Baseball Welcomes 11 Newcomers For 2021
9/1/2020 10:39:00 AM | Baseball
HUNTSVILLE – After a shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sam Houston baseball program is moving forward in preparation for the upcoming 2021 season with the start of workouts on Monday at Don Sanders Stadium.
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Coach Jay Sirianni returns 30 of 32 players from the Kats' 2020 roster with the NCAA having granted a free year of eligibility for all players due to the pandemic. But the Kats have also added plenty of firepower for the upcoming season with the addition of 11 newcomers, including six pitchers and five position players.
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Included below is a look at each of the Bearkat newcomers for the 2021 season.
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4 - Brandon Pruitt
R/R • UTL • 5-10 • 165 • R-So • Richmond, Texas / Fort Bend Travis HS / Grayson College
Pruitt will enter his fourth season on the collegiate level in 2020, spending the last three years at Grayson County College. He played in 36 games as a true freshman in 2018, hitting .273 with two home runs, two doubles and 15 RBI before redshirting the 2019 season. Pruitt was off to a great start in nine games during COVID-shortened 2020 season where he went 13-for-31 (.419) with two doubles and nine RBI. He was also walked seven times and struck out just three times with four multi-hit games, including a trio of games with 3 hits. That came after a great career at Fort Bend Travis High School where he was a 4-year letterman and 3-time all-district choice. He won three gold gloves and hit .396 as a senior, earning Under Armour under classman all-American honors in 2016.
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6 – Easton Loyd
L/R • IF • 5-9 • 160 • Fr • Marshall, Texas / Hallsville HS
Loyd was ranked among top 30 shortstops in Texas according to Perfect Game coming out of Hallsville High School near Longview. A two-time first team all-district choice in 2018 and 2019, he also earned third team all-state in Class 5A in each of those years. Named the 2019 district offensive MVP, Loyd hit at a .459 clip with a home run, nine doubles, nine triples, 18 RBI, 40 runs scored, 16 walks, an .812 slugging percentage, 13 stolen bases and a .618 on-base percentage in 2019. That came off a sophomore season in 2018 where he was a .360 hitter with six doubles, six triples, 20 RBI, 36 runs scored and 11 stolen bases.
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11 – Mason Schulz
L/R • IF • 5-10 • 180 • Fr • League City, Texas / Clear Springs HS
Schulz put together an impressive resume during his prep days where he was named District MVP, first team all-county and second team all-state. He was ranked as a top-50 shortstop in Texas by Perfect Game Baseball.
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13 – JT Mounce
L/L • OF • 5-11 • 160 • Fr • Cypress, Texas / Cypress Christian HS / Oklahoma State
Mounce joins the Kats in 2021 with a full four years of service time available after spending the COVID-shortened 2020 season at Oklahoma State. He did not see any action with the Cowboys during the short stint in Stillwater, but brings a speedy toolset to the Bearkat roster with an impressive background at Cypress Christian High School where he was a 3-time all-district and all-state performer. There he helped lead CCHS to a state championship in 2017, hitting .412 on the season on his way to being named the district MVP.
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16 – Clay Stevens
R/R • UTL • 5-10 • 185 • So. • Muenster, Texas / Muenster HS / North Central Texas College
Stevens has been part of a winning pedigree at each stop of his career, both at North Central Texas College and at Muenster High School. A versatile right-handed bat, Stevens spent the last two seasons at NCTC, earning Honorable mention NJCAA All-America selection in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. For the season he hit .411 with a .494 OBP and .726 slugging and was 17-for-20 in stolen bases. He was named Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference Position Player of the Week after a big week where he hit .524 for the week with 3 doubles, a triple, 2 home runs, 10 RBI, 8 runs scored, 4 walks and 5 stolen bases ... that included hitting for the cycle in a 5-for-5, 2-home run performance vs New Mexico Military Institute. During the 2019 season he played in 51 games, hitting .350 with a .417 OBP and a .563 slugging percentage, picking up 12 doubles, 6 triples, 5 home runs and 32 RBI. Those marks at NCTC came after decorated time at Muenster High School in the North Texas area, where he was part of one of the most successful classes in Texas state history. His class at MHS won the Class 2A state title in football, basketball and baseball during the 2016-17 academic year. A 4-time all-district selection in football, basketball and baseball, he also landed on the all-state first team all four years on the diamond and took MHS to the state finals in each of his final two seasons.
