ITHACA, N.Y. — Dan Pepicelli, the Ted Thoren Head Coach of Cornell Baseball, announced Wednesday afternoon that 11 student-athletes have joined the Cornell baseball team, in addition to the release of the Big Red's 39-game schedule for the 2026 season that begins later this month.

The 11 incoming players — nine freshmen and a pair of transfers — compose of six pitchers (one southpaw and five right-handers), two outfielders and three players who can play multiple positions.

NEWCOMER BIOGRAPHIES (sorted in alphabetical order)
Troy Ashkinos • OF/C • 6-3 • 209 lbs. • New York, N.Y. • Trinity-Pawling School • Wesleyan
• Transferred from Division III Wesleyan, where he batted .300 with a .913 OPS and two doubles, three triples, two home runs and 14 RBI across 22 games played (13 starts).
• Earned four varsity letters in baseball and was named team captain in 2024.
• Named to First Team All-Founders League and All-New England Prep teams in 2024.
• Played in 2017 Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa., with Team New England (Fairfield, Conn.), finishing third in US; named Player of the Day by Baseball America after hitting a grand slam against New Jersey in opening game of pool play.
• Finished as class salutatorian and was member of Dean's Advisory Council and National Honor Society.
• Father, Mark, played hockey at Connecticut College and mother, Lisa, rowed at Harvard during senior year. Cousin, Tori Ashkinos, was member of Stanford beach volleyball team (2019-21).

Aiden Barclay • INF/OF • 6-3 • 218 lbs. • Dover, Mass. • Deerfield Academy
• Five-year letterwinner in baseball at St. Sebastian's, where he served as team captain during 2024 season and was an all-league selection after aiding program to earn league championship.
• Served as team captain at Deerfield Academy in a post-graduate year, also earning all-league honors.
• Played three years of hockey at St. Sebastian's, guiding program to league championship in 2024.
• Member of Cum Laude Society, as well as National and Latin Honor Socities.
• Played club baseball for the New England Ruffnecks.

Caden Callaway • INF/OF • 5-7 • 182 lbs. • Kingwood, Texas • Kingwood HS
• Four-year letterwinner in baseball at Kingwood HS, where he served as a two-time captain and aided team to three consecutive 6A District championships.
• Won Class 6A - Division 2 state championship title in 2025.
• Named First Team All-State Academic and Second Team All-State at shortstop, in addition to earning First Team All-District honors and Second Team All-Greater Houston in 2025.
• Selected to 2025 Greater Houston Area Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Team.
• Second Team All-District at second base in 2024 and First Team All-District as an outfielder in 2023.
• Stole 35 bases in 2025, finishing as second-highest total in a single season in Kingwood HS history, and also had third-most runs in a single season (46) and fourth-most hits in a season (52) in 2025.
• Four-year 'A' Honor Roll member.
• Played club baseball with Houston Kyle Chapman.

Andrew Houghton • LHP • 6-3 • 206 lbs. • Portsmouth, N.H. • Phillips Exeter Academy / UMass
• Spent first two years of collegiate career at UMass, appearing in 11 games.
• Registered first career victory against Siena (April 24, 2023) after pitching three innings and striking out career-high five batters.
• Lone start of collegiate career came against UMass Lowell (May 7, 2023), pitching first three innings and fanning three.
• Earned two varsity letters in baseball and basketball at Phillips Exeter Academy.
• Named to All-CNEBL Team and served as team captain of baseball team at Phillips Exeter.
• Member of National Honor Society.
• Played club baseball for North East Baseball.

Jake Hower • OF • 6-0 • 198 lbs. • Erie, Pa. • McDowell HS
• Four-year letterwinner in baseball at McDowell HS, earning All-Region and All-District 10 honors and was named Team MVP during his senior year.
• Earned three varsity letters in football, captaining team during senior year, and also received All-Region and All-District 10 honors.
• Older brother, Jackson, was four-year member of Dartmouth's baseball team (2021-25).
• Grandfather (baseball) and grandmother (swimming) were both student-athletes at Cornell and graduates of the class of 1968.

Trent Lopez • OF • 5-10 • 191 lbs. • Chevy Chase, Md. • Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS
• Second Team All-Met selection as an outfielder by Washington Post in 2025.
• Batted .569 with a .646 on-base percentage and 1.069 slugging percentage (1.712 OPS) with seven doubles, five triples, four home runs and 33 RBI during senior season at Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS.

Connor Niemiec • RHP • 6-1 • 227 lbs. • Westfield, Mass. • Deerfield Academy
• Received First Team All-Central New England Prep Baseball League (CNEPSBL) in 2025 and was also named a CNEPSBL all-star in 2024.
• Earned Second Team All-New England Baseball Journal (NEBJ) and all-league honors by New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) in 2024.
• Selected as MVP of 2025 CNEPSBL Championship Game.

