Sam Houston welcomes nine in 2016 class
11/12/2015 10:31:00 AM | Baseball
Head Coach Matt Deggs and the Sam Houston State baseball coaching staff are excited to welcome (9) new student-athletes to the Bearkat baseball family, with seven high school seniors and two junior college players, making up the 2016 class.
“This is a smaller group than last year's class, which was by design,” Deggs said. “With fewer spots to fill we were able to go out and identify the absolute best players that fit our needs moving forward. We needed to add impact arms on the mound and left-handed hitters that can be difference makers for us. We feel like we did that with this 2016 class and feel blessed that these young men and their families believe in our vision and want to be a part of our family here at Sam Houston State. Lance Harvell (recruiting coordinator), Jay Sirianni and Shane Wedd did and incredible job in assembling this class. They flipped every rock in their tireless search to recognize, find, recruit and ultimately sign our kind of guys. I really like this class and certainly appreciate the sacrifice and effort of the coaches that made this possible. Recruiting is the life-blood of all great programs but nobody really sees or talks about the time spent away from family and home in order to truly assemble a great class. D1Baseball.com recognized our first class as the best in the Southland Conference and to see our coaches back that up with a class like this says a lot about their work ethic, professionalism and commitment to the vision of Bearkat Baseball. I'm blessed to work with such great men.”
The 2016 class with thoughts from recruiting coordinator Lance Harvell:
Blake Chisolm - RHP/ 1B - 6'5 – 210 lb – Alvin CC – Clear Springs HS – League City, TX
“Blake is a tall and athletic kid who is a legit two-way prospect. He is out of Alvin C.C. by way of Furman University where he saw significant time on the mound and at the plate as a true freshman last year, actually leading their team in batting average. So he not only brings a very good left-handed bat but also a lot of experience at the D1 level. The scary part is, as good as he is offensively, he may be even better on the mound. He has a power arm and a really good slider and change-up to go with that 6'5 frame. We're very excited about Blake and his future here as a Bearkat.”
Brad Demco – LHP/ OF – 6'2 – 175 lb – Lake Travis HS – Austin, TX
“Brad is an extremely talented kid from a very well coached program over at Lake Travis HS. He caught our eye last spring and was honestly kind of an “under the radar” type player when we recruited him despite having a productive year. He went out and had a great summer, worked hard, and has gradually moved up in some of the recruiting rankings to being considered one of the top players in the state. We're really excited about Brad's future on the mound, we feel like that is where he will make an immediate impact for us. But he's also a very good athlete who has shown some power. So he has a lot of potential at the plate as well.”
Mark Hammel – RHP – 6'0 – 195 lb – Alvin CC – Cy Woods HS – Cypress, TX
“Mark is another quality RHP that we signed out of Alvin C.C. who has been high on our radar since last spring and who really shined at the JUCO All-Star Game this fall. He's going to change speeds and command three pitches. He can run his fastball up to 91/92 and has a really good feel for his breaking ball and change-up. He's a competitor that's going to come right at hitters with all three pitches and challenge the strike zone. What we really like about Mark is he knows who he is as a pitcher and punches the time card when he takes the mound.”
Nick Mikolajchak – RHP – 6'2 – 185 lb– Klein Collins HS – Spring, TX
“Nick is a RHP from Klein Collins HS, whose program has a history of producing really good ball players, and Nick is right there among them. He is a two sport athlete (baseball and basketball) and that athleticism spills over onto the mound. There just aren't that many guys out there that can throw 90 mph and dunk a basketball! His fastball ranges from 89-91 and he has a sharp slider that can put you to bed. What's really intriguing about Nick is that he hasn't been on the year round baseball circuit so there's a lot of tread left on his tires, so to speak. We feel like his best baseball is ahead of him.”
Cross Austin – 1B – 6'4 – 220 lb – The John Cooper School – The Woodlands, TX
“Cross is a big, strong kid who brings a physical presence to our team. He's another kid from right down the road off I-45 who really caught our attention with his bat and his strength. He looks like a linebacker in a baseball uniform and isn't shy about swinging the bat with authority. He's made a jump last year offensively had an outstanding summer playing for one of the most elite organizations in the country, the Houston Banditos. He's a hard worker and possesses a tool (hitting for power) that is hard to teach, and normally comes with age. Cross is going to do nothing but get better and better in his time here.”
Mike Williams – OF - 6'3 – 180 lb– Rowlett HS – Rowlett, TX
“Mike is one of the best athletes in the 2016 class, which is really saying something. He's a pure strength and speed guy who we believe has a chance to be a dynamic, explosive weapon inside of our offense. He's every bit of 6'3, probably pushing 6'4, and runs a 6.5 60 yard dash. He hits from the left side of the plate and has some snap in his bat. We think he's a guy with the potential to hit for power and average, steal 20 bases, and produce a lot of runs. When you think of “The Pack” offense, you think of players like Mike.”
Carter Smith – LHP – 6'1 – 180 lb– Seven Lakes HS – Katy, TX
“Carter is a left-handed pitcher out of Seven Lakes High School that we were really impressed with over the summer. He's a well-built kid with a quick arm and what set him apart in our eyes is that he can really spin the breaking ball. We see him as a guy that can come in out of the bullpen as a match up guy versus lefties, he can pitch long relief, or he could start. So he's very versatile on the mound and those type players are essential for a championship team.”
Dominic Robinson – LHP – 6'1 – 185 lb – Tomball Memorial HS – Tomball, TX
“Dominic is a highly-competitive left-handed pitcher who has had a lot of success at Tomball Memorial High School. He led his team on a deep run into the playoffs last year because of his ability to change speeds and throw strikes. His stuff is not overpowering but his competitiveness is. He has a legit three-pitch mix, can throw any pitch in any count for a strike and has the ability to attack hitters in multiple ways. The kid is just a winner.”
Hayden Wesneski – RHP – 6'2 – 190 lb – Cy Fair HS – Cypress, TX
“Hayden is a kid who we feel like has a chance to develop into a power arm. We've followed him for about a year and a half after he attended one of our camps. Every time we saw him pitch he was better than the last time we had seen him. We're positive that trend will continue while he's here. He throws a heavy fastball that has been up into the low 90s and he's shown the ability to add and subtract velocity with his fastball which is advanced for his age. He's also added a hard slider that he'll throw anywhere from 80-82 mph to go along with a good curveball and change-up. Hayden is just going to keep getting better and better. His future is bright and we're glad that future is as a Sam Houston State Bearkat.”
