Four Youngstown State baseball student-athletes earned preseason recognition from Perfect Game in the website's 2026 Horizon League Preview.
Redshirt junior utility player Nathan Beckley, senior outfielder Brayden Kuriger and redshirt junior infielder Luke Rossi were each named to Perfect Game's Horizon League Preseason All-Conference Team while freshman infielder Misael Uriepero was selected as the website's Preseason Horizon League Freshman of the Year.
Beckley batted .301 and slugged .468 with 52 hits, 15 doubles, one triple, four home runs and 42 RBIs over 52 games and 49 starts in 2025. The Aliso Viejo, Calif., native and Golden West College transfer earned a spot on the 2025 Horizon League All-Tournament Team.
Kuriger batted .301 and slugged .530 with 55 hits, 10 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, 43 RBIs and a team-high 12 stolen bases over 50 games and 48 starts in 2025. The Gonzales, La., native and Nicholls transfer was also selected to the 2025 Horizon League All-Tournament Team.
Rossi is expected to be an important part of YSU's lineup in 2026 after playing in 66 games over the last two seasons at the College of San Mateo. The Salinas, Calif., native played in 41 games while earning First-Team All-Coast Conference honors as a redshirt sophomore in 2025. Rossi batted .384 and slugged .616 with 58 hits, 13 doubles, two triples, six home runs and 41 RBIs while leading the Coast Conference in batting average and hits.
Uriepero batted .381 with a .459 on base percentage, 64 hits, 46 runs scored, 21 RBIs, 13 extra-base hits and 33 stolen bases in 53 games played over two high school seasons in the state of Florida. The Caracas, Venezuela, native was named to the 2024 Perfect Game Underclass All-American Team while also earning a spot on the 2024 Florida 2A-16 All-District Team as a second baseman.
Youngstown State will begin its 2026 season on Friday when it opens a three-game series at Auburn. First pitch for Friday's opener is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET, and all three games of the series will be broadcast live on SEC Network+.
For news and updates throughout the 2026 season, follow @YSUBaseball on X and Instagram.
