PHILADELPHIA — When La Salle baseball takes the field this February, it won’t resemble a program easing its way back into Division I life.
It will look like a roster assembled with intention — older at the plate, younger but strike-throwing on the mound, and stocked with players who arrived through one of the most aggressive recruiting and transfer cycles in the country.
According to Perfect Game, La Salle’s incoming class ranked 19th nationally — a startling number for a program that hadn’t fielded a team since 2021 and a clear signal that this return is built to compete immediately. For a program that hadn’t played a game since 2021, that’s not a rebuild. That’s a statement.
“We’re veterans at the plate,” head coach David Miller said. “Most of our hitters are juniors and seniors. One through nine, we’re deep.”
That depth shows up immediately in the middle of the order.
Outfielder Carter Groen, who transferred from UConn, was the breakout performer of the fall. Miller said Groen hit .440 with seven home runs during fall workouts, flashing power that reshaped the lineup card.
“Kids at his age shouldn’t have that kind of power,” Miller said. “He’s a potential draft pick if he can put it all together.”
Shortstop Justin Szestowicki, who began his career at North Carolina before injuries altered his path, brings physicality and polish to the infield. Miller calls him one of the smoothest shortstops he has coached and plans to hit him in the middle of the order, giving La Salle a power bat at a premium defensive position.
At third base is Rueben Livingston, a junior-college addition Miller describes as “the steal of the century.” Livingston’s recruitment stalled last season after he broke his hand, but his fall performance changed the perception quickly. He now anchors the left side of the infield with both bat speed and arm strength.
Behind the plate, catcher Jayden Novak (College of Charleston) adds muscle and a throwing arm Miller calls a “bazooka.” Novak’s batting practice has become legendary already.
“You’ll never understand what it’s like being a head coach until you have to replace baseballs,” Miller said. “They’re $10 a piece. We start with 120 and end with 30 because guys are hitting them onto rooftops. That’s a great problem to have.”
There is also an international layer to the lineup. Kosei Suzuki, a hitter from Japan, batted .480 in the fall with emerging power, giving La Salle another middle-order option and a different offensive look.
Some of the production will come from loyalty as much as recruiting.
Chase Swain, who followed Miller through multiple stops, returns after time at West Virginia where he hit over .300. His path included a Division III season at Penn State Abington where he batted .412 with 12–13 home runs, earning freshman-of-the-year honors.
“He called me and said, ‘Coach, it’s always been my dream to play at La Salle,’” Miller said. “Next thing you know, I have a .300 hitter coming back to play for me.”
On the mound, the Explorers will look different than at the plate — younger, but not short on weapons.
Opening Day starter Kross Howarth, a transfer sophomore right-hander from Tulane, worked in the 90–93 mph range during the fall with what Miller called “a really good slider and command in the zone.”
The rest of the rotation is built on variety. Owen McDonald, a left-hander from Sacred Heart, returns from injury throwing 87–89 mph with strong off-speed pitches. Ryan Brown (Mount St. Mary’s) has touched 95 mph and settled into the low-90s in fall workouts.
In the bullpen, Miller highlights Titus Shea (Harford), a converted position player who throws strikes at a high rate, along with Marco Livari (Old Dominion) and Emilio Rodriguez (Wilson), both armed with sliders Miller describes as “wipeout.”
“We throw strikes,” Miller said. “We don’t have one flamethrower right now, but we have a lot of guys who can get outs.”
The schedule will provide an immediate measuring stick.
La Salle opens with Maryland Eastern Shore and Delaware before traveling south for a marquee early-season series at Clemson, Miller’s alma mater. The trip is both symbolic and revealing: a reborn program stepping onto one of college baseball’s biggest stages with a roster built to test itself immediately.
“That’s going to be a great test for these guys,” Miller said. “It’s the kind of series that shows you who you are.”
What makes this return different is not just the ranking or the talent, but the construction: veteran hitters with measurable production, young arms with velocity and command, and a roster built to compete rather than wait.
“This is a fresh start for everybody,” Miller said. “These kids get to write the next chapter.”
If the fall numbers translate to February, La Salle won’t need much time to announce itself again. It will need only three outs at a time — and maybe a few more baseballs in reserve.
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