DAYTON – The University of Dayton baseball team begins the 2026 season with a series at Lipscomb on Feb. 13-15. Dayton will play three games against the Bisons across the three-day series at Ken Dugan Field.
Game times are currently set for 4 p.m. ET on Friday and 1 p.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday. All three games will be live-streamed on ESPN+.
KING RETURNS TO THE HELM
After spending the 2025 season as an assistant coach at Vanderbilt, head coach Jayson King is back in the Gem City.
King's initial stint for UD was 2017-2024, winning 165 games, making him the second-winningest coach in program history. With a .570 conference winning percentage, he has the best Atlantic 10 winning percentage in program history.
Dayton had four players drafted during his first stint at UD, including the team's highest-ever draft pick in Nick Wissman's eighth round, 15th pick selection. He's also had two All-Americans and two A-10 Players of the Year.
FAMILIAR FLYBOYS
Dayton has 17 returners from the 2025 roster back on this season's roster, including three position players and one weekend starting pitcher returning.
Key returners include Ryan MacDougall (junior catcher), Peyton Malecha (senior right-handed pitcher), Lukasz Rondeau (sophomore left-handed pitcher) and Dyrenson Wouters (senior infielder). Jason Bello (sophomore infielder), who did not play last season, is also expected to be a significant contributor.
NEW YEAR, NEW TALENT
Dayton has 21 new FlyBoys joining the team this season. The newcomers consist of nine freshmen and 12 transfers.
Michael Smith Jr. (junior outfielder), a transfer from Prairie View A&M, is expected to continue his success at the plate, having tallied 16 home runs and 35 stolen bases with the Panthers. On the mound, Niklas Pavia (junior right-handed pitcher) struck out 112 batters in 79 innings at Southern New Hampshire last season.
FAMILY TIES
The FlyBoys have two pairs of brothers on the 2026 roster.
Riley Cahill (junior right-handed pitcher) is joined by brother, Brandon Cahill (graduate right-handed pitcher), a transfer from Walsh. Ryan MacDougall (junior catcher) will play alongside his brother, Danny MacDougall (graduate infielder/outfielder), who transferred from Endicott.
PG PRESEASON A-10 TEAM
Senior Dyrenson Wouters has been selected to Perfect Game's Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference Team. He is the only Flyer to earn the distinction.
In his junior season, Wouters had a .388/.470/.566 slash line, tallying 40 runs scored and 34 RBI. At shortstop, he recorded 74 putouts and 98 assists.
D1 BASEBALL DRAFT PROSPECTS
In D1 Baseball's Atlantic 10 Season Preview, Mike Rooney listed four FlyBoys as top MLB prospects.
Michael Smith Jr. and Niklas Pavia were named as 2026 prospects, with Sawyer Jensen and Jon Whiteside making the list for 2027. Austin McNabb and Grayson Carpenter also made D1 Baseball's list of impact freshmen.
DAYTON AT DAY AIR
UD and the Dayton Dragons announced on Tuesday that the FlyBoys will host Wright State at Day Air Ballpark on April 15.
This will be Dayton's sixth consecutive game at Day Air. 2023's game against the Raiders set an attendance record for the FlyBoys of 6,743 attendees.
SCOUTING LIPSCOMB
Lipscomb finished the 2025 season 25-30, falling to Central Arkansas, 7-4, in the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship. The Bisons were also an American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Team Academic Excellence Award recipient.
Brock Puckett was named to the NCBWA's Stopper of the Year Preseason Watch List this week. The graduate pitcher has held opponents to a .165 batting average, good for second in program history. Damion Kenealy Jr. posted a .316 batting average last season, good for second on the team.
LAST MEETING
The Flyers and the Bison have not met since 2014, when Lipscomb won 12-3. These two teams previously met in 2011, splitting a doubleheader.
UP NEXT
Dayton's home opener will take place on Feb. 20-22 with a four-game series against Eastern Kentucky. Friday, Feb. 20 is slated for a doubleheader starting at noon.
FOLLOW THE #FLYBOYS
Follow the Flyers on X/Twitter: @DaytonBaseball, Facebook: Dayton Flyers Baseball and Instagram: daytonflyersbaseball
