Cullowhee, N.C. – Five players who saw time across the diamond a season ago return for Western Carolina as one of the most experienced position groups for Catamount baseball as the 2026 season rapidly approaches this Friday. Three of the five started 50 or more games last year, anchored by a pair of fifth-year seniors on the left side of the diamond, as a combined 10 players could split time across the infield.
 
The third of the four position preseason previews continues with the infield, following Monday's look at the Catamount catchers and Tuesday's preview of the WCU pitching staff, all ahead of Friday's first-ever scheduled meeting against George Washington University in #CatamountCountry.
 
WCU must replace an extremely reliable and versatile right-side corner infielder as Jack Spyke, who spent time both at first base and behind the dish, exhausted his eligibility a season ago. Spyke led the Catamounts offensively with a .340 batting average, legging out a team-best 19 doubles with a triple and seven home runs. He also fielded a combined .989 and was part of 12 double plays last year.
 
However, despite the loss, the Catamounts boast perhaps the strongest tandem on the left side of the infield in the Southern Conference, as fifth-year seniors Trent Turner and Mason Holton are back to bolster the lineup and lead the squad. The duo makes up two-thirds of the team's elected captains, joined by redshirt senior catcher Cam Murray.
 
Selected as this year's recipient of the Leggett No. 7 Legacy, Turner is a two-time Brooks Wallace Award watch lister, an annual honor bestowed upon the best collegiate shortstop in America. Turner has started all 112 games in a Catamount uniform since transferring from USC Union, batting .313 over the last two years, including a career-best .325 a season ago. He has 147 career hits, including 71 as a junior and 76 last spring. Among those base knocks are 28 career doubles, two triples, and 22 career home runs, a career-best 14 of which came a season ago.
 
A local product from Waynesville, Turner was a Southern Conference All-Defensive team selection a year ago and was dubbed a first-team Preseason All-SoCon selection ahead of this season.
 
Holton has hit .306 over the past two seasons as a regular starter at third base, making a combined 102 of his 106 starts at the hot corner. He has collected 122 hits for the Purple & Gold, including a career-best 71 knocks in 2025. Among those are 43 extra-base hits with 27 doubles, a triple, and 15 home runs, nine slugged a season ago. The Overland Park, Kansas, native has 84 RBI, 44 coming last season.
 
WCU returns four infielders for their second season in Cullowhee, three of whom saw action a season ago. Sophomore Trey Spees, who collected SoCon All-Freshman team plaudits last year and was a first-team preseason All-SoCon honoree entering this spring, opened 2025 as the starter at second base. Two games into the year, redshirt freshman Jaylen Jones, who could also see time in the outfield this season, moved into the starting lineup until being sidelined by injury in late March in the conference series against VMI. Spees then took over as the everyday second-baseman, capping the year with 52 starts, including 45 on the right side of the diamond.
 
Jones started 15 of his first 16 collegiate games between second and third base last season before being sidelined with a foot injury. The Loganville, Ga., product was hitting .396 with 21 hits through 16 games played. He gives the Catamounts an added dimension with his speed, legging out two doubles and a pair of triples, with seven stolen bases through 16 games ahead of his injury in 2025.
 
Much like Jaylen Jones, who might moonlight in the outfield, WCU has tinkered with returning senior Cole Jones, who has seen action in 94 games in a Catamount uniform since 2023, possibly playing some at first base.
 
The two other second-year infielders include sophomore utility Jackson Lyda and redshirt freshman Jackson Godfrey, who did not see game action a year ago. Lyda ultimately saw action in 11 games with four starts at third base, also seeing time at second in reserve. He had a pair of base hits, including a double as his first collegiate base hit. Godfrey, who prepped at Northwest Guilford High in Greensboro, was a three-sport standout for the Vikings. He's a big-bodied infielder at 6-1, 220-lbs., who can hit for power.
 
Junior Josh Ossiander, who has made 16 appearances on the mound as a member of the Catamount pitching staff, has played in 30 career games with eight starts, four on the hill in 2025 and four as a designated hitter. Also listed as an infielder, he has seen time at second base.
 
Western Carolina has a pair of true freshmen infielders on the 2026 roster in Asheville, N.C., product Carson Wallace, and first baseman from Forest City, N.C., Marshall McGowan. Wallace was a four-time All-Mountain Athletic 3A Conference selection and twice named All-Region, batting .435 while setting a school single-season and career record for doubles. McGowan earned All-State plaudits three times as a prep and was named Southern Piedmont Conference Player of the Year as a senior. Both were two-sport standouts in both football and baseball.
 
Western Carolina opens the 2026 season with seven of its first eight games scheduled for Childress Field / Hennon Stadium in Cullowhee, beginning on Opening Weekend Feb. 13-15, against George Washington. The Revolutionaries finished 27-27 a year ago with a 14-16 mark in the Atlantic-10 Conference.
 
Both season and single-game baseball tickets are on sale now through the Catamount Athletics ticket office, located on the first floor of the Ramsey Center, by phone at (828) 227-2401, and online any time at CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets. Season tickets start at just $51 for adult general admission or $26 for youth general admission. Additional seating options include reserved field-level chair-back seats and upper-reserved chair-back seats under cover beneath the press box.

Fans can also purchase the "Baseball and Bo's Flex Tickets," presented by Bojangles of Sylva. This special flexible package includes 15 general admission ticket vouchers redeemable for any home baseball game and coupons for four FREE Cajun filet biscuits from Bojangles, all for just $50.
 
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).
 
Infielders
3 – Jaylen Jones, R-Fr. (Loganville, Ga.)
4 – Jackson Lyda, So. (Fletcher, N.C.)
5 – Trent Turner, 5th (Waynesville, N.C.)
6 – Trey Spees, So. (Denver, N.C.)
14 – Mason Holton, 5th (Overland Park, Kan.)
18 – Carson Wallace, Fr. (Asheville, N.C.)
19 – Josh Ossiander, Jr. (Northampton, Pa.)
36 – Marshall McGowan, Fr. (Forest City, N.C.)
47 – Jackson Godfrey, R-Fr. (Greensboro, N.C.)