The Brooklyn Cyclones’ May 6 lineup card reads like a greatest hits track listing of lower-level Mets prospects.
Eight of the nine High-A Brooklyn hitters that night ranked as preseason Top 30 Prospects for the Mets, and the ninth was athletic outfielder Eli Serrano III, a 2024 fourth-rounder from North Carolina State whose prospect stock was on the rise.
Playing the outfield alongside Serrano were 2024 first-rounder Carson Benge and spark plug A.J. Ewing. Benge, Ewing and Serrano rotate between the three outfield posts, each rangy enough for center and with enough arm for right.
The Cyclones’ infield alignment is similarly fluid. Jesus Baez, Boston Baro and Marco Vargas make most middle infield starts. Baez and Baro play third base, as well, but the club’s primary hot corner option is emerging 21-year-old slugger Jacob Reimer, the South Atlantic League player of the month in April.
Reimer played shortstop in high school, dabbled in left field in the Arizona Fall League last year and was beginning to see more action at first base this spring. He has kept mashing after his award-winning April, and no minor leaguer with at least 100 plate appearances had a higher wRC+ than his 198 heading into mid May.
Both of Brooklyn’s 21-year-old catchers also figure in the club’s first base mix. Christopher Suero and Ronald Hernandez both can hit and both play multiple positions. Suero even plays left field sometimes.
“This team is special. It’s one of the best teams I’ve been a part of,” said Brooklyn first-year hitting coach Bryan Muniz, who worked in the same capacity for the Astros’ High-A Asheville affiliate last year.
“Development comes first, but the hunger to want to win stands out with this team.”
A typical Brooklyn lineup includes seven, eight or nine top 30-caliber prospects, with a defensive alignment that changes daily. Every one of the highlighted players but Serrano throws righthanded, allowing for maximum versatility, to the point where Ewing, who was a high school shortstop, plays second base at times.
In fact, “high school shortstop” is a common theme for the 2025 Cyclones. It applies to Baro, Ewing and Reimer. Baez and Vargas also entered pro ball as teenage shortstops, in their cases hailing from the Dominican Republic and Mexico, respectively.
In recent drafts, the Mets have earmarked bonus pool money to go over slot to sign talented prep shortstops away from college commitments. In 2022, it was fourth-rounder Reimer, who missed most of last season with a serious hamstring injury. In 2023, it was supplemental fourth-rounder Ewing and eighth-rounder Baro.
Now, Baro, Ewing and Reimer are teammates in a Brooklyn lineup that is the third youngest in the SAL. More important than the Cyclones’ youth is the fact that they are scoring runs, winning games and building the camaraderie that follows from playing well individually and succeeding collectively.
From winning, team chemistry often springs, and the vibes are strong in the Brooklyn clubhouse. Benge and Serrano are natural team leaders, based on them being two of the older position prospects and both having power conference backgrounds in college.
Muniz credits Serrano with having a “big voice” and “good energy” for the Cyclones. As leadoff man, he sets the tone in more ways than one. The 6-foot-5 lefthanded batter hits the ball hard and is working to get in the best position for the long levers in his swing to play.
Benge starred as a two-way player at Oklahoma State and was drafted 19th overall last year. His bat-to-ball skills and swing decisions are already well-defined. The lefthanded hitter can let the ball travel deep and hit with authority to the opposite field, which Muniz refers to as Benge’s superpower.
Now, Benge is making progress hitting breaking pitches in the air to his pull side to tap into his power.
“He’s been a great team guy,” Muniz said. “He picks teammates up. He knows when to joke. He’s just special in the clubhouse, where he goes out of his way to talk to teammates.”
Brooklyn ranks third in the SAL in runs scored, just a few behind league leaders Hudson Valley and Greensboro. No Cyclones squad has ever finished higher than 10th out of 12 teams previously as a full-season affiliate, a period dating back to 2021.
For the Cyclones, it’s a total team effort. They lead the SAL in batting average and slugging. They rank second in home runs, on-base percentage and stolen bases. Their lineup is balanced. Baro, Benge, Ewing, Serrano and Vargas bat lefthanded, while Baez, Reimer and Suero bat righthanded. Hernandez is a natural righty who switch-hits.
Success for the Cyclones’ lefthanded hitters is notable. A strong ocean breeze blows in from right field at Brooklyn’s Maimonides Park and tends to knock down fly balls hit in that direction. The park is one of the most difficult for lefthanded hitters to homer in among all 120 full-season minor league venues.
