The562’s coverage of Long Beach State athletics for the 2025-26 season is sponsored by Marilyn Bohl.
In year two under head coach TJ Bruce, so much will be new, yet so much will be familiar.
The Dirtbags’ roster is largely overhauled from the 2025 season, with a mix of impact players from the transfer portal, along with some exciting freshmen looking to compete for playing time. The roster will be younger overall, which could pay dividends if this group can learn and develop together.
Bruce’s coaching staff has also been completely rebuilt, but there’s nothing “new” about the guys standing beside him in the dugout. All three of his assistant coaching hires this offseason are former Dirtbags, bringing their knowledge back to their alma mater. Having that sense of comfort and familiarity has been helpful in preparing this young squad for the season ahead.
With newly-minted Long Beach State Hall of Famer Abe Alvarez back as pitching coach, along with the well-respected pitching mind of Jon Strauss and Jeff Tagliaferri working with the hitters, there’s decades of playing and coaching experience tied directly to Dirtbags Baseball.
“Everybody believes in Dirtbag Baseball and the brand of baseball that we want to play,” said Bruce of his coaching staff. “And not only do they believe in it on the field, but they believe in it off the field too. So I feel like that part has been as if we’ve been together for 20 years.”
Coming off a 2025 season that saw the Dirtbags post a 22-31 overall record and an even .500 record in Big West play, Bruce says he saw a lot of positives in how the program’s standards were laid out. But at the same time, there are higher expectations going forward, and Bruce is looking to make some improvements in his second year in charge.
“You’re always learning. And I go through a deep dive personally right after the season ends on myself and how well or not well I did some things,” Bruce explained. “And it always comes back to the communication piece, and how well can you communicate your expectations, your standards for each segment in practice, for on the field, for off the field, for clubhouse, for classroom. And those are things that you can never take for granted. That’s something we’re always trying to get better at.”
As for the guys taking the field, Bruce says he’s got a more versatile roster to work with this year, with players able to fill a variety of roles. That should lead to greater lineup flexibility from game-to-game, but also situationally within games. The same holds true in the bullpen, where many of the arms won’t be limited as strictly starters or relievers.
The Infield
One of the key returners is senior third baseman Dylan Lina, a productive power bat who hit five homers with a .571 slugging percentage before an injury cut his season short after just 22 games.
Incoming grad transfer Aaron Perez should be another impact bat in the middle of the order after locking down the first base job. Perez is a Santa Ana native who’s bounced around a few different collegiate programs, most recently at Utah Tech the past two seasons. In 2025, the left-handed Perez hit .330 with eight homers and a team-best 42 RBIs, posting a solid .408 on-base percentage.
The middle infield should have some competition with some exciting athletes battling for playing time. Returning sophomore Trotter Enright made 28 starts as a freshman playing second, third and shortstop. He’s a candidate to start at short, but so is Purdue transfer Camden Gasser, who started his college career at Michigan before excelling with the Boilermakers. He led the Big 10 with 53 walks in 2024, posting a stellar .507 on-base percentage.
Local product Jake Evans is back bigger and stronger for his sophomore season, and should be ready to hit the ground running after making 33 appearances at second base and third base as a freshman.
Behind the plate, Bruce has some versatility with a pair of backstops he really likes, starting with sixth-year senior Conner Stewart. The 6-foot-3 Stewart started 35 games last season behind the plate, throwing out 12 of a possible 47 basestealers while posting a .997 fielding percentage. He’ll get the bulk of the innings, but freshman Damon Valdez is an exciting local prospect out of Los Alamitos High. He should see plenty of time as well and, according to Bruce, has the chance to grow into a real asset behind the dish.
“He has major tools, meaning the body, the catch, the arm strength,” Bruce said of Valdez. “He’s going to end up seeing a lot of time in some way, shape or form.”
