SAN MARCOS, Texas – Texas State baseball head coach Steven Trout announced the additions of 11 players for its 2024 signing class.
 
Joining the Bobcats in the Fall of 2024 are Caden Baker, Coy DeFury, Brock DeYoung, Austin Dolezal, Zach Gingrich, Josh Glaser, Braylon Mitchell, Dawson Park, Trent Rucker, Cole Tabor and Kutter Gage Webb.
 
"I'm extremely excited about the 2024 class and really think we have some special talent in this group. With 18 seniors to replace, these guys will be valuable in stepping in right away and competing for a job in their first year," said Trout. "I think we have really good athletes that are also really good baseball players in this group. I can't thank Josh Blakley enough for leading the charge on this class along side of Chad Massengale and Jerry Cervantez. The future is bright in San Marcos!"
 
Caden Baker | INF | Houston, Texas | Stratford HS
Baker earned All-District 17-6A First Team honors in the outfield for Stratford High School as a junior. This past Spring, he batted .398 with 42 runs scored and a .595 on-base percentage.
 
The left-handed batting soon to be Bobcat plays summer ball for Texas Twelve Black where he led the team in batting average, stolen bases, triples, runs, doubles and walks.
 
Blakley on Baker: "Caden showed out all summer. Every time one of our coaches walked into the ballpark, Baker played with his hair on fire and was the best player on the field. A guy with game changing speed, he can control the barrel and hits the ball really hard. Caden will play in the middle of the field and has the skill set to challenge older players for their job when he walks on campus."
 
Coy DeFury | INF | Melissa, Texas | Blinn College
DeFury will join TXST after playing his sophomore year at Blinn College. As a freshman, he was part of a Buccaneers team that went 46-15 and reached the NJCAA Division I World Series semifinals.
 
The future Bobcat batted .280 with a .394 OBP and .524 SLG% behind eight home runs, seven doubles and two triples over 46 games and just four starts in 2023. He finished with 40 RBI, 34 runs and stole two bases as well.
 
DeFury graduated from Melissa High School in 2022. The left-handed batting infielder was chosen as the MVP of the THSBCA 2A-4A All-Star Game while being chosen as the District 9-4A Offensive Player of the Year as a senior. Other awards he received from the district were Utility Player of the Year, first team selection at third base and Newcomer of the Year as a freshman.
 
Blakley on DeFury: "Cole is the next great Bobcat left-handed power hitter. He possesses a rare combo of ability to hit for average, control the strike zone, and really drive the ball out of the park. He is athletic around the bag at first base and has an accurate arm. Coy should be a staple in the middle of the Bobcats' lineup next year that can change the score every time he walks to the plate."
 
Brock DeYoung | INF | Katy, Texas | Cinco Ranch HS
DeYoung will graduate from Cinco Ranch High School where he helped the Cougars to a 33-7 record last season and the fourth round of the playoffs. Last season he was named to the All-District 19-6A First Team at shortstop and earned the THSCA 6A Super Elite Team Gold Glove Award. As a sophomore, DeYoung was an all-district pick as a middle infielder and was named the District 19-6A Newcomer of the year his freshman year.
 
The future Bobcat has set the school's single-season record for runs (49), stolen bases (30) and at-bats (127) while recording 46 hits, the second most in team history. In his prep career, DeYoung has recorded a .335 batting average, 79 runs, 49 stolen bases and 80 hits.
 
DeYoung's father, Dan, played baseball at Ole Miss from 1995-97 and was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the sixth round of the 1997 draft. His mother, Susie, was also a standout for the Rebels track and cross country teams.
 
Blakley on DeYoung: "Brock first caught my attention by being the catalyst on his high school team's playoff run last spring. Every time I opened Twitter, he was all over my feed and the Houston baseball world was talking about him. He continued his hot play throughout the summer by playing well every time we watched his team play. Brock comes from an athletic family and it shows with his ability to play middle infield and really run. He plays premier positions and can handle the bat which should allow him to crack the lineup early in his career."
 
Austin Dolezal | LHP | Spring, Texas | Grand Oaks HS
A 6-foot, 3-inch left-hander pitcher, Dolezal will come to Texas State from Grand Oaks High School in Spring, Texas. This past season saw him post a 0.97 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 36 innings and hold opponents to a .207 batting average.
 
Dolezal was chosen to the All-District 13-6A Second Team as a sophomore. As a freshman, he was selected as the district's Pitcher of the Year.
 
In the summer, he played with fellow signing Dawson Park on the Houston Heat. Dolezal tossed 37.1 innings and struck out 46 while limiting opponents to a .112 batting average and posting a 0.75 ERA.
 
Blakley on Dolezal: "Austin can really pitch. He was a long, lanky left-handed pitcher that could spin a breaker a few years ago. Now he has turned into a really big guy and the stuff is about to really tick up. Austin has a chance to be a monster on the mound for the maroon and gold."
 
Zach Gingrich | OF | San Antonio, Texas | Smithson Valley HS
Gingrich is a left-handed hitting outfielder and will graduate from Smithson Valley High School in San Antonio this coming Spring. As a junior, he was a TSWA All-State 5A Third Team and was a unanimous All-District 27-6A First Team pick after hitting .375 with a 1.238 OPS, seven homers, eight doubles, four triples and 24 RBI. He also picked up All-District 27-6A Second Team honors as a sophomore.
 
This Fall, Gingrich competed in the New Balance Future Star Series held at historic Fenway Park.
 
