Completed Event: Baseball versus #20 Nebraska on April 21, 2026 , Win , 9, to, 7
Final
Baseball
9
vs #20 Nebraska
7
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. Kansas State
Sunday, April 26
Baseball Media Availability
Wednesday, April 22
Postgame Media Availability vs. #20 Nebraska
Tuesday, April 21
Baseball Highlights vs. #20 Nebraska
Tuesday, April 21
