Photo of Landon Pyles courtesy of Eastern New Mexico Athletics
BELTON — Thursday proved to be a significant day on the recruiting trail for UMHB baseball, as a pair of notable transfers announced their decisions to join The Cru heading into the fall, with preparations for 2026 well underway.
The first was left-handed pitcher Ryan Rhea, a Waco native, who comes to Belton with three years of eligibility after pitching at Johnson University (TN) this past spring. It will be a homecoming of sorts for the 6’1 southpaw, who grew up in Central Texas and began his high school career at Midway HS before finishing at Prestonwood Christian Academy. He spent his first collegiate season at Weatherford College, but did not see action, before transferring to Johnson, an NAIA power, last fall.
As part of a team that went 36-18, including a 21-9 mark in the Appalachian Athletic Conference, Rhea made 13 appearances out of the bullpen, posting a 2.5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio (10 Ks, 4 BBs) in 16.2 innings. 60 percent of his pitches went for strikes and opponents hit just .295 against him, though he will look to lower his 5.51 ERA in his first season with The Cru. A look at his film reveals a reliever with good control of his three pitches—two-seam fastball, changeup, and slider—and an ability to create swing-and-miss with his off-speed pitches. Per his X account, Rhea currently sits in the mid-to-high 80s with his fastball/sinker, complemented by a changeup that hovers around 80 mph, and a sweeping slider in the mid-70s that fares especially well against right-handed batters.
With UMHB graduating a handful of primary relievers from this past year’s squad, Rhea’s presence should be felt early in Belton, especially as a left-hander.
That commitment was followed by another major commitment from Eastern New Mexico transfer Landon Pyles, who is also a Central Texas native. A New Braunfels product, Pyles led Canyon HS to its 2021 district title as the starting second baseman, and took his talents to Midland College that fall. Playing in one of the toughest regions of the NJCAA, he saw action in 15 games as a freshman and 23 as a sophomore, hitting .255 with 15 RBIs and 2 homers during his second season with the Chaps. Amongst his top performances at the plate during the 2023 campaign, Pyles went 2-for-4 with 4 RBIs, 2 runs, and 2 stolen bases in a 13-9 win over No. 16 McLennan CC on April 17.
He then moved up to the Division II ranks at ENMU in 2024, becoming an everyday starter in a power conference (the Lonestar Conference had 3 Top 20 teams, including two in the Top 5 and national runner-up Angelo State). Pyles started all 49 games for the Greyhounds, hitting .281 with 31 RBIs (6th on the team), 34 runs (6th on the team), and 3 triples (tied for 2nd on the team). He was a perfect 7-for-7 on stolen base attempts and posted a .370 on-base percentage. Pyles went 1-for-3 with a triple against No.1 Angelo State in his ENMU debut, and the following day, scored two runs in the Greyhounds’ 12-9 upset win. He had 10 multi-hit games during the 2024 campaign, including a 3-for-5 day against No. 18 Lubbock Christian on the final weekend of the regular season.
Pyles has one year of eligibility remaining, as he did not play during the 2025 season due to an injury.
