WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball head coach Mitch Thompson has announced the additions of seven players to the 2027 roster on Tuesday, including six from the transfer portal and a junior college product.
The newcomers are made up of three right-handed pitchers, three left-handed pitchers and a utility player. All seven will join the Bears roster for the upcoming season.
“We are very excited to welcome this group of newcomers into our program,” Thompson said. “We went into the portal targeting the addition of several high-caliber pitchers and a difference-making position player. We feel confident in all of these guys, not only as players but also as people and believe they will all fit in very well with our culture.
“We are very excited to add three right-handed pitchers and three lefties that we feel will compete for big-time roles on our 2027 team. Four of these guys come to us with experience as Division I starters, while one was the ace of his Junior College World Series team and another is a back-end reliever with strikeout stuff. Positionally, we’ve added a versatile player who can play multiple positions and brings a combo of power and speed ready to compete at the Division I level. I am very thankful for the tireless work put in by our coaching staff navigating this summer’s portal window. Roster construction is truly a team effort and our staff did a fantastic job identifying the right guys ”
Tate DeRias | RHP | Hammonton, N.J. | Miami [FL] | R/R | 6-5 | 210
Junior transfer who spent his first two collegiate seasons at Miami [FL] … Was a 2026 Cape Cod League All-Star with the Brewster Whitecaps, tossing 21.1 innings over seven appearances, including three starts, with a 2.53 ERA … Struck out 20 batters and walked just eight on the Cape … Has made 12 career collegiate starts in two seasons with the Hurricanes … Struck out 26 batters over 20 innings as a sophomore in 2026 … Earned one win on the year … Emerged as a rotation piece for Miami by the end of his true freshman campaign in 2025, going 2-3 on the year with a 5.77 ERA … Fanned 30 batters and walked just 16 in 43.2 innings of work … Went 2-2 with a 5.13 ERA in nine ACC outings, totaling 21 punchouts in 33.1 innings … Named to the 2025 All-ACC Academic Team … Played three years of varsity baseball for Gloucester Catholic High School after spending his freshman year at St. Augustine Prep … Helped lead Gloucester Catholic to back-to-back state titles and a top-15 national ranking in 2024 … Tossed four no-hitters as a senior in 2024 … Threw a no-hitter in the 2024 state championship game with 13 strikeouts in a row … Posted a 0.66 ERA with 91 strikeouts in 53.1 innings in his 2024 campaign … Named the 2024 GCHS Team MVP … Also earned Tri-County Conference Player of the Year honors and was named a First-Team All-State selection … Garnered First-Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region praise … Was named the Courier-Post Pitcher of the Year and the South Jersey Times Player of the Year … Received Hot Stovers SJ Baseball Hall of Fame 2024 MVP Award and All-South Jersey Team recognition, the highest baseball awards given in South Jersey … Son of Terah Naumchik-DeRias and Howard DeRias … Has two siblings, Simon and Casey … Father, Howard, played baseball at Stockton University and Rutgers-Camden.
Keller Eberly | RHP | Orlando, Fla. | Texas State | R/R | 6-6 | 235
Fifth-year senior transfer from Texas State … Threw 20 innings this summer in the Coastal Plain League and struck out 39 batters while walking just five … Posted a 1.35 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP … Made 12 appearances in 2026 and posted a 5.73 ERA across 11 innings of work … Struck out 15 and walked seven for the Bobcats as a senior in 2026 … Missed the 2025 season due to injury … Made three relief appearances for TXST in 2024, with four strikeouts in 3.1 innings … Posted a 5.40 ERA … Did not allow a walk … Spent the 2023 season at College of Central Florida, where he made 24 appearances out of the bullpen … Went 6-0 with one save … Posted a 4.20 ERA over 45 innings … Racked up 60 strikeouts … Helped CCF to the 2023 Junior College World Series title … Graduated from TNXL Academy … Son of Erica and Joe Eberly … Has two brothers, Jackson and Weston … Brother, Weston, was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 16th round of the 2023 MLB Draft.
Beau Elson | LHP | Hadley, Mass. | Fordham | R/L | 6-1 | 205
Junior transfer from Fordham University where he pitched nearly 120 innings over first two collegiate seasons … Was a member of the Rams’ starting rotation all year long in 2026, making 13 starts and leading the squad in wins for the second straight season … Posted a 6-4 record and a 5.40 ERA … Struck out 60 batters over 68.1 innings pitched … Allowed just 19 walks … Went 6-3 in 2025 with a 6.44 ERA in 22 appearances out of the bullpen … Racked up 49 strikeouts in 50.1 innings … A two-time Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll honoree … Prepped at Hopkins Academy in Hadley, Mass., where he was named All-Western Massachusetts and PViAC All-League … Was an NECBL All-Star in summer 2025 … Son of Andrea and Gary Elson … Has two sisters, Emma and Natalia.
