SAN MARCOS, Texas – Head coach
Steven Trout announced the signing of 16 student-athletes for the 2021 Class that consists of 15 high school seniors and one junior college transfer.
Joining the Bobcats for the 2022 season will be Kyle Atkinson, Chris Bernal, Hunter Caldwell, Tyler Cooper, Jeb Drewery, McCray Gann, Ryder Hernandez, Dylan Kerbow, Kyler Kirkpatrick, Ryan Leary, Victor Loa, Edward Mendoza, Nick Moore, Daylan Pena, Travis Phelps and Damien Whitfield.
"I couldn't be more fired up for the 2021 class and the future of Texas State baseball. This class could end up being the highest ranked class in program history," said Trout. "I'm very thankful for all the hard work
Josh Blakley and
Chad Massengale put into putting this class together. This group believes in the momentum we have right now and wants to take our program further than it's ever been!"
Kyle Atkinson | OF | L/L | 6-1 | 175
New Boston, Texas | New Boston HS
Atkinson is a left-handed hitting outfielder from New Boston, Texas. He was named All-District 6-3A First Team in 2019 and the 2018 All-District 6-3A Second Team. Perfect Game named him to their 2020 All-American Preseason Team. He was also a standout for the Lions basketball and football teams.
Summer ball saw him twice be named to an all-tournament team while competing for Sticks 17U.
Blakley on Atkinson: "Kyle is a multi-sport athlete from East Texas. Another quarterback in this class with a high baseball IQ and the athletic ability to do a lot of things really well. Kyle hits from the left side and steals bases with reckless abandon. Two coaches on our staff saw him back-to-back weekends and were blown away by the way he flies around the field. We are excited to see Kyle focus solely on baseball and begin to use his athleticism to help us win games."
Chris Bernal | C | R/R | 5-9 | 190
McAllen, Texas | McAllen HS
Bernal is coming off a shortened 2020 season that saw him hit .490 with two home runs, nine doubles and 15 RBI while leading McAllen High School to a 15-1 record. He was named to the 2020
Rawling/Perfect Game Preseason All-American Second Team. In 2019, he hit .420 with two homers, 12 doubles and 28 RBI to earn All-District 30-6A First Team and Defensive MVP honors.
As a freshman, Bernal hit .315 with eight doubles, one home run and drove in 33 runs to be named All-District 30-6A Second Team at third base and Newcomer of the Year.
This summer saw him compete in the
New Balance Future Star Series International Week Championship that was held in Boston at Fenway Park. Bernal was also recently invited to play in the Mike Sanders MBP All-American Game on Nov. 21 at Hank Aaron Stadium in Mobile, Alabama.
Bernal choose Texas State over offers from Middle Tennessee State, Pittsburgh, Tulane, UC Santa Barbara, UTRGV and UTSA.
Blakley on Bernal: "Chris is a player that it is easy to be excited about. At our level, it is very difficult to find catchers in the high school ranks that are ready to come in and play from a defensive perspective. Chris takes pride in his catching and will have the opportunity to compete for a starting job as a freshman. Being one of the highest rated recruits in the Sun Belt Conference, we have major expectations for Chris' career as a Bobcat."
Hunter Caldwell | RHP/INF | R/R | 6-2 | 235
Hardin, Texas | Hardin HS
Caldwell is a two-way player and was named to the
Perfect Game 2020 Preseason All-American Underclass Third Team. In 2019, he earned All-District 23-3A First Team honors as a sophomore at pitcher. He went 6-3 with a 1.55 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 49.2 innings that year. At the plate, he batted .478 with a .578 on-base percentage, and .783 slugging percentage.
As a freshman, Caldwell was named to the All-District 23-3A Second Team for his performance on the mound. That year also saw him help lead Hardin High School to the bi-district championship.
Caldwell also lettered on the gridiron and the hardwood for the Hornets. He is a member of the National Honor Society and Student Council.
He chose Texas State over offers from Houston, Lamar, Oklahoma State, Rice and Wichita State.
Blakley on Caldwell: "Hunter is another big-bodied right-handed pitcher in this class. He was consistently running his fastball into the low 90s 15 months ago before he was sidelined with an unfortunate injury. His rehab is aggressively progressing and he is on track to come back better than ever. We are very excited to see Hunter this spring back in form and unleashing his big fastball."
