Northwest Wayne News

Wayne State University’s baseball program has added four freshmen pitchers to its roster for the upcoming season. Head coach Ryan Kelley, now in his 18th year leading the team, announced the signings of Matt Mareno, Joel Mator, Luke O'Keefe, and Bryce Simpson.

Kelley commented on the new additions: "We are excited to announce these four young men as Warriors. They each bring strong work ethics and impressive backgrounds both on and off the field. We look forward to their development within our program."

Matt Mareno joins from Saline High School in Michigan, where he was a three-year letterwinner under coach Al Zeiher. He threw a no-hitter during his senior year against Ann Arbor Pioneer and earned All-Southeastern Conference Red Division honors. Mareno finished his sophomore season with a 7-2 record, a 2.97 ERA, and 43 strikeouts. In addition to pitching, he played outfield for Saline and participated in football.

Joel Mator comes from Trenton High School in Michigan after helping his team reach a regional final as a senior and earning Detroit Free Press Honorable Mention All-Metro Detroit recognition for compiling a 0.52 ERA that season. As a junior, he posted a 6-3 record with an ERA of 0.65 over nearly 65 innings pitched.

Luke O’Keefe attended Lake Central High School in Indiana and was part of the squad that won the state Division 4A title in 2024 under coach Mike Swartzentruber. Over four varsity seasons, O’Keefe maintained an ERA of 2.11; during his senior year he struck out 42 batters across more than 38 innings while recording two shutouts.

Bryce Simpson arrives from Algonac High School in Michigan after being named to the MHSBCA Division 3 All-State Second Team as a junior pitcher with an ERA below one run per game over more than sixty innings pitched that season.

The four incoming pitchers join another group of previously announced freshmen position players set to start at Wayne State this fall. The university indicated that additional announcements regarding transfer newcomers will be released ahead of the next academic year.

Coach Kelley stated: "We are excited about what this group adds to our program's culture and competitive future."