2026 Baseball Preview: McClain Tigers
Pictured is McClain's Connor Chandler from a game last season. (HCP Photo/Stephen Forsha)
MCCLAIN TIGERS
Frontier Athletic Conference (FAC)
Head Coach: Donnie Ary (2nd year)
2025 Overall Record: 7-14 (2-8 FAC)
Last Conference Championship: 2010 (SCOL)
The 2026 McClain Tigers baseball team is set to get back on the diamond this week to open their latest season, with head coach Donnie Ary returning for his second season with the program.
Last season was step one in building the program back with a seven-win season, and this season they have a group of players ready to add more success to the program in ‘26.
The Tigers have a total of 17 players listed on their roster, with the following players (listed by jersey number):
1. Cade Raike
2. Joriah Keegan
3. Matthew Cummins
4. Chris Lanning
5. Brycden Whitley
6. Julian Swan
7. Kolton Lamb
8. Eli Douglas
9. Connor Chandler
10. Carson Chandler
11. Easton Ary
12. Benny Vangundy
13. Kamden Penwell
14. Hunter Peabody
15. Aidan Ponder
17. Jayce Storts
18. Aiden Pennington.
Last season, Connor Chandler played in 21 games where he had 78 plate appearances (67 at-bats), batting .478 with a .551 on-base percentage, a 1.133 OPS and a .582 SLG, plus he totaled 32 hits (27 singles, 3 doubles, 2 triples), 11 RBI, 17 runs, 9 walks, 2 HBP and 4 steals. On the mound, he pitched 40.2 innings, and he had two wins and 52 strikeouts.
Lamb returns after a season in ’25 where he played in 21 games, finishing the year with 57 PA, 55 AB, a .309 BA, a .333 OBP, a ,661 OPS and a .327 SLG, along with 17 hits (16 singles, 1 double), 7 RBI, 7 runs, 2 HBP and 4 steals.
Peabody in ’25 played in 21 games with 66 PA, 57 AB, a .281 BA, a .379 OBP, a .730 OPS and a .351 SLG, along with 16 hits (12 singles, 4 doubles), 13 RBI, 6 runs, 8 walks, 1 HBP and 7 steals.
Douglas played in nine games (20 PA, 18 AB) where he batted .222 with 4 hits, 1 RBI, 5 runs, 1 walk, 1 SAC and 2 steals.
Carson Chandler played in 16 games with 40 AB, 7 hits (6 singles, 1 double), 5 RBI, 5 runs, 7 walks, 1 HBP and 4 steals.
Ary finished last season with 5 hits, 3 RBI, 5 runs, 6 walks, 1 HBP, 1 SAC fly and 1 steal. Ary when pitching in ’25 had 1 win and 20 strikeouts.
Cummins had 3 hits, 2 RBI, 8 runs, 4 walks and 2 steals.
The Tigers play in the Frontier Athletic Conference where they’ll face Hillsboro, Chillicothe, Jackson, Washington and Miami Trace twice each.
McClain’s non-conference schedule consists of: at Piketon (at VA Memorial), at Wellston, vs. Wilmington, at Blanchester, vs. Clinton-Massie, vs. Fairfield, at Unioto, at Huntington, vs. Paint Valley, at Southeastern, at North Adams, vs. Waverly (at VA Memorial) and vs. Western Brown.
McClain begins their ’26 season in Chillicothe at VA Memorial Stadium against the Piketon Redstreaks at 4:30 p.m.