Tyler Cooper | LHP | R/L | 6-1 | 200
Kyle, Texas | Hays HS
In the shortened 2020 season, Cooper struck out 25 and recorded a 0.45 ERA in 17 innings of work. His best performance came in four innings against Anderson High School where he had 10 strikeouts.
Cooper earned All-District 29-6A Honorable Mention and academic all-district in 2019. That year saw him help the Rebels advance to the second round of the playoffs.
He chose Texas State over offers from Incarnate Word, Sam Houston State and Tarleton State.
Blakley on Cooper: "Tyler is a local left-handed pitcher that we have seen for a long time. He has always been successful on the mound and was just waiting for a slight velocity jump. Tyler is quite possibly the hardest working kid in this class and made huge progressions over the summer as his fastball now routinely touches 90 mph. He is a large kid who creates problems for a hitter with the spin on his fastball. We are excited for Tyler and look forward to his days as a Bobcat."
Jeb Drewery | LHP | L/L | 6-3 | 200
Hallsville, Texas | Hallsville HS
Drewery is a highly rated left-handed pitcher coming out of Hallsville High School. Perfect Game ranked him 97th in the national among lefty hurlers and 12th for left-handed pitchers in the state of Texas. While competing for Five Star Performance in summer ball, he was named to 10 all-tournament teams.
Competing for the Bobcats, he was named to the 2019 All-District 16-5A First Team in 2019. That year also saw him be selected to the TSWA 5A All-State and
Longview News All-East Texas honorable mention teams that year.
The 2019 season saw Drewery set a school record for fewest pitches in a seven-inning game with 65. He also threw two no-hitters.
Drewery chose Texas State over interest from Dallas Baptist, Houston, Kansas State, Louisiana, TCU, Texas Tech, UCF and Wichita State.
Blakley on Drewery: "Jeb is a hard-nosed left-handed pitcher from East Texas who has a knack for winning every time you hand him the ball. A highly sought-after recruit, he has a deceptive arm angle and movement on every pitch. Another guy in this class with a large frame, recent development has seen his velocity soar and will give him the ability to have some power stuff on the mound. We're excited to see Jeb getting hitters out in a Bobcat uniform."
McCray Gann | RHP | R/R | 6-1 | 215
Odessa, Texas | Permian HS
Gann was named to the 2019 All-District 2-6A Second Team and the Panthers' Pitcher of the Year after going 3-4 with a 3.73 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 45 innings. In the shortened 2020 campaign, posted a 1-0 record with a 2.62 ERA and struck out 20 in 16 innings.
During summer ball, Gann was named the Most Valuable Pitcher at the Coastal Elite Tournament.
Blakley on Gann: "McCray is a big, strong right-handed pitcher who sits in the lows 90s. A later bloomer in the class, he made a huge velocity jump over the summer. A former middle linebacker at Odessa Permian High School, McCray has the mindset to attack hitters and should be comfortable in pressure moments. His raw stuff will be ready to compete from the moment he walks onto campus. We look forward to seeing his development over the next eight months and think he has a chance to be an impact arm for our future."
Ryder Hernandez | INF | R/R | 6-0 | 190
Cedar Park, Texas | Cedar Park HS
Hernandez is a dual-sport athlete at Cedar Park High School. He is the starting quarterback for the Timberwolves and shortstop on the baseball diamond.
In 2019, Hernandez was an Austin American-Statesman All-CenTex Honorable Mention selection. The year before saw him be selected to the All-District 19-5A Second Team.
Hernandez chose Texas State over offers from Incarnate Word, Northern Colorado, Northern Arizona and Sam Houston State.
Blakley on Hernandez: "Ryder first impressed me last summer with his ability to find the barrel while hitting. I was surprised when I searched his name to find many more football highlights than baseball, and after watching his sophomore year football tape, I knew we had a dude. A top-ranked quarterback in his class, we are beyond excited to see him become a full-time baseball player and begin to tap into his full potential. A team can not have enough proven winners and Ryder seems to win at a very high level. We're expecting big things from him."
Dylan Kerbow | RHP/INF | L/R | 6-1 | 190
The Woodlands, Texas | The Woodlands HS
Kerbow helped lead the Woodlands High School to a 13-2-2 record last season and the Region II semifinals in 2019 while splitting time as a pitcher and shortstop. On the mound, he has a career ERA below 1.00 and he threw a no-hitter in 2018.
He played summer ball for the Hunter Pence Baseball Academy where he made all-tournament teams five times as a pitcher and four times as a fielder.
