. 

 

Pursuing a graduate degree and working with the baseball program at Louisville, he has the opportunity to work with some of the best minds in college baseball right now, and aims to apply that knowledge and experience to this incredibly talented Waves team. 

 

Following an average regular season and first-round ACC tournament exit, the Cardinals went on an outstanding postseason run, earning themselves a spot in the 2025 College World Series, the “Elite Eight” of college baseball. 

 

Despite an early exit from Omaha, this team returns a lot of talent and will look to make the same strides this year. 

 

20. University of Southern Mississippi

On the active Southern Miss roster, there are six total Waves looking to make an impact - three newcomers, and three alumni. 

 

Already established in the heart of this Golden Eagles lineup is redshirt junior outfielder Davis Gillespie, who spent the summer with the Waves back in 2023. As a true freshman, Gillespie hit .221 with four home runs and 11 RBI’s - far surpassing the league average for freshmen. 

 

In his redshirt freshman season, Gillespie appeared in 57 games making 55 starts, hitting .318 with 46 runs, eight home runs and 44 RBI. The Southern Miss Golden Eagles have won the Sun Belt conference tournament two-of-three seasons Gillespie has been on the team. 

 

While missing the 2025 season due to injury, you can expect the Alabama native to have a major impact upon his return to the lineup this season. 

 

The Golden Eagles return a tandem of pitchers that spent the 2025 summer at Old Mountain Field – Cole Richardson and Teague Broadhead. 

 

Neither player saw action in the 2025 collegiate season; Broadhead took a redshirt year, and Richardson will enter this 2026 season as a true sophomore. 

 

Richardson totaled six appearances on the mound for the Waves, tallying 17.2 innings pitched with 20 strikeouts, and Broadhead made ten appearances with 11.1 innings pitched and 10 strikeouts. 

 

The duo will look to establish themselves into the bullpen rotation for the 2026 season.  

 

As for the newcomers, the Waves have signed pitcher Bruce Littleton, two-way Cooper Waddle, and infielder Gray Eubanks to the 2026 summer roster. Littleton a freshman out of Vestavia Hills, Alabama, Waddle a freshman out of Fulton, Mississippi, and Eubanks a freshman out of Huntingdon, Tennessee.

 

These players have worked tirelessly throughout the offseason to earn their way into consistent roles in an already start-studded Golden Eagles lineup. 

 

21. Wake Forest University

The Waves have a pitching duo present on the 2026 Wake Forest roster - 2025 Wave Rhys Bowie, and 2026 Wave Luke Billings. 

 

Bowie came to the Waves as a true freshman, and one that had already made a name for himself with one of the best baseball teams in the country. In his rookie campaign, Bowie made 18 appearances, tallying 18 strikeouts across 15.2 innings. In those 18 games, he made seven consecutive appearances from the bullpen without allowing a run, and tallied 11 strikeouts during that stretch.

 

In this season, the Demon Deacons reached the regional final of the NCAA tournament, as the two seed in the Knoxville regional. They split their matchups with Tennessee, but the Volunteers advanced due to the double elimination rule. In one of two matchups with the Vols, Bowie fanned three batters in their victory over the regional hosts. 

 

Following an impressive rookie season, Bowie joined the Waves and made an immediate impact. The New Jersey native tallied nineteen innings of work with 29 strikeouts, and just 11 walks. He was selected as a league All Star, where he pitched for one inning in the All Star game, notching two more strikeouts. All in all, he boasted a 1.50 ERA in his eight appearances. 

 

In his offseason training ahead of his sophomore campaign at Wake Forest, Bowie reached an outstanding 96.7 MPH on his fastball. Expect big things out of him this upcoming season. 

 

Joining the Waves this summer is Luke Billings, also entering his sophomore season with the Deacons. Billings was originally signed as a 2025 Wave, but withdrew due to an injury that ended his college season prematurely. 

 

Before his injury, he made three appearances out of the bullpen, tallying four strikeouts in two innings of work. Once fully healed, he will be expected to be a strong contributor. 

 

22. University of Miami

Rolling in at the No. 22 spot, we’ve got three Waves representing the U that everyone should be on the lookout for - 2025 Wave Brandon DeGoti, and 2026 Waves Gabe Milano and Eddie Zaun.

 

DeGoti joined the Waves last summer after a strong Rookie debut at the U, making 23 appearances and eight starts as an infielder. The Miami native wasted no time, making his collegiate debut on Opening Day against Niagara. Competing in one of the toughest conferences in the country, DeGoti notched two home runs, four RBIs and drew 6 walks in his plate appearances. 

 

With the Waves, DeGoti made an immediate impact despite his age; over the summer, he boasted a .252 average, with 17 RBI’s, 10 stolen bases, drew 13 walks and totaled 26 hits. Not only was he a strong defensive player at shortstop, but was reliable getting on base and bringing home runs. With these numbers, he was selected as an NECBL All-Star.

 

Hoping to follow suit representing the Canes, are freshmen Gabe Milano and Eddie Zaun. Both enter as freshmen infielders, highly acclaimed and eager to get to work. 

 

24. University of Arizona

Closing out the top 25 rankings, we’ve got five athletes out of the University of Arizona that are current or former Waves. Returning to the Wildcats roster is junior Owen Kramkowski, who played for the Waves in 2024.

 

Kramkowski joined the Waves as a true freshman, making just three appearances for the Wildcats his rookie year. In his time with the Waves, he appeared in eight games for 28 innings pitched, tallying 29 strikeouts. 

 

Spending the summer with the Waves and the Waves’ pitching development staff, Kramkowski went back into his sophomore season a new ballplayer, and soon earned a starting role with the Wildcats. As a sophomore, he appeared in 18 games, recording 92 innings for 90 strikeouts and finished with a 5.48 ERA. This campaign earned him All-Big Twelve Honorable Mention accolades, and spent the summer in Cary, North Carolina with Team USA. 

 

Ahead of his third season with the Waves, Kramkowski has already been named a Preseason All-American by Perfect Game. He will be a big name to watch for as he enters a draft year. 

 

Entering his first season with the Wildcats as a junior is Corey Kling, who transferred in from the University of South Florida. Kling spent two summers with the Waves, and made the decision to continue his collegiate career with the Wildcats, where he joins former Waves teammate Owen Kramkowski. 

 

In his sophomore season at USF, Kling tallied 30 innings of work with 18 strikeouts and a 5.40 ERA, and looks to improve those numbers as he gets to work with one of the best pitching development staffs in the country in the Arizona Wildcats. In his most recent summer with the Waves, Kling made 7 appearances totaling 26 innings of work, and 25 strikeouts to nine walks on the season. 

 

Joining the Waves for the first time this summer are pitchers Andrew Jacobs and Benton Hickman, along with infielder Cash Brennan. These three will look to carry the legacy of the Wildcats who have preceded them in the Waves organization.