Brayden Gilley | RHP | Deer Park, Texas | Winthrop | R/R | 6-4 | 210
Senior transfer from Winthrop University who has thrown over 133 career innings … Owns a career 6.19 ERA and 11-8 record, having made 25 career starts … Made 15 starts on Friday nights for Winthrop in 2026, posting a 7-6 record with a 5.27 ERA … Struck out 64 batters in 80.1 innings of work and walked just 25 … Went six-plus innings on the bump in eight of his 15 starts … Twice earned Big South Starting Pitcher of the Week honors … Was a First-Team All-Big South selection … Named to College Baseball Foundation’s Midseason Pitcher of the Year watch list … As a sophomore in 2025, went 4-2 on the mound with a 6.95 ERA … Made 16 appearances, including nine starts, and fanned 35 batters across 45.1 innings … Held opponents to a .264 average and allowed just 13 walks … Spent his true freshman season at HCU in 2024 where he made eight appearances, including one start, and tallied five strikeouts in eight innings of work … Prepped at Deer Park High School in Deer Park, Texas, where he was the 2023 District MVP … Son of Tami and Randy Gilley … Has three siblings, Amanda, Chris and Danielle.
Kurt Ippolito | INF/OF | Trophy Club, Texas | Central Christian College of Kansas | R/R | 6-4 | 195
Junior transfer from Central Christian College of Kansas … Hit .376 in his two seasons with the Tigers with 24 home runs and 94 RBIs … Also made 14 career appearances on the mound, collecting five saves in just 14 innings pitched … Was named a California Collegiate League All-Star and earned a spot on the league’s All-League Team as an outfielder in the 2026 summer … As a sophomore at CCCK, hit .356 with 57 knocks, including 24 that went for extra bases … Hit 11 home runs and drove in 48 runs … Also stole 19 bases … Walked more times (29) than he struck out (21) … In his true freshman season, hit .402 with 49 hits, including 25 that went for extra bases … Hit 13 home runs and drove in 46 runs … Swiped 13 bases and walked more (16) than he struck out (12) … Was named the 2025 SAC Freshman of the Year … Attended Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club, Texas … Son of Kristina and Todd Ippolito … Has a brother, Ryan … Uncle is John Quiñones, a news reporter and host of ABC’s “What Would You Do?”
Xavier Pelzer | LHP | Columbia, S.C. | Miami Dade College | L/L | 6-3 | 215
Fourth-year left-handed pitcher coming from Miami Dade College … Made previous stops at Daytona State (2025) and spent true freshman season at South Carolina (2024) … In 2026, went 7-2 on the mound across 21 appearances, including nine starts, and posted a 4.21 ERA for the Sharks … Struck out 69 batters in 62 innings … Also collected one save … Was named the FCHAA Tournament’s Most Valuable Pitcher … Garnered Second-Team All-Conference honors and helped Miami Dade reach the JUCO World Series … In 2025, worked 46.1 innings at Daytona State and racked up 30 strikeouts … Did not see game action in 2024 at South Carolina … Attended Legion Collegiate Academy in Rock Hill, S.C., for high school, where he went 6-0 with a 1.86 ERA as a senior in 2023 … Struck out 34 batters in 37.2 innings pitched … Went 5-1 with a 2.21 ERA and 54 strikeouts as a junior in 2022 … Helped the Lancers win a 2A state championship in 2021 and was named an All-Region pitcher after collecting seven wins with a 1.83 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 57.1 innings pitched … Was the No. 21 ranked player and No. 4 ranked left-handed pitcher in South Carolina in the class of 2023 by Perfect Game … Son of Andrea and Andrea Gause … Father, Andrea, played college football at South Carolina from 2001-04.
Davis Webb | LHP | Tipton, Iowa | Bradley | L/L | 6-6 | 260
Senior transfer from Bradley University who spent two seasons at Kirkwood Community College prior to his time with the Braves … Appeared in 16 games and made four starts at Bradley in 2026, going 4-3 with a 6.66 ERA in 52.2 innings of work … Led the Braves with 67 strikeouts, which also ranked eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference … Held opposing batters to a .254 average … Tossed 19 innings over two seasons at KCC, logging 25 strikeouts … Helped the Eagles win 80 games over two years, including an ICCAC regular-season title in 2024 … Was a four-year letterwinner at Tipton High School in Tipton, Iowa, and earned First Team All-River Valley Conference honors … Was selected to the Quad Cities Times All-Eastern Iowa Team … Recorded 13 strikeouts in a playoff win and threw a no-hitter with 16 punchouts as a junior in 2022 … As a senior in 2023, struck out 51 batters in just 27.2 innings, posted a 2.28 ERA and limited opponents to a .131 average … Also lettered in basketball … Son of Penny and Duane Webb … Has two sisters, Laura and Sara.
