SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State added to its 2026 baseball roster with the addition of 14 players over the summer, a transfer class that was ranked as the 25^th-best nationally by 64Analytics, a company focused on college baseball data and analytics.
 
Head Coach Joey Hawkins on the Bears' transfer class:
"We went into the summer wanting to check boxes in various parts of our roster and our staff did an outstanding job navigating, organizing and recruiting all avenues in the transfer market. We feel like we significantly raised the floor of our pitching staff by adding pitchers with tons of experience but also adding pitchers who can remain in our program for multiple years with tons of upside. The catching and middle infield was a major need for us especially after losing two all-conference players in the middle infield, and our staff did a great job creating depth up the middle of the field with players that have a ton of offensive upside and athletic defensive skills. We feel like we added some experience in the lineup by way of grad transfers that will plug some holes that were created via the draft. Altogether, we feel like we supplemented an exciting group of returners with an outstanding transfer class. We like our group on paper, and we look forward to getting to work this fall!"
 
Missouri State's newest commitments include:
Trent Ash • 5-10 • 180 • RHP • Springville, Utah • Springville High/Bethany Lutheran College
Bobby Atkinson • 5-10 • 195 • 1B/OF • Darien, Ill. • St. Rita of Cascia High/Heartland CC/Coastal Carolina/Bradley
Jackson Beaman • 6-1 • 230 • OF • Lincoln, Mo. • Lincoln High/Missouri/Iowa
Harrison Bouthillette • 6-2 • 198 • C • Indian Land, S.C. • Metrolina Christian Academy/San Jacinto College/USC Lancaster
Charlie Carter • 6-3 • 200 • C • Little Rock, Ark. • Little Rock Christian Academy/Oklahoma State
Bryce Cermenelli • 5-9 • 185 • IF • Norco, Calif. • Norco High/Riverside CC/Central Arkansas
Ross Felder • 6-2 • 185 • RHP • Springdale, Ark. • Har-Ber High/Arkansas
Brayden Gum • 6-1 • 205 • RHP • Omaha, Neb. • Millard North High/Iowa Western CC/Coastal Bend JC
Brock Lucas • 6-3 • 230 • RHP • St. Elizabeth, Mo. • St. Elizabeth High/Missouri
Gabe Roessler • 6-1 • 195 • IF • Rockton, Ill. • Hononegah Community High/Madison College/Milwaukee
Jax Ryan • 6-1 • 185 • IF • Verdigris, Okla. • Verdigris High/Arizona State
Bowen Tabola • 5-11 • 195 • C/UT • Castle Rock, Colo. • Cherokee Trail High/Western Carolina/Eastern Florida State
Lance Wade • 5-10 • 190 • RHP • Baton Rouge, La. • University Lab School/Mississippi College/Winthrop
Daniel Wissler • 6-2 • 185 • LHP • O'Fallon, Mo. • Fort Zumwalt West High/Missouri
 
 
Player Summaries:
 
Trent Ash • 5-10 • 180 • RHP • Springville, Utah • Springville High/Bethany Lutheran College
Ash spent his first two collegiate seasons at Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minn., where he went 14-4 with a 3.20 ERA, 166 strikeouts and a .199 opponent average in 132.1 innings. He averaged 11.29 strikeouts per nine innings with a 2.91 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Named the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year in 2024, pitching 50.1 innings with 58 strikeouts and a 3.22 ERA with one complete game. UMAC Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore, going 11-1 with a 3.18 ERA in 82 innings while striking out 108 with a .196 opponent average. Tossed two complete games in 2025 and helped the Vikings to a conference championship in addition to earning first-team all-region honors.
 
Bobby Atkinson • 5-10 • 195 • 1B/OF • Darien, Ill. • St. Rita of Cascia High/Heartland CC/Coastal Carolina/Bradley
Atkinson played the 2025 season at Bradley, where he was a second-team all-Missouri Valley Conference selection and the MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Batted .332 with the Braves, slugging .582 with a .457 on-base percentage. Finished his season at Bradley with seven homers, three triples, 19 doubles, 42 RBIs and 45 runs scored during his one season in Peoria. Played for Coastal Carolina in 2024, going 2-for-12 at the plate with two RBIs and two runs scored in 11 games. Spent his first two collegiate seasons at Heartland Community College in Normal, Ill. Earned First Team All-America and Region 24 Player of the Year honors his freshman year in 2022. Helped the Hawks to a 57-5 record and NJCAA national championship as a sophomore in 2023. In 114 games at Heartland, batted .393 with a .786 slugging percentage and OBP in excess of .500, slugging 32 home runs and 72 total extra-base hits. Four-year starter for St. Rita of Cascia in Chicago, picking up all-state honors his senior year.
 
Jackson Beaman • 6-1 • 230 • OF • Lincoln, Mo. • Lincoln High/Missouri/Iowa
Beaman will be a sixth-year player after spending 2021-24 at Missouri and the 2025 campaign at Iowa. He saw action in 37 games for the Hawkeyes and hit .234 with a .511 slugging percentage, seven home runs and 21 RBIs. Played two years and had two redshirt seasons at Missouri. In five collegiate seasons, owns a .232/.380/495 slash line with 14 home runs and 43 RBIs in 79 games. Was a three-time all-state selection in baseball at Lincoln (Mo.) High, where he hit .440 or better his first three years, including .568 as a sophomore, before his senior season was cancelled due to COVID-19. Missouri Offensive Player of the Year in football as a high school senior, accounting for more than 5000 total yards and 77 TDs.
 
Harrison Bouthillette • 6-2 • 198 • C • Indian Land, S.C. • Metrolina Christian Academy/San Jacinto College/USC Lancaster
Bouthillette joins the Bears after a pair of JUCO stops. He played of USC Lancaster in his home state in 2025, collecting a home run and seven RBIs in 43 at bats during an injury-shortened season. At San Jacinto College in 2024, batted .240 with a home and 10 RBIs for a Super Regional club. Earned all-state honors as a senior at Metrolina Christian Academy after hitting .410 with 11 homers and 48 RBIs.
 
Charlie Carter • 6-3 • 200 • C • Little Rock, Ark. • Little Rock Christian Academy/Oklahoma State
Carter was a member of a pair of NCAA Regional squads in the 2024 and 2025 seasons at Oklahoma State. He appeared in 27 games with 18 starts behind the plate as a freshman and saw action in 10 games his sophomore year. Collected four hits and two RBIs for the Cowboys and boasted a .991 fielding percentage in more than 200 chances. Prior to OSU, Carter was a four-year starter for Little Rock Christian Academy in Arkansas. He led the Warriors to a Class 5A state title and earned all-state honors in 2023, hitting. 356 with five homers, seven doubles and 35 RBIs that season.
 
Bryce Cermenelli • 5-9 • 185 • IF • Norco, Calif. • Norco High/Riverside CC/Central Arkansas
Cermenelli played two seasons at Central Arkansas (2024-25) and two at Riverside (Calif.) City College (2022-23) prior to joining the Bears. Was a two-year starter at third base for UCA, earning third-team all-Atlantic Sun Conference honors in 2025. Ranked second in the ASUN with a .395 batting average and ninth with a .461 on-base percentage in 2025 to go with a .990 fielding percentage at the hot corner. In 94 games at UCA, he batted .345 and slugged .452 with a .979 fielding percentage, 25 extra-base hits and 71 RBIs. At Riverside CC, Cermenelli hit .328 in 42 career games.
 
Ross Felder • 6-2 • 185 • RHP • Springdale, Ark. • Har-Ber High/Arkansas
Felder is a highly-touted pitcher who redshirted in 2025 at Arkansas. He starred at Har-Ber High School in Springdale, Ark., where he was top 500 national prospect by Perfect Game and rated as the No. 8 prospect in Arkansas in the 2024 class. Won state titles his final two prep seasons and was the tournament MVP his junior year. Earned all-state honors all four seasons with a 33-4 career record and more than 300 strikeouts. Picked up Perfect Game Preseason All-America honors four times and made the publication's Southeast All-Region Team all four prep seasons. Named the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Player of the Year following his 2023 junior season.
 
