2026 PUMA Classic: Saturday Preview
September 10, 2026
On Friday and Saturday, Sept. 11 and 12, the JUCO Wire staff is headed to Westfield, Ind., home of the state-of-the-art Grand Park complex that will, once again, host the annual Puma Classic. This event features 30 teams with many need-to-know prospects who are capable of contributing at the next level – be it a four-year opportunity or pro ball.
Today, we’re going to spend some time breaking down the talent set to play this weekend.
You can find more information about the event by following this link. We assembled the following information with help from these participating head coaches, who shared details on their team’s 2026-27 outlook.
SCHEDULE
Elgin
Head Coach: Bill Angelo
2026 Record: 18-26-1
2026 Postseason Run: Lost in the opening round of the conference tournament
Top Returning Players:
+ SO. CF Nate Gerritsen: .349 BA, .470 OBP, 15 2B, 8 SB
+ SO. OF Connor Lund: .378 BA, .441 OBP, 23 SB
+ SO. OF Brennan Coyle: .376 BA, .511 OBP, 37 RBIs
+ SO. C Ryan Schneider: .300 BA, .336 OBP, 5 HR, 48 RBIs
+ R-FR. INF Justin Pold
+ SO. RHP Alex Schiefer: 26.1 IP, 32 SO, 10 BB
+ SO. RHP Matt Rosado: 39.2 IP, 36 SO, 11 BB
+ SO. RHP Caleb Williams: 21 IP, 21 SO, 8 BB
+ R-FR. RHP Sam Hayes
Top Incoming Prospects:
+ SO. 1B/DH Vince Kamarat: transfer from College of San Mateo
+ FR. RHP Hunter Kriese
+ FR. 1B John Ziemer
Frontier
Head Coach: Matt McCue
2026 Record: 35-20
2026 Postseason Run: Lost in the Region 24 tournament
Top Returning Players:
+ SO. OF Mayes Gosser: .330/.406/.484, 9 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR
+ SO. INF/OF Josh French: .300 AVG, 13 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR
+ SO. UTL Jordan Carter: .306 AVG, 6 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR
+ R-SO. C Kasey Lowe: .357/.538/.530, 16 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR
+ SO. OF Garrett Schmidt: .389, 5 2B, 72 AB
+ SO. RHP Johnny Lee: 49.1 IP, 3.47 ERA, 60 SO
+ SO. RHP Aaron Buffington: 41.1 IP, 1.96 ERA, 46 SO
Top Incoming Prospects:
+ FR. RHP Ben Byers
+ FR. OF Hudson Marshall
+ FR. Preston Miller
+ FR. INF JT Ritchie
+ FR. RHP Turner Sparks
Indian Hills
Head Coach: Dru Sebastian
2026 Record: 24-23
2026 Postseason Run: Lost in the Region 11 Championship
Top Returning Players:
+ SO. INF Gage Perri: .345/.435/.613, 8 2B, 10 HR, 47 RBIs
+ SO. OF Brody Geist: .338, 5 2B, 74 AB
+ SO. INF Dryden Pidlisny: .301, 3 2B, 73 AB
+ SO. LHP Maverick Scarpella: 58 IP, 53 SO
+ SO. RHP JD Moffett: 18 IP, 24 SO
Top Incoming Prospects:
+ FR. INF Maddox Bartling
+ FR. LHP Ryan Buffington
+ FR. C Xander Gutmann
+ FR. LHP Samuel Kramer
+ FR. Brock McInville
Kaskaskia
Head Coach: Mitch Koester
2026 Record: 20-28
2026 Postseason Run: Lost in the Region 24 Championship
Top Returning Players:
+ SO. INF Hayden Bugger: .315/.385/.441, 13 2B, 40 RBIs
+ SO. C Asutin Gray: .310 AVG, 7 2B, 4 HR
+ SO. OF Benny Lehman: .313/.500/.531, 64 AB, 3 HR, 19 RBIs
+ SO. OF Brady Hatton: .349 AVG, 63 AB, 6 2B, 2 HR
+ SO. RHP Nathan Evans: 33.2 IP, 29 SO
Top Incoming Prospects:
+ FR. OF Cameron Hoke
+ FR. RHP Dylan Jantz
+ FR. Nolan keller
+ FR. OF Joshua Newton
+ FR. RHP Asher Pruemer
Lincoln Trail
Head Coach: Collin Maynard
2026 Record: 22-26
2026 Postseason Run: Region 24 Tournament appearance
Top Returning Players:
+ SO. UTL Colin Wilbon: .313 AVG, 16 2B, 3 3B, 14 HR, 40 RBIs, 11 SB
+ SO. UTL Bryce Brabender: .377 AVG, 12 2B, 2 3B, 15 HR, 46 RBI, 15 SB
+ SO. INF Landen Smith: .317 AVG, 5 2B, 7 3B, 12 HR, 39 RBIs, 20 SB
+ SO. C/UTL Drew McTagett: .362 AVG, 6 2B, 2 HR, 13 SB
