Big Moves in the Offseason
By Jack McGovern
Media Coordinator
With the completion of tryouts in late April, MLQ franchise rosters were officially announced on May 2. As has been the case every offseason for almost 10 years now, dozens of athletes have moved into new radii. Here is a tracker of some of the biggest offseason moves.
Sena Morimoto – Boston Forge (K)
The former Kansas City Stampede talisman was one of the most surprising offseason moves, showing up as a keeper on the Boston Forge roster in the East Division. Sena Morimoto was a key veteran leader for the Stampede, developing into a strong passer who had his finger on the pulse of the game and knew how to set up his teammates. He will look to provide some of the connective tissue and calmness on the ball that Boston will be missing with the retirement of franchise legend Harry Greenhouse.
Ad Ojo – Boston Forge (U)
With the disbanding of the Rochester Whiteout, Ad Ojo’s location outside of Albany, New York made him eligible for Boston or the New York Titans. In the end, he landed with Forge. He caught two flag runners last season for the Whiteout, a valuable and clutch skill set to add for a Forge team that has struggled to make flag runner catches over the past couple years. Ojo also brings size and physicality around the hoops in the chaser game.
Emily Hickmott – Boston Forge (U)
After playing for three different franchises over the past four seasons (Austin Outlaws, Rochester Whiteout, New York Titans), Emily Hickmott is going back to her roots and returning to the franchise with which she won the first two Benepe Cup titles in 2015 and 2016. Hickmott, who came up through the Tufts University program, rejoins the Forge as a beater who can hang with any opposing pair physically and think the game at the highest level.
Josh Johnson – New York Titans (K)
The consensus best player in quadball made the most impactful move of the season from the three-time defending champion Austin Outlaws to the New York Titans, who continue to seek for their first Benepe Cup title. Josh Johnson, who is also coming off a USQ club division national championship with Boom Train, seems to bring success wherever he goes and will slot into a stacked closing lineup with Jon Jackson, Lindsay Marella, and Molly Potter.
Michael “Yada” Parada – New York Titans (K)
Michael “Yada” Parada, after securing his first Benepe Cup title and the final jewel of a historic Triple Crown with the Austin Outlaws last summer, returns to the franchise he led from its founding in 2015 to 2021 (with a brief 2018 hiatus). Continuing to play at a high level and act as a steadying presence, expect Parada to anchor a second line with a mix of veterans and explosive younger players.
Nathan Reid – Toronto Raiders (C)
Nathan Reid, the former head coach and longtime field general for the Ottawa Black Bears, heads south to their Canadian rivals, where he will look to bring his skills as a distributor to a group that has been searching for ways to break down elite defenses and make a leap. Alongside a strong returning chaser core including Bryan Melchior, Sarah Dykstra, and Michael Wanless, Reid’s leadership will raise the ceiling for the Toronto Raiders offense and his physicality will strengthen the always fearsome Raiders defense.
Leo Fried – Detroit Innovators (U)
One of the biggest difference-makers in MLQ, few athletes can take over a game like Leo Fried. A key offensive and defensive weapon for the New York Titans the last two seasons and now a USQ college national champion with Harvard University, Fried returns to the franchise where he began his MLQ career in 2021 with lofty expectations. Supported by a roster that has improved by leaps and bounds since then, Fried will look to help the Detroit Innovators finally break into the top two and compete for a title in the competitive North Division.
Lauren Smith – Kansas City Stampede (C)
The addition of Lauren Smith is a game-changer for the Stampede. She is a star for the University of Missouri who brings championship-level experience from her time with the Chicago Prowl last summer. Kansas City has struggled with numbers and offensive production from their women and gender non-conforming chasers in past seasons and with MLQ going to a three-max gender rule this summer, Smith bolsters the top quadball line and makes the Stampede more threatening to score around the hoops.
JD Hopton – Kansas City Stampede (C)
The veteran spark plug arrives from the Rochester Whiteout as a perfect stylistic match for the high-energy Kansas City Stampede. JD Hopton tallied 14 goals and six assists last season for a Whiteout team that struggled to score. While his touches will likely go down with the Stampede, who are young and deep at chaser, he can lend his experience to help Kansas City realize its potential in a critical season for the growth and development of its talented core.
Jay Stewart – Austin Outlaws (C)
In the South Division, the headliner on roster reveal day was Jay Stewart’s name appearing with the Outlaws. The second leading scorer in MLQ last year, Stewart had been one of the faces of the San Antonio program and a driving force behind its success since 2021. Now, Stewart joins the three-time defending champions up the I-35 corridor in Austin, where he will try to replace the production of multiple departing Outlaws legends, including the GOAT Augie Monroe, and continue his growth and development with a strong remaining core.
Maya Hinebaugh – Austin Outlaws (B)
Maya Hinebaugh follows a long line of former Soldados who have joined their rivals to the north. Chaser Mel Kite notably made the switch last summer and scored a clutch game-winning solo goal to send the Outlaws to the Benepe Cup finals. Can Hinebaugh slot into a deep Outlaws beating corps including Bailee Fields and Kayse Bevers on the heels of a strong 2023 campaign?
Miguel Esparza – San Antonio Soldados (K)
After a season with the Outlaws in which he led the league in scoring with 60 goals and notched 31 assists en route to his second Benepe Cup title, Miguel Esparza returns to the Soldados franchise with which he made his name from 2019 to 2022. He will look to prove that he can win the South Division and make a deep run at the Benepe Cup as the number one option, without the championship-level infrastructure provided by the Outlaws.
Daniel Williams – San Antonio Soldados (B)
By far the most talented beater to switch teams this offseason, Daniel Williams returns to the San Antonio fold alongside Esparza and faces a similar challenge. After winning the Benepe Cup with the Outlaws last season and dominating the field for long stretches with veteran Austin beater Jackson Johnson, can he outduel his former teammates when it matters most? He will need to develop strong chemistry with partners like Milena Sousa.