BOCA RATON, Fla. – Entering the 2026 season, the Lynn Fighting Knights baseball program does so with confidence in its returning pitching staff, optimism around a retooled offense and a clear understanding of the daily standard required to compete in the Sunshine State Conference.

Now in his 26th season as head coach, Rudy Garbalosa said the focus throughout the fall and preseason centered on continuity and preparation, particularly with a veteran group on the mound helping set the tone.

"We've got a lot of experience on the pitching staff coming back," Garbalosa said. "That matters in this conference. Those guys understand how sharp you have to be in your work and in your execution every single day."

The strength of the 2026 Fighting Knights begins on the mound, where Lynn returns a core group of arms that logged meaningful innings a season ago. Returning is a pair of southpaws in All-SSC First Team selection Ryan DiMaggio and Noah Lucia, who owned a 3.07 ERA a year ago. Veteran pitchers like Mason Tinsley, who made 13 starts in 2025, and Chase Wills, a lefty who has made 27 appearances in his Fighting Knight career, provide experience and reliability on the hill. Additionally, Bryce Pratt returns healthy and ready to contribute.

"The nucleus of the pitching staff is back, and that gives us a really good starting point," Garbalosa said. "When you have guys who know how to throw strikes and compete in this league, you can build around that."

Lynn has added depth as well, including freshman Yandiel Reyes, who brings international experience after competing with Team Puerto Rico, and Division I transfer Andrew Ravelo, whose background includes stops at a top California junior college and Wagner.

"That experience across different levels helps," Garbalosa said. "It gives us options and allows younger guys to develop at the right pace."

Offensively, Lynn enters 2026 with a new look but plenty of versatility. Amaris Harrison returns as one of the conference's most consistent on-base threats and a key piece at the top of the order. The 2025 All-SSC First Teamer owned a .430 on-base percentage in his first season for the Blue and White.

"Amaris really understands the strategic side of offense," Garbalosa said. "Seeing pitches, getting on base and creating opportunities. That's something he's great at, and he's helped show our younger guys how important that is."

Also returning are Ivan Herrera (4 HR, .792 OPS in 2025) and Bryant Zayas (28 R, .295 AVG in 2025), both of whom played significant roles last season and help provide stability within a reshaped lineup.

"Those guys have played in this conference and understand the standard," Garbalosa said. "They've been really good about setting the tone."

Lynn added several position players expected to compete for immediate roles, including Scout Simpson and Jason Lashley from Indian River State College, Jackson Tyer from Delaware and Angel Matos from Hillsborough Community College. Redshirt sophomore Luca Arenado also returns after sitting out last season.

"We have an athletic and quick team," Garbalosa said. "We're capable of creating offense in different ways, and we feel really good about the group we have."

Defensively, the Fighting Knights will rely on versatility and competition as new combinations take shape across the field. Zayas and Justin Lopez, a junior transfer from Brookdale CC, are expected to anchor the middle infield, while several players will compete for roles in a reconfigured outfield.

"Defense is the heartbeat of a team," Garbalosa said. "When you pitch well, throw strikes and play clean defense, everything else feeds off that."

Behind the plate, Lynn returns Herrera and Bruce Thornton, with Matos also expected to make a strong contribution.

As always, Lynn's non-conference schedule is designed to prepare the Fighting Knights for the rigors of Sunshine State Conference play.

"We play a schedule that's meant to get us ready," Garbalosa said. "If you can play well in this conference, you can play well in the postseason. It's the same game."

That approach paid dividends in 2025, when Lynn earned an NCAA Regional berth, and Garbalosa believes that experience continues to shape expectations within the program.

"There's a level you have to be at," he said. "Our returners understand that, and they've done a good job of reinforcing it."

The 2026 season also brings added excitement with the anticipated opening of Lynn's new baseball facility later in the year, a development Garbalosa says reflects the growth of the program and the university's commitment to baseball.

"It's unbelievable," Garbalosa said. "This is exciting for our current players, our alumni, our families and the entire university. It's really a culmination of everyone who has been part of this program, and it adds so much joy and pride."

With experienced pitching, a versatile lineup and expectations shaped by recent success, the Fighting Knights enter 2026 focused on consistency, preparation and continuing to move the program forward.

Opening day in Boca Raton is set for Friday, January 30 at 2:00 p.m. against Wingate.