Kerbow comes from an athletic family as his dad, Randy, played golf at Texas, his grandfather, Randall, played football at Rice and for the Houston Oilers and he had a great uncle play football at Texas State (then Southwest Texas State) from 1968-72.
Kerbow selected Texas State over offers from Houston, Incarnate Word and Sam Houston State.
Blakley on Kerbow: "Dylan is another guy in this class who gets more physical every time you see him. A two-way player with a sweet left-handed swing, he is one of the rare guys who may actually have the ability to both pitch and hit for his entire career. Dylan is very polished for his age on the mound with an arsenal of pitches he throws for strikes. He has a large frame and the sky is the limit for him as he continues to fill out. It will be fun to see how Dylan impacts the team next year."
Kyler Kirkpatrick | RHP | R/R | 6-2 | 205
Round Rock, Texas | Round Rock HS
Kirkpatrick was named to the 2020 Rawlings/Perfect Game Underclass All-American Texas All-Region Second Team and in 2019 was a Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American High Honorable Mention selection.
As a sophomore, he went 8-0 with one save and two no-hitters on the mound. At the plate, the future Bobcat hit .345 in 2019 and improved to a .500 batting average in the shortened 2020 season.
Kirkpatrick chose Texas State over offers from Duke, Houston and UT Rio Grande Valley.
Blakley on Kirkpatrick: "Kyler is another big, strong right-handed pitcher in the 2021 class. He has recently touched some huge velocity numbers and is working to harness his massive potential. A former middle linebacker at Round Rock High School, one of his biggest assets will be his eagerness to compete. We believe Kyler has a chance to lockdown our bullpen in the future."
Ryan Leary | INF | R/R | 5-11 | 165
Liberty Hill, Texas | Liberty Hill HS
As a sophomore, Leary hit .333 with a .468 on-base and .532 slugging percentage. He also recorded nine doubles, five triples, three home runs, 16 RBI, 37 runs and 20 stolen bases on his way to being named to the All-District 25-5A First Team.
Leary choose Texas State over interest from Sam Houston State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas Tech.
Blakley on Leary: "Ryan is an exceptional defender at shortstop. He takes great pride in his defensive ability and been a plus defender since the day he set foot in high school. He has always been very athletic, but a growth spurt over the past year has given him the ability to really make some loud contact with the bat. Expect Ryan to be a mainstay in the Bobcat lineup for years to come."
Victor Loa | LHP/OF | L/L | 5-9 | 185
Los Fresnos, Texas | Los Fresnos HS
Loa enters his senior year of high school with a career record of 14-6, 1.44 ERA and 226 strikeouts in 129.2 innings. He has also tossed four no-hitters in his prep career. In the shortened 2020 season, he was 1-1 with a 0.76 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 18.1 innings on the mound while posting two triples, five runs and six RBI at the plate. Prior to the 2020 season, Loa was named to the
Perfect Game Preseason Texas Region All-High School Underclass First Team.
The 2019 campaign saw Loa go 7-4 with a 0.94 ERA, 135 strikeouts and two no-hitters in 74.1 innings. His strikeout total ranked in the top five in the state of Texas. At the dish, he hit .272 with five doubles, 25 runs and 20 RBI on his way to being named District 32-6A MVP and the
Brownville Herald All-Metro Pitcher of the Year. Loa was also selected to the TSWA 6A All-State Third Team as a pitcher.
His freshman season ended with him picked to the All-District 32-6A Honorable Mention team at pitcher. That year Loa was 6-2 with a 2.74 ERA and 54 strikeouts over 37 innings.
Loa chose Texas State over interest from Dallas Baptist, Houston, Oklahoma State, New Mexico State, Rice and Texas A&M.
Blakeley on Loa: "Victor is one of the best pure pitchers in the state of Texas. He has won games his entire life and received a lot of notoriety for it. Possessing a real three-pitch mix with a fastball in the upper 80s, Victor has been amongst the leaders in the state of Texas for strikeouts the past couple of years. He is a bulldog on the mound and we expect him to compete for important innings from the time he sets foot on campus."
Edward Mendoza | RHP/UTL | R/R | 6-0 | 195
Eagle Pass, Texas | Eagle Pass HS
A two-way player, Mendoza hit .327 with 13 RBI, three triples and a double at the plate and was 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 17 innings on the rubber. He has also been named to the All-District 29-6A teams as an outfielder and pitcher.
