RICHMOND, Va. – VCU Baseball has a new look in 2025 with the elevation of former Rams pitcher Sean Thompson to head coach and the addition of 27 fresh faces to the roster, but the goal remains the same for the Rams as they look to defend their Atlantic 10 crown.
 
Of the Rams' newcomers, sixteen are position players, including the addition of 10 transfers and six freshmen. Six of the transfers come as seniors or graduate students, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to the offense, while the introduction of six freshmen adds significant power and projectible, raw talent to the lineup.
 
The introduction of so many faces presents the opportunity for VCU to use a combination of highly experienced and newly developing talent to fill the vacancies in its lineup. Most notably, the 2024 MLB Draft took Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and standout third baseman Brandon Eike, a lynchpin of the Rams' offensive charge in 2024, while VCU also graduated a pair of three-time Atlantic 10 champions in catcher Nic Ericsson and outfielder Cooper Benzin.
 
RETURNERS
Senior second baseman Casey Kleinman returns to the Rams' starting lineup in 2025 after starting 56 games in his first season with VCU in 2024. Casey was ranked in the NCAA's toughest to strike out among the top 74, with just 24 strikeouts over 224 at-bats. He started 49 games at second base, and marks a crucial veteran presence.
 
Trent Adelman, a sophomore outfielder, also returns to the Rams' roster with the potential to expand his role in 2025. The speedy underclassman is looking at  
 
Outfielder duo Bobby Lane and Will Epstein round out the familiar faces on the Rams' offense, both returning for their second season in Black and Gold. Despite limited playing time, seeing action in 10 games, Lane hit at a .375 clip and reached base in half of his plate appearances. Also seeing limited action as a true freshman in 2024, Epstein returns for his second collegiate season.
 
NEWCOMERS
The newest additions to the offense will look to fill a bulk of the vacancies in the Rams' lineup. A quartet of graduate student and senior transfers in Danny Estrada (Frostburg State), Carter Richey (Lipscomb), Sean Swenson (Quinnipiac) and Seth Werchan (Texas) are all anticipated to make a large impact. Sophomore junior college transfer Nate Kirkpatrick (Saint Mary's) is also projected to be a starter in the early lineup, adding depth to the Rams' corner infield.
 
Will Henson (Ohio State) and Cato Kleinman (Chaminade) are two additional fourth-year senior transfers who build upon the Rams' strength in experience, while Collin Hughes (Longwood), Spencer Sullivan (Linn-Benton CC) and Kannon Kleine (Illinois Central) provide crucial depth pieces.
 
A strong new class of Rams is a talking point of the offensive additions as the first-year trio of Jacob Lee, Adrian Jimenez and Nick Flores will appear in the Rams' opening day lineup. Two-way talent Elijah Coston, Nick April-Gath and Colby Motley, are all freshman additions.
 
CATCHERS
Lee, a Chesterfield product is a big catcher, sitting at 6-2 and 205 pounds, the freshman was tabbed a top-two Atlantic 10 impact freshman and noted as the Rams' top recruit by D1Baseball. The 2024 Chesterfield County Baseball Player of the Year is coming off an outstanding high school career at Matoaca, capping his highly decorated career with an eight-home run senior campaign in which he hit as a .551 clip. Named an all-metro and all-state first team catcher in 2023 and 2024, in addition to earning Region 5C Player of the Year honor, Lee is a lock to see action for the Rams on day one.
 
Hughes and  Kleine, as well as Casey Kleinman, round out the backstops. Hughes, a junior transfer from Longwood, put together a 37-game campaign for the Lancers in 2024, hitting .286 and collecting 22 hits, 14 runs and RBI. Over his pair of seasons in Farmville, the catcher compiled 12 extra-base hits and 42 starts. Kleine, an Illinois Central transfer, helped lead the program to its first regional won in over 20 years. The redshirt sophomore was an all-conference catcher at Galesburg High School.
 
INFIELDERS
Swenson brings a key veteran presence to the Rams' lineup and is expected to be an everyday first baseman. He joins VCU's ranks following a successful four-year career at Quinnipiac. Despite a senior season cut short due to injury, Swenson racked up 51 hits as a junior, belting 25 of them for extra bases.
 
Casey Kleinman will resume his role at second base and will pair with freshman Adrian Jimenez to make up the middle infield. Jimenez has a mature offensive approach and is an all-around player with high-level defensive and bat-to-ball skills. He was also tabbed a D1Baseball Atlantic 10 impact freshman at No. 6.
 
Kirkpatrick arrived to VCU from Saint Mary's College of California. Coming off an all-star summer in the West Coast League, the Surrey, British Columbia, native finished the WCL regular season slashing .327/.388/.477, ranking among the top seven in both AVG and SLG, and was named an All-WCL third baseman. Dubbed by Thompson as a "really advanced hitter," Kirkpatrick will add depth to VCU's infield.
 
Richey, a highly versatile defender that can play all over, will look to start the season as designated hitter. The fourth-year senior is a transfer from Lipscomb, where he put together a 26-hit campaign over 29 starts in 2024.
 
Cato Kleinman, twin brother of senior infielder/catcher Casey Kleinman, is a second baseman transfer from Chaminade. A scrappy baseball player, Cato posted a Rawlings All-Region, first-team all-conference sophomore campaign at Monterey Peninsula.
 
Henson, April-Gath and Motley round out the infield, bringing a dynamic skillset and providing depth. Henson is an Ohio State transfer, while April-Gath and Motley each represent the incoming freshman class.
 
OUTFIELDERS
Estrada, a senior transfer from Frostburg State, is expected to hit leadoff on the Rams' opening day roster. A three-time first team All-MEC selection and 2022 ABCA/Rawlings Atlantic All-Region First Team honoree, Estrada finished his three-year career with the Bobcats with a program record 155 career runs and ranked in the program's top 10 in seven career categories. Estrada joins VCU's offense with over 417 career at-bats, hitting over .340 twice and owning two eight-home run campaigns.
 
Werchan, a key fall addition to the Rams' locker room, comes to VCU from Texas after four years at Penn. A known champion, Werchan helped lead Penn in its run to the regional final as a four-seed in the 2023 NCAA Auburn Regional. An Austin, Texas, native, totaled 112 games played and 107 career starts in his four years at Penn, racking up 17 doubles, six triples, eight home runs, 14 stolen bases, 64 RBI and 74 runs. In 2023, the outfielder tallied 14 extra base hits, nine stolen bases and 36 runs.
 
Flores, another freshman that is a crucial addition to the VCU lineup, is a versatile defender who also has the ability to play second base. He is expected to get the nod in centerfield for the Rams.
 
Adelman, a sophomore returner to the Rams' roster, combines his ability to run with bat speed and defensive prowess. The outfielder will look to expand on his true freshman campaign.
 
With several multi-position players having the defensive prowess to play the outfield, depth is a feature of the outfield. In addition to aforementioned returners Epstein and Lane, freshmen Coston and Motley, join newcomer Sullivan, to round out the Rams' outfielders.