JACKSON, Miss. – The Millsaps baseball team looks to set the tone strong for the 2025 season after adding to a 42-man roster and growing to a deep 56 student-athlete squad.
The Majors will be led by Hall of Fame head coach Jim Paige, who enters his 37th season. His two assistants are familiar faces in Doug Fortenberry and Jackson Hailey.
The Majors will be returning six out of nine field starters from last season and the team will look to stay healthy.
Graduate Wil Wood, a four-time All-conference honoree on the mound, looks to continue his strong showing at starting pitcher for the Majors after leading the Southern Athletic Association with 87 strikeouts.
Wood led the team last season with 70.1 innings pitched. On Feb. 23, the Memphis, Tenn., native recorded the first Millsaps no-hitter since 2014, where he helped Millsaps take down Westminster, 1-0 in a seven-inning matchup.
The left-handed pitcher is currently 13 strikeouts away from 300 career Ks on the mound. Wood also paced the team with five wins in 2024.
Junior Gavin Tranchina could make an impact on the team when in the spotlight. Last season appearing in 14 games and making two starts for the Majors, Tranchina he struck out 23 batters in 22 innings pitched.
Senior Nick Tarantino, made a positive impact on the team, finishing close behind Wood with 62.2 innings pitched and 51 strikeouts.
Honored on the 2024 All-SAA Second Team, Tarantino led the Majors past Westminster, 3-1 on Feb. 24 with a season-high nine strikeouts, while only allowing three hits, two walks and no runs. The outstanding pitcher held Centre College to two runs, zero walks and eight strikeouts on April 7.
Junior Stewart Bonnecaze (20.1 IP, 11 strikeouts) made five appearances during the 2024 season. On March 3, Bonnecaze helped the Majors take down Edgewood, 7-4, where he only allowed one hit and two runs with two strikeouts in five innings pitched.
One of the Majors' top relief pitchers will include redshirt junior Will Norris, who recorded one save last season. He pitched in 47 innings on the hill, while earning 34 strikeouts against his opponents.
Norris also set a career-high of five strikeouts against Centre College on April. 6.
Graduate Clay Busby had eight strikeouts and made 13 appearances last season. During his senior campaign, Busby only allowed one wild pitch and tallied a 3.79 ERA. Busby's stuff can play a huge factor for the Majors when closing out big innings.
Classmate Jackson Hood, another standout pitcher for the Majors, delivered 36 strikeouts in 19 appearances. He amassed a team-high four saves.
Returning key players will include center fielder Jackson Ware. Ware recorded a home run, helping the Majors best LeTourneau, 8-7 on Feb. 9, 2024. Starting in all 41 games for the Majors, he led the team with 40 hits and a .299 batting average. He hit two home runs oand also tallied 15 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.
Senior catcher and designated hitter Evan Scott, another top caliber player for the Majors, led the team with four home runs. He was also named All-SAA Honorable Mention.
Scott's remarkable standout on the field saw him top the team with 11 doubles and 28 RBIs. Scott is a versatile player who can help a huge amount on offense and defense. During the 2024 season, he appeared in 40 games while making 38 starts.
Graduate Branyan Bounds, a distinguished left fielder, saw all 41 starts for the Majors. Bounds was first on the team with 33 runs scored, tied for first with 40 hits and third with 23 RBIs.
Senior right fielder Bradley Pelle, another 41 games starter, will be returning where he left off. Pelle finished second on the team with 31 runs scored and tied for second with Scott with 38 hits. Pelle garnered 12 RBIs.
Graduate David Abbadessa will be returning to second base. After appearing in 35 games with 29 starts, he displayed 10 RBIs and one stolen base last season. On second base he recorded 107 catches and 49 putouts.
Classmate Case Page will be back at first base after 41 starts. He finished third on the team with 142 at-bats and was second with 27 RBIs.
Junior shortstop EJ Ousley, a member of the 2024 CSC Academic All-District® Baseball Team, will be looking for an incredible season after finishing 5-for-5 on stolen bases. The shortstop made a start in every game, finishing sixth on the team with 30 hits alongside 13 RBIs.
Senior Gray Berry, a high-power hitter at bat, will be making his way back to third base after making 38 starts. During his junior year, Berry recorded 25 hits, 17 RBIs, five doubles, two triples and 20 runs.
Sophomore Degan Hensley stood in 20 starts while making 31 appearances. He batted .289, captured 11 runs, 22 hits, two doubles and six RBIs.
Notable returning players will include sophomore Wes Grant, who appeared in 17 games for the Majors, while creating five runs and an RBI primarily as a pinch runner and hitter a year ago.
Next is junior catcher Mason Morgan (16 appearances, seven starts) and Cole Wix (nine appearances), who are talented players that could see more playing time during the 2025 season.
The Majors welcome three players from the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association level. They are right-handed pitcher Braeden Brewer (Meridian CC), catcher JR Moore (East Mississippi CC), and infielder Sam Thomas (Co-Lin CC).
The team also added 19 freshmen to the depth of their roster. In numerical order, the pitchers include Michael Maxwell (2022 District Champion), Luke Hamblen, Kepler Lively, Bryan Guthrie (Three-time All-District baseball player), Fred Fields (2nd Team All-district pitcher, 2024 baseball state champion) and Cam Cressend (District champion).
Carston Williams (Two-time 1st Team All-District 6AAAA, First Team All-District 9AAAA) will be playing as an infielder and a right-handed pitcher.
The field players include first-year students Wes Carr (four-time 1st Team All-District infielder/utility player, 2023-2024 District champion, 2021 All-Region Team), Charles Hunt (2021-22 baseball MVP, two-time First Team All-District and Second Team All-District), Jackson Wall (First Team All-District) Ethan Dulitz, John Montour (Baseball Leadership Award), Josh Ingram (MAIS First Team All-District), AJ Alexander (All-MAIS in baseball and basketball), Caden Stuart (MAIS 4A First Team All-District), Kyle Veal Jr. (Second Team All-District Utility Player), Alden Romano (two-time 1st Team All-District), Alex Gee (senior year had 20 hits, six doubles, 14 RBIs, seven stolen bases) and Mac Moore (Knights Award Winner, Area Champion).
Millsaps will begin the 2025 regular season hosting MUW at Twenty Field on Monday, Feb. 10 before hosting a scheduled three-game home series against Edgewood College, Feb. 14-16.
After the conclusion of the regular season, SAA postseason play will feature a best-of-three series with the No. 2, 3 and 4 seeds hosting, May 2-3. The winners will advance to the double-elimination SAA Championship Series, which will be hosted by the No. 1 seed, May 8-10.
Live video and live stats will also be provided for all home and away contests at gomajors.com.
To keep up to date with everything surrounding the Millsaps College baseball program follow the Majors on X and Instagram, like Millsaps Majors Athletics on Facebook or visit gomajors.com.
Founded in Jackson, Mississippi in 1890, Millsaps College is a national liberal arts college dedicated to academic excellence, open inquiry and free expression, the exploration of faith to inform vocation and the innovative shaping of the social, economic and cultural progress of our region. Consistently ranked as one of the best values in higher education, Millsaps has been praised by Colleges That Change Lives, The Princeton Review, Forbes Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The John Templeton Foundation, and The Fiske Guide to Colleges.
