Cincinnati Announces 12 Signees for 2026-27

The class is ranked No. 26 nationally by Perfect Game, the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history.

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CINCINNATI – Head coach Jordan Bischel and the Cincinnati baseball program had a productive National Signing Day, inking 12 student-athletes for the 2026-27 season and officially announcing the full class on Thursday.

The class is ranked No. 26 nationally by Perfect Game, the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history. It beat out the Bearcats’ 2025 class, which had previously held the mark for highest-ranked class in school history. This year’s recruiting class also ranks fourth in the Big 12 Conference.

Kyle Pettoruto and Tayler Sheriff have worked tirelessly to identify and attract some incredibly talented young men that see the culture and trajectory of our program and want to be a part of it,” Bischel said. “Our entire staff deserves immense credit for supporting Kyle and Tayler in this process. It takes a ton of work on and off campus to build a quality recruiting class at a national level. Highly talented student-athletes are growing more and more excited about being part of our winning culture that emphasizes student-athlete experience and player development. While the national ranking of this class speaks for itself about this group’s physical abilities, behind it is a group of young men that are the type of people we want in our program as well as young men that are truly excited to be Bearcats.”

The hard work the Bearcats’ coaching staff has put in to bring talent to Cincinnati is already leaving its mark on the program. Last season, UC received an at-large NCAA Tournament berth, the first NCAA Tournament trip since 2019 and first at-large berth since 1974. The Bearcats also won six games against ranked opponents, a school record.

Below is a brief glimpse at each of Cincinnati’s 12 signees:

Cole Adams | LHP | West Liberty, Ky.

Adams helped lead Boyd County High School to a KHSAA state semifinal appearance in 2025, a season in which he threw a no-hitter. He has seen success in the batter’s box as well during his high school career, hitting .405 as a sophomore and .380 as a freshman. Adams is the No. 3-ranked player in the state of Kentucky.

Cam Anderson | RHP | Amelia, Ohio

A right-hander from nearby West Clermont High School, Anderson compiled 26 strikeouts and a 2.60 ERA across 26.1 innings as a sophomore in 2024. He helped lead his team to a conference and district championship as a freshman and was named a Perfect Game Preseason Underclassman All-American.

Landyn Dykes | C | Statham, Ga.

Dykes has earned all-state and all-region honors at North Oconee High School and won a state title as a freshman. This past year as a junior, Dykes hit .431 with seven home runs and 14 doubles while leading his team to a 27-8 record and earning offensive player of the year honors for his region. He hit .320 as the starting catcher as a sophomore and was earned the team’s “Man of Steel” award as a freshman, presented annually to the player who works hardest in the weight room. 

Dylan Fairchild | INF | Wixom, Mich.

Fairchild was an all-conference performer this past season at Detroit Catholic Central High School and was an all-area pick as well. The No. 4-ranked player in the state of Michigan, Fairchild hit .340 during his sophomore season in 2024. He was named a top performer at the 2025 Perfect Game WWBA World Championship earlier this year.

Jamir Johnson | OF | Locust Grove, Ga.

Johnson is a two-time all-region honoree and earned all-state recognition this past season at Locust Grove High School. This calendar year between his high school season and summer ball season, Johnson blasted 10 home runs, four of which traveled over 400 feet. He is the No. 14-ranked prospect in the talent-rich state of Georgia.

Andrew Mahoney | LHP | Novi, Mich.

Mahoney is an all-conference and All-Catholic honoree at Detroit Catholic Central High School. He is the top-ranked left-handed pitcher in the state of Michigan and also earned second team all-state honors this past season as a junior. Across his high school and summer ball seasons, Mahoney combined to post a 15-2 record with a 0.91 ERA, and 77 strikeouts in 67 innings. He threw a perfect game at the Perfect Game WWBA World Championship event and threw two no-hitters this year as well.

Gavin Michaels | INF | Bloomington, Ill.

Michaels helped lead Normal Community High School to a third-place finish at the IHSA state tournament last year, picking up conference, regional, sectional, and super section championships along the way. He was an all-conference honoree this past season, hitting .387 with a .508 on-base percentage.

Ryan Morel | OF | West Nyack, N.Y.

Morel is the top-ranked outfield prospect in New York and one of the top overall prospects in the state, starring for Citius Prep. He started his high school career with a bang, hitting .330 his freshman season and has participated in the MLB Breakthrough Series during his high school career.

Harrison Pollina | RHP | Arlington, Tenn.

Pollina is a two-time pitcher of the year at Arlington High School and was named all-region and all-metro this past season as a junior. One of the top-ranked pitchers in Tennessee, he helped lead his team a runner-up finish at the state tournament as a sophomore, a year in which Arlington won district and regional titles. In his freshman campaign in 2023, Pollina earned freshman of the year honors.

Seb Shulsky | RHP | Canonsburg, Pa.

Shulksy is an all-state performer and two-time all-section honoree at Canon McMillan High School who led his team to a sectional title as a junior this past spring. It was the second sectional title of his high school career after helping his team win one as a freshman as well. 

Jack Slightom | RHP | Willow Springs, Ill.

As a pitcher at Lyons Township High School, Slightom posted a 3.20 ERA across 42.2 innings this past spring and owned a 1.57 ERA as a sophomore in 2024. He is one of the top-ranked prospects in Illinois. Slightom is also the starting quarterback on the football team and led his squad to the second round of the IHSA 8A playoffs.

Owen Wilczek | RHP | Big Lake, Minn.

Starring at Big Lake High School, Wilczek is a three-time all-conference selection and two-time all-section pick. He has been named the team’s pitcher of the year all three seasons and broke the school’s single-season strikeout record (114) and career strikeout record (260) as a junior this past season while posting a 1.44 ERA. Wilczek was named the Mississippi 8 Conference MVP Pitcher this past season as well. As a sophomore in 2024, he threw 57.2 innings with a 2.67 ERA and struck out 83.

 

 

ADAMS nsd
ANDERSON NSD
DYKES nsd
FAIRCHILD nsd
JOHNSON NSD (1)
MAHONEY nsd
MICHAELS nsd
MOREL nsd
POLLINA nsd
SHULSKY nsd
WILCZEK nsd
SLIGHTOM nsd