Dickinson Baseball has enjoyed back to back seasons of at least 25 wins. They have reached the Centennial Conference championship in both seasons aswell. They fell to Johns Hopkins in the championship in both seasons. The Red Devils were voted as second best in the conference in this year’s preseason rankings, while also receiving one first place vote.
The Red Devils are returning most of their key players. Captains, Catcher Ryan Thompson ‘25 and Starting Pitcher Koll Peichel ‘25 were awarded All-Region and All-Centennial honors last year. They return along with Third Basemen Kaden Sigmon ‘25 and Second Basemen Matt Torres ‘25 who both earned All-Centennial status last season. The lineup remains nearly the same, including Outfielders Dylan Posencheg ‘26, Josh Markley ‘26 and Infielder Luke Gartland ‘27. The Red Devils have been dominant offensively the past two seasons, scoring the second most runs in the Centennial Conference last year. They expect to remain a threat offensively in the upcoming season.
The Red Devils lost a key pitcher in Joey Sangiuolo ‘24 who graduated after a historic career as a reliever and closer for Dickinson. Despite the loss of Sangiulo, Dickinson is bringing back most of their key pitchers. Returning pitchers such as Peichel, Grayson Walker ‘25, Austin Buzza ‘26 and Ben Myers ‘27 will all have crucial roles to play in attempted to get Dickinson back to the championship.
Dickinson will look to earn a bid to the NCAA tournament after falling just under the 30 win threshold two years in a row. Thompson spoke about the idea of their motto of “riding the rollercoaster.”
“A big thing we talked about this year was riding the rollercoaster. When things are good they are really good, but when it’s bad, it is bad. This team is mature, and regardless of results we want to stay level-headed.”
Staying level-headed was echoed from fellow captain Peichel as well. “This year, I think we have a very level head. No matter what happens, we know where we are and we know where our feet are.”
Thompson, the teams starting catcher, has a key role on the field. He is now is looking to make strides as a leader off the field too. Thompson is in his second year as captain and is using the experiences from last year to his advantage. “The biggest thing I learned was I am not able to lead everyone the same. Going into last year, I thought it would be a cookie cutter approach. I learned quickly it would not work and I have to adapt to the identity of the team and the players coming into this year.”
As the catcher, Thompson must understand the ins and outs of his staff.
“I have built a very good relationship with my pitchers. The biggest thing I learned to do is when they are struggling. Peichel, for example, does not mind if I get on him and ride him. A lot of it is drilled in practice. Being able to build a strong relationship starts in the fall and through the winter and it is super important. I value that greatly.”
Despite the team’s success last year, the pitching staff was dealt a key blow after Walker suffered a fully torn UCL in his pitching elbow, requiring him to receive the now popular, yet infamous Tommy John surgery. Walker was not alone though as Peichel also suffered a partially torn UCL last year, forcing him to undergo a partial reconstruction and receive a internal brace in his elbow. The duo, after a long, strenuous summer look to return to form this year.
“I pitched through a partially tor UCL last year, got surgery in July, and have been rehabbing for seven months. I worked really hard on getting explosive and mobile,” Peichel said. For Walker, his rehab process was much longer, but the pair shared a common ground during their comeback rehabbing at Johns Hopkins together this fall.
“On the second day of inter squads, I fully tore my UCL. When I found out it was torn, I had to shift my whole mentality. I kind of became a pitching coach for the guys. It was tough during the playoffs, but I wanted to help as much as possible,” Walker said. “The summer was a lot with rehabbing, working, going to the gym, and throwing. But it definitely helped a lot. It helped create a mentality and a level of focus with my routine where I know if I can handle that workload, I can succeed.”
The injury allowed Walker was to see the game in a different way. “Watching the game, I have learned that I need to relax more. I think learning to relax and take a breath has been super helpful and watching guys like Koll from the bench was helpful to see and understand more about the game now.”
Walker’s relationship with Thompson is impressive. The two lived and worked together in Baltimore this past summer and Thompson was right there every step of the way with Walker during his recovery. Thompson spoke about Walker’s effort. “His work ethic is second to none and the dedication to get himself back to what he’s doing is remarkable. He was up at 5am everyday going to PT before work, then after work he’d go to the gym, and then we would throw. His commitment was admirable.”
For Peichel, rehabbing with Walker was pivotal in his recovery. “It was a good thing for both of us, to check up on each other and make sure we are maintaining our strength and mobility. Going back and forth with each other was just super awesome and working with Grayson motivated me, it made me want to compete for my team.”
Both Peichel and Walker’s rehabs have been successful thus far, even with setbacks along the way. Combining both of their level-headedness with Walker’s newfound approach will help push the rotation. With Thompson and other key bats returning, the Red Devils are poised to have a successful season.