Western Wayne Today

Wayne State University has announced the addition of two transfer position players to its baseball roster for the 2026 season. Head coach Ryan Kelley, now in his 18th year with the Warriors, confirmed that infielder Nick Sandiha, Jr. and outfielder Alfredo Velazquez will join the team.

Nick Sandiha, Jr., a junior from West Bloomfield, Michigan, comes to Wayne State after playing at Macomb Community College and Madonna University. In 2025, Sandiha appeared in 44 games for Macomb Community College and made 40 starts. He recorded a .401 batting average with 44 runs scored, nine doubles, one triple, six home runs, and drove in 44 runs. He had a .606 slugging percentage and stole 19 bases while maintaining a .983 fielding percentage. Sandiha was selected to the NJCAA Region XII Division II All-Region Team and earned multiple conference honors for his performance during the season.

In 2024 at Madonna University, he started all 29 games he played and batted .406 with nine doubles, one triple, one home run, and drove in 25 runs. He also posted a .467 on-base percentage and notched seven stolen bases.

Sandiha is a graduate of Brother Rice High School where he was a two-year letterwinner under coach Bob Riker and contributed to a district title as a junior. His full name is Nicholas J. Sandiha, Jr., born January 19, 2005. He plans to major in Marketing at Wayne State.

Alfredo Velazquez joins Wayne State from the University of Michigan. In the 2025 season with Michigan’s baseball program, Velazquez appeared in seven games and scored once against Long Beach State. He also saw action as an outfielder against Villanova and Nebraska. During Spring 2025 he received Academic All-Big Ten recognition.

The previous year he made appearances both as an outfielder—collecting two hits—and as a pitcher over four outings for Michigan. Velazquez attended Brother Rice High School where he earned Second Team All-State honors twice from the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association and served as captain his senior year.

During summer league play in 2025 with the Traverse City Pit Spitters of the Northwoods League—which concluded their season with a league-best record—Velazquez appeared in 44 games tallying two doubles among his hits along with one home run.

His full name is Alfredo G. Velazquez; he was born November 27, 2004 in Melvindale, Michigan. He intends to study Exercise Science at Wayne State.

"Wayne State University head baseball coach Ryan Kelley...has added two transfers position players to the 2026 squad," according to an announcement by Kelley.