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Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association "A" (MIAA)

John Carroll Patriots  

2024 Record: 14-10

John Carroll returns a plethora of impact players from a year ago, and another year of experience may pay dividends for Coach Siler's squad. Pitching will be the keyto success for the Patriots, as it is every year, and the return of a two-headed monster in Brooks Mueller (UMBC) and Pierce Quinn (Virginia) puts them in a really good spot to compete against any lineup the MIAA throws at them. Depth has always been a thorn, however, this year seems a little different as the Patriots can turn to numerous options on the backend with the likes of Anthony Russo, Dalton Cole and Brycen Altland, along with younger depth that should provide key innings.

The offense is and has been the talking point for the Patriots over the last few years, and this lineup is loaded up better than ever entering 2025. Will Rhine (Alabama) was sidelined most of 2024 but looks to be back in full force (at least at the plate) this spring and should solidify the middle of the order, as fellow standout seniors in Casey Carpenter (UNC-Wilmington), Dallas Brooks, Drew Jourdan (Frostburg State), Cameron Leach (Chestnut Hill), and Nicolas Stockson (Misericordia) will all provide a thump throughout the lineup. As always, John Carroll replenishes talent well with their young bucks, as juniors Miguel Leon (Maryland) and Joey Coudon will need to step into bigger roles in 2025 if the Patriots look to dethrown Spalding. 

If the pitching holds up with Quinn and Mueller being dominant, this team can be really special. Coach Siler will need to lean on pitching depth to get through some mid-week series and I believe this is the year, if any that John Carroll can make some serious noise throughout the conference. 

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Loyola Blakefield Dons  

2024 Record: 11-13

One of the more intriguing rosters across the conference, the Dons enter 2025 with high hopes and one of the top pitching staffs across the MIAA. Led by Joe Nottingham (Georgia), Coach Kelly can lean on more pitching depth than he has had in awhile, as lefties Tanner Robertson and Jacob Caponi look to fill larger roles this spring. My dark horse is Junior Trenton Mueck, a 2024 Future Games alum that continues to impress in each look, and the 6-foot-7 righty in our eyes is ready to explode in 2025. This is a four-headed monster poised to turn some heads this spring.

Offensively, the loss of Jacob Hauk will hurt the middle of this order, however, the return of a nice mix of speed, athleticism and power should make for an exciting spring for the Dons. A ton falls on the shoulders of the brothers in Derek (Charleston) and Brad Seiss (Monmouth), as the two will need to build off strong Junior year campaigns and produce at a high level throughout the spring. Sophomore Will Kelly has really come into his own, and our staff believes this could potentially be a breakout year for the young outfielder and one that adds his name to the best of the best in the 2027 class. Look for depth to be provided by yet another exciting sophomore in Davis Champion, a player that can clean up some innings on the bump while potentially adding key at-bats in the order. 

If this pitching staff holds up, look for a successful spring to dawn on Loyola in 2025. 

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Mount St. Joseph Gaels  

2024 Record: 10-16

A new, fresh look is in order for the Gaels in 2025, and this team has the makings of creating something special this spring. The pitching staff is plentiful in top end arms, as Collin Park (Columbia), Peyton Youngbar (Salisbury), Colin Harrison (West Virginia), Andrew Kummer (USC-Upstate), and Carson Kelm will all share the bulk of the innings and should be regarded as one of the more feared pitching staffs in the conference. Harrison and Kummer are the big ones, as the two should see a big increase in innings this spring and the talent spread amongst the two is eye-opening. If this staff can stay healthy, and these arms stay consistent, this rotation has the makings of turning a ton of heads throughout the spring. 

Offensively, there's no question that the Gaels lineup will look vastly different from a year ago. The transfer of Michael Goldsmith will be an interesting follow all spring and should sure up the middle of the order, as the likes of Kellan Clark (Wilkes), Payton Johnson (Hobart), Harrison, and Michael Bahouth will provide depth throughout. A young buck to keep eyes on is Yaniel Escalera, a fast twitch, athletic infielder that looks to provide key playing time in 2025.