The 2026 Pittsburgh Panthers were largely carried by the likes of Lorenzo Carrier & David Leslie. And while the club did not make the 2026 tournament, Pittsburgh pushed hard in the in-conference tourney. Now, entering 2027, the club will have a familiar, and yet, a different, look.
The Returnees
While the Pittsburgh Panthers have plenty of newcomers on the roster, there are a healthy number of returnees, too.
Infielder Trey Fenderson is back for his senior season. Fenderson finished third on Pittsburgh last season in total hits (73), three behind Caden Dulin and four off Lorenzo Carrier for the team lead. In his junior campaign, Fenderson hit seven home runs and 23 extra-base hits in 47 games.
Kai Wagner, who posted a .438 on-base percentage and hit 10 home runs, is also back for his junior season.
Outfielders Derrick Tarpley Jr. and Mason Ligenza are also back. Ligenza, now a sophomore, came into the 2026 campaign with high expectations. He spurned the Dodgers as a sixth-round pick in 2025 and performed very well in limited action. Over 20 games (11 starts), Ligenza hit five home runs and eight extra-base hits.
As for the pitching staff, ace David Leslie turned pro after his senior season, as he was drafted in the ninth round by the Yankees. But Pittsburgh did return two other notable arms, Antonio Doganiero and Drew Lafferty.
Doganiero finished second on the club in strikeouts (53) last season, and earned the second-most starts on the team behind Lafferty. The left-hander doesn’t throw hard, as his fastball mainly sat in the high-80s. But he was relatively effective in non-conference play.
As for Lafferty, he punched out just 44 over 70 frames for the Panthers. Like Doganiero, Lafferty was a mixed bag during ACC play. But he did well enough to help Pittsburgh in their deep run during the tournament, as he logged 8.2 IP over two outings. Fastball up to 93 MPH during that event, coupled with other tricks in the bag.
Joey Ciancimino and Brandon Reiter also returned.
The Newcomers
It’s a significantly different group for Mike Bell and Pittsburgh, as the Panthers have 26 new players on the roster.
Colin Guerra from Chipola JC, Aidan Paradine from Siena, and Carter Groen from La Salle are among the newcomers on campus. Groen was a monstrous run producer in the A-10 last season, as the now-senior drove in a team-high 72 runs.
Catchers Brooks Zumwalt and outfielder Johnny Badala are among the notable new freshmen.
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