Gonzaga Baseball Adds Division II Product Josiah Rodriguez to Supplement Lineup
In the wake of former Zag and back-to-back WCC Player of the Year Mikey Bell transferring to the University of Georgia, the Gonzaga Bulldogs were at work in search of his possible replacement.
Infielder Josiah Rodriguez, who spent the last two years at Point Loma Nazarene, has committed to Gonzaga baseball. Primarily spending time at the hot corner for the Sea Lions, Rodriguez was a second-team Pacific West Conference selection in 2026, being a major contributor to PLNU’s run to the DII College World Series. Now, he hopes to supplement the middle of the Bulldogs’ order as they transition to the revamped Pac-12.
Hailing from South San Francisco, Rodriguez committed to San Diego’s Point Loma after earning a couple of first-team all-conference nods at Junipero Serra High School. He was an instant contributor for the Sea Lions, hitting .316 with 11 homers in his freshman campaign. Rodriguez struck two homers in a game three times throughout the year, packing plenty of pop in his 6-0, 185-pound frame. Also notching nine doubles and a couple of triples, he finished the year with a .576 slugging percentage.
This past year, Rodriguez’s power shifted to a more gap-to-gap style while he also became a more balanced hitter. Due to PLNU’s season extending into June, Rodriguez got 11 extra games to work with, and he made the most of them. Leading the PacWest in hits with 97, Rodriguez improved his batting average to .411, good for third in the conference. His slug dropped to .555 after collecting 13 two-baggers and seven round-trippers, but he worked 37 walks and logged an on-base percentage of .484.
Defensively, Rodriguez seems to have improved even though he committed three more errors in his freshman season. He got about 25% more opportunities in the field with increased playing time and finished with a .933 fielding percentage at third.
In each of his collegiate seasons so far, Rodriguez has walked more than he has struck out. With the inflated at-bats during his sophomore campaign, his walk rate settles at a touch over 13% each year, which is well above average. Meanwhile, Rodriguez posted a punchout rate of just 10.5% in 2026, slightly lower than his 11.4% clip as a freshman.
And continuing to fuel Point Loma’s offense during the biggest moments, Rodriguez went 14-for-42 (.333) with five RBI over the nine games after the conference tournament. He was an essential piece to PLNU reaching 50 wins for the second time in program history, winning the West Region, and making a third Division II World Series in five seasons.
Racking up a combined 100 runs batted in with the Sea Lions, Rodriguez figures to slot into the middle of the Zags’ order as another run producer. Even with Bell transferring and key seniors graduating, Gonzaga is retaining several impact bats next season. Outfielder Ryder Young, who led the team in homers and RBI, designated hitter Maddox Haley, who paced the Bulldogs in slugging percentage, and catcher Jacob Wrubleski will all be back to fortify the middle of the lineup.
Another key component of GU’s potent offense last season was outfielder Noah Meffert, who also attended PLNU before playing with the Zags. Although he is out of eligibility, Meffert provides a potential blueprint for Rodriguez’s development path in Spokane. After he spent three seasons at George Fox and produced, Meffert continued to swing a hot stick in his lone year with the Sea Lions. He translated that into an All-WCC Honorable Mention selection with the Zags, hitting .314 with an .878 OPS during his final collegiate season.
Rodriguez will be coming to the Pacific Northwest much younger, but could make an immediate impact for Gonzaga, just like Meffert, if given the opportunity.
