Kai Wagner<\/a>, who posted a .438 on-base percentage and hit 10 home runs, is also back for his junior season.<\/p>\n Outfielders Derrick Tarpley<\/a> Jr. and Mason Ligenza<\/a> are also back. Ligenza, now a sophomore, came into the 2026 campaign with high expectations. He spurned the Dodgers as a sixth-round pick in 2025 and performed very well in limited action. Over 20 games (11 starts), Ligenza hit five home runs and eight extra-base hits.<\/p>\n As for the pitching staff, ace David Leslie<\/a> turned pro after his senior season, as he was drafted in the ninth round by the Yankees. But Pittsburgh did return two other notable arms, Antonio Doganiero<\/a> and Drew Lafferty<\/a>.<\/p>\n Doganiero finished second on the club in strikeouts (53) last season, and earned the second-most starts on the team behind Lafferty. The left-hander doesn\u2019t throw hard, as his fastball mainly sat in the high-80s. But he was relatively effective in non-conference play.<\/p>\n As for Lafferty, he punched out just 44 over 70 frames for the Panthers. Like Doganiero, Lafferty was a mixed bag during ACC play. But he did well enough to help Pittsburgh in their deep run during the tournament, as he logged 8.2 IP over two outings. Fastball up to 93 MPH during that event, coupled with other tricks in the bag.<\/p>\n Joey Ciancimino<\/a> and Brandon Reiter<\/a> also returned.<\/p>\n The Newcomers<\/p>\n It\u2019s a significantly different group for Mike Bell and Pittsburgh, as the Panthers have 26 new players on the roster.<\/p>\n Colin Guerra<\/a> from Chipola JC, Aidan Paradine from Siena, and Carter Groen<\/a> from La Salle are among the newcomers on campus. Groen was a monstrous run producer in the A-10 last season, as the now-senior drove in a team-high 72 runs.<\/p>\n Catchers Brooks Zumwalt and outfielder Johnny Badala are among the notable new freshmen.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Drew-Lafferty-2026-NCAA-Pitch-Movement.jpeg\")
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