Baseball Introduces Seven-Member Class of 2028
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University baseball will welcome seven incoming first-year student-athletes as a part of its Class of 2028 for the 2025 season, Bill Decker, The Joseph J. O’Donnell ’67 Head Coach for Harvard Baseball announced on Monday.
Harvard’s Class of 2028 comes from across the continental United States and Canada with two student-athletes from Arizona, and one each from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Georgia, Florida, and the Canadian province of Ontario. The group gives the Crimson balance across the diamond with three pitchers, two infielders, one outfielder, and one catcher.
The incoming class includes left-handed pitcher Luca Alagheband (Toronto, Ontario), left-handed pitcher Charley Bergsma (Naples, Fla.), right-handed pitcher/outfielder Daniel Sams (Atlanta, Ga.), infielder Gavin Smith (Queen Creek, Ariz.), infielder Cullen Stone (New Milford, Conn.), right-handed pitcher Owen Tahnk (Newburyport, Mass.), and catcher/first baseman Liam Wilson (Chandler, Ariz.).
Luca Alagheband
Toronto, Ontario | Crescent School
Left-Handed Pitcher | Bats/Throws: L/L | 6-foot-4 | 190 lbs.
Earned Canadian Premier Baseball League (CPBL) All-Star honors three times … Selected to represent the CPBL team at the Perfect Game WWBA World Championship in 2023 … Gained Perfect Game WWBA National/World All-Tournament Team accolades … Selected for the Canadian Futures Showcase at Rogers Centre twice … Received a Yankees Underclass Area Code tryout invitation in 2022 … Ranked as the No. 4 left-handed pitcher nationally in Canada in the Class of 2024 via Perfect Game … Pitched 33.1 innings over multiple competitions in the summer of 2023, tallying 50 strikeouts against 15 hits and posting a 0.48 ERA … Played on the travel level for the Ontario Terriers (2020-22), Ontario Blue Jays (2023), and Mississauga Tigers (2024) … First Honor Roll student … Son of Kasia and Ali Alagheband; Ali played ice hockey at MIT and tennis at Caltech.
Charley Bergsma
Naples, Fla. | St. John Neumann Catholic High School
Left-Handed Pitcher | Bats/Throws: L/L | 6-foot-1 | 190 lbs.
Earned First Team All-Area and Honorable Mention All-Area … Served team as a captain … Garnered school’s Daryl Stalzer Award given to an outstanding athlete who possesses the unique ability to challenge teammates to reach their potential … Helped team make state semifinals twice … Played on the travel level for Power Baseball (2020-22) and Florida Burn (2022-24) … Also competed in golf … Gained Honorable Mention All-Area in golf … National Honor Society and Principal’s List student … Grandfather Joseph McCrudden played for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers organization … Son of Mary Ellen and Bil Bergsma.
Daniel Sams
Atlanta, Ga. | The Lovett School
Right-Handed Pitcher/Outfielder | Bats/Throws: R/R | 6-foot-2 | 190 lbs.
Earned First Team All-State as a junior … Gained two First Team All-Region honors and one Second Team All-Region accolade … Garnered a spot on the Atlanta 400 Baseball Fan Club Greater Atlanta High School All-Star Baseball Team … Served team as a senior captain … Gained team’s MVP award, Best Teammate Award, and Rookie of the Year award over course of career … Earned three varsity letters … Helped lead team to state semifinal appearances as a sophomore and junior and state quarterfinal appearance as a senior … Played on the travel level for ATL Lightning Baseball … Principles and Scholars List student … Twin brother, William, is a member of the Rhodes College baseball class of 2028 … Son of Anne and Mac Sams.
Gavin Smith
Queen Creek, Ariz. | Basha High School
Infielder | Bats/Throws: R/R | 6-foot-1 | 205 lbs.
