To put it simply, 2024 was an underwhelming year for Boston College baseball.
For starters, the team finished dead last in the ultra-competitive ACC. They finished with a 22–31 record, only winning eight of their 30 games against conference opponents.
“There were definitely some lows,” BC pitching coach Ryan Forrest said, “The big one being, we were just super banged up on the mound. We lost a bunch of guys.”
But Forrest says things are looking up this season.
“We have so much depth this year,” Forrest said. “From a recruiting standpoint, we brought lots of new guys in. We now have 12 to 14 guys that we’re confident in to get outs at any time. That’s gonna make it really hard for teams to match up with us this season.”
BC made several moves in the transfer portal and also sports a surplus of young, talented freshmen joining the staff in 2025.
On top of that, some key pitchers have returned from injury and are in search of bounce-back seasons on the mound.
The Eagles’ pitching staff could be the deciding factor that pushes the team back into top-of-the-conference status. Here’s a look ahead at the three groups to look out for on the mound in 2025.
The Transfers
Over the past six months, the Eagles have been extremely active in the transfer portal. Headlining the graduate transfers were names like Peter Schaefer from Johns Hopkins and JD Ogden from Columbia.
“Peter’s been extremely good for us this fall,” Forrest said. “I mean you look at his stats from Hopkins before injury—he was putting up video game numbers. And JD, he’s a big lefty … If he’s in the zone, it’s legit first-round back of the bullpen stuff.”
Schaefer’s stats jump off the page—a career 2.10 ERA at Hopkins with 83 strikeouts in only 68.2 innings pitched. He’s a mid-90s thrower with a devastating sweeper and changeup mix.
Ogden’s stats from Columbia fluctuate, but it’s evident that the production jolts up when he controls the strike zone. He has proven in bullpen sessions that he’s capable of sitting in the upper 90s with the potential to touch triple digits.
Also joining the 2025 staff are the left-handed junior transfers—Matthew Spada from Wesleyan and John Kwiatkowski from Manhattan College.
“Spada’s a low-90s lefty with a really good breaker who’s shown upside,” Forrest said. “And John Kwiatkowski comes at you almost from the right-field bullpen. His arm angle is super unique—power sinker guy who’s gonna wreak havoc from a left-hand matchup standpoint.”
Two other central pieces are graduate transfers Karl Meyer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Alex Bryant from Holy Cross.
“Karl’s an upper-80s to low-90s guy whose stuff has ticked up since he’s gotten here,” Forrest said. “He’s also developed a cutter that’s starting to play really nicely. And Alex is a monster on the mound with a low-90s fastball and big 12–6 curveball. In fact, he led our staff in strikeouts this fall, he was really outstanding.”
Meyer started as the “last guy in the bullpen” his sophomore year at MIT and then quickly rose to be the staff’s ace his junior and senior seasons. 2024 was his best year, as he posted a 2.61 ERA with 68 strikeouts in 51.2 innings.
Meyer claims his slider is his best pitch, and he’s looking to implement his new cutter in 2025 to play off that pitch.
Meyer has embraced his time at BC thus far and is looking to leave everything out on the field in 2025.
“I mean, the experience as a whole has just been magical,” Meyer said. “Honestly, that’s the best way I can put it. I’ve got personal goals, sure, like a sub-5 ERA, more strikeouts than innings, but the main goal is to bring Birdball back to its former glory.”
Bryant relies on a three-pitch mix, featuring a four-seam fastball, changeup, and 12–6 curveball. His go-to pitch with two strikes is the curveball, but he’s not afraid to throw fastballs in two-strike counts if hitters start to sit on the breaking ball.
“Who’s in the box doesn’t matter to me—the approach is always the same … strike everybody out,” Bryant said. “I used to be someone who was obsessed with the numbers, but that took my mind away from the craft of pitching. I get more success now focusing on day-to-day improvements.”
But beyond the numbers, one of the most notable contributors to Bryant’s game is his competitive spirit.
“I see the hype around the teams we’re gonna play, and I simply just don’t care,” Bryant said. “My approach is always the same. Get the hitters out. Win the game. I honestly hate losing more than anything.”
The Freshmen
BC brought in a number of talented freshmen pitchers that should set their rotation up for success in the long term.
One name, Gavin Soares, is projected as a possible ace of the staff for years to come.
“He had a really, really great fall for us,” Forrest said. “He’s the future of our pitching staff.”
Another freshman set to make an instant impact includes Venezuela native Cesar Gonzalez.
“Cesar has been really good for us, he’s up to 94 with great feel for all pitches,” Forrest said. “He throws strikes with all his pitches in every count. That’s huge.”
He’s joined by stocky, 6-foot-5 left-hander Brady Miller.
“He’s a big, projectible lefty who’s in the low 90s,” Forrest said. “He throws five pitches that are all different from each other, with great feel for all of them.”
Combined with the likes of other high-level high school recruits John Mass, Connor Southwell, and Jacob Burnham, the freshman pitching class is a force to be reckoned with.
The Upperclassmen
The most notable pitcher returning to the mound for the Eagles is Tyler Mudd. He’s a current senior who transferred to BC from Holy Cross in 2022.
“I mean … look at his numbers from the first half last year before he got hurt,” Forrest said. “He was one of the best arms in the entire ACC.”
Also returning is senior Eric Schroeder, who led the team in wins with five in 2024. He’s an innings-eater who’s no stranger to high-leverage appearances. Schroeder battled injuries in 2024, as did Mudd, but still managed to give the Eagles 36.1 innings.
“Schroder was huge for us last year—he was banged up too, but he still went out and pitched every weekend,” Forrest said.
Returner A.J. Colarusso was BC’s primary left-handed option last season, tying for most starts on the team with 14 games and striking out 63 batters across 65 innings.
“This year, we tried to get a little more left-handed,” Forrest said. “Because last year, it was basically only A.J. carrying the load for us.”
Closing Remarks from the Pitching Staff
“The message for the year is just play good baseball, that’s what [BC head coach Todd Interdonato] always tells us,” Meyer said. “Everyone just cares about playing good baseball day in and day out. We’re all working towards the same goal.”
Forrest plans to mix and match this deep, talented pitching staff on a weekly basis. He noted BC won’t be relying on a traditional starter, reliever, set-up man, and closer system.
“I try to just take it day by day,” Bryant said. “Do my job and make sure I’m a leader for the younger guys to learn from.”
Arms should be ready to come out of the bullpen and then potentially start a game two days after.
“I think this team has the potential for greatness, we’re gonna surprise a lot of people,” Forrest said. “I really believe [the] sky’s the limit for our team.”
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