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22 – Dakota Palmer
L/L • LHP • 5-11 • 215 • Fr • Guy, Texas / Needville HS
Palmer joins the Kats after being ranked as No. 35 left-handed pitcher in Texas for Class of 2020 by Perfect Game Baseball. He was named the District MVP in 2019, earning first team all-area and was a second team all-district and all-area choice as a sophomore in 2018. As a junior in 2019 he posted a 1.88 ERA with 90 strikeouts and 23 walks in 63.0 innings. Overall he allowed just 17 earned runs while facing 274 batters and a .198 opponent batting average. Summer ball with Sliders: 1.59 ERA, 37 K, 8 BB in 30.2 IP … Allowed 7 ER while facing 127 batters with 1.27 FIP and .186 opponent batting average
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35 – Jack Driskell
R/R • RHP • 6-1 • 185 • So • Round Rock, Texas / Stony Point HS / Blinn College
Driskell adds an experienced right-handed arm to the Bearkat pitching staff, having shown well in two seasons on the junior college circuit, most recently off to a great start at Blinn College. He went 1-2 in 5 appearances in COVID-shortened 2020 season for the Buccaneers, posting a 2.67 ERA in 27.0 innings. He also struck out 31 while walking just 13, and had at least eight strikeouts in three of his five outings. That came on the heels of a 2019 season spent at McLennan CC where he appeared in 17 games and started in one for the Highlanders. There he recorded a 4-0 record, earned one save and pitched in 29 1/3 innings. He surrendered 29 hits and 12 earned runs, striking out 20 and posting a 3.68 earned run average. A product of Round Rock Stony Point High School, Driskell earned all-district honors as a utility player and played for Action Baseball on the club circuit.
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36 – Coltin Atkinson
R/R • RHP • 6-1 • 195 • Fr • Porter, Texas / Porter HS
A spring signee for the Kats out of Porter High School, Atkinson was ranked as the No. 86 right-handed pitcher in Texas for class of 2020 by Perfect Game Baseball. He helped lead PHS to the 2019 state playoffs, tossing 92.1 innings with 106 strikeouts, 53 BB, a 1.94 ERA and a .212 opponent batting average.
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42 – Matt Rudis
R/R • RHP • 6-3 • 195 • So • Madisonville, Texas / Madisonville HS / TCU
A power-armed transfer from TCU, Rudis was a standout not far from Huntsville at Madisonville High School before spending the last two seasons on the Horned Frogs' roster. He made just three appearances in 2020, but was part of the Big 12 Academic All-Rookie team as a freshman in 2019 when he held opponents scoreless in five of nine appearances. That season he tallied 14 strikeouts in 7.2Â innings pitched and held opponents to a .179 batting average. The son of a former TCU catcher, Rudis earned four varsity letters at Madisonville High School where he was named the district co-MVP as a senior and was a first-team all-state pitcher as a junior and senior. Tabbed as the district Pitcher of the Year as a freshman, he tossed three no-hitters and one perfect game during his prep career on his way to being selected as a Perfect Game Underclassmen All-American as a junior. Rudis was also named a 2017 Under Armour All-American, played for the 2017 Texas Rangers Area Code team and was the MVP of Perfect Game's 17U WWBA game while also earning Perfect Game first-team all-region honors as a senior.
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47 – Logan Hewitt
R/R • RHP • 5-11 • 165 • Fr • Aledo, Texas / Aledo HS
A first team all-district pitcher at Aledo High School, Hewitt tossed 44.2 innings with 60 strikeouts, a 1.88 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in 2019. He also put together a strong 2019 summer with 36.2 innings, 27 strikeouts to only three walks, a 1.33 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP.
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48 – Alex Havlicek
R/R • RHP • 6-5 • 220 • So • Oakland, N.J. / Indian Hills HS / Howard College / Virginia Tech
The Kats added another big arm with a big pedigree in Havlicek, a right-handed pitcher who spent a year at Virginia Tech before making his way to Howard College in West Texas last season. A New Jersey native, Havlicek was a four-year letter winner at Indian Hills High School where he earned all-conference and all-league honors each year before heading to Blacksburg to pitch for the Hokies. He appeared in four games, all in relief, as a true freshman in 2019, striking out eight in just 5.0 innings. Havlicek then joined on with Howard College where he was off to a stellar start in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He went 3-0 with a 1.62 ERA in four appearances for the Hawks and totaled 21 strikeouts to eight walks in 16.2 innings of work.