Blakley on Gingrich: "What a player Zach has the chance to be. A physical left-handed hitter, he will hit for a high average and has the chance to drive a lot of balls out of the ballpark. We expect Zach to have a real chance to start from the day he walks on campus."
 
Josh Glaser | RHP | Flower Mound, Texas | Flower Mound HS
A dominant right-hander on the mound, Glaser was an all-state first team selection and named the district's Utility Player of the Year as a junior. This past Spring saw him toss two no-hitters and strikeout eight in each contest.
 
He helped lead the Jaguars to the UIL 6A State Championship where he started the state title game and scored the go-ahead run. Glaser's performance over the two games earned him all-state tournament team accolades at third base.
 
Blakley on Glaser: "Josh is an absolute warrior on the field. A state champion last year, he is a proven winner that can get it done on both sides of the ball. Josh's velo is continuing to climb and his full arsenal of pitches should allow him to be a future starter for the Bobcats. He also hit in the middle of a state championship team's lineup and played a good third base. Josh is going to do a lot of great things in a maroon and gold jersey."
 
Braylon Mitchell | INF | Houston, Texas | Cypress Creek HS
Mitchell will come to San Marcos after graduating from Cypress Creek High School in Houston. Twice he has been a unanimous selection to the All-District 17-6A First Team at shortstop.
 
The future Bobcat played summer ball for Marucci Elite Texas. This past summer, Mitchell batted .436 with a 1.196 OPS while driving in 16, scoring 20 times and swiping 12 bases.
 
Blakley on Mitchell: "I remember watching Braylon play the summer after his freshman year and marveling at his athletic ability. Back then he was skinny and could really run. Fast forward a few years and Braylon has done a great job in the weight room and the body has completely changed. He can play on the left side of the infield and has as good of a hit tool as anyone in our program."
 
Dawson Park | INF | Magnolia, Texas | Magnolia West HS
Park will arrive in San Marcos after graduating from Magnolia West High School. This past season saw him be chosen to the All-District 21-5A First Team at shortstop. He was part of a Mustang team that went 34-5 and won the UIL 5A State Championship where Park was chosen to the all-tournament team.
 
Summer ball has seen him compete for the Houston Heat and coached by Bear Bay.
 
Blakley on Park: "Dawson is a complete player. He has the ability to stay at shortstop long term and hit in the top half of the lineup. Guys that can do both of those things find their way on the field early in their career. Dawson was one of the first guys I liked in this class and he has done a good job of continuing to get better."
 
Trent Rucker | OF | Fairview, Texas | Temple College
Rucker heads into his sophomore year at Temple College where he helped the Leopards to a 35-19 record and second place finish in the conference in 2023. The outfielder batted .320 with a .395 OBP and .512 SLG% while hitting seven home runs, six doubles and three triples. He scored 43 runs, drove in 36 and was 14-for-17 stealing bases.
 
The future Bobcat prepped at Lovejoy High School under the direction of coach Ryan Gros. Rucker was a two-time all-district selection and chosen to the all-area first team as an outfielder. He also competed on the gridiron and finished second in the state in wrestling.
 
Rucker comes from an athletic family. His brother, Ralph Rucker IV, played football for a year at Oklahoma and is currently the starting quarterback at Bucknell, his father, Ralph Rucker III, wrestled at Oklahoma State, his mother, Jennifer, was a softball player at Oklahoma and his sister, Skylar, is committed to play softball at UTSA.
 
Blakley on Rucker: "Trent's athleticism is off the charts. A former SEC football recruit, he has turned himself from an athlete into a baseball player in the last year while playing in junior college. He possesses the rare ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark and steal a bunch of bags. Expect Trent to lockdown one of the vacant outfield spots and put on a show for Bobcat fans next spring."
 
Cole Tabor | INF | San Antonio, Texas | Temple College
Tabor is a left-handed hitting infielder and will be transferring in from Temple College with two years of eligibility. He helped the Leopards to a 35-19 record while batting .300 with a .420 OBP, nine doubles, three home runs, 31 runs and 24 RBI.
 
 The future Bobcat graduated from Reagan High School in San Antonio. As a senior, he was part of a Rattlers team that went 33-7-1 and finished as state runners-up.
 
Blakley on Tabor: "Cole plays the game with a ton of personality. His passion is obvious to anyone in the ballpark, and he is a true table setter. Possessing a sweet left-handed swing and plus defensive ability in the middle infield, Cole is a dynamic player that will impact games in a lot of different ways."
 
Kutter Gage Webb | INF | San Marcos, Texas | San Marcos HS
Webb will graduate in the spring from San Marcos High School. This past year, he was chosen to the all-state second team and was named the district's MVP after batting .390 with 18 stolen bases. The current Rattler is also a two-time all-district first team selection and a three-time academic all-district honoree under the direction of his father, Bryan.
 
Along with playing baseball, Webb has been a standout on the gridiron. He was an all-district pick this Fall at quarterback and was an all-district pick at wide receiver his junior year.
 
Webb's brother, Kannon, is a wide receiver on the Texas State football team.
 
Blakley on Webb: "Kutter is our local legend. He has been around our ballpark since he was a little kid and has never stopped impressing the coaching staff. Kutter can flat hit! A coach's son, he truly understands the game and has some intangible qualities to him, but don't underestimate his ability to get the barrel to the baseball. Kutter will hit in the middle of the Bobcats' lineup in the very near future."
 
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