SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State baseball head coach Steven Trout announced on Thursday the signing of 12 players for the class of 2026.
 
Joining the Bobcats in the Fall of 2026 are Rylan Alaniz, Justin Anctil, Cayden Boyd, Collier Carroll, Daylen Foor, James Janak, Jaxon McKnight, Drayton Mitchell, Logan Schultz, Kortland Stovall, Trevyn Turner and Luke Wheatley.
 
"I'm really fired up for the signing of this 2026 class. It is very deep in talent and filled with guys that know how to win," said Trout. "Coach Brandon Gowins did an amazing job leading the charge as soon as he joined the staff and hit the ground running. Coach Josh Blakley and Coach Danny-David Linahan did a great job collectively putting this elite class together. Our program got a lot better with these guys stepping on campus next year."
 
Justin Anctil | C | R/R
Mirabel, Quebec, Canada | Panola College | Ecole Saint-Gabriel
This past season saw Anctil be named a first team all-conference pick at catcher. He finished the season batting .322 with a .960 OPS and seven home runs. Anctil graduated from Ecole Saint-Gabriel in St-Therese, Quebec, Canada.
 
Gowins on Anctil: "Anctil was a major priority for us in this class. With two of our catchers graduating, we wanted to land a frontline backstop — and we feel like we got our guy. He really stood out at the JUCO All-Star Game, where Coach Linahan and I both circled him as someone who could make an immediate impact. The Canadian catcher is strong defensively, can really catch and throw, and has produced at a high level offensively during his time at Panola. He's another one who checks the "talent maximizer" box and will reunite on campus with his Panola teammate, Brady Boles."
 
Rylan Alaniz | INF | R/R
Euless, Texas | Trinity HS
Alaniz is coming off a 2025 campaign that saw him batt .461 with eight homers and a 1.433 OPS. His performance saw him be named the District 4-6A Offensive MVP and claim his second Team MVP award. He also competes for the Trojan high school football team where he has been an All-District 4-6A Second Team honoree on both sides of the ball.
 
The infielder choose Texas State over offers from Abilene Christian, Kansas State, Oklahoma, Sam Houston and Tarleton State.
 
Gowins on Alaniz: "With Rylan we are getting one of the most dynamic high school players in the state. A blend of bat to ball skills and the ability to drive extra base hits, helped him garner Offensive MVP honors in one of the toughest districts in the state. Rylan's defensive versatility is off the charts, showing the ability to play all over the field. He has the character traits that any coach would want, which leads you to believe that his success will only continue at the next level."
 
Cayden Byrd | OF | L/L
Burleson, Texas | Weatherford College | Burleson HS
This spring, Byrd will be playing his second season at Weatherford College. He finished the 2025 season hitting .278 with eight home runs, 42 RBI and scored 30 runs. The left-handed hitting outfield drew 26 walks to post a .373 OBP while also stealing four bases.
 
A graduate of Burleson High School, Byrd was chosen to the 2023 all-state elite team and named the Offensive MVP in Johnson County, Texas. The 2022 season saw him be named to the all-district first team.
 
Gowins on Byrd: "Cayden is someone our staff has coveted since his freshman campaign at Weatherford Junior College. A dynamic left-handed bat, he has the ability to leave any part of the ballpark and impact the game in multiple ways. Byrd has hit in every spot of the lineup for the Coyotes, and we believe he can do the same for us. Defensively, he can handle all three outfield positions and plays with a quiet intensity that you can feel every time he steps on the field. We're excited to keep the Weatherford-to-Slam Marcos pipeline going."
 
Collier Carroll | LHP | L/L
Corpus Christi, Texas | Calallen HS
As a junior, Carroll finished the year with an 8-1 record and 1.39 ERA. He was named to the Blue Bell Texas Sports Writers Association 4A First Team, All-South Texas First Team, the District 31-4A Pitcher of the Year and earned All-District 31-4A Academic team honors.
 