+ SO. RHP Owen Murphy
Top Incoming Prospects:
+ SO. INF Anthony Sedman: transfer from Pensacola State College
+ FR. MIF Reid Turner
+ FR. C/INF Garrett Pugh
+ FR. 3B Sam Davies
+ FR. C Luke Brown
+ FR. RHP Seunghwan Lee
+ FR. RHP Ryder Nicholls
+ FR. RHP Liam Sander
+ FR. RHP Luke Campbell
+ FR. RHP Jacob Piper
Madison
Head Coach: Mike Davenport
2026 Record: 46-12
2026 Postseason Run: Lost in the NJCAA World Series Quarterfinals
Top Returning Players:
+ SO. OF Bryalen White: .333 AVG, 13 2B, 23 RBIs
+ SO. C/INF Ian Salvesen: .361AVG, .944 OPS, 11 2B, 53 RBIs
+ SO. INF Eason Hurd: .302 AVG, .933 OPS, 9 2B, 37 RBIs
+ SO. INF/RHP Casey Wambach: .327 AVG, .965 OPS, 10 2B, 29 RBIs
+ SO. RHP Tavian Shramek: 2.20 ERA, 41 IP, 40 SO, 10 BB
+ SO. RHP Aidson Tevz: 20.1 IP, 29 SO
Top Incoming Prospects:
+ FR. INF Winston Alonso
+ FR. LHP Bron Schaefer
+ FR. INF John Zeamer
+ FR. LHP Joseph Tamboli
Rend Lake
Head Coach: Nate Glant
2026 Record: 25-27
2026 Postseason Run: Region 24 tournament appearance
Top Returning Players:
+ SO. SS Kobie Howard: .340 AVG, 2 HR, 24 RBIs, 18SB
+ SO. CF Brendan McKinley: .315 AVG, 9 2B, 2HR, 31 RBIs, 31SB
+ SO. OF/LHP Drew Isenberg: .309 AVG, 2 HR, 20 RBIs
+ SO. 1B/OF Seth Parsons: .308, 6 3B, 30 RBIs
+ SO. RHP Noah Nix: 41 IP, 53 SO, 14 BB, 4.17 ERA
+ SO. RHP/C Foster Whisman: 32 IP, 32 SO, 9 BB
+ SO. LHP Drew Isenberg
Top Incoming Prospects:
+ SO. RHP Foster Whisman: transfer from Pellissippi State
+ FR. RHP Garrett Church
+ FR. RHP Andrew Mayes
+ FR. RHP Jacob Lobb
+ FR. RHP Jackson Ficklin
+ FR. INF Adler Flinn
+ FR. INF Grayson Kearney
Rock Valley
Head Coach: Chad Herren
2026 Record: 36-18
2026 Postseason Run: Lost in the Region 4 finals
Top Returning Players:
+ SO. INF Landon Ubrig: .417/.500/.815, 14 2B, 5 2B, 12 HR, 50 RBIs
+ SO. OF Jackson Neilitz: .420/.529/.722, 11 2B, 10 HR, 55 RBIs
+ SO. MIF Luke Schlosser: .393/.522/.686, 15 2B, 8 HR, 42 RBIs
+ SO. C Lawson Alwan: .322 AVG, 3 2B, 3 HR, 87 AB
+ SO. RHP Jonah Roper: 61 IP, 3.69 ERA, 65 SO, 18 BB
+ SO. LHP Jaden Kogutkiewicz: 54 IP, 67 SO, 20 BB
+ SO. RHP Declan Kmiecik: 34.2 IP, 41 SO
Top Incoming Prospects:
+ FR. RHP Landon Lassahn
+ FR. LHP Ryan Flanagan
+ FR. INF/RHP Finn Stovall
+ FR. C Chase Beahm
Southwest Tennessee
Head Coach: Erik Schoenrock
2026 Record: 37-23
2026 Postseason Run: Finished fourth in the regular season and Region tournament
Top Returning Players:
+ SO. OF Donovan Mitchell: .357, 7 HR, 16 2B, 49 RBI, 14 SB
+ SO. 3B Owen Roether: .328, 13 HR, 15 2B, 45 RBI, 14 SB
+ R-FR. OF Tyler Casserly
+ SO. RHP Paul Brignole: 10-2, 4 CG, 5.54 ERA, 79.2 IP
+ SO. RHP Troy O'Keefe: 6-3, 4 SV, 32.0 IP, 36 SO
Top Incoming Prospects:
+ SO. OF Donovan Mitchell: transfer from Pellissippi State CC
+ SO. OF/1B Hayden Short: transfer from Roane State CC
+ SO. RHP Ayden Jacobs: transfer from Northeast Mississippi CC
+ SO. RHP/UTL Ford Raffo: transfer from UA Rich Mountain
+ SO. LHP Logan Strahl: transfer from Jackson State CC
+ FR. RHP Bennett Edwards
+ FR. OF/RHP Zak Turner
+ FR. RHP/OF Landon Carter
+ FR. C/1B Justin Chwedchuk
Vincennes
Head Coach: Chris Barney
2026 Record: 20-38
2026 Postseason Run: Lost in Region 24 tournament
Top Returning Players:
+ SO. 1B/DH Matthew Joey Everroad: .441, 13 HR, 65 RBIs
+ SO. C Ethan Papalios: .401 AVG, 9 HR, 37 RBIs
+ SO. LHP Kaagen Kendall: 39 IP, 37 SO
+ SO. RHP Talan Meyers: 44 IP, 49 SO
Top Incoming Prospects:
+ SO. RHP Kade Langhorst: transfer from Ball State
+ SO. MIF Grant Delaney: transfer from Indiana Tech
+ FR. RHP Cody Bennedict
+ FR. SS Jackson Gilley
+ FR. LHP /CF Eli Hatfield