After finishing 29–17 overall and 14–7 in conference play last season, Arcadia enters 2026 as the preseason favorite in the MAC Freedom, earning five first-place votes in the coaches poll. The Knights weren’t the regular-season champion a year ago — they were the No. 3 seed — but they swept second-seeded Misericordia and top-seeded Stevens on the road to capture the conference title and punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
Now they return as the hunted.
Arcadia’s strength begins in the batter’s box.
Five regulars hit .327 or better in 2025, and much of that production returns.
Joshua Agriesti emerged as one of the most dangerous hitters in the conference, batting .345 with a .965 OPS, five home runs and 47 RBI as a freshman. Max Oswald provided middle-of-the-order thump, hitting .329 with a 1.031 OPS, six home runs and 34 walks while reaching base at a .495 clip. Kevin Wheeler hit .327 and stole 17 bases in 20 attempts, giving the Knights a reliable table-setter.
Ryan Radigan added a .339 average and .476 on-base percentage, while Thomas Strauch delivered 12 extra-base hits and seven steals.
Collectively, Arcadia averaged more than six runs per game last season. That offensive consistency helped fuel a postseason surge — and may be even more important this spring.
Because the biggest question facing the Knights is on the mound.
“We lost three-fourths of our innings,” head coach Chuck Thielmann said.
The numbers underscore the challenge.
Will Conroy, who led the team with 13 starts and 50.1 innings, graduated after going 4–1 with a 4.83 ERA and 37 strikeouts. Cam Nebel logged 45 innings with a 3.20 ERA. Mitchell Bramsway contributed 33 innings and four saves with a 3.55 ERA. Gabe Marshall (33.1 IP), Vinny Versaci (29.1 IP), and Jack Dovidio (30 IP) were also key contributors.
Combined, those arms accounted for well over 200 innings on a staff that played 46 games.
The returning pitchers bring upside, but not established volume.
Sage Goeke posted a 1.42 ERA across six appearances, allowing just one hit in 6.1 innings. Luke Hinkle made seven appearances (one start) with a 3.75 ERA. Xavier Sjostedt held opponents to a .128 batting average over 12.2 innings in limited action. Braden Kelly logged 32 innings across 11 starts, showing flashes despite a 6.47 ERA.
There are pieces.
There is not yet a proven weekend anchor.
To address that, Arcadia added Division I experience. LJ Wolff (Wagner transfer) is expected to slot into the rotation. Christian Clauss arrives from Holy Cross, and Ryan Ament transfers in from George Mason. The physicality stands out — Ament and Clauss both at 6-foot-5, freshman Will Buchan at 6-foot-6 — but projection must turn into production.
“It’s nice to talk about these guys,” Thielmann said. “But a lot of them haven’t done it yet. We’ll see what it looks like.”
One hallmark of Thielmann’s tenure has been usage. Arcadia does not rely on a tight seven- or eight-man core. It plays deep into its roster.
“If you look at the past couple years since I’ve been here, we use everybody,” Thielmann said.
That philosophy may be tested more than ever in 2026.
Freshman Chris Quick has impressed early and could crack the lineup. Hunter Dicarlantonio and Buchan offer two-way flexibility. The roster features length on the mound and versatility in the field — traits that become valuable across a 40-plus game season in the Mid-Atlantic spring.
The NCAA regional exit still lingers.
Arcadia opened the regional with a win, then built an 8–2 lead against top-seeded Case Western before the game unraveled late. A narrow loss forced a quick turnaround into an elimination game, where the Knights fell short again.
“It was definitely heartbreaking,” Thielmann said. “A lot of those guys still have that feeling.”
That memory now fuels a team that enters with both belief and burden.
Arcadia opens the season February 21 at Scranton before MAC Freedom play begins March 13 against FDU-Florham at Skip Wilson Field. The conference tournament starts May 1 at the home sites of the top two seeds — a positioning detail that matters for a team projected to finish first.
The Knights have the lineup to score. They have transfers to bolster the staff. They have postseason experience few in the conference can match.
But being picked No. 1 in February guarantees nothing in May.
In 2025, Arcadia proved it could survive the bracket.
In 2026, the challenge is different: carry the expectation — and finish the job.
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