A Year in Review: ACU Baseball
5/30/2025 10:00:00 AM | Baseball
ABILENE – From a fall mission trip to the Dominican Republic to a share of the WAC regular-season title, the 2025 ACU Baseball season was defined by purpose, power, and progress. The Wildcats not only stacked wins, but built a foundation of faith, service, and resilience that will shape the program for years to come.
"This group will always hold a special place in my heart," said head coach Rick McCarty. "We want to be known as a program that develops young men as people, as students, and as players."
The seeds of this special season were planted in the fall when the team traveled to the Dominican Republic for a week of service, cultural exchange, and spiritual growth. The impact was immediate and lasting — both on the field and off.
The Wildcats spent their days in San Pedro partnering with a local church to serve the community. They distributed food and essential supplies to over 40 families while connecting with residents through conversation, encouragement, and prayer. In addition to playing a few games against the Dominican Summer Leagues, the Wildcats also ran a baseball outreach for young athletes who were just as passionate about the sport.
19 Wildcats committed or re-committed their lives to Christ on the trip, which led to 6 baptisms when returning back to Abilene. A moment that became the emotional anchor for a team that played for something bigger than themselves.
"The way this group took on challenges and continued to lean into them all the way to a WAC Championship will be shared with the team in the future as they raised the bar in so many ways," McCarty said. "They developed a tight bond with each other very quickly in the fall, I truly believe a large part of that was from our mission trip to the Dominican Republic. They set a program record for both fall and spring GPA and ended with a 3.50 cumulative on the year."
Kicking off the season in February, The Wildcats held their own in their non-conference slate, going 15-7, with the longest consecutive win streak on the year at 11. Some of those wins include beating reigning Big Ten Champions, Illinois, 10-9 and Wichita State at Globe Life Field 11-9.
ACU faced a challenging start to conference play, going 2-7 through the first three series. Despite the slow start, the Wildcats displayed what their program is all about, resilience, and were ready for their next challenge. They turned their season around and went 13-2 in their next 15 conference games. They finished the season with an impressive overall record of 34-23 and a strong 15-9 mark in conference play. ACU closed out the WAC schedule with five consecutive series wins, including three sweeps. This season marks the fifth consecutive year the Wildcats have reached the 30-win milestone. Their strong finish earned them a share of the Western Athletic Conference regular season championship, tying Sacramento State for first place.
"This group embodied a humble spirit throughout the year and proved their toughness to anyone who was watching," said McCarty. "They earned and deserve to be called Champions."
The 2025 roster had a fair mix of high school, junior college, and 4 year transfers. Junior college standouts Sam Hardcastle, Diego Cardenas, and Grant Watkins made immediate impacts for ACU, bringing a combination of power, defensive versatility, timely hitting, and leadership. Cardenas and Watkins emerged as key forces in the lineup, accounting for 35 of the Wildcats' 63 home runs and driving in 122 runs while posting a combined slugging percentage of .640. Cardenas earned WAC Player of the Week honors during the final weekend of conference play after launching three home runs against Cal Baptist. Hardcastle also played a pivotal role, leading the team in batting average for much of the season and finishing with a .384 on-base percentage.
On the flip side, former Baylor Bear and Elon Phoenix, Henry Cone, made his debut as a Wildcat a memorable one. After fighting off injury for most of the fall, Cone made his first appearance on March 8, against Prairie View A&M. With nine pitches and three strikeouts, Cone was able to pull off an immaculate inning with his first outing of the year. With four years under his belt, Henry was able to take on a bigger role on the pitching staff. Cone had four saves on the year, with 20 strikeouts in 14.1 innings. With a fastball that hit 98.2mph.
Dominick Reid, another four-year transfer from Oklahoma State, has joined conversations as one of the best starting pitchers in ACU history. Reid has been able to lead the team in ERA (3.26), WHIP (1.11), innings pitched (88.1) and most significantly, strikeouts with 112. Reid has been able to uphold a top 20 spot in the nation for strikeouts, and the total number marks an ACU Division I history record. Reid is the first pitcher in the Division I era, and since 2009, to hit triple-digit strikeouts in one season. Reid was named WAC player of the week (May 18) and made First Team All-WAC after the conference.
Freshmen Braden Regala, Brady Gray, Brady Coe, and Louis Bussard all logged meaningful innings this season, setting the stage for a promising future at ACU. Regala showcased his speed and on-base ability, finishing with a .383 OBP and leading both the team and the conference with 29 stolen bases. Gray got off to a strong start before his season was unfortunately cut short due to injury. Coe made a significant impact as a two-way player, especially on the mound, where he notched four wins and four saves. In 27 innings across 17 appearances, he recorded 26 strikeouts. Bussard also contributed at the plate, hitting .293 with 11 RBIs and 21 total bases in 23 games.
The Wildcats don't care how old you are. If you are built of the right cloth, they are ready to take your game to the next level. With another wave of strong High school talent, Junior college additions, and 4 year transfers, the Wildcats are built to sustain momentum in the 2026 season.
Over the past two seasons, seven ACU pitchers have signed professional contracts, further establishing the program's reputation for developing elite pitching talent. With the 2025 MLB Draft set for July 13-15, all eyes will be on which Wildcat will be the next name called.
The Wildcats will return their core group of players from this year's roster while bidding farewell to seven incredible seniors, whose leadership and impact will be remembered as instrumental in this transformative chapter of ACU Baseball.
