Franciscan University of Steubenville Men's Baseball

Carver will be entering his seventh season at the helm for the 2026 season at Franciscan. It will be his 35th year as an NCAA Head Coach, as he has amassed over 500 wins in his career. Wade Stoehr and Josiah Bodie were named Second Team All-PAC in 2025. The Barons' .306 batting average was tied for third best in the PAC, as Bodie led the way with a .394 batting average in his first full, collegiate season.  The 2024 season ended on a high-note with five wins in their last eight games, including a sweep at home over Bethany. The season ended with a sweep at Penn State Shenango. The second win would give Coach Carver his 500th win of his decorated career. After the season, Wade Stoehr was named Honorable Mention All-PAC. The 2023 season was an injury-plagued season. Brendan Burke batted .400 while battling injuries to be named Second Team All-PAC. He also became the program's all-time hits leader this season.  The 2022 season was another record setting year, as the Baron improved on the program record from 2021 by earning 17 wins. Brendan Burke had a breakout season by earning First Team All-PAC honors. He was also named ABCA/Rawlings Mideast All-Region Third Team. Jacob Watson was named Second Team All-PAC, while Michael Maynard earned Honorable Mention recognition.  The 2021 season was a historic year for Franciscan baseball. Under Carver's leadership they set a new team record for wins (16) and made their first Conference Tournament. The Barons posted a 15-11 PAC record to sit in third place and be among the top four teams to go to Washington for the PAC Tournament.  In the 2021 season, a new record, eight players earned postseason honors. Joshua Costello led the way being named ABCA/Rawlings Mideast Region Third Team. Costello as well as Kyle Ferrance were named first team All-PAC. Patrick Wallace, Chris Furka, and Declan Peterson were Second Team All-PAC. Brendan Burke, Joshua Speaker, and Jacob Watson were Honorable Mention All-PAC. The 2020 season was the first NCAA season at Franciscan since 2011, and it unfortunately came to an abrupt end with the COVID-19 outbreak. The Barons only played their spring break games, as they amassed a record of 3-8 in Virginia and Florida. The Barons did not waste time searching for the first win, as they beat Christendom in their first game of the year 4-0. Ryan Neely, the Steubenville native, would pitch a complete game shut out in the victory.   Director of athletics, Mike Holmes, announced on September 19, 2018 the hiring of Rick Carver as the head coach for the newly revitalized baseball program at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Carver joins Franciscan after a prolific 29-year career at nearby Bethany College. Carver, no stranger to the Ohio Valley and DIII athletics, served as the head coach at Bethany College since 1990. With the Bison, Carver amassed 448 wins, the most wins for a coach in school and Presidents’ Athletic Conference history, and was named the PAC Coach of the Year five times, most recently in 2014. Carver led the Bison to four outright PAC titles and eight first-place regular season finishes in his time at Bethany. In addition, the Bison appeared in five ECAC championship tournaments under Carver. Carver recruited and coached the first All-America honoree for the Bison and has guided 105 players to All-PAC honors including seven MVP selections. 14 players under Carver have been inducted into Bethany’s Hall of Fame and 60 Bison have earned national recognition by Collegiate Baseball Magazine. Personally, Carver has received numerous awards from coaching organizations for his excellence in coaching, the most recent being the Louisville Silver Slugger Award for Championship Level Coaching in 2004.   Year by Year Results at Franciscan Year Record Pct. PAC Postseason 2025 13-25 .342 6-14 / 9th 2024 10-26 .278 3-17 / 10th 2023 6-28 .176 3-17 / 11th 2022 17-22 .436 9-17 / 7th 2021 16-19 .457 15-11 / 3rd PAC Tournament 2020 3-8 .273 n/a Total 65-128 .337 36-76 (.321) Year by Year Results at Bethany Year Record Postseason 2018 13-23 2017 14-22-1 2016 9-29 2015 10-26 2014 19-18 PAC Tournament 2013 12-26 2012 16-22 2011 12-23 2010 21-18 ECAC Playoffs 2009 3-33 2008 14-18 2007 12-25 2006 15-24 2005 23-15 2004 20-17 2003 16-23 2002 9-27-1 2001 18-22 2000 27-22 PAC Champions, ECAC Playoffs 1999 20-18 PAC Champions, ECAC Playoffs 1998 17-23 1997 12-20 1996^ 23-13 PAC Champions, ECAC Championship Game 1995# 24-13 ECAC Playoffs 1994 25-6 ECAC Playoffs 1993 15-17 1992 12-20 1991 17-19 PAC Champions Total 448-581-2 (.435) ^ 10-0 PAC Record, Most Wins by an undefeated PAC Champion ^ Team Batting Average of .401 to lead the Nation # Ranked #29 in the nation Updated 5/31/25

Alma Mater Franciscan University of Steubenville '21 - B.A. Communication Arts & working on M.A. Theology  Playing Experience Concordia University-Chicago (2018-2019) Franciscan University of Steubenville (2020-2021), 2nd Team All-Conference PAC 3rd Baseman (2021) Four Years of Independent Professional Baseball (2021-2024), Santa Fe Fuego & Marysville Drakes-Pecos League   Coaching Experience Experience coaching high school travel baseball (15U-18U) Youth and High School Baseball lessons Youth baseball camps Why Franciscan? After retirement last year I wanted to gain college coaching experience at a place where I could be fully open about my Catholic faith. I also am in the process of obtaining a Master’s in Theology at a great Catholic college. Franciscan University baseball is the program that gave me the opportunity to play everyday in college in order to get into professional baseball. I am grateful to hopefully give back a little bit to the program that helped me.

Alma Mater Bethany College '16 - Physical Education Playing Experience He was a four year member of the Bethany Bison baseball team as a pitcher Coaching Experience He has been an assistant coach with Franciscan since 2020. Prior to Franciscan, he served as a student assistant for his fifth year at Bethany. He also coached the Weirton Legion team and helps coach the Pittsburgh Diamond Dawgs travel team during the summer. Current Career He teaches at the Jefferson County Alternative School / Quest Center Why Franciscan? Franciscan provided a great opportunity for me to begin and further my coaching career and knowledge of the game. 

Alma Mater: Penn State University (BS) & Catholic University of America (MA) Year Ordained: 2018 Inspirational Bible Verse: Luke 24:46-49: Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. Faith Journey: Cradle Catholic, altar server until I thought I was too cool, never left the faith but was on the edge, moment of conversion during “Trading My Sorrows” (ask me about it, it’s totally weird), steady growth in faith through college, turned down two engineering jobs to become a friar in 2011, professed vows in 2013, ordained in 2018, work in progress, growing a little every day.