San Marcos, Texas – Texas State head coach Ty Harrington announced the signing of 11 Bobcats on Wednesday afternoon on the first day of the early signing period. The signees will join Harrington's squad next fall in anticipation of the 2014 baseball season.
“Our goal at Texas State is to develop high character young men, win championships and become a perennially nationally-ranked program. The foundation of this class is built on character, athleticism, versatility and competitiveness. Each of these traits is exactly what we look for and instill in our program which helps bring a consistent winning attitude both on and off the field,” Harrington said.
”Each player's athleticism gives us the necessary depth and versatility needed to matchup in the critical situations of big games,” Harrington continued. “Nearly all of them have played or can play multiple positions which is crucial in college baseball. Additionally, each new player on the mound fits the athletic profile that will provide us the flexibility to be highly competitive.”
“I want to thank and congratulate our recruiting coordinator, Jeremy Fikac, for his extremely hard work and dedication in this year's recruiting class,” Harrington said. “Jeremy, along with assistant coach Mike Silva, has done a fantastic job of understanding and addressing the physical needs that are necessary to continue winning championships. More importantly, I think they did a great job of identifying the emotional personality of these young men as champions. While the best of this class remains to be seen, I am very excited about the future of Texas State baseball.”
Quinn Atwood – OF/RHP; 6-2; 200; Katy, TX; Katy HS (head coach Tom McPherson); Kyle Chapman (head coach Mike Rutledge)
A two-sport standout in baseball and football at Katy High School, Atwood has earned letters in all three years on the baseball diamond. As a sophomore, Atwood was named to the all-district second team before earning a spot on the all-district first team and All-Greater Houston team as a junior. Atwood is the brother of former Bobcat standout, Bret Atwood. He is the son of Pat and Sandy Atwood and has five siblings – Chase, Bret, Van, Colt and Lexi.
Assistant Coach Jeremy Fikac: “Very athletic two-way player with great arm strength and a big-time competitor, Quinn is a winner and adds a lot of toughness to your team. Quinn has played at a high level at a young age.”
Dylan Bein – RHP; 6-4; 195; Cedar Park, TX; Vista Ridge HS (head coach Jason Bourgeois); Austin Wings (head coach James Ellison)
An all-district first team performer and offensive player of the year, Bein has earned three letters in baseball at Vista Ridge High School. The rookie of the year as a freshman, Bein was named all-district second team as a sophomore. He is a three-sport athlete who won his third national championship during summer league ball last summer with the Austin Wings. Bein is the son of Danny and Mandy Bein and has one sibling, Dawson.
Fikac: “He's a prototypical right-handed pitcher. Dylan commands three plus pitches and is very polished for a high school pitcher. He shows 90-plus mph fastball with angle and put-away breaking stuff. Dylan has Friday night stuff and the potential to be in Texas State pitching record books during his career.”
Tyler Davenport – LHP; 6-0; 220; Crosby, TX; Crosby HS (head coach Chris Wiggins); Houston Head (head coach Phil Cross)
Davenport was named the MVP of District 19-4A as a junior when he also collected All-Greater Houston Area accolades on the mound. During that season, he set school records for strikeouts in a season (117), strikeouts in district (89 in six starts) and strikeouts in a game (16). Davenport is the son of Manda Davenport and has one sister, Victoria.
Assistant Coach Mike Silva: “Consistency is what best describes this LHP. He can just pitch. Tyler has the ability to throw three pitches for strikes in any count. He really commands the zone and has shown the toughness it takes to get big outs in pressure situations. His strikeout numbers from last year are more than impressive. Simply put, this young man wants the ball.”
Holden Grounds – RHP; 6-0; 190; Corsicana, TX; Corsicana HS (head coach Heath Autrey); Dallas Patriots (head coach Logan Stout)
Grounds is the son of Jill and Terry Grounds and has one brother, Hayden.
Fikac: “Holden is a physical RHP that has a big-time fastball. His fastball is heavy and his arm is loose and really works. He knows how to pitch. He has won a lot of games in high school and has put up impressive numbers since he has been a freshman. Holden has the ability to pitch a lot of innings and pitch late in games because he does not create innings for opposing teams.”
Trey Hicks – IF/RHP; 6-0; 195; Georgetown, TX; Georgetown HS (head coach Adam Foster); Austin Wings (head coach James Ellison)
Hicks hit .341 with nine doubles, two triples, a home run and 25 RBIs while striking out just six times over the course of his junior season when he was named to the all-district second team. He finished the campaign with an on-base percentage of .510, a slugging percentage of .832 and eight stolen bases. An all-academic performer, Hicks was a member of the Austin Wings team that won the Premier National Championship last summer. He is the son of Tracy and Marlene Hicks and Harold and Susan Tappe and has one bother, Cody.
Fikac: “Trey is a two-way player that excels in big-time moments. He is a fierce competitor and will hit for a high average. On the mound, he has a plus change-up with big time command. This guy is a baseball player.”
