Portal Power and Fresh Faces: Baylor Baseball’s Impact Newcomers for 2026
Ready or Not: The Questions That Will Shape Baylor Baseball’s 2026 Campaign
As Baylor baseball’s Opening Day matchup against New Mexico State (Feb. 13) approaches, it’s time to start breaking down the roster, plus the biggest storylines and questions heading into the 2026 season. Today, we’ll assess the top newcomers on this year’s squad.
UT Arlington Transfers: Redshirt Senior First Baseman Tyce Armstrong & Sophomore Third Baseman Cade Dodson
The two surefire starters the Bears got from the transfer portal this offseason both came from UT Arlington: first baseman Tyce Armstrong and third baseman Cade Dodson.
In 2025, Armstrong, the 6-foot-4 slugger, was third on the Mavericks in batting average (.319) but led UTA in on-base percentage (.415), slugging percentage (.556), home runs (12), RBIs (46) and total bases (115). He also earned All-WAC Second-Team honors.
After primarily playing designated hitter at UTA, Armstrong will be the Bears’ everyday first baseman this spring and has a solid glove. The power-hitting righty could lead the team in home runs this spring. Armstrong went 4-for-6 with two extra-base hits in two games against Baylor in 2025.
Meanwhile, Dodson is a consistent contact-hitter who will be toward the top of Baylor’s lineup and will be a tougher out than what the Bears have had in recent years. He will play third base, despite primarily playing second base at UTA, and is expected to be the best defender Baylor’s had at the hot corner in Thompson’s tenure — a position which the Bears have had many struggles at in recent years.
Dodson had a fantastic true freshman season for the Mavericks in 2025 with 51 starts; he was second on the team in batting average (.324), on-base percentage (.387) and runs scored (45). Dodson led UTA in hits (69), at-bats (213) and doubles (16), while adding five home runs and was 16-for-19 in stolen base opportunities.
Dodson’s a Baylor legacy, as his father, Jeremy, played for the Bears from 1996 to 1998 before being drafted by the Kansas City Royals. Dodson starred at Gunter High School and was named the District 11-3A Hitter of the Year as a senior.
Cade Hansen: Senior Right-Handed Pitcher
One of the players who will be competing for a spot in the weekend rotation is Cade Hansen, a Texas native who transferred in this offseason from Wisconsin-Whitewater.
The senior righty started 14 games last year for the National Champion Warhawks and boasted a 12-1 record, 2.68 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and .233 batting average against; he tossed over 84 innings with an impressive 84:13 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Hansen started on the bump for the Warhawks in the DIII National Championship-clinching game in early June, where he earned the win and allowed just two runs and struck out four across 5.1 innings against Messiah University.
Across his first two seasons at Wisconsin-Whitewater, the New Braunfels native (Smithson Valley High School) made 21 appearances and surrendered 19 earned runs across 41 frames with 38 punchouts.
Obviously, the biggest question with Hansen is whether he’ll be able to adjust to the step-up in competition from Division III to Division 1, which will be something to monitor when the Bears face some tough tests in non-conference play: No. 15 Oregon State, No. 23 Southern Miss, No. 16 Ole Miss, No. 8 Texas and UTSA.
Brady Janusek: Freshman Outfielder
Similar to Pearson Riebock last year, Brady Janusek, originally an Oklahoma commit, was a late addition to the 2025 recruiting class and could end up being the most impactful true freshman on the roster.
The 6-foot-4, 204-pounder is slated to start at one of the corner outfield spots after an impressive fall, where he displayed his powerful bat and great athleticism, both defensively and on the basepaths. The Bears don’t have a ton of proven depth in the outfield, so Janusek will be tasked early and often with holding his own at the Division I level.
Janusek was Quinn Murphy’s top wide receiver at Liberty Christian High School and was named the TAPPS Male Athlete of the Year after earning All-State honors in both football and baseball. He hit 17 home runs with the Warriors.
