Lumberjack Baseball Adds 14 Players
5/10/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 10, 2005
NACOGDOCHES - Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack baseball team continues to fill out its roster for the upcoming season as 14 players have announced their intentions of playing for the purple and white announced SFA head coach Donnie Watson Tuesday morning. This incoming crop of talent fills a need at every position for the Lumberjacks as it consists of four infielders, three outfielders, three right-handed pitchers and two left-handed pitchers and two catchers. The class also consists of eight incoming freshman and six junior college transfers.
"We had multiple holes to fill and had to make multiple commitments to fill those needs," said Watson. "Every player that we wanted we were fortunate to sign. SFA baseball added 14 players this spring to the 11 players signed during the early period, and I am pleased to announce the class of 2005-2006. It is an All-Star class made up of exceptional talent in the classroom and on the field. We added more pitching, speed, some of the best hitters in Texas and skilled defensive players behind the plate, on the infield and in the outfield."
Watson's group of young guns is a highly touted group that consists of some very impressive numbers. Longview's Sammy Hardwick has a career 24-4 (.857) record to date, while striking out 103 batters and holding opponents to a .237 batting average. Lake Jackson's Kyle Watson transfers to SFA from Navarro Junior College and was listed as one of the state's top 100 recruits coming out of high school after earning Baseball Factory All-American honors in 2003. Sugar Land's Eric Gregerson and Zach Gardner guided Clements High School to consecutive district titles. The two pitchers combined to go 18-5 (.783) in their final two seasons at Clements. Jared Schrom has compiled a 7-2 record on the hill this season, while hitting over .300 as a shortstop for Gregory-Portland High School.
The `Jacks have also added four infielders in this class, two are a brother combination from Weatherford, Texas, by way of junior college. Buck Britton is a transfer who comes to Nacogdoches, from Lon Morris where he batted .350 with 10 doubles and 14 RBIs. Clay Britton was selected by the Detroit Tigers in 2003 and 2004 and was listed by ESPN as one of the top 10 College Outfield Prospects in the state of California. He currently leads Weatherford Junior College with a .389 batting average. Hardy Elkins is a 6-0, 185-pound Longview native that helped guide the Lobos to a second-place district finish as he set a school record .480 batting average with 19 RBIs. Gabriel Garcia is from Greenville, Texas and is being groomed to be an NCAA Division I shortstop with exceptional skills. Garcia could be a the sleeper of the class.
Watson also added two catchers in this class to help with the development of his pitching staff. Weatherford's Chase Cundiff is listed at 6-4, 210 and comes to Nacogdoches from Lon Morris Junior College. Cundiff is a unique catching prospect who throws right but bats left handed. Ryan Sinclair is one of three signees in this class from Longview, Texas. Just like Cundiff, Sinclair is a great athlete that will bring added size and strength to the `Jacks lineup at 6-1, 200. Sinclair is currently hitting over .400 and leads his team with more than 30 RBIs.
The three outfielders in this class are Kyle Freeman, David Jeans and Shane Smith. Smith will bring a lot of speed to the top of the `Jacks lineup. He earned all-district honors as a junior after hitting over .400 at the plate and going 18-of-18 on stolen base attempts. Smith has led L.D. Bell High School to a district title each of the past two seasons. In his two seasons at Texarkana College, Jeans is hitting over .300 with 45 stolen bases. Freeman was a two-time all-district player in high school who led Navarro Junior College to the Texas-New Mexico Region XIV East Zone Title after hitting .342 as a freshman. He earned first-team all-conference honors this past season after batting .469, with four homeruns and 26 RBIs from the leadoff spot.
"I am extremely proud of this group. It is a group that is committed to making history at SFA," said Watson. "It is a group committed to bringing the kind of baseball to our student body, faculty, alumni and community they will enjoy watching and deserve to see! Baseball in Texas is full of great baseball talent and thanks to Stephen F. Austin State University and its' great history and reputation it was easy to attract some of Texas' great talent to Nacogdoches, Texas."
The Lumberjacks' 14 signees now brings their total signing class to 25 players, joining Josh Bone, Richard Folmer, Angel Hernandez, Stephen Hill, Erich Lehmann, Jake Leonhardt, Zack Love, Lance Luetge, David Miller, Brian Steinocher and Vincent Wade who signed with SFA in November.
-SFA-
Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack Baseball Signees
Buck Britton, 6-0, 175, INF, Weatherford, Texas (Lon Morris JC)
Joins brother, Clay, in the Lumberjacks' 2005 signing class ... Is a two-time all-district selection in high school ... Hit .350 with 10 doubles and 14 runs batted in at Lon Morris this season ... Recorded a walk-off homerun over Abilene to help Lon Morris record its first playoff win in eight years. ... Invited to play in the 2003 Team One Showcase in Arizona.
Clay Britton, 6-2, 185, INF, Weatherford, Texas (Weatherford JC)
Listed as one of the top 10 Outfield College Prospects in the state of California by ESPN ... Was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2003 and 2004 ... Holds the Weatherford school record for hits in a season with 82 ... He hit .373 with two homeruns, 20 doubles and 52 RBIs that season ... Is currently hitting .387 with 15 doubles and two triples ... Is a two-time all-league selection ... Earned first-team all-league honors after hitting .488 with 35 RBIs as a senior in high school ... A first-team Region 5 all-conference third baseman
Chase Cundiff, 6-4, 210, C, Weatherford, Texas (Lon Morris JC)
One of two Lon Morris transfers in this signing class ... Earned all-district 4-5A honors as a catcher while hitting .370 ... He hit .430 for his high school career ... Recorded a .300 batting average during his time with Lon Morris Junior College ... Is also one of nine players in the signing class that bats left, but throws right.
