By Matt Present. BOONE, N.C. — App State Baseball announced 17 additions to the program heading into the 2025 season. The newcomers are comprised of seven freshmen, four junior college transfers, one Division II transfer and five transfers from Division I institutions.
Conner Barozzino is a right-handed pitcher from Cornelius, N.C. 6-1, 185, bats right, throws right. Barozzino joins the Mountaineers from Hickory Grove Christian, where he was a high school teammate of Kameron Miller. Barozzino was rated as the 21st-best right-handed pitcher in the state of North Carolina by Perfect Game, as well as the 50th-best prospect overall. He was also a top-500 prospect nationally. Barozzino possesses a high-spin-rate fastball that tops out in the high 80s, as well as a changeup, curveball and slider. As a senior, he posted a 1.41 ERA and struck out 94 batters in 59.2 innings of work. He finished his high school career with more than 250 strikeouts across four seasons.
Liam Best is a right-handed pitcher, a redshirt junior from Sterling, Va. and Potomac Falls High School. 6-1, 205, bats right, throws right. A transfer from State College of Florida, Best has a power right-handed arm, featuring a low-90s fastball. In two seasons with the Manatees, Best fanned 67 batters in just 45.2 innings of work. Best began his collegiate career at George Washington University, where he made five appearances as a freshman in 2022. In high school, he was ranked the 21st-best right-handed pitcher in the state of Virginia and a 2021 Perfect Game Preseason All-American Honorable Mention as well as a 2020 Perfect Game Preseason Underclassman All-American.
Cameron Carpenter is a freshman outfielder from Palm Beach, Fla. 5-10, 175. Switch hitter, throws right. Carpenter batted .307 across his final two seasons at Palm Beach Gardens High School while also making nine appearances on the mound, where he recorded three saves as a senior. Additionally, Carpenter played Area Code Games, East Coast Pro league and in the Diamond Club All-Star games. His father, Doug, played Minor League Baseball for seven seasons and has since worked in Major League scouting for over 30 years, currently with the Cleveland Guardians.
Cal Clark is a right-handed junior pitcher from Charlotte, N.C. 6-4 205. Bats right, throws right. A high school teammate of Everette Harris at Charlotte Christian, Clark began his collegiate career at Charlotte in 2023, playing in 20 games, including six starts. Clark transferred to Gaston College in 2024 but was limited to just two appearances due to injury. A highly touted recruit out of high school, Clark was ranked as the 13th-best overall prospect in the state of North Carolina as well as a top-60 right-handed pitcher in the country. Clark helped lead Charlotte Christian to three state championships in high school and finished his career with a 1.81 ERA and 128 strikeouts on his way to being invited to participate in the MLB Draft Combine.
Juan Correa is a senior first baseman from Weston, Fla. 6-5 220. Bats right, throws right. A well-traveled addition to the Mountaineers, Correa was an academic all-conference selection last season as a member of the Charlotte 49ers. Correa batted .264 on the year and ranked second on the team with 12 home runs and tied for fourth with 32 RBIs. He also boasted a team-best 10-game hitting streak. Correa began his career with the Stetson Hatters in 2022 before transferring to the College of Central Florida, where he led the Patriots to a National Championship and was named JuCo World Series MVP. Correa was named a second-team All-American at West Broward High School.
Charlie Evans is a junior outfielder from Levittown, Pa. (Pennsbury HS). 5-9 175. Bats right, throws right. A transfer from Winthrop, Evans started in 39 of the 40 games he played for the Eagles a season ago. He paced the team with a .303 average and a .517 slugging percentage while posting a .990 fielding percentage in center field. A highly touted recruit out of high school, Evans was rated as the ninth-best prospect out of the state of Pennsylvania in 2022. He was also named a Perfect Game Preseason All-American that year.
Tyler Figueroa is a sophomore infielder from Colonie, N.Y. (Colonie Central). 5-8 165. Bats right, throws right. A transfer from Siena, Figueroa faced the Mountaineers in a three-game series to open the 2024 campaign in Hickory, N.C. As a freshman last season, Figueroa led the Saints with a .315 batting average and 35 RBIs. He also boasted a .523 slugging percentage and .392 on-base percentage in his first college season, earning him a spot on the 2024 MAAC All-Rookie team as well as four Rookie of the Week selections during the season. He finished the season by hitting safely in 40 of 52 games, including 16 multi-hit efforts.
John Kramer is a redshirt junior outfielder from Wildwood, Mo. 6-1 220. Bats left, throws left. Kramer transferred to App State from Ole Miss, where he was a member of the 2022 national championship squad as a freshman. Across three seasons with the Rebels, Kramer appeared in 44 games and made 17 starts before having his 2024 season cut short due to injury. Named the 2021 Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year, Kramer was rated as the fourth-best prospect from the state and a top-60 outfielder, nationally. He holds the Lafayette High School record for career home runs (19) and single-season home runs (11). Kramer hails from an impressive athletic family, as his father, Jack, played basketball at Michigan and UAB and his aunt, Nicole Kramer, swam in the 1976 Olympics.
