Western Michigan right-handed pitcher Sam Carlisle is getting his opportunity to begin a professional baseball career after signing a free agent contract with the New York Mets, the university announced Sunday.
The deal comes after a strong 2026 campaign in which Carlisle emerged as one of the Broncos’ most dependable starters and one of the Mid-American Conference’s top strikeout pitchers.
A native of Portage, Michigan, Carlisle played a major role in Western Michigan’s rotation during his redshirt junior season, making 15 appearances, including 14 starts, for the Broncos. He finished the year with a 4.95 ERA, ranking 12th in the Mid-American Conference, while showing significant improvement against league competition.
During conference play, the right-hander lowered his ERA to 4.41 and limited opposing hitters to a .242 batting average, demonstrating his ability to consistently challenge some of the conference’s top offenses.
Carlisle also established himself as Western Michigan’s premier strikeout pitcher. He led the Broncos with 67 strikeouts over 60 innings while posting 10.05 strikeouts per nine innings, the third-best rate in the MAC. He also ranked second on the team with four victories and finished third in innings pitched.
One of the defining stretches of Carlisle’s season came during the opening weeks of conference play, when he put together an impressive run of dominance between March 14 and April 11. Over five consecutive starts, he recorded at least seven strikeouts in every outing, showcasing the swing-and-miss arsenal that ultimately attracted professional scouts.
His breakthrough performance came against Ohio, where he earned his first victory of the season after allowing just two runs on four hits while striking out seven across six innings.
Carlisle elevated his game even further two weeks later against UMass, delivering one of the finest outings of his collegiate career. He threw seven scoreless innings, surrendered only one hit, and struck out a career-high 13 batters, highlighting the overpowering fastball and command that helped him emerge as one of the conference’s top arms.
In addition to his accomplishments on the mound, Carlisle was recognized for his excellence in the classroom. Following the season, he earned CSC Academic All-District honors and was selected to the Academic All-MAC Team, reflecting his success both athletically and academically.
Now, with a professional contract in hand, Carlisle will begin the next chapter of his baseball journey in the Mets organization, where he will look to continue developing his pitching repertoire and work his way through New York’s minor league system in pursuit of a future Major League opportunity.
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