Completed Event: Baseball versus St. Thomas on March 7, 2026 , Win , 9, to, 8
Final
Baseball
9
vs St. Thomas
8
2025 Baseball Roster
Roster
INF/OF
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Jersey Number 7
Ian Francis
- Position:
- C
- B/T:
- R/R
- Class:
- Senior
- Height:
- 6-1
- Weight:
- 205
- Hometown:
- Youngstown, Ohio
- High School:
- Cardinal Mooney HS
- Prev School:
- Youngstown State
Get to Know Ian ...
At what age did you start playing baseball and how did you get into baseball?
- 5, my parents got me into it.
Do you have any pregame superstitions or routines?
- I used to eat a Kit-Kat before every game, but I grew out of it.
- Wrestling, I used to wrestle when I was younger and I was pretty good at it.
- I can solve a Rubik's Cube.
- My mom because she is the most selfless person I know.
- Yan Gomes.
NAME & HOMETOWN PRONUNCIATION
SINGLE-GAME CAREER HIGHS
- Hits: 4, at Oakland, May 22, 2024 ; at Purdue Fort Wayne, May 23, 2024
- Doubles: 2, at Northern Kentucky, May 3, 2024 ; at Purdue Fort Wayne, May 6, 2023 ; vs Milwaukee, Mar 08, 2025
- Triples: 1, 5 times
- Home runs: 2, at Purdue Fort Wayne, May 23, 2024
- Total bases: 12, at Purdue Fort Wayne, May 23, 2024
- RBI: 5, at Oakland, May 22, 2024 ; vs Milwaukee, Mar 08, 2025
- Runs scored: 3, 5 times
- Walks: 2, 9 times
- Hit by pitch: 2, at Purdue Fort Wayne, Apr 20, 2024
- Struck out: 3, Baylor, Mar 16, 2025
- Sac flies: 1, 6 times
- Sac bunts: 1, 6 times
- At bats: 6, Milwaukee, Mar 07, 2025
- Stolen bases: 1, 5 times
- Field chances: 16, Cincinnati, May 03, 2025 ; at Missouri, May 06, 2025
- Putouts: 15, at Missouri, May 06, 2025
- Assists: 3, at Penn State, Apr 18, 2023
- Runners CS: 1, 8 times
SENIOR – 2025
- Signed a free agent contract with the Cincinnati Reds in Oct. 2025
- Appeared in 54 games (40 starts; all at catcher)
- .247/.372/.420 (37-for-150), 6 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 24 R, 22 BB
- Won the starting catcher job after beginning the season as a backup
- Homered in back-to-back games against OSU 3/29-3/30
- 7-game hitting streak from 3/7-3/16/25; raised his season batting average from .133 to .375
- Homered in back-to-back games against Baylor 3/14- 3/15/25
- Matched his career high of 5 RBI vs. Milwaukee 3/8/25
- Back-to-back 3-hit performances 3/7-3/8/25
- Hit his first home run of the season 2/17/25
- Committed in July 2024
YOUNGSTOWN STATE – 2022-24
- Spent three years in the Youngstown State program
- Horizon League All-Tournament Team in 2024
- Horizon League All-Academic Team in 2023 and 2024
- CSC Academic All-District Team in 2024
- Slashed .265/.373/.454 with 103 hits, 20 doubles, four triples, 15 home runs, 73 RBIs, 67 runs and five stolen bases in 128 career games (111 starts)
- 2024: .284/.366/.483 (60-for-211), 10 2B, 4 3B, 8 HR, 44 RBI, 30 R, 22 BB, 3 SB in 58 games (all starts)
- Made 83 starts at catcher in his three seasons
- Drove in a team-high 44 RBIs in 2024
HIGH SCHOOL
- Played three years of baseball at Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown, Ohio
- Ranked the No. 13 catcher in the state of Ohio, and the No. 109 overall prospect in the state in 2021
- Team captain his senior year
- All-State Honorable Mention by Prep Baseball Report in 2021
- All-YSN Baseball Team in 2021
PERSONAL
- Son of Bob Francis and Shelly Pelles; stepson of John Pelles
- Has two sisters, Carley and Alaina
- Picked Kansas over Kentucky, Baylor, Purdue, Ohio State, Cal Poly, East Carolina and Nebraska
- Chose Kansas because, “They have an amazing coaching staff with great player development, and with one year left I wanted to be a part of a winning culture and compete for a national championship.”
- Majoring in liberal arts & sciences
Baseball Highlights vs St. Thomas
Friday, March 06
Kansas Baseball Press Conference
Wednesday, March 04
Dan Fitzgerald Preseason Press Conference
Thursday, February 05
Baseball 2026 Preseason Press Conference
Tuesday, February 03