Tyler Lichtenberger is a freshman infielder from Boca Raton, Fla. 6-0 180; Bats left, throws right. Lichtenberger delivered a strong finish to his high school career at West Boca Raton HS. As a senior, he batted .340, with 16 of his 33 hits going for extra bases. On the mound, he posted a 4-0 record with two saves in 2024. He did not allow an earned run in 9.1 innings of work. He was named a top-100 shortstop in the state of Florida by Perfect Game.
Xavier Lopez is a junior outfielder from Orlando, Fla. 6-0 187. He bats left and throws left. Lopez has transferred to App State after playing two years at Daytona State. Last season, he was named a First Team All-FCSAA D1 and All-Citrus Conference selection, slashing .414/.505/.637 with eight home runs and 46 RBIs in 45 games. He walked 24 times compared to 27 strikeouts and posted a .978 fielding percentage across multiple positions. Lopez was an all-state selection at Oviedo High School in Orlando, Fla.
Riley Luft is a freshman utility player from Boca Raton, Fla. 5-11 185. Bats right, throws right. Luft joins the Mountaineers out of North Broward Prep, where he was rated by Perfect Game as the eighth-best third baseman in the state of Florida as well as being a top 50 overall player in the state. Luft led North Broward Prep to three state titles in four years as well as a runner-up finish, totaling 98 wins across four seasons. He earned all-county and all-district honors in each of his four seasons and batted over .330 each of his final three high school seasons. He finished his four-year career with eight homers, 74 RBIs and over 100 hits. He also walked as many times as he struck out across four seasons.
Caleb Marks is a senior right-handed pitcher from Murfreesboro, Tenn. 6-1 180. Bats right, throw right. A Division II transfer from Trevecca Nazarene, Marks is coming off a sensational 2024 campaign. He was named a First-Team D2CCA All-American Midwest Region and the G-MAC Conference Pitcher of the Year after posting an 8-0 record and a 2.25 ERA. Marks struck out 99 batters while walking just 20 and threw four complete games on the season. He also issued just one wild pitch and did not hit a batter in 88.0 innings of work. He posted a 2.62 ERA as a sophomore and combined to fan over 200 batters across three seasons at Trevecca. Marks played for Siegel High School, where he earned two honorable mention all-district awards.
Tanner McCammon is a sophomore infielder from Matthews, N.C. 6-3 195. Bats right, throws right. McCammon made 21 appearances, including four starts, as a freshman at Elon last season. He competed for the Danville Otterbots of the Appalachian League this summer, recording 25 hits in 34 games. McCammon competed for Charlotte Christian High School, where he was a 2021 and 2022 Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American and a two-time state champion. He was ranked by Prep Baseball Report as the 15th-best shortstop in the state of North Carolina and the 60th best player overall for the class of 2023.
Mason Middleton is a right-handed freshman pitcher from Pfafftown, N.C. 6-2 220. Runs right, throws right. Middleton joins the Mountaineers out of Reagan High School, where he was ranked the 19th-best player in the state of North Carolina and the 10th-best right-handed pitcher by Perfect Game. His arsenal is highlighted by a low-90s fastball and complimented by a changeup, slider and curveball. Middleton was named the CPC 4A Player of the Year as a senior, in addition to all-conference and all-region recognition. Across his three-year varsity career, Middleton made 28 appearances, including seven starts, and was victorious in six of his eight decisions. In his final season, he posted a 1.15 ERA and struck out 48 batters in 36.2 innings of work, leading Reagan to a conference title. Middleton pitched at Fenway Park in 2023 as part of the New Balance Baseball Future Stars Series Main Event.
Luke Oblen is a freshman right-handed pitcher from Chicago, Ill. 6-3 193. Bats right, runs right. Oblen comes to the High Country from DePaul College Prep, where he was recognized as the fourth-best right-handed pitcher in the state of Illinois and the 18th-best overall player in the state by Perfect Game, leading DePaul Prep to a sectional championship. Oblen touches the mid-90s with his fastball and possesses a changeup, curveball and slider. He was a member of the 16U/17U USA Baseball National Team Development Program.
Reyn Watson is a junior left-handed pitcher from Green Sea, S.C. 6-3 175. Bats left, throws left. A transfer From Florida Southwestern State, Watson combined to post a 4.41 ERA and a strikeout rate of 10.06 per nine innings. Watson also excelled in the classroom, garnering NJCAA All-Academic recognition as well as earning academic all-conference and all-state honors. Watson was a two-time SCISA Player of the Year at Pee Dee Academy, going 9-1 with a 1.75 ERA as a senior. In his career at Pee Dee, he struck out 185 batters in 93 innings, and as a senior, he led his team to a state championship and a 21-3 record.
Sam Weinstein is a freshman catcher from Brookeville, Md. 6-1 183. Bats right, throws right. The top-ranked catcher in the state of Maryland, Weinstein joins the Mountaineers out of Georgetown Prep, where he was also ranked the 18th-best player in the state by Perfect Game. Weinstein helped the Little Hoyas capture their fifth consecutive conference championship in 2024, catching a no-hitter in the championship game. Weinstein was named an IAC All-Conference selection. He is one of seven Georgetown Prep players from the class of 2024 to go on to play collegiately.
The Mountaineers have announced two fall ball contests at Smith Stadium next month. App State will host Wofford on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. before hosting ECU on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 1 p.m. Admission is free.