Tony Silva • RHP • 6-3 • 207 lbs. • Danvers, Mass. • The Governor's Academy
• Four-year letterwinner in baseball, where he was named the New England Baseball Journal Utility Player of the Year in 2024, in addition to All-NEPSAC and All-ISL First Team honors.
• Finished as runner-up for Independent School League MVP in 2024 and was selected as team MVP for 2024 season.
• Three-time All-ISL All-Star (2023, 2024, 2025).
• Named to 2022 Diamond Stars Under Armour Next All-Tournament Team.
• Also earned four varsity letters each in football and track and field.
• Served as a two-time captain in football, garnering First Team All-NEPSAC and All-ISL honors in 2024, as well as being tabbed Team MVP.
• Earned three medals in track and field (one silver, two bronze) from United States Track and Field and held school records in 55-meter and and 4x200-meter relay.
• Two-time Coaches Award recipient (2022-23 and 2024-25) and was three-time captain (2022-25).
• Received 2025 Goodwin Athletic Award, given to a senior boy who, through athletic achievements and sportmanship, has brought the greatest honor to his school during his playing career at The Governor's Academy.
• Three-time Honor Roll student and received National Scholastic Silver Key Award, the oldest and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens (grades 7-12) in art and writing.

Alex Stoyer • RHP • 6-4 • 225 lbs. • Stewart Manor, N.Y. • Chaminade HS
• Played three years on Chaminade HS baseball team, where he served as a team captain during 2025 season.
• Also played three years on Chaminade's football team.
• Member of National Honor Society and was named to Honor Roll.
• Played club baseball with Next Level Baseball.

Michael Tight • RHP • 6-3 • 208 lbs. • Lighthouse Point, Fla. • St. Andrew's School
• Four-year letterwinner in baseball at St. Andrew's School, where he captained team to school's first-ever state championship appearance in 2025.
• Named First Team All-County by the Sun Sentinel and Palm Beach Post and was nominated for Palm Beach Athlete of the Year.
• Named St. Andrews' Pitcher of the Year.
• Invited to Florida Senior All-Star Game and was named an Underclassmen All-American by Perfect Game.
• Served as President of senior class and Mu Alpha Theta and was member of National Hispanic Honor Society and was a National Merit Commended Scholar.
• Four-time Honor Roll student and two-time member of Cum Laude Society.
• Played club baseball with Barwis Dragons, where team was invited to WWBA World Championship and finished as Perfect Game WWBA Invitational Champions in summer of 2024 and was runner-ups in Perfect Game WWBA Florida Qualifer in fall 2024.
• Named to Perfect Game All-Tournament Team in every tournament played in 2024 summer season.

Ross Yoshida • RHP • 6-0 • 220 lbs. • Orchard Park, N.Y. • Nichols School
• Four-year player at the Nichols School, aiding program to Georgetown Cup appearance as a senior.
• Received Colpoys-Barrows Cup after striking out 97 batters over 52 innings during senior season, en route to earning Monsignor Martin Player of the Year honors as well as First Team All-WNY and Pitcher of the Year awards.
• Also played two years of hockey, winning pair of state titles, along with being named Freshman of the Year in league and having most points of any freshman in New York State.
• Four-year player on Nichols' golf team, reaching state championship three years in a row and winning two league titles as a freshman and senior.

2026 SCHEDULE OUTLOOK
Cornell will begin its 158th year of baseball on Friday, Feb. 20, when it travels to Spartanburg, S.C., to begin a four-game weekend series against a pair of Power Four opponents in Northwestern and Boston College at the Hub City Invitational. The Big Red will play both teams twice, including a season-opening doubleheader on Friday, facing Northwestern at noon and Boston College immediately after. Rounding out the opening weekend, Cornell will play Northwestern on Saturday and Boston College on Sunday, with both games slated for noon first pitches.

The Big Red will continue its 16-game season-opening road trip with three-game series at Richmond (Feb. 27-March 1), Fordham (March 7-8) and VMI (March 14-15) before opening Ivy League play at Princeton (March 21-22).

Following the three-game series against Princeton, Cornell will return to Booth Field where it will host Harvard in a three-game series for its home opener (March 28-29). After a midweek contest at Army (Tuesday, March 31), Cornell will welcome Dartmouth to Booth Field for a three-game set (April 4-5).

Alternating between home and away Ivy League series for the remainder of the season, Cornell will travel to Penn (April 11-12) before hosting four straight games at Booth Field, facing Binghamton (April 14) and Yale (April 18-19). Following another midweek matchup with Binghamton in Vestal on April 21, the Big Red will travel to Brown for a three-game series (April 25-26).

Hosting its final non-conference game of the season against Bucknell on April 28, Cornell will play its final Ivy League series at home against Columbia (May 2-3) before concluding its regular-season slate at Binghamton on May 5.

The Ivy League Tournament, which will feature the top-four finishing teams in the Ivy League, will be held May 15-18 and hosted by the regular-season champion.