Timothy Mabins, Jr.

Baseball 1/23/2026 3:09:00 PM Assistant Director of Athletic Communications, Jacen Lord

SEASON PREVIEW: Royals Baseball Set to Begin New Era This Spring

LAKE WALES, Fla. - Opening Weekend for Royals Baseball is just around the corner and with a new era beginning for Warner, there is a lot to be excited about.

The Royals are looking to continue to build on last season's success that saw the team appear in the SUN Conference tournament. The Royals ended their 2025 season with a 23-30 overall record and a 12-16 record in the SUN Conference, which was good enough for the team to earn the 6th seed in the SUN Conference Tournament. Warner made it to Day 3 of the Tournament, one day short of reaching the SUN Conference Final. Last season the Royals ranked 5th in the Conference in Team Batting Average (.276), ERA (5.73) and Fielding Percentage (.961%). The Royals also finished last season with 3 wins over opponents ranked in the Top 10 in the NAIA, including #7 Lewis-Clark State College, #3 Georgia Gwinnett College, and #5 University of the Cumberlands (Ky).

Coach Rouse enters his 1st year at the helm for the Royals coming to Lake Wales with a strong history of success both on and off the field. Coach Rouse was most recently leading St. Xavier University in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference before taking over as the Head Baseball Coach at Warner. While at St. Xavier, Coach Rouse lead the Cougars to their 1st 40 win season in 2022, followed by earning back-to-back CCAC Tournament Championships and NAIA National Tournament Apperances in 2024 and 2025. Coach Rouse is also very intentional about putting Christ front and center in the baseball program saying, "We grow in our faith every single day. We do a short devotional before every single practice. It's a part of our daily DNA. And we end every practice with a prayer that is led by a member of the program. And then the guys also have a team, player led, Bible study. You got to keep the first thing first and that's the Lord."

Coach Rouse had this to say when asked about what he was most excited for this season, "I'm most excited about the challenge that is the SUN Conference. Taking over a program is exciting and full of so many emotions and highs and lows within the journey. But you just have to build it authentically and with conviction and establish our culture and the guys have been incredible. They're so bought in, and that's what has made this transition so seamless thus far. They want what our staff wants and the vision for this program is real and I think we have a bunch of dudes that are hungry to take the next step here! And that is to be a SUN & National contender."

The Royals have a roster full of talent that is made up of a combination of new and returning players that are sure to be exciting to watch this season. Warner's coaching staff is excited about the team's depth across all positions and are looking forward to taking advantage of that depth - focusing on matchups, player strengths and those playing with the hot hand. The depth and versatility of the Royals' roster will surely be difficult for opponents to prepare for this season.

Position Players to Watch:
Gabriel Rodriguez - Sophomore Outfielder: After playing behind seniors last year, Rodriguez is a talented outfielder who plays with an electric tempo. Rodriguez brings a dual threat to the plate with his dynamic speed and a noticeable pop to his bat. The all-around strength of the Sophomore places him in a great position to have a breakout season this Spring.

Jhenzel Figueroa -  Junior 2B/RF: Playing through some injuries last season, Figueroa started in 32 games and appeared in 4 more, batting .221 with 9 RBI's and 5 stolen bases. The dynamic Junior is now fully healthy and ready to maximize his potential.

Adriel Torres-Gonzalez -  Junior 3B: A Junior transfer from South Suburban CC who is coming off a Sophomore season where he batted .288 and recorded 23 RBI's, 39 Runs, and 5 Stolen Bases. Coming off a strong Fall, the Coaching staff is excited to use him as a 3rd Baseman on defense and utilize his ability to drive in runs in the middle of the lineup.

Horiam Santiago - Junior Shortstop: A member of the team's Leadership Council, Santiago is an elite Gold Glove caliber defender and a tough out at the plate. The Royals will look to the Junior to be the team's anchor on defense and turn the lineup over from the plate. Last season, Santiago appeared in 43 games and started 33 batting .200 with 8 RBI's, 12 Runs, and 2 Stolen Bases.

Pitchers to Watch:
Harper McLendon - Graduate RHP: A Graduate transfer from Divison 1 Murray State, McLendon has professional potential and is expected to anchor the Royals' pitching staff behind his power fastball that reaches up to 95 MPH. The Graduate's leadership and deep knowledge of the game elevates the Royals entire pitching staff on and off the field, making him one of the premier players to watch in the SUN Conference.

Trenton Chenard - Senior RHP: Chenard is expected to use his experience and big-time arm to take on a larger role this season in the Royals rotation. Last season, Chenard appeared in 10 games, starting 8, and recorded 37 strikeouts.

Aidan Murphy - Junior RHP: The Royals coaching staff is excited about the Junior College Transfer's ability to raise the level of the Royal's pitching staff with his experience and overall talent.

The Royals coaching staff is also incredibly excited about the veteran presence of Austin Vakiener, Luke Courville, Jeffrey Almanzar and Alexi Angelo who are expected to anchor Warner's experienced pitching staff.

Schedule Highlights:
The Royals will be taking on some of the best programs in the NAIA this season, facing off with 5 teams that earned a Top 25 Ranking in the NAIA Preseason Poll. First, Warner will open up their season with a 3-game series starting with a double-header on Saturday, January 31st and will conclude with a single game on Monday, February 2nd against #12 Oklahoma Wesleyan University. On March 10th the Royals will host #22 Bellevue University for a single game before beginning SUN Conference play that weekend when they host #3 Southeastern University for a 4-game series from Thursday, March 12th through Saturday, March 14th.  As the Royals approach the end of the regular season, Warner will host #24 Keiser University for another 4-game SUN Conference series from April 9th through April 11th. Warner will conclude their regular season with a 4-game Crooked Lake Rivarly series against #8 Webber International University April 23rd through April 25th.

What can Royals fans expect to see at the Sikes Family Field this season? Coach Rouse says to "...Expect a very exciting brand of baseball. We want to fly around and play on fire and create a lot of havoc! It's an exciting, fast paced brand of baseball and our team fits that mold."

#TogetherAsOne | #GodBlessGoRoyals

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