FLORENCE, SC – Francis Marion University baseball head coach Art Inabinet has announced the addition of six transfers to his current recruiting class for next season: catcher Dariel Villaran-Goundis of Simpsonville, S.C.: right-handed pitcher Donavan Accerbi of Bonneau, S.C.; shortstop Peyton Wilson of American York, Utah; outfielder Ryder Christensen of Cedar Hills, Utah; infielder Hunter Looper of Brooksville, Fla.; and catcher Nick LaVigne of Appleton, Wis.  These six will enroll this fall and suit up for the Patriots in 2024.

Villaran-Goundis, 5-10 and 175 pounds, is a transfer from USC Sumter, where he played two seasons for coach Tim Medlin. In his most recent season, he batted .304 with five doubles, two home runs, 19 runs batted in, and a .405 on-base percentage. He batted .333 in limited time as a freshman at USCS, and attended Erskine College in 2020-21.

He is a product of Wade Hampton High School, where he was a three-year letterman for coach Matthew Large.

"Dariel is a very good defensive catcher that had a solid 28 assists from behind the dish this spring," said Inabinet. "He plays at a high level and we are excited to get to work with him soon."

Accerbi, 5-11 and 205 pounds, is also coming from USC Sumter.  He tossed 15.2 innings with a 1-2 record, one saves, and a 2.87 earned run average in his most recent season with the Fire Ants.  In 2022, he was 1-0 in nine appearances with a 3.75 ERA.

He attended Fort Dorchester High School in North Charleston, where he played for coach Ronald Sayer. As a senior, he threw a no-hitter against Goose Creek High School in a 16-1 win on March 29, 2021.

"Donavan is a submariner with a consistent arm and will be used late in games for crucial situations," said Inabinet. "He will be a special element in our clubhouse and big for our bullpen depth."

Wilson, 5-8 and 170 pounds, is a sophomore at Colorado Northwestern Community College, where he played for coach Lou McCullom. This spring, Wilson earned Scenic West Athletic Conference All-Conference second-team honors after batting .312 with a team-high 48 hits, seven doubles, two triples, four home runs, 23 RBIs, 19 stolen bases, and a .422 on-base percentage. In 2022, hit .349 with a team-leading 61 hits, 14 doubles, 31 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases.

Wilson is a graduate of American Fork High School, where he played for coach Jarod Ingersoll. He received honors making the Underclassmen All-State Team in 2019 and Varsity All-State Team in 2020.  He also collected All-Region honors in football in 2020.

"Peyton is a good all-around player that can run, throw, and hit very effectively. He hit over .300 in an all-wood hitting conference and we expect that to translate over well into our program."

Christensen, 5-10 and 185 pounds, also comes CNCC.  In his most recent full season (2022), he batted .189 with five doubles, 13 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, and a .341 on-base percentage. In 2021, he hit .164 with six doubles and 15 RBIs.  He earned Academic All-Region honors all three years with the Spartans.

Christensen attended Lone Peak High School in Utah, where he played for coach Jeremy Berg. He garnered honorable mention All-State recognition in 2019.

"Ryder is a very athletic player that can play any position. He is a true utility player, like a Swiss army knife."

Looper, 6-0 and 230 pounds, is transferring from Lake-Sumter State College, where he played for Rich Billings. This spring, he batted .242 with four doubles, eight runs batted in, and a .427 on-base percentage.  In 2022, he was red-shirted after playing in 10 games with a homer and six runs scored. 

Before arriving at Lake-Sumter, Looper attended Seven River Christian School in Florida, where he played for coach Travis Phillips. He earned All-County honors as a catcher in 2018, at third base in 2019, and at catcher again in 2021 as well as being a Player of the Year finalist.

"Hunter will bring physicality to our team and be a crucial piece of our infield depth. He will give us a nice spark and will challenge for time at first base or designated hitter."

LaVigne, 6-0 and 210 pounds, just finished his second year at Bryant & Stratton College-Wisconsin, where he played for coach Alex Tomter. This spring, he batted .260 with seven doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 27 RBIs, 12 stolen bases, and a .356 on-base percentage.  In 2022, he hit .268 with two homers, 10 RBIs, and a .362 on-base percentage.

LaVigne graduated from Appleton West High School in Wisconsin, where he played for coach Mitch Krug. In 2021, he batted a team-high .347 while also leading with nine doubles, five home runs, and 14 RBIs. He was a first-team All-Conference selection in the Fox Valley Association that season. 

"Nick is a good defensive catcher who will be dangerous to attempt a stolen base against. He can swing the bat well, while supplying power at the plate and should immediately impact our program."

Francis Marion, a member of the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas, ended the 2023 season with a 29-25 record, a fifth-place (tie) finish during the Conference Carolinas' regular season, and an appearance in the conference tournament championship game.