Feb. 3, 2014
WKU Baseball fans will see 15 new faces on the Hilltoppers' roster this season, an incoming class that features 11 freshmen and five JUCO transfers that join the 19 returning players from a 2013 team that won 28 games.
Head coach Matt Myers and his coaching staff wasted no time in presenting opportunities to newcomers in 2013, starting 10 of the 14 first-year players a combined 178 times. Myers plans to throw his newcomers back into the fire this season as well and is optimistic about what they will produce.
"Our class this year is as good offensively as we have ever brought in.," said Myers. "The difficult thing for me will be getting everyone at bats. We've got depth we haven't had since probably 2008-09. This class has a chance to make a strong impact on the mound and at the plate."
The five new Hilltoppers from the JUCO ranks are Brandon Allen, Ryan Church, Philip Diedrick, Ty Downing and Cody Wofford. Wofford and Church are expected to have immediate impact in the WKU infield, Diedrick provides a big bat, Downing brings stability behind the plate and Allen will compete for a spot in WKU's starting rotation.
Myers and his staff are also excited about the potential contribution from their 11 freshmen after strong fall practices on the mound, in the field and at the plate. Freshmen Clint Hardy (INF/OF) and Harrison Scanlon (OF) both came up with clutch RBI hits in the Fall World Series while rookie right-handed pitcher Sam Higgs tossed a six-inning, three-hit shutout in Game 1 of the series.
Below is a more in depth look at each of the newcomers
Brandon Allen - Jr. - RHP - 6'3 - 190 - Louisville, Ky. (Wabash Valley CC)
Wabash Valley CC: Allen was a workhorse for the Warriors in 2013, tossing 60.2 innings in 12 appearances, 10 of which were starts...He won six games as a sophomore, striking out 44 batters compared to 16 walks while sporting an ERA of 3.41...Allen was flawless as a freshman, going 8-0 with a 2.64 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 78.1 innings.
Braxton Brinkley - Fr. - INF - 5'10 - 170 - Hendersonville, Tenn. (Pope John Paul HS)
Pope John Paul High School: Brinkley was a four-year starter at shortstop for Pope John Paul II, leading his conference in batting average (.471) and doubles...He also sported the best fielding percentage on his team on his way to All-State and All-County honors in 2013...Brinkley was also a standout on the football field, earning four letters on the gridiron.
Ryan Church - Jr. - INF - 6'2 - 215 - Santaluces, Fla. (Palm Beach State College)
Palm Beach State: Church was a force to be reckoned with as Palm Beach State's first baseman for two seasons, belting out a combined 96 RBI and 15 home runs during his campaigns. As a freshman, he was .326 at the plate with 11 home runs and 56 RBI. During Church's sophomore season, he hit .315 with 40 RBI and four home runs in leading the Panthers to an appearance in the NJCAA Division I Championship Game.
Santaluces High School: Church was an All-Conference selection as a junior and senior at Santaluces High School...He hit .420 with one home run as a junior and .390 with a pair of homers as a senior.
Cody Coll - Fr. - RHP - 6'2 - 200 - Naperville, Ill. (Neuqua Valley HS)
Neuqua Valley High School: Coll was named a Preseason Under Armour All-American entering his senior season in 2013, aiding Neuqua Valley High School to back-to-back 30 win seasons during his junior and senior campaigns...Coll was 7-4 as a starting pitcher in 2013, leading the Wildcats to the Class 4A State Semifinals with a 30-10 record.
Philip Diedrick - Jr. - OF - 6'1 - 210 - Ajax, Ontario (Connors State CC)
Connors State College: Diedrick was a powerful outfielder for the Cowboys, blasting six home runs and seven doubles while knocking in 27 RBI as a sophomore...He rapped out 44 hits, scored 29 runs and posted a slugging percentage of .448 in 2013 as he was named to the All-Region team.
Pickering High School: Diedrick was a four-sport athlete at Pickering High School in Ajax, Ontario, earning four letters in baseball, two letters in basketball, two more in volleyball and one as a track and field athlete... On the diamond, Diedrick was named All-State and All-Conference as a senior.
Ty Downing - Jr. - C - 6'1 - 195 - Bowling Green, Ky. (Greenwood HS/Indiana/Gulf Coast State)
Gulf Coast State: Downing was an All-Panhandle Conference catcher during his sophomore season at Gulf Coast State after hitting .286 with 29 RBI...He pounded out 42 hits, including 11 doubles and four home runs with a slugging percentage of .442.