“At the end of the day, baseball is baseball. And it’s been the same for 100 years,” Muniz said. “While our home park is pitcher-friendly, consistency is what’s important. Swing at the right pitches, and you’ll make more contact, and you’ll hit the ball hard.
“We’re trying to make you a big leaguer, not a High-A all-star. A hard line drive might get caught up in the wind in right field in Brooklyn, (whereas) a pop fly to right field might go out in (hitter-friendly) Asheville. But which of those will play in Citi Field?”
Brooklyn’s team ERA is second best in the league—no surprise given the Cyclones’ home park—which yields a plus-54 team run differential that is second only to Hudson Valley in the SAL.
If they can keep up the pace, the Cyclones’ .625 winning percentage would be far and away the highest for a Mets full-season affiliate this decade. The Low-A St. Lucie Mets finished with a .566 mark in 2022, but that team was an older one without a ton of prospect juice, aside from partial seasons from college arms Christian Scott and Mike Vasil.
And while there’s still a lot of baseball to be played this season, the 2025 Brooklyn Cyclones are setting a standard of excellence among Mets affiliates.
“We’re very excited about our Brooklyn roster,” Mets farm director Andrew Christie said. “The depth of talent there is emblematic of the type of system we believe we have.
“Our goal is to develop major league talent while winning games at the minor league level, and this year’s Cyclones team is leading the charge.”
ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. – Four members of the St. Mary’s College of Maryland volleyball team were honored by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) as members of the CSC Academic All-District® Team, the organization announced in a release Tuesday (Dec. 16).
Senior Julia Bobrowski (California, Md./Leonardtown), juniors Camilla Galeano (Germantown, Md./Damascus) and Lauren Panageotou (Baltimore, Md./Mercy), and sophomore Stella Marrero (Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Christian Life) all earned the award for the 2025 season.
Bobrowski is the lone repeat selection.
The 2025 Academic All-District® Volleyball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom.
The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes volleyball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA.
Outstanding student-athletes are nominated for Academic All-District® recognition by communications directors and must have a minimum 3.50 GPA plus meet high athletic standards.
Bobrowski owns a 3.74 GPA as a sociology major and business administration minor for her second straight Academic All-District award. The 5-6 outside hitter ranked sixth in the United East Conference with 55 service aces and 14th with 0.52 aces per set. She was named to the United East All-Sportsmanship Team (Nov. 24).
Galeano, a computer science major with a 3.87 GPA, tied for 14th in the conference with 42 service aces while tying for 17th with 0.49 aces per set. The 5-4 setter led the Seahawks with 402 assists while registering 20-plus assists five times this season.
A psychology major and educational studies minor, Panageotou boasts a 3.7 GPA. The 5-10 setter was second on the team with 291 assists while adding 101 digs, 12 service aces, and six kills in 30 matches.
Marrero picked up her first Academic All-District award with 3.96 GPA as a neuroscience and psychology double major and biology minor. The 5-7 defensive specialist ranked 10th in the United East with 303 digs while sitting 20th with 2.78 digs per set. She was also second on the team with 45 service aces.
St. Mary’s College (17-15, 8-2 UEC) captured the program’s first-ever conference tournament championship title by taking the 2025 United East tournament crown with a 3-2 road win over top-seeded Penn State Harrisburg. The Seahawks also gained the program’s first-ever berth in the NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball Tournament.
Wellsboro junior Madison Cruttenden was recently named to the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association’s, PVCA, Class 2A All-State team.
Cruttenden was one of three NTL and District IV volleyballers (Aryana Andrus and Alli Bailey from Troy) to make the team.
Cruttenden received 536 serves, made 37 assists and had 341 digs this season. She also scored 163 points to go along with 54 aces.
Over the course of her career she has made 1,197 receptions, 56 assists, 784 digs, 407 points (112 aces) and 6 kills.
“This is a well-deserved honor for Maddy,” head coach Darci Pollock said. “She has been a consistent back row player for us the past two seasons. She continues to work hard in the off season. I’m very proud of her work ethic and dedication to the team!”
Cruttenden is the ninth Wellsboro player to earn a spot on the PCVA All-State team. Cruttenden joins Carrie Gorda, Rachel Patt, Hannah Zuchowski, Kirsten Florio, Caitlyn Callahan, Megan Starkweather, Paige Logsdon and Lexi Urena.
All-RRV Volleyball 2025: A golden finish: Trinity Christian Academy’s Pyeatt walks off as state champion and All-RRV Volleyball Co-Offensive Player of the Year | Free
The 118th Millrose Games women’s 3000 meters on Feb. 1, 2026, at the Nike Track & Field Center at The Armory will feature a showdown between NCAA distance running’s top stars Doris Lemngole and Jane Hedengren, along with 2025 runner-up Josette Andrews.
