Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina baseball is just days away from its 2025 season-opening weekend in Statesboro, Ga., as the Catamounts raise the curtain on the season with a three-game set against former Southern Conference foe Georgia Southern at J.I. Clements Stadium.
 
CatamountSports.com looks at the 2025 Catamount baseball team by positions – up first is the battery with Catamount pitchers and catchers, the largest of the position groups.
 
New Leader in the Bullpen:
Western Carolina has a new pitching coach entering 2025 and early dividends have already been felt as the Catamounts enjoyed tremendous growth during the offseason and a ramp up towards 2025's first pitch. Dusty White, the pitching maestro of Wingate University's 2021 NCAA Division II baseball national championship, was added to the Catamount coaching staff back in August 2024, coming to Cullowhee after a season at Campbell.
 
White is a top-level recruiter with a proven track record of forging together successful pitching staffs. Originally from Charlotte and a graduate of Wingate, he led his alma mater from 2015 through 2023 with the high-water mark coming in 2021 with the national title. That squad boasted the nation's 14th-best overall team ERA (4.00). During his time at Wingate, White helped develop four All-Americans, 14 all-region selections, and his pitchers earned a 18 combined all-conference honors.
 
White has a familiar face for Catamount fans working with him this season as Gavin Mortenson, who started 40 of his 67 mound appearances during his four-year career at WCU, returns as a student assistant on the coaching staff. Mortenson, who started a team-high 13 games in 2024, brings his game experience and a tremendous demeanor to the squad in his role helping with many aspects of the pitching staff and team dynamic.
 
And under this header – and speaking of bullpens – preseason work at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium is noticeable as work down the lines and foul pole corners will change the landscape of the ball yard in 2025. The traditional old bullpens that dotted the foul territory in either corner of the outfield are being relocated to outside the field of play outside the brick walls that contain the playing surface while also receiving an upgrade from the current setup.
 
The hard work and generous contributions of WCU baseball alum Donnie Suttles (1996-98), who was a 12th round draft pick by the Cleveland Indians back in1998 and now also owns and operates Big League Camp down in Marion, N.C., helped make the project possible to continue the facility upgrades at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
 
Among the Catamount Returners:
Off the top, Western Carolina is expected to slide its top reliever from a season ago – right-hander Dusty Revis – into a starting role in 2025. A first-team All-Southern Conference selection by the league's head coaches, Revis was heralded as the SoCon's top pitcher by Perfect Game during its preseason look at the conference.
 
Revis boasted a team-best 7-1 record a season ago over 19 appearances with a pair of starts. He posted a 4.41 ERA over 51 total innings, striking out 43 with just 19 walks issued – a key for his success.
 
Revis is one of two returning Catamount pitchers that garnered postseason all-conference plaudits a season ago, collecting second-team honors. The other returning All-SoCon honoree from 2024 is right-hander Davis Budd, who was dubbed SoCon All-Freshman. Budd appeared 17 times with nine starts a year ago. He along with senior RHP Spenser Hamblen return as WCU's most seasoned starters, both climbing the hill in the first inning nine times.
 
Hard-throwing right-hander Cannon Pickell, who returned to the lineup in 2024 with 12 appearances after over a year sidelined by injury, is back and better than ever. His approach through the fall and early preseason practices have impressed the coaching staff – and others. He, along with Revis, are considered two of WCU's top prospects for professional looks – though Pickell's focus is steady on the season ahead, elected a team captain entering the year. He could fill a variety of roles for the Catamounts.
 
Also among WCU's returners are relief aces Shane Huntsberger (19 app.) and Griffin Guinther (15 app.), and solid left-hander in Randolph County product, Ryan White, who returns as WCU's most-used arm in 2024 with 22 appearances with three starts. Fellow southpaw Adam Quincy returns after missing the bulk of last year with injury, while Paddy McGonigal had off-season surgery and is expected to miss this year. Senior Maret Drye also factors into seeing an up-tick in use this season as he brings upperclassman experience to the bullpen.
 
Lengthening the pitching staff, preseason All-SoCon infielder Mason Holton could also see some time on the mound for the Catamounts this year as a two-way player. He started most of his first season in Cullowhee a year ago at third base, helping anchor one of the best left-sides in the SoCon. Before coming to Cullowhee, Holton made seven pitching appearances at Fort Hays State.
 
With the exit of Mortenson, long-reliever and starter Dante Visconti, and ace closer Jonathan Todd, the roles on WCU's 2025 pitching staff will morph throughout the season – especially early – as White and the Catamount coaching staff continue to assess the needs and to fill roles.
 