Indiana: Started 15 games behind the dish and appeared in 19 total games for the Hoosiers...He posted a flawless 1.000 fielding percentage in 125 defensive chances, gunning down five attempted stolen base runners...He went 3-for-4 with a homerun, two RBI, two runs scored and a walk in a Hoosier win at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and cranked another longball against Louisville.
Clint Hardy - Fr. - INF/OF - 6'2 - 190 - Evans, Ga. (Greenbriar HS)
Greenbriar High School: Hardy was named a 2012 Underclassman Honorable Mention All-American by Perfect GameUSA and finished his senior season with a .489 clip at the plate...He played summer baseball for Team Georgia Baseball coached by Chris McRaney. Hardy was also a standout wide receiver at Greenbriar High School.
Sam Higgs - Fr. - RHP - 6'0 - 180 - Henderson, Ky. (Henderson County HS)
Henderson County High School: Higgs comes to the Hill after an illustrious prep career in which he was named a First-Team All-State selection in 2013, a Second-Team All-State selection in 2012, and the 2nd Region Player of the Year in 2013...He was an All-Region and All-District selection from 2009-13 and was also named Henderson County's Pitcher of the Year during all four of his prep seasons...Higgs boasted a 9-5 record with a 1.98 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 77.2 innings as a junior...As a senior, he set a single-season Henderson County record with 11 wins, striking out 76 batters compared to six walks in 72 innings of work...He was 3-0 in Region Championship games, leading the Colonels to the KHSAA State Championships as a sophomore, junior and senior... Higgs finished his prep career as Henderson's all-time strikeouts leader and wins leader (41-12). His 41 wins rank fourth all-time in the KHSAA.
Sam Melchior - Fr. - RHP - 6'0 - 170 - Louisville, Ky. (St. Xavier HS)
Saint Xavier High School: Melchior was named Second-Team All-State, All-Region and All-District during his senior season at St. Xavier High School after leading the Tigers' pitching staff with a 7-1 record...He gave up just 12 earned runs in 52 innings of work in posting a 1.58 ERA, striking out 37 batters compared to 10 walks.
Ben Morrison - Fr. - OF - 5'10 - 180 - Bowling Green, Ky. (Bowling Green HS)
Bowling Green High School: Morrison was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter in the Bowling Green Purples' outfield, earning All-District honors in both his junior and senior seasons...He was named All-State in 2013 after batting .401 with two home runs...Morrison was also earned four soccer letters at Bowling Green High School.
Paul Murray - Fr. - OF - 5'11 - 180 - San Bruno, Calif. (Junipero Serra HS)
Junipero Serra High School: Murray comes to the Hill rated as a top 1000 player according to Perfect Game USA...He was coached by Craig Gianinno at Serra High School and played summer ball with California Club Baseball, where he was named WCAL First Team All-League... Murray hit .423 in league play and .381 overall in his 2012 season.
Harrison Scanlon - Fr. - OF - 6'2 - 215 - Louisville, Ky. (DuPont Manual HS)
DuPont Manual High School: Scanlon was an All-State selection as a senior at DuPont Manual after hitting .410 with 30 RBI in 2013...He also pounded out 28 doubles and six triples on his way to All-Region and All-District honors.
Ryan Thurston - Fr. - LHP - 6'2 - 165 - Madison, Ind. (Madison HS)
Madison High School: A two-sport athlete at Madison High School, Thurston picked up four letters in baseball and three letters in basketball...The left-hander was a three-time All-Conference selection and was an honorable mention All-State selection following his senior year...Thurston was also named Madison's team MVP during his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.
Cody Wofford - Jr. - INF - 6'2 - 185 - McDonough, Ga. (Darton State College)
Darton College: Wofford helped the Cavs to 85 wins during his two seasons at Darton State, leading the team to its first top-ten national ranking and earning All-American status during his 2013 campaign...He was a two-time First-Team All-Region selection and a GCAA Gold Glove winner in 2013 after leading the Cavs in hits (77), doubles (15), triples (6) and runs (50)...He also tallied 23 stolen bases, knocked in 36 RBI and boasted a .376 clip at the plate.
Hunter Wood - Fr. - C - 6'1 - 205 - Mt. Washington, Ky. (Bullitt East HS)
Bullitt East High School: Wood was a First-Team All-State selection at catcher for Bullitt East High School, tallying 46 hits with a batting average of .446 in 2013...He also drove in 38 RBI, rapped out 17 doubles, three triples and a pair of home runs during his senior season. Wood blasted six home runs as a junior and finished his four-year prep career with 13 triples.
