Eastern Wayne Today

Wayne State University’s baseball program has announced the addition of four freshmen pitchers to its roster for the upcoming season. Head coach Ryan Kelley, now in his 18th year leading the team, introduced right-handed pitcher Matt Mareno from Saline, Michigan; left-handed pitcher Joel Mator from Trenton, Michigan; right-handed pitcher Luke O'Keefe from Saint John, Indiana; and left-handed pitcher/first baseman Bryce Simpson from Clay, Michigan.

Kelley began his 18th season as head coach last month. The new recruits come from successful high school programs and have received various honors for their performances on the field.

Matt Mareno graduated from Saline High School where he was a three-year letterwinner under coach Al Zeiher. He threw a no-hitter as a senior against Ann Arbor Pioneer and earned All-Southeastern Conference Red Division honors. As a sophomore, Mareno posted a 7-2 record with a 2.97 ERA and 43 strikeouts in nine starts. He also played outfield and participated in football at Saline High School while maintaining Gold Honor Roll status all four years.

Joel Mator comes to Wayne State after playing at Trenton High School for coach Todd Szalka. Mator helped lead his team to a regional final as a senior and was recognized with Detroit Free Press Honorable Mention All-Metro Detroit accolades after recording a 0.52 ERA in his final season. In 2024, he earned Second Team Division 2 All-State honors from the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association (MHSBCA). Over his high school career, Mator recorded 227 strikeouts in 147.2 innings pitched.

Luke O’Keefe is joining Wayne State following four varsity seasons at Lake Central High School under coach Mike Swartzentruber. He contributed to Lake Central’s Division 4A state title win in 2024 and maintained an overall varsity ERA of 2.11 over four years. In his senior year, O’Keefe had a record of six wins and two losses with a 2.56 ERA across 38.3 innings pitched.

Bryce Simpson completed his high school career at Algonac High School playing for coach Scott Thaler. Simpson was named to the MHSBCA Division 3 All-State Second Team as a junior after posting an ERA of 0.93 with 87 strikeouts over 60.1 innings pitched that season.

The addition of these four pitchers follows an earlier announcement regarding incoming position players for Wayne State’s baseball team next season, with further updates expected about transfer students joining for the upcoming academic year.

"Ryan Kelley, who began his 18th season as the baseball head coach at Wayne State University last month, has announced the signing of four freshmen pitchers.  The quartet includes RHP Matt Mareno (Saline, Mich.), LHP Joel Mator (Trenton, Mich.), RHP Luke O'Keefe (Saint John, Ind./Lake Central), and LHP/1B Bryce Simpson (Clay, Mich./Algonac)."