CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte baseball team is set to open their third season at the Division 1 level this weekend as the Royals travel to Hickory, North Carolina for a three-game series against Appalachian State at LP Frans Stadium. The 2025 campaign marks the Royals third season as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference as they are in year three of the NCAA transition to Division 1.
 
"We are excited to get going," said Queens head coach Jake Hendrick. "The guys have been really serious about their development, and we look forward to testing ourselves early in the year with really challenging opponents. There is no doubt that we will be forced to be at our best each time out. Our schedule should provide great feedback on the areas that we want to continue to improve upon heading into ASUN play."
 
The three-game series with the Mountaineers will get underway on Friday, February 14^th at 3:00 p.m. from Hickory. Games two and three will follow on Saturday and Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on both days. Fans can purchase their tickets for the series here. The in-state foes separated by 85 miles are no strangers to each other as they have met six times already in the last three years with the Mountainers controlling a 5-1 series lead. The Mountaineers swept the series last season with a 14-5 victory in Kannapolis and a 15-5 win in Boone.
 
Queens is coming off a historic 2024 campaign under second-year head coach Jake Hendrick. In his first season in the Queen City, Hendrick led the Royals to a 14-41 overall record and 10-20 mark in ASUN play while facing three D1Baseball Top 25 squads in South Carolina, NC State, and Tennessee. Despite the fierce schedule, the Royals made significant strides breaking the program's single-season home run record with 89 blasts, a mark that was second most in the ASUN. On the bases, Queens swiped 71 bags which were the second most in a single season in school history. The pitching staff showed flashes and fanned 360 batters, the third most in a single season.
 
"The offense was the one bright spot on the field last year. James [Cullinane] made a significant impact right away in our ability to drive the ball for power. We've always taken pride in developing a culture of aggressiveness and we were able to accomplish that with the offense in year one. There are going to be a lot of new faces in the lineup in 2025, so I am looking forward to seeing how they play. Losing a talented player like Dillon Lewis is not something you can replace easily, but we return key contributors, and I like the additions we made. I am looking for us to have much more balance up and down the lineup in 2025."
 
Queens will look to replace star-studded outfielder Dillon Lewis after the Charlotte native was selected in the 13th round of the 2024 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees. Lewis was the second Royal in program history to hear his name called on draft day. The 6-3 outfielder put together a historic season starting all 55 games and posting a .371 batting average with 14 doubles, 22 home runs, 63 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases. Lewis broke the program's single-season home run, hits, runs, and RBI records as he was named First Team All-ASUN. The combination of speed and power allowed Lewis to be one of two players in Division 1 baseball last season to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases.
 
Despite losing Lewis, the Royals bring back key contributors on both sides of the ball while adding elite newcomers. Offensively, Queens returns veterans Jake Barbour, Will Budnick, and Nick Alderfer. Barbour, an infielder from Raleigh, North Carolina is coming off a rookie campaign in which he was named ASUN All-Freshman after starting all 50 appearances and hitting .249 with seven doubles, eight home runs, 31 RBIs, and 42 runs scored. Barbour tied Dillon Lewis for the most home runs hit in a single season in program history by a true freshman. Seniors Will Budnick and Nick Alderfer returned for the Royals after hitting .264 and .286, respectively. Budnick brought some pop to the middle of the order blasting 10 home runs, the third most on the team and the most in his storied career in a single season.
 
Queens turned to the transfer portal this offseason to add to their offense and found a trio of stars from Butler Community College in Charlie Marcantel, Anibal Rivera, and Justin Hudson. Marcantel, a sophomore catcher, was named KJCAA All-Conference last season after hitting .371 with 11 doubles, three home runs, and 41 RBIs. Rivera, a junior infielder played two seasons for the Grizzlies making 120 appearances and earning All-Conference Honorable Mention. The Colorado native turned in a career .296 batting average, including a .346 mark last season with 14 doubles, two triples, and eight home runs while stealing 15 bases. Their fellow teammate Justin Hudson also made the trip to the Queen City after two seasons with the Grizzlies. The power bat hit .295 with 31 home runs and 109 RBIs across his career, including a .316 mark with 18 doubles and 16 home runs in 2023.
 