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Coach Jay Sirianni returns 30 of 32 players from the Kats' 2020 roster with the NCAA having granted a free year of eligibility for all players due to the pandemic. But the Kats have also added plenty of firepower for the upcoming season with the addition of 11 newcomers, including six pitchers and five position players.
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Included below is a look at each of the Bearkat newcomers for the 2021 season.
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4 - Brandon Pruitt
R/R • UTL • 5-10 • 165 • R-So • Richmond, Texas / Fort Bend Travis HS / Grayson College
Pruitt will enter his fourth season on the collegiate level in 2020, spending the last three years at Grayson County College. He played in 36 games as a true freshman in 2018, hitting .273 with two home runs, two doubles and 15 RBI before redshirting the 2019 season. Pruitt was off to a great start in nine games during COVID-shortened 2020 season where he went 13-for-31 (.419) with two doubles and nine RBI. He was also walked seven times and struck out just three times with four multi-hit games, including a trio of games with 3 hits. That came after a great career at Fort Bend Travis High School where he was a 4-year letterman and 3-time all-district choice. He won three gold gloves and hit .396 as a senior, earning Under Armour under classman all-American honors in 2016.
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6 – Easton Loyd
L/R • IF • 5-9 • 160 • Fr • Marshall, Texas / Hallsville HS
Loyd was ranked among top 30 shortstops in Texas according to Perfect Game coming out of Hallsville High School near Longview. A two-time first team all-district choice in 2018 and 2019, he also earned third team all-state in Class 5A in each of those years. Named the 2019 district offensive MVP, Loyd hit at a .459 clip with a home run, nine doubles, nine triples, 18 RBI, 40 runs scored, 16 walks, an .812 slugging percentage, 13 stolen bases and a .618 on-base percentage in 2019. That came off a sophomore season in 2018 where he was a .360 hitter with six doubles, six triples, 20 RBI, 36 runs scored and 11 stolen bases.
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11 – Mason Schulz
L/R • IF • 5-10 • 180 • Fr • League City, Texas / Clear Springs HS
Schulz put together an impressive resume during his prep days where he was named District MVP, first team all-county and second team all-state. He was ranked as a top-50 shortstop in Texas by Perfect Game Baseball.
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13 – JT Mounce
L/L • OF • 5-11 • 160 • Fr • Cypress, Texas / Cypress Christian HS / Oklahoma State
Mounce joins the Kats in 2021 with a full four years of service time available after spending the COVID-shortened 2020 season at Oklahoma State. He did not see any action with the Cowboys during the short stint in Stillwater, but brings a speedy toolset to the Bearkat roster with an impressive background at Cypress Christian High School where he was a 3-time all-district and all-state performer. There he helped lead CCHS to a state championship in 2017, hitting .412 on the season on his way to being named the district MVP.
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16 – Clay Stevens
R/R • UTL • 5-10 • 185 • So. • Muenster, Texas / Muenster HS / North Central Texas College
Stevens has been part of a winning pedigree at each stop of his career, both at North Central Texas College and at Muenster High School. A versatile right-handed bat, Stevens spent the last two seasons at NCTC, earning Honorable mention NJCAA All-America selection in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. For the season he hit .411 with a .494 OBP and .726 slugging and was 17-for-20 in stolen bases. He was named Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference Position Player of the Week after a big week where he hit .524 for the week with 3 doubles, a triple, 2 home runs, 10 RBI, 8 runs scored, 4 walks and 5 stolen bases ... that included hitting for the cycle in a 5-for-5, 2-home run performance vs New Mexico Military Institute. During the 2019 season he played in 51 games, hitting .350 with a .417 OBP and a .563 slugging percentage, picking up 12 doubles, 6 triples, 5 home runs and 32 RBI. Those marks at NCTC came after decorated time at Muenster High School in the North Texas area, where he was part of one of the most successful classes in Texas state history. His class at MHS won the Class 2A state title in football, basketball and baseball during the 2016-17 academic year. A 4-time all-district selection in football, basketball and baseball, he also landed on the all-state first team all four years on the diamond and took MHS to the state finals in each of his final two seasons.