Other New Faces in the Western Carolina Bullpen:
Among the top newcomers to the Catamount bullpen are upperclassman transfers including senior Evan Langston from Spring Hill College and Brent Walls from Wingate. A product of California, Langston is a three-time transfer who was a two-time All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) selection at Spring Hill in Mobile, Ala. Over the last two seasons, made 31 appearances with 26 starts while posting a 15-7 record with 135 strikeouts. Walls made 36 appearances with six starts over three seasons with the Bulldogs, striking out 52 with a 4.48 ERA.
 
Junior left-handed transfers Davis Wright and Owen Austin from Spartanburg Methodist will add depth and experience. Wright could factor into a starting role after starting 24 of his 25 appearances for the Pioneers, posting a 15-4 record with an ERA of 3.64 while tossing 123.2 career innings with four career complete games, striking out 130 against 52 walks. Averaged 9.46 strikeouts per nine innings. Austin made 16 appearances including nine starts in 2024 with five starts and one complete game. He struck out 70 over 18 walks in 47 total innings with a 2.87 ERA.
 
WCU returns redshirt freshman Kaden Fuller (King, N.C. / West Stokes HS) who did not see action in 2024. He's flanked by a quartet of true freshmen newcomers should factor into time on the mound, especially early in the season while White and the coaching staff continue to flesh out roles. Those rookies that will vie for the baseball include local products Carter Burnette (Asheville) and Charlie Collins (Bryson City), joined by freshmen John Lobs (Winston-Salem), LHP Jacob Arnberger (Atlanta) and two-way infielder and RHP Bryant Kimbrell (West End).
 
Catamount Pitching Staff – Left-Handers (6, listed Alphabetical):
Jacob Arnberger, Fr.; Owen Austin, Jr.; Gavin Maines, Fr.; Adam Quincy, R-So.; Ryan White, Jr.; Davis Wright, Jr.
 
Catamount Pitching Staff – Right-Handers (18, listed Alphabetical):
Davis Budd, So.; Carter Burnette, Fr.; Charlie Collins, Fr.; Maret Drye, Sr.; Kaden Fuller, R-Fr.; Griffin Guinther, So.; Spenser Hamblen, Sr.; Mason Holton, Sr.; Shane Huntsberger, R-So.; Bryant Kimbrell, Fr.; Brandon Langley, Jr.; Evan Langston, Sr.; John Lobs, Fr.; Paddy McGonigal, Sr.; Cannon Pickell, R-Sr.; Dusty Revis, Jr.; Colton Starling, So.; Brent Walls, Gr.
 
Catamount Catchers:
Headlining the returning group is WCU's Swiss army knife in senior Jack Spyke. Entering his third season in Cullowhee after transferring from Winthrop, Spyke split time as the backend of the battery and at first base last season – but could play a myriad of positions if needed. He was a preseason second-team All-SoCon selection at catcher where he has made 35 of his 94 career starts for the Purple & Gold.
 
Spyke is coming off a career-best season where he hit .290 with 12 extra-base hits including eight doubles, a triple, and three home runs. He was voted a team captain entering the season.
 
Expected to split time behind the dish with Spyke are returners in redshirt junior Cam Murray and redshirt freshman Noah Quarless. Murray was selected as this year's Leggett No. 7 Legacy and will wear the coveted No. 7 jersey this season. He has played in 61 games since 2022, redshirting in 2023. He's made 24 appearances in the Catamount starting lineup, 22 of which came behind the plate.
 
Quarless redshirted a season ago, spending much of the season helping in the Catamount bullpen as a true freshman. The Winston-Salem, N.C., native and product of Reagan High, Quarless played for former Catamount catching ironman Spencer Holcomb who started 118 of his 163 career games at WCU including 56 combined starts as a senior in 2018.
 

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Western Carolina baseball – among the winningest programs in Southern Conference baseball history – enters the 2025 season looking for its SoCon-record 24th team championship. The Catamounts have won 13 regular-season titles and captured the tournament championship an additional 10 times. WCU has made 12 appearances all-time in the NCAA postseason including five-straight under former head coach Jack Leggett from 1985 through 1989.
 
Under third-year head coach Alan Beck, the Catamounts are poised to make another jump in 2025 coming off a third-place tie in the SoCon standings a season ago, finishing 28-26 overall with 14 wins in league play
 
The Catamounts open their home schedule with a four-game homestand beginning Tuesday, Feb. 18 against USC Upstate in nonconference midweek action before hosting Big Ten foe Maryland on Feb. 21-23 at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium.
 
Both season and single-game tickets for WCU's 26-game home baseball slate at Childress Field / Hennon Stadium are on sale now and start at just $51 for adult general admission and $26 for youth general admission. Additional seating options include reserved field-level chair back seats and upper-reserved chair backs under cover beneath the press box.
 
Tickets can be purchased in person through the first-floor Athletics Ticket Office in the Ramsey Center, by phone at (828) 227-2401, or online at CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount baseball and WCU Athletics through social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports), Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountBSB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountbsb).