Baylor University’s baseball program is set to welcome a fresh infusion of talent for the 2027 season, as head coach Mitch Thompson unveiled a seven‑player signing class that blends proven college experience with high‑upside junior‑college prospects.
A Look at the New Faces
The group comprises six transfers drawn from the NCAA portal and a single junior‑college recruit, giving the roster a balanced mix of right‑handed and left‑handed pitchers along with a versatile utility player capable of filling multiple positions.
Among the newcomers, four pitchers bring Division I starting backgrounds, while one arrives as the ace of a Junior College World Series championship team and another is known for a strong strikeout rate out of the bullpen.
Tate DeRias, a junior transfer from Miami (FL), arrives with a 2.53 ERA and recent accolades as the 2024 GCHS Team MVP and South Jersey Times Player of the Year. Keller Eberly, a fifth‑year senior from Texas State, posted a 1.35 ERA in the Coastal Plain League and contributed to his squad’s 2023 Junior College World Series title.
Beau Elson, a junior from Fordham, led his team in wins and strikeouts while earning Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll honors, and Brayden Gilley, a senior from Winthrop, carries a career 6.19 ERA with multiple Big South Pitcher of the Week recognitions.
Kurt Ippolito, a junior transfer from Central Christian College of Kansas, has hit .376 with 24 home runs and 94 RBIs over two seasons, adding a potent bat to the lineup. Xavier Pelzer, a fourth‑year pitcher from Miami Dade College, went 7‑2 with a 4.21 ERA and was named the FCHAA Tournament’s Most Valuable Pitcher.
Rounding out the class, Davis Webb, a senior transfer from Bradley University, paced his previous team in strikeouts and helped secure the ICCAC regular‑season championship in 2024. Coach Thompson emphasized that the blend of experience, skill and cultural fit positions the Bears to compete at a high level in the coming years.