Seahawk Summer Baseball Update
UNCW represented from Cape Cod to the Coastal Plain
After 57 games, another CAA championship and appearance in the NCAA Tournament’s Conway Regional, the Seahawks finally got a break.
It didn’t last long, though, as members of the UNCW baseball program set out for their collegiate summer league assignments earlier this month and schedules are already underway.
Here’s where you can catch the Hawks this summer as they showcase their skills for scouts and develop toward the 2024 season.
(This list is current as of June 22 — reach out with any edits or additions!)
Appalachian League
LHP Baker Cox — Elizabethton River Riders
LHP Cyle Phelan — Danville Otterbots
RHP Aubrey Smith — Bristol State Liners
LHP Case Stroup — Danville Otterbots
Cal Ripken League
INF Jack Guerrero — Bethesda Big Train
Cape Cod League
C Bryan Arendt — Harwich Mariners
RHP Jacob Shafer — Cotuit Kettleers
1B Tanner Thach — Cotuit Kettleers
2B/SS Brock Wills — Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox
Carolina Collegiate League
OF Jayson Arendt — Wake Forest Fungo
OF Mac Gillespie — Wake Forest Fungo
Coastal Plain League
OF Aiden Evans — Asheboro Zookeepers
RHP Mason Murdock — Wilmington Sharks
RHP RJ Sales — Wilmington Sharks
Into the Portal
The transfer portal isn’t just for college hoops.
Per D1Baseball’s list, more than 2,100 players are exploring their options this summer, including six from UNCW — a relatively minimal number in contrast to some programs.
D1Baseball’s Transfer Portal Tracker (subscription required)
Three underclassmen have entered their names: Relievers Evan Marcinko and Teddy Ruffner, along with infielder Jack Guerrero.
Meanwhile, the other three players in the portal seem to be in line for the MLB Draft or other pro opportunities: Pitchers Brett Banks and Ethan Chenault, and outfielder Dillon Lifrieri.
Should Banks decide to return to college baseball, he’s announced he’ll be playing at NC State next season, while Chenault has committed to Florida State. Both of them appear destined for the top half of the draft, though.
Lifrieri, the CAA tournament MVP and a productive player for three seasons at UNCW, began at Arkansas in 2019 before a stop at San Diego for the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He’s got some pretty great options: pursue a career in baseball or as a pilot, or return to play a final season of college ball elsewhere. If by some miracle he wanted one last ride at UNCW, he’d certainly be welcomed back!
Support the Boys
Along with the transfer portal, NIL (name, image and likeness) is another aspect of the changing landscape in college baseball.
Big things are coming at UNCW next month with the launch of OneSeahawk — a homegrown NIL collective founded and run by graduates with the goal of empowering Seahawk athletes to use their abilities for good in the Wilmington community and beyond. More on that coming very soon.
[Full disclosure: I’ve been asked to help out with media/communications for OneSeahawk, and I can’t wait to see this take off!]
For now, several UNCW baseball players have created their own group via NIL Club, which you can support here. All of the funds raised there will be distributed to the players that join the group, which stands at 25 as of now.