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Miami Herald
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
FIU baseball hit hard by departures, but coach Witten still sees hope for the upcoming season
Rich Witten is not frustrated … just saddened. Of the 40 baseball players on FIU's roster for the 2025 season, 26 have left the team either because of the transfer portal or because they are out of eligibility. That's the fifth-highest turnover rate in the nation. So far, the biggest names to leave for other schools are first baseman Brylan West, who signed with Miami; and starting pitcher Owen Puk (West Virginia). West and Puk are going to programs who advanced to the recently completed super regionals. West hit .338 this year with 12 homers and a .979 OPS. Puk went 4-1 with a 4.91 ERA. But it's more than just their statistics. 'It's impossible to not be fazed by the relationships you are losing,' Witten said. 'I think that's what gets lost the most in this era of college athletics. 'That's not to say that I won't have relationships with a lot of players (in the transfer era), but I do think it gets lost in the transactional state of our game. 'I don't know that it frustrates me. It makes me sad more than anything.' In addition to West and Puk, several others Panthers players had eligibility remaining but opted to enter the transfer portal, including: starting pitchers Easton Marks and Logan Runde; closer Juan Villarreal; pitcher and former Marlins 18th-round draft pick Tristan Dietrich; FIU leader in batting average Javier Crespo; and middle infielder and ex-Astros fourth-round draft pick Alex Ulloa. Witten said what is being lost in this era is significant. 'I still have regular contact with the college coaches I played for who were role models of mine and mentors,' Witten said. 'That's why I got into [coaching] because of how big of an impact they had on my life. 'That's how the first decade of my coaching career started – having great relationships [with the players] for the rest of our lives.' Some of the other players FIU lost from its 2025 roster are players such as left fielder Kishon Frett, who is out of eligibility. Frett hit 20 homers this past season — which ranks fourth in FIU history — and he is hopeful of landing with an MLB organization, either in next month's draft or as a free agent. 'He is deserving of an opportunity to play pro baseball,' Witten said of Frett. 'He has his best baseball ahead of him.' As for the young players still on FIU's roster, Witten pointed to outfielder Cole Cleveland, who hit .291 this year with 13 steals in 14 attempts and an .889 OPS; reliever Bryce Turner (2-0, 3.47 ERA in 18 appearances); catcher Marc Hersh (.313 batting average in 18 games); and outfielder Andrew Ildefonso (.304 batting average and an .890 OPS in 50 games). 'We are really excited about these young and talented guys we have,' Witten said. 'Our baseball program continues to move in the right direction like it has in the last three years. We have signed and are continuing to recruit young men who are really excited about FIU baseball. 'There are still a lot of young men who care about forging relationships and doing things the right way.'
Chicago Tribune
29-01-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
‘One of the hardest decisions I've ever made': Why Ryan Pressly waived his no-trade clause to join the Chicago Cubs
Ryan Pressly had to make a choice. As he mulled over with his wife, family and friends whether to waive his no-trade clause to accept a move from the Houston Astros to the Chicago Cubs, the veteran reliever considered the opportunity to close games again — though it would come at the cost of leaving Houston, his wife's hometown and where their two kids were born and have been raised. Pressly ultimately agreed to be traded to the Cubs, a deal that became official Tuesday with the Cubs sending minor-league pitcher Juan Bello in return. The Astros will also be covering $5.5 million of the $14 million Pressly is owed in 2025, the last year of his contract. 'It was tough to make this decision, probably one of the hardest decisions I've ever made,' Pressly said Wednesday. 'But playing in Chicago has kind of always been a dream of mine, and I'm excited to get out there and put on a Cubs uniform.' Perhaps fittingly, Pressly discussed his decision and new opportunity inside his car outside the school where a parent-teacher conference awaited. Pressly, who grew up in the Dallas area, acknowledged how hard it can be to leave after spending seven years with the Astros. But, he noted, this situation felt like one that doesn't come along often. He joins an organization with familiar faces, reuniting with ex-Astros teammate Kyle Tucker and former Minnesota Twins teammate Caleb Thielbar. Jameson Taillon and Pressly know each other in passing — both are from Texas and have worked with the same trainers. Pressly was also part of the Boston Red Sox organization at the same time as Cubs pitching coach Tommy Hottovy, overlapping in their system in 2011 near the end of Hottovy's professional playing career. Pressly estimated that within 30 seconds of waiving his no-trade clause, Dansby Swanson texted him to express his excitement at the right-hander joining the team. 'Everybody's been welcoming me with open arms,' Pressly said. The chance to be 'the guy' in the ninth inning also was undeniably appealing for Pressly, who was moved to the setup role in 2024 after the Astros signed Josh Hader. 'It was tough, you get demoted and then you've got to go out there and be professional and try to lead the right way,' Pressly said. 'And that was one of the things that kind of separate yourself from being an athlete and a professional, like, you want to carry yourself professionally and that's what they pay us to do, is to go out there and be a professional. And I think that the best way I could do that and show my teammates how I can carry myself, even when stuff's not going to go your way, is a big way that you can pass that on down to the younger guys. 'And look, sometimes it's not going to go the way you want it to, but you just got to keep your head up and do what you know how to do and everything else will fall into place.' Pressly was told he would get to close some games for the Cubs, though he's approaching spring training ready to compete for that ninth-inning job. He praised Porter Hodge's great rookie season in which the right-hander had nine saves. Pressly envisions them being a 'pretty dynamic duo' in the back end the bullpen. The Cubs, meanwhile, still have an opportunity to continue to add valuable late-inning, high-leverage arms to bolster the group. Even with the obvious expectation Pressly will be a potential go-to ninth-inning option for manager Craig Counsell, the 36-year-old made clear he wants to win and capture another World Series title to add to his one from 2022 in Houston. 'I still feel like I can close, and I want to still prove that I can close,' Pressly said. 'And an opportunity came up to where I could have that chance again. So I figured I could go capitalize on that opportunity and see what happens. … You want to be in the backend of the pen. You want to close, it's a different kind of adrenaline. I'm not saying that you don't get it in the eighth inning, but to get those last three outs is pretty special, and to have a team call on you to get those last three outs, it's an honor. Pressure is privilege, right?' The Cubs need consistency from their closer(s), something that became an issue last season as they combined to blow 26 saves. Pressly experienced some down numbers in 2024, most notably with his decrease in strikeouts and whiff rate while surrendering more hits. He explained, though, he was fighting through mechanical issues and believes those have been 98% cleared up through offseason work. 'I still feel like I'm in pretty good shape, I still think that my stuff plays at an elite level,' Pressly said. 'I'm excited to get down there (to Arizona) and start throwing to some hitters and see where we're at. Haven't been able to throw any hitters yet, but my arm feels good. Everything's coming out really well, and I think we're going to be off to a really good start.'
