2017 baseball MEDIA GUIDE 2017 San Jacinto College BASEBALL Roster NO. NAME class pos. b/t ht./wt. high school / previous school 2 Wyatt Cross S C/1B L/R 6”3”/200 Legacy High School / UNC 3 Tristan Metten S INF R/R 6’1”/185 Prestonwood Christian / Texas A&M 5 Mike Pascoe F RHP R/R 5’11”/170 Arlington High School / Wallace - Dothan 6 Justin Massey S RHP R/R 5’11”/160 Lee High School / Cisco CC 7 Herbert Iser F C L/R 6’3”/207 Osceola High School, FL 8 Justin Martinez F INF R/R 6’2”/185 Smokey Hill High School 9 Sergio Macias F UTI/RHP L/R 5’10”/185 Laredo Alexander High School 10 Tanner Schuetz S INF/OF R/R 5’9”/185 Kempner High School 11 Blake Goins S RHP R/R 6’0”/223 Pearland High School / University of Texas 12 Devon Roedahl F RHP R/R 6’2”/190 West Brook Senior High School 13 Lukas Veinbergs F RHP R/R 6’1”/190 Pinckney High School / Indiana Univ. 14 Jordan Wiley F OF L/R 6’1”/193 Richland High School 16 Aaron Bond S OF L/R 6’4”/185 Clay High School, IN 17 Samuel Peralta F LHP L/L 6’3”/195 Gateway High School, FL 18 Mario Moralez F INF L/R 6’1”/200 Goose Creek Memorial 20 Kingsley Ballao F OF/RHP L/R 6’1”/200 Maui High School, HI 21 Michael Smith S OF L/L 5’11”/160 Magnolia High School / Kansas State 22 Jacob Cantleberry F LHP R/L 6’1”/180 Center Grove High School, IN 23 Brett Wright S C R/R 5’11”/210 New Caney High School 25 Benjamin Butler S LHP L/L 6’1”/180 Mayde Creek High School / Texas Southern 27 Hunter McClellan S RHP R/R 6’2”/170 Nacogdoches High School 28 Nick Perez S INF/RHP R/R 6’2”/200 Austin High School / Texas State 29 Aaron George F RHP R/R 6’5”/225 Ouachita Christian School, LA 30 Jerry Maddox S RHP R/R 6’0”/195 Dayton High School 31 Ryan Johnson S OF/INF L/L 6’3”/205 College Station High School / TCU 33 MacGregor Hines F RHP R/R 6’0”/200 College Station High School / Univ. of Florida 34 Chris Roberts S RHP R/R 6’0”/193 Ross S. Sterling High School 35 Fletcher Byrd F LHP L/L 6’4”/175 Norcross High School / Kennesaw State Univ. 36 Kaleb Roper S RHP R/R 6’2”/175 Archbishop Rummel High School / Univ. of Az 38 Ben Gilliland F RHP R/R 6’4”/195 Middletown High School, CT 39 Jesse Garcia F INF/RHP R/R 5’10”/155 Robstown High School 40 Donny Diaz S RHP R/R 6’0”/200 King High School 44 Tuck Tucker F LHP L/L 6'4"/230 Poteet High School 45 Bailey Cummings F OF/RHP R/R 6’3”/195 Pearland High School 47 Luke Watson S INF R/R 6’1”/185 Concordia Lutheran School / Hill JC 48 Antonio Jacobs S RHP R/R 6’1”/187 Bay City John Glenn, MI / Spartanburg, Eastern Mich. 49 Patrick Donaho S LHP L/L 6’5”/240 Stratford High School 50 Taylor Rich S LHP L/L 6’2”/170 Lovelady High School 54 James Tutor F C R/R 5’11”/180 Hargrave High School 1 San Jacinto College Baseball 2017 2017 TEAM OUTLOOK The 2017 Gators look to return to the Junior College (JUCO) World Series for the professional prospects and will most likely be drafted by Major League Baseball third straight season and 12th time under legendary Head Coach Tom Arrington. organizations in June. Complimenting these players are returning all-star Last season the Gators were the nation’s top-ranked team for most of the outfielders Tanner schuetz and Aaron Bond, as well as 2015 JUCO World Series season losing only one non-conference game in what was one of the strongest catcher Brett Wright. Newcomers to the 2017 squad are Nick Perez, Michael Smith schedules in the country. In all, San Jac lost nine conference games showing the and Sergio Macias. competiveness of the Region XIV South Zone. “Offensively, we are confident that this will be an exciting year for the Gators,” said This season does not look to be any easier. In fact, it may be even more difficult. Arrington, who also serves as athletic director on the North Campus. “We can hit, The Gators travel to Tyler Junior College on Jan. 28 to open the 2017 campaign from the top to the bottom of the lineup. We may not have the overall team speed against the defending National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) we had last season, but we also don’t have the pressure of manufacturing runs Division III National Champion Tyler Apaches. In week two, San Jac will travel to like we have the last couple years. We will be challenged early on, facing seven Marianna, Florida to face three NJCAA powerhouse programs in host Chipola pitchers in the first 