Monmouth Baseball will start their 2026 play this weekend with key players and new additions after finishing 10-17 in CAA play in 2025.
The Hawks 2025 season ended with a less than desirable record, however there were highlights that may carry over into this year. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Ryan Mealy returns after putting together a standout freshman season. Mealy earned himself a 3.56 ERA across 68.1 innings of work, striking out 53 and walking just 14. Starting in nine of his 14 appearances, the New York native put together a 5-2 record. One of his wins was a complete game shutout against CAA opponent North Carolina A&T on Apr. 13, 2025. Mealy was named to the CAA All-Rookie Team and Second Team All-CAA following the conclusion of the 2025 season.
Another key piece heading into the 2026 season for the Hawks is junior first baseman/outfielder Chris Walsh. In his sophomore season, Walsh was a center piece to Monmouth’s offense. Through 46 games played and 192 plate appearances, the Pennsylvania native hit .306 and walked 22 times. He drove home 23 runs, scoring 42 himself. Walsh’s fielding was a strong part of his play as well, building a .989 fielding percentage.
Both Mealy and Walsh were honored with preseason CAA awards. Mealy was named to the Preseason All-CAA team, and Walsh was a Preseason All-CAA Honorable Mention.
The Hawks also made moves in the off-season, adding depth to both the coaching staff and roster. In October, it was announced that the coaching staff had gained two new members: Trey Stover and Eric Reardon. Stover will act as Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator. Following his career at the University of Hartford as a starter, Stover was drafted by the Kansas City Royals. After getting drafted, he continued to play professional baseball internationally. Stover joins the Hawks after three years at Quinnipiac, where he served as an Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator as well. Reardon will serve as the Pitching Coach and the Director for Player Development. He played his college baseball career at Rutgers, where he was a five-time letter winner and two-year captain. While earning his master’s degree in economics, Reardon served as a Graduate Assistant and Pitching Coach for Rutgers-Newark. From there he moved to Wagner College where he served as an Assistant and Pitching Coach for the past two years before moving to Monmouth.
“We’re thrilled to have them on board and can’t wait to see the immediate impact they’ll make,” said Head Coach Dean Ehehalt, in a press release from Monmouth Athletics.
The Hawks added 11 new players to their roster this offseason, including six freshmen and five transfers. The freshman included three right-handed pitchers, two righty outfielders, and one righty infielder. The transfers included two sophomores, one being a lefty outfielder and another being a right-handed pitcher, a junior right-handed outfielder, and two graduate students, one being an infielder and another being a catcher. Adding depth to both their bullpen and defense, Monmouth has given themselves new members to work with and incorporate into existing systems.
The Hawks will open their season with a non-conference match-up against the Richmond Spiders this Friday down in Virginia at 1 p.m. on Pitt Field. The game can be caught on ESPN+.
