Troy Baseball Adds Eight During Early Signing Period

The Troy University baseball program added eight new members to the family during the fall early signing period. The group of players, who will join the program in the fall of 2011 and be eligible to play in the spring of 2012, includes three high school standouts and five players from the junior college ranks.

The group spans the position spectrum, with two pure outfielders, a third baseman and a catcher to go with three right-handed pitchers and one dual player, who will play in the outfield and work on the mound as a left-handed hurler.

“I am excited about this recruiting class as a whole,” Trojans head coach Bobby Pierce said. “Not only do they have outstanding ability on the field, each of them has done very well in the classroom and in their communities. I expect them to be great representatives of our program.”

The trio of high school signees all hail from the Wiregrass area of the state, including a pair of teammates from Rehobeth High School.

Outfielder Jo-El Bennett of Houston Academy is the most highly regarded member of the fall signing class. Bennett is ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the state of Alabama and as one of the top 175 prospects in the nation. During his junior season at HA Bennett hit .421 with seven homers, eight doubles and two triples in just 25 games.

Bennett told The Dothan Eagle that proximity to family was a key factor in his decision.

“It was kind of a family decision,” said Bennett, expressing a desire to stay close to family. “I thought about it a long time and I took a lot of consideration that my family was back in town. That helped out a lot. I had many other choices, but the biggest thing was that it was closest to my family.”

Bennett has been named to the Wiregrass Athletic Conference All-Conference team four times in both baseball and basketball. He has also been named to several All-America teams and has been selected to take part in several national Showcase events.

“Jo-El is one of the highest rated high school seniors we have signed here at Troy,” Pierce said. “He has proven himself against quality competition around the country in several high profile baseball events. His success, overall ability and character allow me to believe he is capable of playing a significant role in our program.”

Jake Harrell and Hunter Skipper have been teammates since childhood and both had the desire to continue playing together when they decided to sign with the Trojans. Harrell is a power-hitting catcher while Skipper is a dual threat player who plays in the outfield when he is not on the mound.

Harrell told The Eagle in October that he knew early on that Troy was where he wanted to play.

“Troy's where I've wanted to go since I was a little kid,” Harrell said. “I met Coach Pierce when I was little at a Naturals banquet. I knew when I met him that Troy was where I wanted to go. That was my No. 1 choice.”

Harrell batted a robust .531 last year for Rehobeth HS with 10 homers and 38 RBI. He is a two-time All-Conference selection and was a 2010 All-State pick. He was named to the Dothan Eagle Super 12 team last year and was the Conference Big School Player of the Year.

“Jake Harrell has all the qualities and attributes baseball coaches look for in a catcher,” Pierce said. “As an added bonus to his defensive skills, he has developed into one of the best hitters in the state. We look forward to adding a player of his character and make-up to our program and believe he will impact our program early in his career.”

Skipper also excels at the plate, having hit .451 last spring with five homers and 41 RBI, but it is on the mound where he is especially strong. The left-hander posted an 8-2 record last spring with a 2.14 ERA. He recorded 82 strikeouts in just 59 innings of work.

“Hunter offers a unique blend of athleticism and size that will provide him a great opportunity at the Division I level,” Pierce said. “He projects well as a left-handed pitching prospect while also being athletic enough to play any of the three outfield positions. His ceiling is unlimited and his future is extremely bright.”

The fact that all three of the prep signees are from the local area is something that has Coach Pierce excited.

“I am excited that Jo-El, Jake and Hunter, three of the best high school seniors in south Alabama, chose to play for the Trojans,” Pierce said. “Each of them has performed exceptionally well for their high school and summer teams. The high level of competition they have all faced will prepare them for their Division I opportunity. Trojan fans all around the Wiregrass will enjoy watching these three players for years to come.”

Of the five junior college players the Trojans inked during the early signing period, three are pitchers. Two of the players originally signed with SEC programs out of high school before reversing course after redshirt seasons.

“Signing junior college players has played a major role in the success we have achieved in my eight years at Troy,” Pierce said. “This year should be no exception as we have secured five quality players that fit immediate needs both on the mound and in the field.”

The three hurlers are all right-handed and all are expected to be front-line hurlers for their teams this spring.

Ryan Brady posted a 4-1 record with a 6.45 ERA in 15 appearances at Northwest Shoals CC in 2010. He worked 46 innings on the mound last spring, posting 37 strikeouts. He is a native of Trussville and product of Hewitt-Trussville High School.

“Ryan had success in his freshman season and is scheduled to open the 2011 season at the top of the Northwest Shoals rotation,” Pierce said. “Those experiences, coupled with his overall pitching ability suggest he will compete for a significant role on our staff next year.”

