Toppers Announce Eight Signees in 2018-19 Class

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Baseball head coach John Pawlowski has announced the addition of eight future Hilltoppers who will join the program for the 2018-19 season. The early signing class includes six pitchers, one catcher and an outfielder. The group is comprised of four junior college transfers and four high school signees:

Reese Brewer, RHP — Walters State Community College (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
Thomas Cessna, RHP — Lincoln Trail College (Sacramento, Ky.)
Hunter Evans, C — South Warren High School (Bowling Green, Ky.)
Jack Lambert, LHP — Parkland College (St. Charles, Ill.)
Evan Snyder, RHP — Parkland College (Ottawa, Ill.)
Cameron Stiglich, RHP — Sayre School (Lexington, Ky.)
Drew Strohm, LHP — Fort Zumwalt West High School (O'Fallon, Mo.)
Jackson Swiney, OF — Parkway West High School (Manchester, Mo.)

"We are extremely excited and proud for these eight student-athletes to be joining our program at WKU," said Pawlowski, who is in his third year on The Hill. "Each fills a specific need for the future of Hilltopper Baseball. Our coaching staff has done a tremendous job of cultivating relationships with these young men and their families and going through the recruiting process with them. We are building something special here and we look forward to each of these players having a great future at WKU."

Reese Brewer, RHP — Walters State Community College (Chattanooga, TN)
Coach Pawlowski on Brewer: "Reese is a 6-foot-7 right-handed pitcher who throws from a very unique arm slot. It is not every day you see a guy as tall as Reese be able to drop down and command the strike zone. Reese is ultra-competitive and we feel like he is a guy who can take the ball every day and get big outs for us. He is coming to us from a very successful program at Walters State with Coach Shelton and we look for him to bring that experience and winning attitude to The Hill."

Thomas Cessna, RHP — Lincoln Trail College (Sacramento, Ky.)
Coach Pawlowski on Cessna: "Thomas is an elite junior college arm who we feel can step in and contribute in a big way next season. Coach Bowers at Lincoln Trail has done a tremendous job helping him develop into one of the top players in our area. Thomas is a very good athlete who can throw the ball in the low-to-mid 90's with good off-speed stuff. We think he has a very bright future in a WKU uniform."

Hunter Evans, C — South Warren High School (Bowling Green, Ky.)
Coach Pawlowski on Evans: "Hunter is a local product who has been committed to us for a long time. He has become part of our family and we look forward to having him in our locker room next fall. On the field, Hunter has had the opportunity to play and compete with some of the best players in the country as his skill level has continued to improve. We look for Hunter to have a great senior year at South Warren for Coach Gage and to be a huge piece in the future of Hilltopper Baseball."

Jack Lambert, LHP — Parkland College (St. Charles, Ill.)
Coach Pawlowski on Lambert: "One of the biggest needs in this class was quality left-handed pitching; we feel like Jack is exactly that and more. He will come to WKU after two seasons playing for Coach Garcia at Parkland College. He has already been a part of a championship team and has pitched in the Junior College World Series as a freshman. Jack's experience and his competitiveness make him a valuable piece of this class and of our program in the future."

Evan Snyder, RHP — Parkland College (Ottawa, Ill.)
Coach Pawlowski on Snyder: "Evan is a guy who we targeted early in the recruiting process as a potential front-line addition to our pitching staff. We expect Evan to come in and fill a significant role on our staff next season. He has gained great experience pitching at Parkland College for Coach Garcia and will come to The Hill with a championship pedigree. We are very excited to add Evan to our club and look for him to do great things at WKU."

Cameron Stiglich, RHP — Sayre School (Lexington, Ky.)
Coach Pawlowski on Stiglich: "We are thrilled to add Cameron to our program for next season. He is one of the top pitchers in our state and comes from an outstanding high school program with Coach Clary at Sayre. Cameron will have an opportunity to come in and help our program immediately. He has a great upside and is a tremendous competitor on the mound. We are very excited to see Cameron grow and develop as a Hilltopper at WKU."

Drew Strohm, LHP — Fort Zumwalt West High School (O'Fallon, Mo.)
Coach Pawlowski on Strohm: "Drew is another key left-handed arm in this class. At 6-foot-5, Drew has an extremely high ceiling and we feel like he has a chance to develop into a front-line Conference USA pitcher. Drew helped Coach Eric Gough and Fort Zumwalt West to a State runner-up finish as a junior and we expect he will have another great season as a senior. We have high expectations for Drew and are excited for him to be a Hilltopper."

Jackson Swiney, OF — Parkway West High School (Manchester, Mo.)
Coach Pawlowski on Swiney: "Jackson stood out to us early in the recruiting process because of his left-handed bat. He also showed to be an exceptional athlete and a great student. Jackson has had a great career for Coach McNabb at Parkway West and has gotten significant experience during the travel season as well. We look for Jackson to have an opportunity to contribute immediately to our baseball program and to be a corner stone for years to come."

The Hilltoppers up the 2018 season on the road with a three-game series at Memphis (Feb. 16-18), then return to Bowling Green for the home opener against Belmont on Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. For complete information on @WKUBaseball, follow the program via social media on Twitter, Instagram & F acebook.

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