The Outfield
Sophomore Matt Toomey is back after a solid freshman year which saw him start 40 games, primarily in left field. He was third on the team with a .278 batting average and could be a bigger threat in year two. During summer ball, the left-handed hitting Toomey played for the Minot Hot Tots in the Northwoods League, where he hit .286 and stole 25 bases in 31 attempts, earning an All-Star selection.
Speaking of baserunning, junior Smith Chandler is a JC transfer from Los Medanos College in Northern California. He was Conference MVP and a second team CCCAA All-American after hitting .397 with 11 home runs, 69 runs scored, 41 RBIs, and an impressive 36 steals in 39 attempts. With numbers like that, it’s no surprise that Bruce considers him the best runner on the team, and he’s versatile enough to play the infield as well.
Another key member of the outfield mix is incoming freshman Trevor Goldenetz out of local powerhouse Huntington Beach High School. The lefty-hitting outfielder was selected first team All-State as a senior, hitting 409 with 24 stolen bases for the Oilers, and he’s expected to step right into the top of the Dirtbags’ batting order.
“He’s a winning player,” said Bruce of Goldenetz, who will likely play either center or left field. “He was committed to me at TCU, and he’s going to see a lot of time … I would assume he would hit lead off, but he could also hit in the two- or three-hole. I think he can do a lot for us, it’s just trying to find out where he plays best.”
Another newcomer is sophomore Murchael Turner, who transferred in from Division II Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. Turner will compete for playing time in the corner outfield spots, and hit .344 with four homers and 11 doubles last season. The Atlanta native was also a standout wrestler in high school.
The Pitching Staff
Bruce said a handful of guys are vying for consideration as weekend starters, half of them true freshmen and half of them guys with quality collegiate experience.
Redshirt junior Jake Fields made 14 appearances and 10 starts for the Dirtbags in 2025, tossing 36.0 innings total with an even 6.00 ERA. He saved perhaps his best start for last, striking out a season-high eight batters in 5.0 innings at No. 7 Oregon State, allowing a pair of runs to the high-powered Beavers offense.
He’ll join with another returner in redshirt sophomore Austin Castillo, who missed last season due to injury but is healthy and ready to contribute in 2026. The most experienced of the bunch is 6-foot-5 right-hander Caleb Anderson, a grad transfer who spent the past two seasons in the Fresno State bullpen. He fanned 37 batters in 27 innings for the Bulldogs in 2025, posting a 3.33 ERA.
Bruce is also excited about a trio of incoming freshmen who have the potential to make an immediate impact this season.
“We’ve got three freshmen in the mix that we’re super excited about. I think they’re gonna be who we’re gonna build off of on the pitching side,” Bruce stated. “We’ve got to do the best job we can at keeping them, but also their learning curve will dictate how much they pitch, and what role they’re in.”
One of those freshmen is Jason Gerfers, who was part of the Corona High program that spent much of the 2025 season ranked as the No. 1 high school team in the country. He posted a 1.20 ERA as a senior and is a sinker/slider guy that gets a ton of movement.
Fellow righty Luke Howe out of Woodland Hills is a power arm who had a 1.49 ERA as a senior at El Camino Real Charter, posting an impressive 7.38/1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He may have the best pure stuff on the staff but will need to learn how to best apply his arsenal at the collegiate level.
Lastly, Jaxon Baker is a 6-foot-5 southpaw from Murrieta, who was ranked by Perfect Game as the No. 40 lefthander pitcher in the country in the 2025 class. He was part of USA Baseball’s 16U and 17U National Team Development program, and was twice chosen to participate in the Area Code Games. He’s expected to play a key role, whether as a starter or a high-leverage reliever.
Dirtbags fans will get plenty of chances to see their team this season, as Long Beach State will host non-conference meetings against San Jose State, Washington State, BYU, and No. 12 Oregon State.
The 2026 season starts this Friday night at 6 p.m. as the Dirtbags welcome the San Jose State Spartans for a three-game weekend series on Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.
