SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant baseball team has opened winter practices in preparation for the upcoming 2026 season. BryantBulldogs.com breaks down the Bulldogs position-by-position.
Position: Infielders
Returners: Zac Zyons,
Justin Hackett,
Alejandro Vazquez
Newcomers: Casey Wensley,
Ellis Garcia,
Carlos Irizarry,
Hudson Story,
Mike Fiatarone,
Dylan Prince,
Cameron Soroko
Quick Pitch:
The Black and Gold return just one starter from last year's America East Championship game. The one returner,
Zac Zyons, is back as one of the best second basemen in the region.
Fun Fact:
Zyons is Bryant's all-time leader in hit by pitches with 53. He enters 2026 ranked sixth among active Division I players.
Notes and Notables:
- Zyons returns looking to put the finishing touches on an outstanding career with the Black and Gold. He's been named to the America East First Team each of the last two seasons, hitting .278 with 14 doubles, 11 home runs, 45 RBI and 48 runs scored. Zyons walked 25 times and was hit by pitch 20 more, posting a .413 OBP. He is a Preseason All-America East selection this spring.
- For his career, Zyons is hitting .316 (143-453) with 32 doubles, five triples, 23 home runs, 98 RBI and 133 runs scored. He's also been one of the best defensive second basemen in program history, posting a .979 career fielding percentage. He made just three errors in 207 chances in 2025.
- Justin Hackett is the only other returner that has seen significant playing time despite injuries hampering most of his Bryant career. Last season, Hackett went 4-for-14 over the first four games as Bryant's starting shortstop before missing the remainder of the season with injury.
- The senior from Wallingford, Conn., has appeared in just 71 games in three seasons, hitting .279 with 13 doubles, six home runs and 26 RBI. Bryant is hoping he can return to his 2024 form in which he returned from injury to hit .288 with a .404 OBP in 33 games.
- Alejandro Vazquez also returns for the Bulldogs but did not appear in a game in 2025.
- Bryant loaded up on infielders in the portal, bringing in Casey Wensley (Wheaton (MA)), Ellis Garcia (West Virginia), Carlos Irizarry (PSU-Harrisburg) and Hudson Story (LA Mission College).
- Wensley put together two incredible seasons for D3 Wheaton, hitting .369 with 114 hits, 62 RBI and 69 runs scored in 77 games for the Lyons. He was an all-conference and all-region second team selection in 2025 after hitting .390 with 68 hits, a .467 OBP, 99 total bases and 47 runs scored.
- Garcia brings a veteran pedigree to Smithfield after spending the last three seasons at West Virginia. He appeared in 127 games, hitting .251 (76-303) with 17 doubles, five home runs, 47 RBI and 38 runs scored. Garcia had a stellar freshman season for the Mountaineers in 2023, hitting .260 with 12 doubles, three homers and 27 RBI in 53 games.
- Irizarry posted a career slash of .335/.418/.524 at D3 Penn State-Harrisburg, collecting 154 hits, 151 RBI and 119 runs scored in 134 career games. He was a three-time all-conference player, including 2023 Rookie of the Year. Irizarry drove in 45+ runs in each of his three seasons, including a career high 55 in 2014.
- Story began his career at College of the Canyons in 2024 before spending the 2025 season at LA Mission College. He hit .341 with 11 doubles, four home runs, 31 RBI and a .466 OBP last season at LA Mission, earning second team all-conference honors.
- Bryant's two freshmen in the infield are Mike Fiatarone and Dylan Prince. Fiatarone had a standout career at The Salisbury School, while Prince was a standout at Doral Academy in Florida.
