Baseball announces fall signings
11/12/2014 5:50:00 PM | Baseball
Head Coach Matt Deggs and the Sam Houston State Baseball coaching staff have announced the signing of 12 athletes. The staff's first signing class consists of nine high school seniors and three junior college players.
“We are excited about this class. When we go out and evaluate players we not only look at their ability but also their character and passion for the game,” Deggs said. “Each guy in this group is extremely talented but they're even better people and that's a credit to their parents and coaches.”
“This is our first recruiting class here at Sam Houston State and it means a lot to me and the other coaches that these young men trusted our vision and want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Lance, Jay & Shane worked extremely hard, went above and beyond, and put in great time and effort in putting this class together. I am extremely proud of our coaching staff.”
The 2014 fall recruiting class for Sam Houston baseball includes:
Andrew Fregia – SS – 6' 170
Liberty HS Liberty, Texas
“Andrew is a rising star in the 2015 class. He is very athletic, has great hands and feet, and can play any position on the infield. When you watch him play you can tell that he loves to compete and has fun doing it. He turned a lot of heads this summer with his glove and his bat, especially at the World Championships in Jupiter, Fla. Andrew has a high ceiling and we're excited about his future here.”
Josh Biles – OF – 6'3 220
Dulles HS Sugarland, Texas
“Josh really impressed our coaches this summer with his bat. He is a big, strong kid that can hit for power and he moves well. We look for players with strength and speed and for as physical as Josh is he doesn't give up much in terms of mobility, and that's hard to find. Josh fits the mold of the type of hitters we've had in the past and we're looking forward to working with him.”
Jordan Cannon – UTL – 6'2 190
Centerville HS Centerville, Texas
“Jordan may be the most versatile player in this class. He can catch, play third, you can put him in the outfield, and he can pitch. Our coaches have each seen him at different times over the past couple of years and each has seen him play a different position and liked him. The common denominator with Jordan though is his bat. He has an advanced approach at the plate and can just flat out hit. We're very fortunate to be adding the caliber of player and person that Jordan is to our team.”
Jaxxon Grisham – MIF/OF – 6'1 185
College Station HS College Station, Texas
“Jaxxon comes from a winning program at College Station High School where he was a First-Team All-State selection as a junior last year and helped lead them to a State Championship. He is a guy who just does everything well and because he's so athletic he makes it look easy, whether that's playing in the middle of the infield or running down fly balls in the outfield. He runs extremely well and he hits from the left side so he has the potential to be a very dynamic player.”
Walker Davis – 2B/CF – 5'10 170
College Station HS College Station, Texas
“Walker Davis is just a dirtbag and a competitor, and that's a great compliment. He won a State Championship at College Station High School last year where he did a little bit of everything. He was the team's leadoff hitter and closer and what that tells us is that he loves to compete. His best tool is his speed and he knows who he is. He plays to his strengths and is a winner. He's the type of player that every coach loves to have.”
Evian Benjamin – CF – 5'11 170
Episcopal HS Houston, Texas
“Evian is a guy who we liked more and more each time we saw him play. He is very athletic and plays a very aggressive and fearless style of baseball which fits perfectly with what we do. He is the type of player who is always in the mix, always involved in the action in the game. The thing about Evian is he has great instincts on the field, especially for stealing bases, and that is something that very few players possess and is hard to teach.”
Kyrell Miller – RHP – 6'6 185
Buffalo HS Buffalo, Texas
“Kyrell Miller has a lot of potential. He is a blue collar kid from right up the road in Buffalo and has that prototypical pitcher's body. He has an upper 80's fastball that has touched in the low 90's and a good changeup that we think will only get better as he gets older and stronger. He reminds us a lot of Tyler Eppler, who fans here are very familiar with.”
Colin Cameron – RHP – 6'3 190
College Park HS The Woodlands, Texas
“Colin is a RHP who we could very easily put out in centerfield and he wouldn't skip a beat, he's that athletic. He impressed us this summer on the mound and that's where we feel like his future is. He has an upper 80's fastball that touches 90 and has a lot of movement as well as a good slider. I think Colin has a tremendous upside and is the kind of player that can come in and make an immediate impact for us on the mound.”
Riley Gossett – RHP – 6'1 180
Cy Ranch HS Cypress, Texas
“Riley is a RHP who will be a three-year starter for his varsity team at Cy Ranch. He was selected as a First-Team All-Houston Pitcher as a junior in 2014 and has a career 0.73 ERA. He has a mid to upper 80's fastball and can spin the breaking ball. The thing we like about Riley is that he throws strikes and competes on the mound. Any time you have a guy that can go out and not give the other team anything, you have a chance to win. And that's what Riley is, a winner.”
Cody Brown – RHP – 6'1 195
Tyler Junior College
“We're very excited about Cody Brown. He is a RHP who is coming from Tyler Junior College and any time you get a player out of TJC you know you're getting a tough kid that loves to play. Cody has an 88-92 mph fastball and a very good power slider. He was a TX/NM Junior College All Star selection and we expect Cody to come in and contribute right away.”
Seth Ballew – LHP – 5'10 180
Blinn Junior College
“Seth is a LHP from Blinn College who had a lot of schools after him. Last year he won seven games as a freshman and helped Blinn get to the Junior College World Series and also pitched in the TX/NM JuCo All Star game. He has a good feel for pitching and understands how to get hitters out. His fastball will be around 86-88 mph which he can command to both sides of the plate. What we really like about him is he is going to attack and fill up the strike zone. Seth is going to add a lot of quality experience to our staff next year.”
Taylor Beene – SS – 6' 180
Galveston Junior College
“Taylor is a short-stop out of Galveston College and is another guy that can play up the middle on the infield for us. He's athletic, is a very skilled defender, he runs well, and will flash some pop at the plate. Every time we saw him play he was doing something to help his team win and was the dirtiest guy on the field after the game. I think he'll bring a lot of toughness and some attitude to our ball club next year, which is what you want in any player.”