Adam Purdy sat out as a redshirt at Auburn during the 2009 season before pitching at Gulf Coast Community College last spring. He worked in 12 games as a freshman, posting a 3-2 record with one save in 29 innings of work. He was used primarily in a relief role, but earned two of his wins as a starter.

Purdy is a native of Pell City and was a 34th-round pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2008 MLB Draft. He was a two-time Preseason Under Armour All-American and he led Pell City in ERA in both his sophomore (2.27) and junior (2.25) seasons while piling up more than 180 strikeouts over those seasons.

“Adam was highly recruited out of high school three years ago and chose to leave an SEC school to attend Gulf Coast CC,” Pierce said. “We are excited he chose to reestablish himself at the Division I level here in Troy. His future is bright as he brings great athleticism and above average stuff to the table on the mound.”

Mobile native Joseph Hernandez had a break-out performance for Faulkner State CC as a freshman, posting a 7-1 record with 12 saves and a 3.75 era in a team-high 27 appearances in helping the squad to a trip to the Junior College World Series.

“We have been fortunate to have great closers in our program dating back to Nate Moore in 2004 and every year since then,” Pierce said. “Joseph will continue that success as he brings experience to our bullpen while closing games at Faulkner. His work last year helped propel his team to the World Series and we anticipate him closing games for the Trojans in 2012.”

In addition to the help on the mound, the Trojans signed outfielder Chase Mathis from Wallace State CC in Hanceville and third baseman Danny Collins from Northwest Florida State College.

Mathis, a product of Cullman High School, was slowed by knee injuries last spring that limited him to just 29 games. He his .222 in 54 at bats with 13 RBI. During his senior season at Cullman he batted .353 with 16 homers and 39 RBI.

“Chase is a quality left-hand hitter that attacks the ball and hits everything with authority,” Pierce said. “He brings with him a winning background from Wallace State and Cullman, both outstanding baseball programs. He plays with intense passion and competitiveness and those two characteristics always fit in our program.”

Danny Collins is a third baseman from Niceville, Fla., who originally signed with Alabama out of high school, but redshirted last year before transferring to Northwest Florida State College where he will be a redshirt freshman this spring.

Collins was three-year starter at Niceville High School where he played current Troy pitching coach Brad Phillips. He was a three-time all-area selection and helped lead his team to two district championships. As a junior he hit .420 with five home runs and 27 RBI while scoring 40 runs with a .504 on-base percentage and .630 slugging mark. He participated in numerous high school showcases, including 2006 and 2007 National Underclassman Showcase, the 2007 Southeast Underclass Showcase, the 2008 17-and-under Crosschecker National Championships and the 2008 BCS Finals.

“Danny will bring a physical presence to our team as a third baseman and middle of the order hitter,” Pierce said. “He had a terrific high school career at Niceville, chose to leave an SEC school to attend Northwest Florida State this year, which gave us our opportunity to recruit him. We expect him to make a difference immediately at Troy.”

Pierce said he was pleased with the overall mix of talent in the signing class from the junior college level.

“The three pitchers offer unique skills that will enhance both our starting rotation and bullpen,” Pierce said. “Each of them has different styles and brings qualities to the table that will be attractive to our program. The two hitters in this class both present outstanding hitting backgrounds and our expectations for them are high.”

The 2011 Trojans will open their season on February 18 with a four-game series against High Point College. Troy will play 21 of its first 23 games at Riddle-Pace Field and will play a schedule that includes a school-record 35 home games.

Name	Pos	Ht.	Wt.	B/T	Hometown	High School/Junior College
Jo-El Bennett	OF	6-2	185	R/R	Midland City, Ala.	Houston Academy
Ryan Brady	RHP	6-0	190	R/R	Trussville, Ala.	Hewitt-Trussville HS/NW Shoals CC
Danny Collins	3B	6-2	200	R/R	Niceville, Fla.	Niceville HS/Alabama/NW Florida State
Jake Harrell	C	5-11	190	R/R	Ashford, Ala.	Rehobeth HS
Joseph Hernandez	RHP	5-11	180	R/R	Mobile, Ala.	Baker HS/Faulkner State CC
Chase Mathis	OF	5-11	185	L/R	Cullman, Ala.	Cullman HS/Wallace State CC
Adam Purdy	RHP	6-4	220	R/R	Pell City, Ala.	Pell City HS/Auburn/Gulf Coast CC
Hunter Skipper	LHP/OF	6-4	195	L/L	Rehobeth, Ala.	Rehobeth HS

Troy University Athletics

Troy Baseball Adds Eight During Early Signing Period

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