Brayden Gum • 6-1 • 210 • RHP • Omaha, Neb. • Millard North High/Iowa Western CC/Coastal Bend JC
Gum played for a pair of junior colleges prior to Missouri State. In 2025 at Coastal Bend College in Beeville, Texas, he earned second-team all-conference honors as a reliever, throwing 18.1 innings in 14 games with 19 strikeouts and a 5.40 ERA. Gum redshirted at Iowa Western in 2024
 
Brock Lucas • 6-3 • 230 • RHP • St. Elizabeth, Mo. • St. Elizabeth High/Missouri
Lucas pitched for Missouri his first three college seasons, going 8-5 with a 6.52 ERA in 58 games with three starts from 2023-25. Tossed 117.1 innings with 110 strikeouts and a .278 opponent average. His best year was his sophomore campaign in 2024 with a 4-0 record and 3.63 ERA with two saves in 39.2 innings. Held opponents to a .215 average and fanned 32 that season. In high school, helped St. Elizabeth to the Missouri Class 1 state title in 2019 and semifinal appearance in 2021, and allowed just four runs in 10 starts with 69 strikeouts as a senior. Also guided St. Elizabeth to state Final Four appearances all four seasons.
 
Gabe Roessler • 6-1 • 195 • IF • Rockton, Ill. • Hononegah Community High/Madison College/Milwaukee
Roessler was a first-team all-Horizon League shortstop in 2025 at Milwaukee, where he batted .288 with nine homers, 15 doubles and 38 RBIs. Batted .253 with 10 extra-base hits and 24 RBIs as a junior at Milwaukee in 2024. In two seasons with the Panthers, hit .271 with 10 homers, 22 doubles, 52 RBIs, 89 runs and 59 walks while starting 111 of 112 games. Played the 2022 and 2023 seasons at Madison (Wis.) College, where he hit .337 with 80 RBIs and 99 runs scored in 113 games. Was a two-time first-team all-conference selection and helped the WolfPack to a pair of JUCO World Series appearances and a national runner-up finish and school-record 50 wins in 2022.
 
Jax Ryan • 6-1 • 185 • IF • Verdigris, Okla. • Verdigris High/Arizona State
Ryan transfers to the Bears after two seasons at Arizona State, where he hit .270 in 49 games during the 2024 and 2025 campaigns. Batted .281 his sophomore year at ASU, starting 25 games and driving in 14 runs with six extra-base hits for an NCAA Regional club. Oklahoma Baseball Coaches Association All-State selection in 2023 at Verdigris High, batting just shy of .400 with 31 RBIs, 45 runs, 13 homers, 11 doubles and 42 walks against just 15 strikeouts. Was a top 500 prospect nationally according to both Perfect Game and Prep Baseball Report.
 
Bowen Tabola • 5-11 • 195 • C/UT • Castle Rock, Colo. • Cherokee Trail High/Western Carolina/Eastern Florida State
Played for Eastern Florida State College in 2025, batting .323 with 17 extra-base hits, 25 RBIs, 52 runs and 21 stolen bases. Slugged .481 and boasted a .471 OBP as a second team all-Citrus Conference selection. Redshirted his first college season at Western Carolina in 2024. Starred at Cherokee Trail High in Castle Rock, Colo., where he was a three-time all-state selection, including first-team nods his final two seasons. Helped the Cougars to a state runner-up finish as a senior and third-place Class 5A finish as a junior. Led the state of Colorado by drawing 25 walks his junior season and boasted an on-base percentage of at least .475 and OPS in excess of 1.050 in all three varsity seasons.
 
Lance Wade • 5-10 • 190 • RHP • Baton Rouge, La. • University Lab School/Mississippi College/Winthrop
Wade played three seasons at Winthrop (2023-25) after two years at Mississippi College (2021-22). Pitched in 18 games with five starts in three seasons at Winthrop, striking out 37 batters in 28.1 innings and going 1-2 with a 7.62 ERA. Was a two-way player at Mississippi College. In his high school career, went 17-1 with a 1.92 ERA and 121 strikeouts, earning all-state honors as a junior. Wade was also an all-state swimmer for U-High.
 
Daniel Wissler • 6-2 • 185 • LHP • O'Fallon, Mo. • Fort Zumwalt West High/Missouri
Wissler spent first three college seasons at Missouri (2023-25), appearing in 35 games with nine starts. Tallied 62.2 career innings with a 5-1 record, 61 strikeouts and a 5.89 ERA for the Tigers. Appeared in 20 games as a freshman, then went 3-1 with a 4.38 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 37 innings as a sophomore. Made two starts and recorded 3.2 innings his junior year. Rated as the No. 4 left-handed pitcher in Missouri's 2022 class by Perfect Game coming from Fort Zumwalt West High. Earned conference player of the year and all-state honors his final prep season.