Competing for Lonestar Baseball in September at the Wilsom Premier in Lakepoint, Georgia, Mendoza threw four scoreless innings of relief in which he struck out nine.
He comes from a family with a strong athletic background. His father, Reynol, was drafted by the then Florida Marlins and pitched seven years in the organization, his mother, Tinna, played volleyball at Incarnate Word, his two sisters, Melanie and Sandra, played softball at UT Arlington and his brother, ReyRey, currently plays collegiate baseball at Houston.
Mendoza chose Texas State over offers from Incarnate Word, UT Arlington and UTSA.
Blakley on Mendoza: "Edward is a polished right-handed pitcher that possesses a good fastball and breaking ball combination. He has good command and the breaking ball gives him the ability to get outs right away at the college level. Edward is an accomplished high school hitter and will get the opportunity to hit and pitch when he gets to campus. We are excited to see how he will impact our program."
Nick Moore | RHP | R/R | 6-2 | 190
Plano, Texas | Plano West HS
During the shortened 2020 season, Moore was 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 12.1 innings on the mounds. He also batted .320 with two doubles, one home runs, five RBI, a .393 OBP and .520 SLG.As a sophomore, Moore posted a 1-0 record with a 3.05 ERA and struck out 24 in 18.1 innings while posting a .352 batting average, four doubles, two triples, two home runs and 18 RBI at the plate. His performance earned him District 9-6A Newcomer of the Year and Collin County All-Area Baseball Newcomer of the Year honors.
Moore was named to the 2020 Perfect Game High Honorable Mention Underclass All-American and Texas Region All-High School Underclass Second Team. The past three summers has seen him be named to eight all-tournament teams.
He choose Texas State over offers from Air Force, Arizona, Texas, Texas Tech and UT Arlington.
Blakley on Moore: "Nick is a big strong right-handed pitcher with a repeatable delivery and a three-pitch mix. He has had a lot of success this far in his career and his athleticism projects him to be a front-line arm at the D1 level. We look forward to seeing Nick throw a lot of meaningful innings for the Bobcats!"
Daylan Pena | OF/INF | R/R | 6-2 | 215
Corpus Christi, Texas | Veterans Memorial HS
In the shortened 2020 campaign, Pena hit .404 with six doubles, one triples, four home runs and 22 RBI. The previous year he batted .388 with nine doubles, four home runs, 25 RBI, 25 runs and nine stolen bases. He was named to the All-District 30-5A First Team and was an All-South Texas First Team selection.
Pena hit .438 with 13 doubles, two triples, seven homers, 52 RBI, 32 runs and a .526 on-base percentage as a freshman. His performance earned him All-District 30-5A First Team and Newcomer of the Year for both District 30-5A and on the All-South Texas Team. He was also named to the UIL 5A All-Tournament Team, THSBCA 5A All-State Second Team and TSWA 5A All-State Second Team.
Blakley on Pena: "Daylan has light tower power. He has hit for a high average and hit the ball out of the park since being an all-state selection his freshman year of high school. Daylan has worked his tail off over the last year to transform his body and turn himself into a great all-around baseball player. We expect him to be a main stay in the middle of the lineup for years to come."
Travis Phelps | RHP | R/R | 6-4 | 215
Alvin, Texas | Galveston College | Angelina College | Alvin HS
Phelps is a junior college transfer who will play the 2021 season at Galveston College. In 2020 at Angelina College, he struck out 14 and had a 2.08 ERA in 8.2 innings over five games.
A graduate of Alvin High School, Phelps was a 28th round selection in the 2019 MLB draft by the Minnesota Twins. He was named to the TSWA 6A All-State honorable mention team as a senior.
Blakley on Phelps: "Travis is a junior college transfer with a huge arm. Drafted out of high school, he chose to go to junior college and continue to develop as a pitcher. With pure strikeout stuff, we expect our pitching staff to feature Travis in a big way next year. Bobcat fans should be excited to watch this guy put on the maroon and gold."
Damien Whitfield | OF/LHP | L/L | 6-2 | 192
Atlanta, Ga. | Next Level Academy
Whitfield is a two-way player from Atlanta and will graduate from Next Level Academy in Wetumpka, Alabama. He is a two-time Minority Baseball Prospects Preseason All-American and was a 2019 MVP All-American.
He choose Texas State over interest from Long Beach State, USC and Washington.
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