BUCCANEER BASEBALL SIGNS 13 NEWCOMERS FOR 2017
Blinn signees to compete for playing time as soon as they arrive on campus
The Blinn College baseball team added a freshman class that should be capable of competing for a starting position once they arrive in 2017.
The 13 players signed should address team needs while the majority of the players show versatility by being able to play in multiple positions.
“We needed players that we felt would be ready to play as freshmen,” Blinn coach Harvey McIntyre said. “The recruiting process was pretty simple because they all wanted to be here.”
Twelve of the 13 players are from the state of Texas: Brandon Ashy (Cypress), Richard Bailey (Houston), Dylan Bohnert (Anderson), Brandon Breaux (Austin), Myles Campbell (Bellaire), Koby Collins (Sugar Land), Evan Mata (Midland), Andrew Morgan (Spring), Sammy Pleus (Sugar Land), Marshall Skinner (Cypress), Zach Smith (Katy) and Connor Whitaker (Friendswood). Drew Ardoin comes to Blinn from Lake Charles, La.
To combat the long season of double-header conference games, the Buccaneers signed seven pitchers. Bohnert is physical player who can play corner infield and pitch, Breaux is a left-handed pitcher who can also play first base, Campbell is another lefty who can play in the outfield, Mata is a right-handed pitcher with a knack for the infielder, Morgan is a 6-foot-5 righty, Pleus is a left-handed arm who reaches 86-89 miles per hour and Smith is a righty with big upside to his game.
Ardoin, an outfielder, will be a top-of-the-order hitter with speed, Bailey swings the bat really well and Bailey is similar to Ardoin with speed at the top of the order. Collins is a solid infielder on the left side who can swing the bat well, Skinner is a front-line catcher and Whitaker could play almost any position for the Buccaneers.
“This is a very talented group of players,” McIntyre said. “I feel great about them.”
Blinn will open the season with a tournament in Houston. The Buccaneers will open that tournament against New Mexico Junior College on Friday, Feb. 5, at 11 a.m.
For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.
(Story courtesy, Jake Gordon, Blinn Information)