Lemngole, competing for Alabama, holds the NCAA championship and record in the 3000m steeplechase. The Kenya native won the steeplechase at the Lausanne Diamond League and finished fourth at the World Championships before claiming her second straight NCAA cross country title — her fifth NCAA championship overall. The junior received the 2025 Bowerman Award last week, recognizing her as collegiate track and field’s top athlete.
“I am excited and looking forward to competing at the Millrose Games, especially given its prestige and historic significance,” said Lemngole in a release by the meeting this week.. “It is a great opportunity!”
Read More: Julien Alfred Among Sprinters Confirmed For 2025 Millrose Games
Hedengren broke every American high school distance record from 1500m through 5000m before enrolling at BYU. The freshman went unbeaten in cross country until finishing second to Lemngole at nationals, then shattered the NCAA 5000m record with a 14:44.79 clocking in her indoor debut.
Both runners will chase Katelyn Tuohy’s NCAA 3000m record of 8:35.20, established at the 2023 Millrose Games.
Andrews, from Tenafly, N.J., finished sixth in the 5000m at the 2025 World Championships and has top-five showings at World Indoor Championships and the Diamond League Final.
Several Other 118th Millrose Games Confirmations
The World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meet will also feature Grant Fisher, Cole Hocker, Elle St. Pierre, Jess Hull, Nikki Hiltz, Joe Kovacs, Yared Nuguse, Hobbs Kessler, Cameron Myers, Julien Alfred, Devynne Charlton and Danielle Williams.
Tickets are available at millrosegames.org. More than 85 percent of seats have sold.
DAYTONA BEACH – The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats have officially released their 2026 softball schedule. The schedule includes four in-season tournaments prior to SWAC play along with two separate contests against non-conference foes.
The Wildcats’ season will begin at the USF-Rawlings Classic in Tampa from February 5-7. B-CU will open against Illinois State, followed by matchups with USF, Kansas, Michigan, and Florida.
The Cats’ first game at Sunnyland Park will take place on February 11th against North Dakota State at 5 p.m.
From February 13-15, the Wildcats will be in Leesburg, Florida for THE Spring Games, where they will take on mid-majors LIU, Southern Miss, Loyola Chicago, and St. John’s.
The following weekend, B-CU once again travels to Cathedral City, California for an appearance in the annual Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic (Feb. 19-21), squaring off against Utah, Rutgers, Texas Tech, Oregon State, and Long Beach State.
For their fourth and final in-season tournament, the Wildcats head to Madiera Beach, Florida for the Make It Happen Games. The event takes place from February 27 to March 1 and features Bellarmine, UMass, UIC, Bowling Green, and Monmouth.
The Wildcats’ SWAC schedule begins on Friday, March 6th with a two-game road series against Alabama A&M. B-CU will then finish up their non-conference schedule following a road contest against UNF (March 11).
B-CU welcomes Alabama State for a three-game series on March 13th & 14th. The following weekend (March 20-21), they will travel to play Jackson State before heading back to Sunnyland. The Cats host rival Florida A&M for a three-game set on March 27th and 28th.
The Wildcats travel to Itta Bena, Mississippi to take on the Delta Devils on April 3rd & 4th. Their final three series include rematches of previous series against Jackson State, Alabama State, and Alabama A&M. B-CU will host the Tigers (April 10-11) and the Bulldogs (April 24-25), while traveling to face the Hornets (April 17-18).
The Southeastern Athletic Conference tournament will again compete in Gulfport, Mississippi, and takes place from May 5th to May 9th.
Follow Bethune-Cookman Softball on Twitter (@BCUSoftball) and Instagram (@BCUSoftball) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUAthletics), Instagram (@BCU_Athletics) and BCUathletics.com.
Penn State landed its second commitment in the transfer portal of the day.
The Nittany Lions earned a commitment from outside hitter Whitney Lauenstein.
Lauenstein was previously at Texas and Nebraska before transferring to her third school, Penn State.
Lauenstein adds depth to the right side and outside, which is already pretty deep for the blue and white.
The Waverly, Nebraska, native had her best season in 2022 with the Cornhuskers, totaling 297 kills, with 2.78 kills per set and a .238 hitting percentage. She added 28 aces as a premier server, which could be a major part of her role with the Nittany Lions.
She’ll make her way to Happy Valley as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility.
MORE VOLLEYBALL COVERAGE
Penn State earned another commitment from the transfer portal.
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