10 games who pitch 93-97 mph. But we know this will prepare College, and Wallace Community College-Dothan and Walters State. Returning to us for conference play.” John Ray Harrison Field at Andy Pettitte Park, the Gators host the NJCAA’s biggest regular season tournament, The Tournament of Champions, Feb 10-12. The Gators open the 16-team tournament against the best JUCO RHP in Texas Region On the mound, San Jacinto College is deep. Most are new faces, but they can V and Odessa College on Legends Night before huge matchups with Grayson each pitch. Jerry Maddox and Hunter McClellan return and look to compete for College, Midland College, and 2015 National Champion Northwest Florida State rotational roles, while transfers MacGregor Hines and Kaleb Roper look to become at Constellation Field before finishing up with Howard College at the University of starters and bring National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Houston. experience. The back end is the strength transfer Donny Diaz who throws a 92-95 mph fastball with a big league 82 mph slider and 78 mph hammer curveball. “I believe we play in the most competitive conference in the country,” said Assistant Coach Kory Koehler, who works closely with Arrington in putting “The staff is obviously going to miss Devin Smeltzer (LA Dodgers signee), NJCAA together the schedule. “Region XIV has elite coaches, highly projectable draft arms All-American Colton Schmidt (University of Louisiana signee) and Montana and the finest teams in America top to bottom. If we can prepare accordingly, we Parsons (Baylor University signee), but we feel great about the players we’ve can compete at a high level within the conference.” brought in both this summer and at mid-term,” Arrington said. “Kory and Eric have done an exceptional job. We look forward to defending our Region XIV title. There are great teams in our conference and Region, but we have worked hard since The goal each year for the San Jacinto College baseball program is making it to mid-August and are focused and ready for the challenge. I am blessed with great Grand Junction, Colorado, and the JUCO World Series. “Playing games against players, great coaches and a great support system.” teams that prepare you for high level competition can be the difference when you are placed in pressure situations in post-season play,” added Koehler. “Having played some of the best colleges in the country last season prepared us to stay the course and remain calm, cool and collected in the regional tournament. I would rather lose big games in January and February and be accustomed to them in May and June when a berth in the JUCO World Series is on the line. Everyone wants to be 56-0 heading into the regional tournament. In reality, you just hope to be prepared.” As a team, the 2017 Gators have a mix of experience and newcomers. They once again have players from all over the country as well as the state of Texas. That recipe for success has proven to be beneficial in returning to Grand Junction many times under former recruiting coordinator Jimmy Durham, a trend that co- recruiting coordinators Koehler and Eric Weaver look to continue. “Recruiting is all about building relationships and contacts,” Weaver said. “Kory and I work very well together. We both evaluate players similarly and each of us have connections throughout the baseball world. Amateur baseball has taken on a life of its own with the advent of Perfect Game and similar recruiting services and showcase events. If you’re not out at those events throughout the summer and fall, you will be left behind. It’s the nature of the beast nowadays. We hit the trail hard and spend many hours away from home and our families to bring in the right student-athletes who will be great ball players, students and community representatives for our program and San Jacinto College.” Names to look out for this spring are Perfect Game All-Americans Herbert Iser, Ryan Johnson and Wyatt Cross. All three players are big, physical left- handed hitters who can change a game with the swing of the bat. All three are sanjacsports.com 2 Player Bios 2 3 Wyatt Tristan CROSS Metten C/1B | 6-3 | 200 | Soph. INF | 6-1 | 185 | Soph. Broomfiled, CO Lewisville, TX "Wyatt Cross transferred to San Jac from the University of North Carolina.