Marty Gordon, NRVsports@ourvalley.org
The Pulaski River Turtles have unveiled their 2026 summer roster, which includes four players from Virginia Tech and three from Radford University.
Those from Tech include pitchers Ryan Walsh and Jake Wise and outfielders, John Michael Szefc and Brady Elrod. Those from RU include pitchers Hunter Howard, infielder Noah Toole and outfielder Eli Hudgins.
The group met with the media this past week at Calfee Park, where they will play their games this season.
Eleven different NCAA Division 1 schools represented on the roster, including six teams currently playing in the NCAA Tournament: Virginia Tech, Ole Miss, Alabama, Boston College, WVU and Oklahoma State.
Four Virginia players appear on the 2026 roster: Noah Toole from Oakton, Va., Jake Wise from Glen Allen, Va., John Michael Szefc of Blacksburg, Va., and Brady Elrod from Mechanicsville, Va.
John Michael Szefc is the son of Virginia Tech baseball head coach John Szefc. In his senior season playing for MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Billy Wagner at the Miller School of Albemarle, Szefc hit .476 with 3 HR and 26 RBI. He signed with Virginia Tech earlier this year.
Six members of the 2025 Pulaski River Turtles team are returning: Pitcher Zach Moss, pitcher Braylon Brooks, pitcher Eli Baker, pitcher Hayes Allen, infielder Tre Bryant, and infielder/pitcher Noah Toole.
The Pulaski River Turtles are entering the 2026 season with momentum following the team’s fourth top-three finish in five seasons in the Appalachian League East Division.
The team’s next home game will be June 13 against Johnson City.