Garnered Arizona Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2023 and 2024 … Gained Arizona 6A Premier Region Offensive Player of the Year accolades as a junior and senior … Selected as the Chandler Unified School District Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 … Earned First Team All-State as a junior and senior … Gained USA Baseball NHSI All-Tournament Team laurels in 2023; led the tournament in hits … Selected as an Area Code Games participant in 2023 … Led Arizona in home runs (12) in 2024 … Tied the Arizona 6A single-season hit record (51) … Earned three varsity letters … National Honor Society student … Gained Arizona Baseball All-Academic Team honors in 2023 and 2024 … Enjoys weightlifting, fishing, hiking, golfing, and ping pong … Has several relatives that attended Harvard including John Rogers Class of 1649 and Harvard President from 1682-84, Ezekiel Rogers Class of 1659, John Rogers Class of 1684, Daniel Rogers Class of 1686, Nathaniel Rogers Class of 1687, Daniel Rogers Class of 1725, Jerimah Drummer Class of 1762, Timothy Forter Class of 1802, Artemis Rogers Class of 1809, Micajah Rogers Class of 1817, and Robert Lyon Rogers Class of 1848 … Grandfather James Gilbert played basketball at Miami … Cousin Fiona Doherty played soccer at Vermont … Uncle Kelley Robinson played tennis at Ithaca … Son of Marc and Michelle Smith; Marc played baseball at Air Force.
Cullen Stone
New Milford, Conn. | Canterbury School
Infielder | Bats/Throws: R/R | 6-foot-0 | 185 lbs.
Earned First Team All-Western New England Baseball League as a senior … Gained Honorable Mention All-NEPSAC as a senior … Captured Second Team All-New England Baseball Journal Prep Team as a senior … Took home team’s Class of 1972 Baseball Award for leadership, character, and contribution to the team … Garnered the Athletic Leadership Award for the Class of 2023 … Earned four varsity letters in baseball … Helped team go 16-3 and reach the WNEPBL championship for the first time in school history in 2023 … Competed on the travel level for Baseball U Connecticut (2021-22) and US9 Prospects (2023) … Also played football and basketball … Earned First Team All-Evergreen League and Honorable Mention All-NEPSAC in football … Captained football team as a senior in 2022 … Helped football team go 12-0 at home over course of career … Spent the 2023-24 academic year as a special education paraprofessional at local elementary school … Enjoys collecting and selling sports cards … Cousin Kylie Stone ’09 played field hockey at Harvard … Uncle Mike Stone was a third round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1974 MLB Draft, played football at Massachusetts, and served as the head baseball coach of the Minutemen from 1988-2017 … Aunt Kelly Stone was a three-sport student-athlete at New Hampshire … Aunt Katey Stone served as the head women’s ice hockey coach at Harvard from 1994-2023 … Son of Rachel and Jim Stone; Rachel earned a bachelor’s degree at Yale and master’s degree at Columbia while Jim played baseball at North Carolina.
Owen Tahnk
Newburyport, Mass. | Newburyport High School
Right-Handed Pitcher | Bats/Throws: R/R | 6-foot-3 | 205 lbs.
Earned All-State honors in 2021, 2022, and 2023 … Gained All-League accolades in 2021, 2022, and 2023 … Garnered Team MVP laurels in 2023 … Spent a postgraduate year at Phillips Exeter, earning All-League (NCEPSBL) in 2024 … Served team as a captain … Competed on the travel level for North East Baseball … Also played soccer and basketball … Captained both the soccer and basketball teams … Captured All-State and All-League honors in soccer in 2022 … Helped soccer team go 23-0-0 and win a state championship, setting school records for shutouts and goals allowed as a goalie … National Honor Society student … An AP Scholar with Distinction … Son of Jeana and Jeff Tahnk; Jeff played soccer at Tufts.
Liam Wilson
Chandler, Ariz. | Hamilton High School
Catcher/First Baseman | Bats/Throws: R/R | 6-foot-0 | 205 lbs.
Earned First Team All-State as a senior and Second Team All-State as a junior … Gained First Team All-Premier Region in 2023 and 2024 … Garnered First Team Chandler Unified School District as a junior and senior … Collected First Team All-Arizona High School Baseball Coaches Association as a senior … Captured Boras Baseball Classic Offensive MVP accolades in 2024 … Selected as the Hamilton High School Male Athlete of the Year as a senior … Hit .404 with a .516 OBP, .868 slugging percentage, 41 RBIs, and 11 home runs as a senior … Helped team win back-to-back state titles in 2022 and 2023 … Earned four varsity letters; started all four years … Competed on the travel level for T-Rex Baseball Club … Graduated Summa Cum Laude … National Honor Society student … Member of Captain’s Club for community service and leadership learning … Enjoys stock trading, golf, and outdoor activities … Son of Lydia and Stephen Wilson; Stephen played in Major League Baseball from 1988-93, as a left-handed pitcher for the Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Dodgers after a Hall of Fame career at Portland University.
