The NCAA Baseball Tournament field is officially set, as we now know the trio of teams making their way to North Carolina to compete in the Chapel Hill Regional.
Scott Forbes and the UNC baseball program open up tournament play on Friday afternoon as they are set to battle Holy Cross, the No. 4 seed in the bracket.
In preparation for the start of the 2025 NCAA Baseball Tournament, we wanted to take a closer look at the teams who are part of the Chapel Hill Regional. No better place to start than with the Crusaders, the first opponent in the Diamond Heels quest for another run to Omaha.
Here's what you need to know about the Holy Cross Crusaders:
2025 Season In Review
Overall Record: 31-25
Conference Record: 17-8 (1st in the Patriot League)
Home Record: 15-8
Away Record: 16-16
Neutral Site Record: 0-1
The Crusaders not only won the Patriot League regular season title, but won the conference's postseason tournament as well. A walk-off victory over Army secured the program's first Patriot League Tournament tite since 2017, ending Army's stretch of six consecutive championships.
Meet the Manager
Ed Kahovec
A former shortstop at the University of Rochester, Kahovec is in his sixth season leading the Crusaders. He previously served as an assistant for the program from 2017 to 2019, before being named interim head coach in January 2020. After a shortened 2020 season at the helm, the Crusaders lifted the interim tag, making him the full-time head coach of the program.
Kahovec has steadily helped rejuvenate the program, helping them put together their first winning season since 2016.
Key Players
Chris Baillargeon is one of the focal points of Holy Cross' offensive attack, as the team's No. 3 hitter is simply an on-base machine.
While he doesn't hit for much power, he has a knack for getting on base. His .386 batting average and .502 on base percentage tell the tale, as he's made life difficult for opposing pitchers all season long.
The Crusaders offense was simply the best that the Patriot League had to offer, as Egrie played a major role in that success at the top oft he batting order.
Egrie is a two-way force for Holy Cross, excelling at the plate and in the field. Offensively, the junior outfielder from Ventnor City, New Jersey posted a batting average of .325, leading the conference with 59 runs scored.
Defensively, you could make a very strong case that Egrie is the best in the country at his position. He recorded 85 putouts and five assists while boasting a perfect 1,000 fielding percentage. Simply put: if the ball was hit his way, you likely weren't getting on base.
Holy Cross swept the player of the year honors on both sides of the ball, as Jaden Wywoda earned Patriot League Pitcher of the Year honors.
The junior right-hander from Milford, Connecticut led the Patriot League in wins (9) and finished fourth in ERA (3.43) and strikeouts (63). He helped guide Holy Cross to both the regular season and league championship tournament crowns.
By the Numbers
2- Pitchers with a 3.65 ERA or lower
3- Players with 20+ stolen bases
4- Players hitting over .300 (minimum 50 games played)
17- Conference victories
33- Home runs as a team (Team Leader- John LaFleur: 7)
+65- Run Differential
94- Hit by Pitches
418- Runs Scored