Jacob Rhame – RHP; 6-3; 220; Corinth, TX; John Guyer HS (head coach Johnny Kinzy); Grayson College (head coach Dusty Hart)
A transfer from Oklahoma, Rhame appeared in six games as a freshman a season ago. In high school, Rhame recorded 242 strikeouts during his career and was ranked the No. 35 player in the state of Texas by Perfect Game USA. As a senior, he was named the area pitcher of the year. His junior season, Rhame finished 5-3 with 101 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings on the mound. He is the son of Lee and Rachelle Rhame and has one sister, Miranda.
Fikac: “Jacob reminds me of [former Bobcat] Carson Smith on the mound. The arm slot is similar and so is the 90-plus velocity and offspeed. This guy has plus, plus stuff. He is a front-line arm with shut down ability. The thing that sticks out with Jacob is hitters struggle to make good swings off him.”
Matt Sanchez – OF; 5-11; 175; Georgetown, Texas; Georgetown HS (head coach Adam Foster); Austin Wings (head coach James Ellison)
Sanchez was an all-district first team outfielder as a junior at Georgetown High School where he helped lead the team to a 26-6-1 record a season ago. Last summer, he won his second straight national championship as part of the Austin Wings program. Sanchez is the son of Ed and Pam Sanchez and has four siblings – Alec, Lauren, Julia and Sarah.
Fikac: “He's a leadoff hitter with great speed and approach at the plate. Matt is a hitter that gives pitchers fits because he will use the entire field and give you great at bats. Matt is a plus defender that takes great routes and covers a lot of ground in the outfield. He plays the game the way it is supposed to be played. He will excite Bobcat fans with his hustle and toughness.”
Granger Studdard – IF; 6-2; 180; Buda, Texas; Hays HS (head coach David Null); Austin Wings (head coach James Ellison)
Studdard is a two-sport standout at Hays High School where he has three varsity letters in baseball and four in football. On the baseball diamond, Studdard earned all-district first team honors a season ago in the outfield after he hit .380 with five doubles, three triples, four home runs and 22 RBIs. A two-time academic all-district honoree, he was selected all-district honorable mention as a sophomore. Last summer, Studdard led his summer league team, the Austin Wings, to back-to-back Premier National Championships. Last summer, he hit .408 with 13 doubles, four triples and four home runs. He also comes from an athletic family in which seven of his relatives played college football. Studdard is the son of Robert and Holly Studdard.
Fikac: “He's a strong, physical middle-of-the-order hitter. Granger is the kind of hitter opposing teams will pay close attention to where he is in the lineup and when he is coming up to bat. You have to pitch him careful or he will change the score.”
Zach Sullivan – IF; 5-11; 200; Robinson, TX; Robinson HS (head coach Bryan Kent); Waco Storm (head coach Todd Haney)
Sullivan's many accolades include being named an Oakley All-American, a two-time Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association All-State selection, a two-time Texas Sports Writer's Association All-State selection and a Texas 3A All-Tournament Team selection. He burst on the scene as a freshman when he was named district newcomer of the year and has since earned three Super Centex accolades and three times been named to the Bell Rivals Baseball Classic All-Tournament Team. As a junior, Sullivan also represented in the North in the Texas Scouts Association 17th Annual Invitational, and he is also a two-time all-academic team member.
Fikac: “He's a two-way player, and I like to use the word power when I describe Zach. He has a power arm, power breaking ball and has a lot power at the plate. Zach is also very athletic and can play multiple positions on defense. He has a closers mentality.”
Cedric Villares – IF; 6-1; 195; Roxton Pond, Quebec, Canada; Academie Les Estacades (head coach Phillip Tomlinson); Galveston Junior College (head coach Chris Joblin)
Villares is a junior college transfer who played at Galveston last season when he helped his team to Regionals and was selected for the Junior College All-Star Game. A former member of the U-18 Canadian National Team, he is the son of Denis Vallieres and Linda Desroches and has two siblings, Carl and Camille.
Silva: “He's a polished defender with tremendous athleticism and arm strength. Cedric can hit in any part of the lineup because of his ability to handle the bat. His versatility on both sides of the ball makes him an instant asset to the team.”
Chad Young – LHP; 6-1; 245; Mesquite, TX; Mesquite Poteet HS (head coach Bobby Doe); Navarro College (head coach Woa Dill)
Young went 10-1 as a senior at Poteet High School when he was an all-state selection and voted player of the week in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In his freshman season at Navarro, Young finished 6-3 with a 1.66 ERA and set a school record with 110 strikeouts while earning all-conference first team accolades.
Fikac: “He's a very polished LHP. This guy just gets outs. Chad is a pitcher with a great feel for what he is doing. It seems like Chad is always in rhythm and really trusts his stuff. He is the No. 1 arm at Navarro College and coach Dill produces big-time arms year in and year out. Simply put, Chad wins baseball games.”