The lefty helped lead the Wildcats to the UIL 4A State Championship and a 38-2 record. The season saw him pitch a perfect game with 12 strikeouts against Phar Valley View High School and a no-hitter vs. Zapata High School. In the regional final game, Carroll tossed nine shutout innings in a 1-0 victory.
 
In 2024, he was picked to the TSWA 4A First Team and UIL 4A All-State First Team. Carroll was also named the All-South Texas Co-MVP and the District 31-4A Newcomer of the Year.
 
Carroll choose Texas State over offers from Arkansas State, Baylor, Rice and Stetson. He will be the third member of his family to play for the Bobcats as both his dad, Collier Carroll, and uncle, C.J. Carroll, were members of the football team.
 
Gowins on Carroll: "It's hard not to get excited when you think about Carroll. A high school teammate of Drayton Mitchell, he served as the ace during Calallen's state title run and delivered when it mattered most. The left-hander currently sits in the upper 80s with a true starter's profile and quality secondary offerings. He possesses a frame you can dream on, and once he gets with Coach Nilo on campus, we expect to see some big jumps. With a low pulse on the mound, Carroll brings the demeanor and competitive spirit you want in a future weekend rotation guy."
 
Daylen Foor | INF | R/R
Katy, Texas | Tompkins HS
Foor finished the 2025 season with a .381 batting average, .498 on-base percentage and 1.141 OPS. He finished the year with 38 hits, including five home runs, and scored 34 times. His performance saw him be named to the all-district first team and selected as the Falcons' Team MVP.
 
His parents were both student-athletes in college at Slippery Rock University. Foor's dad was a member of the football team and his mom competed on the volleyball team.
 
Foor choose Texas State over offers from Arizona State, Baylor, Dallas Baptist, Houston and UTSA.
 
Gowins on Foor: "With Daylen, we're adding one of the most polished infielders in the state. A sure-handed shortstop from Katy Tompkins, Daylen combines smooth defensive actions with advanced baseball instincts that allow him to control the game from the middle of the field. At the plate, Foor can really control the strike zone and has hit at a high level for a long time. He comes from a winning high school program and started at shortstop for Texas Twelve, one of the top summer programs in Texas. Foor is a talent maximizer, and we are fired up to add him."
 
James Janak | RHP | R/R
Columbus, Texas | Galveston College | Sam Houston | Columbus HS
Janak will play the 2026 season at Galveston College after redshirting this past campaign at Sam Houston. He played under coach Kyle Bludau at Columbus High School and travel ball for HTB Espinoza.
 
As a junior, he threw 42 innings and posted a 1.90 ERA on his way to earning all-district second team honors. That season saw him help the team reach the fourth round of the UIL playoffs.
 
Gowins on Janak: "The big right-hander from Galveston Junior College is an arm we saw multiple times this fall, and he continued to get better with each outing. His fastball has been up to 96 mph and shows the kind of life that misses bats. Janak's versatility allows him to fit multiple roles, but he profiles as someone who can come in and air it out at the back end of games. He's continued to develop under Coach Sanford at Galveston, and we're excited about what he brings to our pitching staff."
 
Jaxon McKnight | C | R/R
Humble, Texas | Atascocita HS
McKnight is coming off a 2025 season that saw him help lead Atascocita High School to a 32-13-2 record and a runner-up finish in the UIL 6A State Championship. He was a first-team all-district selection behind the plate and was chosen as the Eagles' Team MVP. As a sophomore, McKnight was picked as the district utility player of the year.
 
He choose Texas State over offers from Brown, Davidson, Elon, Rice and Texas A&M. McKnight's father, Sean, was a JUCO All-American at Eastfield College and helped the team win the 2001 JUCO Division III World Series while also going to play at Houston Christian.
 
Gowins on McKnight: "Jaxon is an elite defensive backstop who makes his pitcher's better. He can really catch and throw and shows a high IQ behind the plate. He continues to level up at the plate, and being young for his class, we're excited to see the jumps he is going to make once he is on campus. Comes from one of the better High School programs in Houston and has won a lot of baseball games during his high school career."
 