"I'm excited to see how we look offensively early on against a great schedule," said associate head coach and hitting coach James Cullinane. "Replacing Dillon Lewis, the leader of last year's offense that finished second in the ASUN in home runs and third in slugging percentage will be spread throughout a new-look lineup. An impactful signing class led by junior college transfers Anibal Rivera and Justin Hudson has shown to be a dynamic group all fall and early spring. Bringing back Nick Alderfer and Caleb Stewart back from an injury and adding them to returners in Jake Barbour and Will Budnick keep a successful core from last year's offense, and we should see this offense take another step forward in 2025."
 
On the mound, the Royals bring back some key arms while adding a blend of new talent. The Friday night guy last season, Landry Jurecka returns to the same role for his junior season after throwing 74.1 innings, the third most innings in a single season by a Queens pitcher. The right-hander transfer from Kansas State fanned 75 batters last season which was fifth most in the ASUN. Sophomore Jack Renaud made an immediate impact in his first year in Charlotte throwing 51.2 innings, the third most on the team across 23 appearances. Renaud posted 11 scoreless frames and threw a season-high 5.1 innings against Lipscomb. Junior southpaw Joey Ruller is set to return following a season-ending injury in 2024. Across six appearances last season, the Charlotte native twirled 21.0 innings and posted a 4.71 ERA before his season was cut short.
 
In the bullpen, Queens returns plenty of arms in Derek Westfall, Logan Schmitt,  Andrew White, Marshall Pile, and Johnny Joseph. Schmitt paces the returning bullpen arms after throwing 49.2 innings while Johnny Joseph added 20.2 innings across 16 appearances. Queens will get Derek Westfall and Marshall Pile back after the duo missed time last season due to injuries. Pile, a transfer from Charleston turned in a 3.50 ERA across 18.0 innings in 2023.
 
"Pitching and defense needed to be our most improved area," said coach Hendrick. "And it is. We had a great combination of development from guys who got great experience last year and newcomers! Those returners like Landry Jurecka, Jack Renaud, Jack Brooker, Logan Schmitt, Johnny Joseph, Blake Efird, and Andrew White saw a lot of learning and growth between last year and what it looks like going into 2025. We also return a couple of key pieces that were injured in 2024 in Derek Westfall and Joey Ruller who were both starts to open the year last year."
 
Queens added key additions to the staff this offseason in Adrian Quezada, Ryan Brown, and Kensen Green. Quezada and Green are expected to fill starting roles while Brown will be a key bullpen arm. Quezada, a 6-2 junior from Monroe University, spent two seasons with the Express. The right-hander was named an NJCAA Third Team All-American and First Team All-Region as a sophomore. Quezada posted a career .287 ERA across 113.0 innings with 163 strikeouts. Green, a left-handed arm from Spartanburg Methodist College spent two seasons with the Pioneers making 13 appearances. Last season, Green tossed 11.2 innings and finished with a 5.40 ERA while striking out 17 batters. True freshman Ryan Brown has already been deemed a freshman to watch in the league earning D1Baseball Preseason ASUN Freshman of the Year honors earlier this month. The 6-1 utility player out of Ashland, Kentucky brings a poised demeanor with a very competitive three-pitch mix, including a low 90's fastball.
 
"My expectation for the pitching staff is improvement," said pitching coach Luke Bay. "We have more depth in year two and the mentality Coach Hendrick has been cultivating is starting to take hold. I am excited about where this group is at and I believe we will continue to get better."
 
The Royals 2025 campaign features a fierce slate of competition with 10 programs coming off NCAA Tournament appearances. In non-conference play, Queens will square off against four SEC programs, two ACC squads, and tackle opponents from the Big South, Big 12, Sun Belt, Ivy League, and SoCon. Four of the Royals opponents are coming off NCAA Super Regional appearances, including Tennessee and North Carolina who made the College World Series.
 
Queens was picked to finish ninth in the ASUN Preseason Coaches Poll ahead of North Alabama, Bellarmine, and West Georgia. The reigning league champions from Stetson were picked to win the league again with FGCU, Austin Peay, Lipscomb, and Jacksonville behind. Fans can check out the full poll and Preseason All-ASUN Team here. The 2025 ASUN slate will look different this year as the league moves to division schedules. Queens will occupy the Southeast Division with FGCU, Jacksonville, North Florida, Stetson, and West Georgia. Each team will play 10 series (five home, five away) for a total of 30 games against opponents within their division.
 
Be sure to follow the baseball program on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date with Queens Baseball throughout the offseason. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on social media @QueensAthletics, to stay up to date with all of the Royals' Athletics.