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22 – Dakota Palmer
L/L • LHP • 5-11 • 215 • Fr • Guy, Texas / Needville HS
Palmer joins the Kats after being ranked as No. 35 left-handed pitcher in Texas for Class of 2020 by Perfect Game Baseball. He was named the District MVP in 2019, earning first team all-area and was a second team all-district and all-area choice as a sophomore in 2018. As a junior in 2019 he posted a 1.88 ERA with 90 strikeouts and 23 walks in 63.0 innings. Overall he allowed just 17 earned runs while facing 274 batters and a .198 opponent batting average. Summer ball with Sliders: 1.59 ERA, 37 K, 8 BB in 30.2 IP … Allowed 7 ER while facing 127 batters with 1.27 FIP and .186 opponent batting average
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35 – Jack Driskell
R/R • RHP • 6-1 • 185 • So • Round Rock, Texas / Stony Point HS / Blinn College
Driskell adds an experienced right-handed arm to the Bearkat pitching staff, having shown well in two seasons on the junior college circuit, most recently off to a great start at Blinn College. He went 1-2 in 5 appearances in COVID-shortened 2020 season for the Buccaneers, posting a 2.67 ERA in 27.0 innings. He also struck out 31 while walking just 13, and had at least eight strikeouts in three of his five outings. That came on the heels of a 2019 season spent at McLennan CC where he appeared in 17 games and started in one for the Highlanders. There he recorded a 4-0 record, earned one save and pitched in 29 1/3 innings. He surrendered 29 hits and 12 earned runs, striking out 20 and posting a 3.68 earned run average. A product of Round Rock Stony Point High School, Driskell earned all-district honors as a utility player and played for Action Baseball on the club circuit.
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36 – Coltin Atkinson
R/R • RHP • 6-1 • 195 • Fr • Porter, Texas / Porter HS
A spring signee for the Kats out of Porter High School, Atkinson was ranked as the No. 86 right-handed pitcher in Texas for class of 2020 by Perfect Game Baseball. He helped lead PHS to the 2019 state playoffs, tossing 92.1 innings with 106 strikeouts, 53 BB, a 1.94 ERA and a .212 opponent batting average.
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42 – Matt Rudis
R/R • RHP • 6-3 • 195 • So • Madisonville, Texas / Madisonville HS / TCU
A power-armed transfer from TCU, Rudis was a standout not far from Huntsville at Madisonville High School before spending the last two seasons on the Horned Frogs' roster. He made just three appearances in 2020, but was part of the Big 12 Academic All-Rookie team as a freshman in 2019 when he held opponents scoreless in five of nine appearances. That season he tallied 14 strikeouts in 7.2Â innings pitched and held opponents to a .179 batting average. The son of a former TCU catcher, Rudis earned four varsity letters at Madisonville High School where he was named the district co-MVP as a senior and was a first-team all-state pitcher as a junior and senior. Tabbed as the district Pitcher of the Year as a freshman, he tossed three no-hitters and one perfect game during his prep career on his way to being selected as a Perfect Game Underclassmen All-American as a junior. Rudis was also named a 2017 Under Armour All-American, played for the 2017 Texas Rangers Area Code team and was the MVP of Perfect Game's 17U WWBA game while also earning Perfect Game first-team all-region honors as a senior.
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47 – Logan Hewitt
R/R • RHP • 5-11 • 165 • Fr • Aledo, Texas / Aledo HS
A first team all-district pitcher at Aledo High School, Hewitt tossed 44.2 innings with 60 strikeouts, a 1.88 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP in 2019. He also put together a strong 2019 summer with 36.2 innings, 27 strikeouts to only three walks, a 1.33 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP.
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48 – Alex Havlicek
R/R • RHP • 6-5 • 220 • So • Oakland, N.J. / Indian Hills HS / Howard College / Virginia Tech
The Kats added another big arm with a big pedigree in Havlicek, a right-handed pitcher who spent a year at Virginia Tech before making his way to Howard College in West Texas last season. A New Jersey native, Havlicek was a four-year letter winner at Indian Hills High School where he earned all-conference and all-league honors each year before heading to Blacksburg to pitch for the Hokies. He appeared in four games, all in relief, as a true freshman in 2019, striking out eight in just 5.0 innings. Havlicek then joined on with Howard College where he was off to a stellar start in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He went 3-0 with a 1.62 ERA in four appearances for the Hawks and totaled 21 strikeouts to eight walks in 16.2 innings of work.
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