Drayton Mitchell | OF/LHP | L/L
Corpus Christi, Texas | Calallen HS
This past spring saw Mitchell helped lead Calallen High School to a 38-2 record and the UIL 4A State Championship. He was named the UIL 4A State Tournament MVP, All-South Texas Co-MVP and the District 31-4A Utility Player of the Year.
 
Mitchell is a member of the National Honor Society and the Interact Club. He choose Texas State over offers from Houston, Sam Houston, UTRGV and UTSA.
 
Gowins on Mitchell: "An elite competitor from Corpus Christi Calallen, Drayton has done nothing but win. Coming off a state championship season where he was named State Tournament MVP, he's proven he performs his best when the lights are brightest. The left-handed hitter brings the coveted power/speed combo you look for in a true centerfielder. A top-of-the-order talent, Drayton plays with confidence and intensity that sets the tone for everyone around him. Mitchell has pitched a lot of competitive innings and will have a chance to get on the mound in San Marcos. We're excited to add a player who knows how to win and lead."
 
Logan Schultz | RHP | R/R
Lewisville, Texas | Marcus HS
Schultz helped lead the Marauders to a 30-13 record this past spring. He played summer ball for coach KJ Alexander with Canes Southwest National. The future Bobcat volunteers for the Miracle League that helps kids with special needs enjoy the game of baseball.
 
Gowins on Schultz: "We're fired up to add Logan to this class. He's one of the more polished arms in the state of Texas, and we believe everyone will see that on full display during his senior year. Schultz features a low-90s fastball with command of three quality secondary pitches, and he's proven to be an elite strike thrower who attacks hitters. A tough, competitive kid, Logan is the kind of pitcher you want on the mound in big moments, and we think he has a real chance to compete for quality innings early in his career."
 
Kortland Stovall | LHP | R/L
Mount Pleasant, Texas | Mount Pleasant HS
Stovall is a two-time All-District 10-5A First Team selection. This past season, he went 5-1 with a 1.40 ERA and 99 strikeouts. That included tossing one no-hitter.
 
The National Honor Society member choose Texas State over interest from Baylor, Florida State and Tarleton State.
 
Gowins on Stovall: "Stovall was the first commitment in our 2026 class and immediately set the tone for this group. The left-handed pitcher from Mount Pleasant has a true starter's profile, featuring an upper-80s fastball that continues to trend upward. Over the last year, he's made impressive strides with his breaking stuff, showing the ability to really spin the baseball. Stovall brings the quiet confidence you look for in a starter — someone who competes every time he takes the mound. Coming from a great summer program, he's used to winning big games."
 
Trevyn Turner | RHP | R/R
Houston, Texas | Summer Creek HS
Turner will graduate in the spring from Summer Creek High School. In October, he competed in the New Balance Future Star Series that was held at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas.
 
Gowins on Turner: "Turner is a right-handed pitcher from Summer Creek High School in Houston, and we're excited to add someone with the kind of upside he possesses. A strong, physical athlete, Turner's fastball has been up to 94 mph with quality secondary pitches that will continue to develop. He's an elite competitor who's proven himself against top competition while playing for one of the premier summer programs in the country. We're fired up to add Turner and believe he's only scratching the surface of what he's going to become."
 
Luke Wheatley | INF | R/R
Calgary, Alberta, Canada | Vauxhall Academy
The 2026 season will see Wheatley compete at Midland College for the second year. As a freshman, he batted .385 with a .531 OBP and .542 slugging percentage. The infielder smacked three home runs, drove in 23 runs and scored 32 times while drawing 25 walks.
 
At Vauxhall Academy, he was chosen as the school's male athlete of the year in both his junior and senior seasons. Both years Wheatley also made the honor roll.
 
Gowins on Wheatley: "Wheatley is an infielder from Midland Junior College that Coach Linahan identified last spring and really impressed our staff early this fall. The Calgary, Alberta native put together a standout freshman season for the Chaps, showing serious offensive upside. He has a chance to hit for average with some juice, all while holding down a premium defensive position. When you get a player from Midland, you know you're getting someone who's well-coached, disciplined, and ready to contribute the day he steps on campus."
 
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