Hardy Elkins, 6-0, 185, INF, Longview, Texas (Longview)
A three-year letterwinner ... Started on varsity as a freshman ... Set a school record with his .480 batting average (36-of-75) ... Has a .591 on base percentage and is 4-0 on the mound ... Helped lead the Lobos to a second-place finish in District 12-5A ... Set a school record with his .496 batting average ... Has also driven in 19 runs this season ... A versatile athlete that also earned first-team all-district and honorable mention all-state honors in football.
Kyle Freeman, 6-1, 185, OF, Carrollton, Texas (Navarro JC)
Has been the lead-off hitter and played centerfield for Navarro Junior College the past two seasons ... Was a first-team all-conference selection this past season after batting .469 with four homeruns and 26 RBIs ... His .469 batting average fell just one-point shy of a conference batting title ... Recorded 45 hits in conference play to go along with a .526 on base percentage and a .604 slugging percentage ... A unanimous 6-5A all-district selection in high school ... Guided Carrollton Newman Smith to the state regional finals in 2002 ... During the summer of 2003, played in the Florida Collegiate Instructional League (FCIL) in Bradenton, Fla. ... Led the league in batting average at the all-star break and was named the starter for the South All-Star team..
Gabriel Garcia, 5-11, 155, INF, Greenville, Texas (Greenville HS)
A young shortstop with the skills to come in and have an immediate impact ... Hit .437, with a homerun and 19 RBIs this past spring ... Four doubles and two triples were included in the .437 batting average ... A skilled player defensively, recorded only four errors all season to finish with a .963 fielding percentage ... A first-team all-district 12-4A selection ... Recipient of the GHS Baseball MVP Award.
Zach Gardner, 6-2, 175, RHP, Sugar Land, Texas (Clements HS)
Compiled a 14-4 (.777) overall record, while taking Clements High School to district titles in 2004 and 2005 ... Recorded a 1.19 earned run average during his junior season ... Pitched a no-hitter in the 2004 playoffs, and followed that up with a two-hit shutout performance to help his prep squad advance to the Region III semifinals ... Pitched his Houston Heat team to the World Series Championship in the Perfect Game Wood Bat league ... A speedy centerfielder as well, Gardner has been clocked at 6.57 in 60 yards ... He is batted .418 at the plate in 2004, with three homeruns and 20 RBIs ... A high-school teammate of Lumberjack signee Eric Gregerson.
Eric Gregerson, 6-5, 205, RHP, Sugar Land, Texas (Clements HS)
Converted from basketball to baseball during his junior season ... Guided Clements to back-to-back district 20-5A titles ... Recorded a 4-1 (.800) record on the mound this season ... A high-school teammate of Lumberjack signee Zach Gardner.
Sammy Hardwick, 6-0, 175, LHP, Longview, Texas (Longview HS)
A three-year letterwinner at Longview ... Recorded a 24-4 (.857) high school record ... Went 9-1 (.900) on the mound as a senior, recording 103 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .237 batting average ... Is a two-time second-team all-district selection and a was named the 2003 newcomer of the year ... Guided Longview to a second-place district finish.
David Jeans, 6-0, 175, INF, Center, Texas (Texarkana JC)
A two-year letterwinner at Texarkana Junior College ... Hit .307 with 13 stolen bases as a freshman ... Has followed that up with a .320 batting average and 32 stolen bases this past season ... A Dean's List student and recipient of the Collegiate All-American Scholar Award ... A dual sport threat at Center High School, a three-time all-district quarterback and three-time all-state catcher ... Named team and district MVP with a .559 batting average a 25 stolen bases ... Selected to play in the THSBCA All-Star Game as a senior ... Hit over .500 in each of final three seasons at Center while stealing 93 bases.
Jared Schrom, 6-4, 200, RHP, Portland, Texas (Gregory-Portland HS)
Played for El Paso Coronado High School as a sophomore before transferring to Gregory-Portland High ... Went 7-2 (.777) on the mound as a senior, while hitting .300 with two homeruns ... Guided his prep squad to the playoffs where they finished third behind two of the top teams in state ... Plays shortstop when he's not on the mound.
Ryan Sinclair, 6-1, 200, C, Longview, Texas (Pine Tree HS)
Considered one of the best athletes in the signing class ... Is a major reason for Pine Tree's huge turnaround ... His hitting over .400, while leading his team in RBIs in his final season with the Pirates ... A versatile athlete that also plays several positions on the Pine Tree football team.
Shane Smith, 6-0, 170, INF, Hurst, Texas (L.D. Bell HS)
Earned all-district honors his junior season after hitting over .400 and going 18-of-18 on stolen base attempts ... Guided his prep squad to the 2004 7-5A District title and the 2005 6-5A District title ... Has swiped 23 bases while leading L.D. Bell to a 20-5 record this season ... Has a 4-1 record in 22 innings as the team's closer.
Kyle Watson, 6-4, 200, LHP, Lake Jackson, Texas (Navarro JC)
Named one of the top 100 recruits in the state of Texas by Jason Becker of Texas Baseball News ... Also considered a top playoff prospect by Jason Becker ... Recognized as a 2003 Baseball Factory All-American ... Guided Brazoswood High School to three area championships, three regional quarterfinal appearances, two bi-district championships and a Region III quarterfinal championship ... Attended Pittsburgh Pirate and Texas Rangers invitation only camps ... Will play in the 2005 Cape Cod Summer League.
