Our first 2025 NCAA college baseball preview guide will focus on the Mountain West. This conference saw the Fresno State Bulldogs, a university rich with baseball history thanks to their 2008 team and Aaron Judge, win the conference. And, the Bulldogs arguably have a leg up thanks to an exciting infielder. Not to mention, this year’s installment of the Mountain West will feature the addition of Washington State into the fold.
Air Force
Air Force finished first in the Mountain West year during the regular season, thanks to their big bats. Jay Thomason ended his Air Force career with 21 home runs in his senior year and was picked in the 17th round by Minnesota. INF/OF Sam Kulasingam, who hit .426 in 2023, didn’t do as well last year but still hit .323 and went to the Royals in the 13th round.
The Falcons did return several of their best performers from 2024, including weekend starter Dylan Rogers and outfielder Chase Spencer. Spencer hit .326/.417/.498 with six home runs and 21 extra-base hits last season.
Fresno State
Fresno State has been a highly competitive team over the last 20 years and that remained true in 2024. The Bulldogs won the Mountain West title and return one of the more exciting college players heading into 2025. Third baseman Murf Gray shined in the Cape Cod League, hitting .329 with five home runs in the summer circuit. Gray finished third on the team in home runs (10) last year.
Aside from Gray, outfielder Bobby Blandford is back with the Bulldogs. Blandford finished fourth on the team in home runs (9) last year.
New Mexico
New Mexico was an offensive juggernaut last spring. Six regulars hit .300 or better last year for the Lobos, and three — Jake Holland, Will Asby, and Reed Spenrath — cracked the double-digit marker in home runs. Unfortunately, the environment wasn’t too kind to their pitch staff. The Lobos finished in the bottom 40 of the NCAA in team ERA (7.71).
Hitting will likely be front and center again for New Mexico, led by their star from last season. The Lobos return 2024 Mountain West batting champion Khalil Walker, who hit .391 last year for New Mexico. Pitcher Dayne Pengelly, who struck out 58 over 50 as a junior last year, is also back for 2025.
Nevada
Despite a sub-.500 overall record at 25-26, Nevada finished with a 16-14 record in Mountain West play last year. Taylor Holder, who transferred from Oregon after 2022, was a big part of the Wolfpack’s team last year, as he hit .307 with a team-high 14 home runs. Holder returns for 2025.
Michael Ball, who led Nevada in total hits last spring, is also back. However, pitcher Jason Doktorczyk left after 2024, as he was picked in the ninth round by the Twins last July.
San Diego State
San Diego State has a rich baseball history, one that includes Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn and Stephen Strasburg. However, the Aztecs haven’t had a winning season since the pandemic, in 2021. Last year, San Diego State went 17-37 and 10-20 during in-conference play.
The news during the offseason didn’t get much better, as arguably the Aztecs’ two best hitters, Shaun Montoya (Kentucky) and Colby Turner (Michigan) transferred. But, there was some good news to be found this summer. Finley Bates and Zane Kelly, two of their better hitters from 2024, are back. The Aztecs landed former Perfect Game All-American Daniel Arambula, and Mark Melancon joined the team as player development coordinator.
San Jose State
San Jose State, much like the other teams in the Mountain West, hardly looks the same compared to 2024. Hunter Dorraugh hit .377 with 18 home runs in his fifth year of college but he’s off the roster for 2025. The same can be said for Dalton Bowling and Robbie Hamchuk, also fifth-year players who hit well for the Spartans in 2024.
As for who is on the roster, weekend starter Jesse Gutierrez is back for his junior year after 54 strikeouts over 57 innings as a reliever. Speaking of pitching, right-hander Ishaan Khambal, ranked #322 among high schoolers last year by Perfect Game, is also on the Spartans’ roster.
UNLV
Not surprising given the enviroment, UNLV’s pitching staff last year struggled to limit runs. The Rebels finished 178th in the NCAA in team ERA (6.44) last year. However, one pitcher who didn’t struggle was Austin Cates, who struck out 107 en route to a seventh-round selection by the Blue Jays. On the flip side, UNLV’s offense was one of the better ones, with a .487 team slugging percentage that ranked 70th.
UNLV has an older team, with only three true freshmen and nine seniors. Much of their roster is made up of transfers, including former Georgia outfielder Dwight Allen and redshirt freshman Cooper Sheff. However, JP Hefft, who hit .328 last year for the Rebels, is back.
Washington State
Washington State’s 2024 campaign did not go well. The Cougars went 21-32 and 9-21 in the old Pac-12. However, unlike fellow Pac-12 school Oregon State — which will play an independent schedule in 2025 — Washington State moves to the Mountain West this season.
The Cougars look quite different heading into 2025. Strikeout leader Grant Taylor is gone to independent ball after a five-year college career, while Cole Cramer transferred to TCU after hitting .345 last spring. Newcomers include Dayton transer Jake Tedesco, plus eight freshmen.
Be sure to check out more of our college baseball coverage, including when the 2025 NCAA season will get underway.