Troy Baseball Welcomes 14 Players to Signing Class

TROY, Ala. – Troy University head baseball coach Skylar Meade announced 14 players who signed with the Trojans during the signing period. They will enroll in August 2022 and begin their playing careers in the 2023 baseball season.

The signing class includes seven high school seniors and seven junior college transfers from Alabama, Canada, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Mississippi, and Wisconsin- Ayden Amis, Brooks Bryan, Dakota Copeland, Grady Gorgen, Shane Lewis, Noah Manning, Matt Mercer, Brannon Mondragon, Kyle Morrison, Jake Smith, Zak Szabo, Jeff Wilson, Witt Wetherington, and Slade Wood.

"First off, I want to thank my entire staff for putting this class together that we signed during our first signing period," head coach Skylar Meade said. "I could not be more pleased with the group who has signed the dotted line. Coach Wolgamot and Godwin deserve a lot of credit for being on the road endless days over the last three and a half months. We didn't waste a day searching for the talent needed to bring high-end winning ballplayers to Troy, and it truly was a team effort."

The incoming class includes six pitchers and eight position players.

Ayden Amis
INF | 5'9
Andalusia, Ala. / Andalusia HS

"Ayden comes from a Troy family, with his dad Chase playing here in the early 2000s," Meade said. "We love Ayden's football background as a captain/QB of his high school football team at Andalusia. He has good defensive skills in the middle of the field, and if the bat continues to develop, we think he can be a heck of a ballplayer. Ayden is ranked as the 65^th best player in the state of Alabama. His makeup is a separator for him as he enters college, which has us very optimistic for his future as a Trojan."

Brooks Bryan
C | 6'0
Opelika, Ala. / Opelika HS

"Brooks fits the historic Troy mold of a player," Meade said. He is physical, left-handed, and will be able to play a multitude of positions. Brooks is rated as the 21^st player in the state of Alabama. When we saw him with the GA Jackets in the summer and fall, it was apparent he would be a high-level hitter and performer. His arm works well behind the dish, and once he enters a college weight room, we feel he will blossom into an outstanding player."

Dakota Copeland
RHP | 6'3
Jackson, Ga. / Wallace-Dothan Community College
"Dakota is a competitive RHP who comes to us from Wallace-Dothan CC, under long-time head coach Mackey Sasser," Meade said. "Dakota was the most relied-on arm in big games for Wallace as a freshman, and they expect the same things from him this spring. Last year, he was 7-1, with two complete games. In 50.2 innings pitched, he had 45 strikeouts to only 21 walks and a 3.02 ERA. We think that if Dakota can continue to get stronger and add to his 6'2/6'3 frame, he could be a pro arm in the future. He is 87-91 MPH now, but that could seriously uptick down the road."

Grady Gorgen
LHP | 6'3
Mineral Point, Wisc. / McHenry County College

"We were able to see Grady in the early fall and immediately fell in love with his breaking ball," Meade said. "His fastball has continued to uptick in the last year, and now that he is a pitcher, only we think his growth can be exponential. Grady struck out 27 hitters in 23 innings pitched. Left-handed pitching, especially a lefty with a good breaking ball, was a significant need for us, and we were confident that Grady brings that immediately to Troy."

Shane Lewis
OF | 6'1
Vicksburg, MS / Chipola College

"Shane is a transfer at Chipola under coach Jeff Johnson, who also spent the 21' season at Mississippi State," Meade said. "His ability to switch hit, show plus juice, and run a 6.6 60 is a toolset that is incredibly hard to find. Every time we watched him play, he did something to get us out of our seats. We expect him to be a fan favorite because of the flair and passion he brings to the table. The future is exceptionally bright for him when he gets to campus next season."

Noah Manning
RHP | 6'1
Minooka, Ill. / Iowa Western Community College

"Noah comes to us from one of the premier junior colleges in the country," Meade said. "He pitched well as a freshman, and his stuff has only blossomed this fall. He runs the fastball in the low 90'" s and has multiple high-level off-speed pitches that will allow him to miss bats we believe in the Sun Belt. He is an intelligent kid with lots of moxy on the bump. We can't wait for him to be on campus in the fall of 2022."

Matt Mercer
C | 6'3
Richton, MS / Pearl River Junior College

"Matt comes to us from a heck of a program in Pearl River run by Coach Avalon," Meade said. "He is a big, explosive athlete who can do many things on a baseball field. Matt has a great arm and moves well behind the dish, but he can also move to the outfield and glide around very easily. We think he can be a middle-of-the-order type player for the 2023 season. Matt is a great kid with a strong personality who will thrive in our culture here at Troy."

Brannon Mondragon
OF | 5'9
Stuart, Fla. / Palm Beach State College

"Brannon is a very tough kid; we were able to get out of the Florida junior college ranks," Meade said. "He was named the Player of the Year in the Southern Conference. He can step foot on campus here and immediately impact our team in many ways. Brannon is a grinder who knows how to get on base and consistently drives the ball out of the yard and makes game-changing plays in the outfield."

Kyle Morrison
INF | 6'0
Wetumpka, Ala. / Wetumpka HS

"Kyle is another signee who played with the SGB Sox," Meade said. "The first time we on the coaching staff laid eyes on him, we were stunned that he was still on the market. Kyle is ranked as the 17^th best player in the state of Alabama. He is a pure left-handed hitter who can hit the ball with pop to all gaps. In addition, his position versatility at third and second will allow him to get in the lineup quickly as a young player."

Jake Smith
INF | 5'10
Dothan, Ala. / Providence Christian HS

"Jake is a local signee hailing from the Dothan area," Meade said. "He is a very athletic kid who can play in the infield and is versatile enough to profile as a CF down the road. Jake is ranked as the 26^th best player in the state of Alabama. We like the improvements we saw from him early in the summer to late fall when he became a Trojan. The bat is flat in the zone, and he doesn't seem to have issues with the velocity at his young age. We look for him to keep making positive strides over the next couple of years and find his way into the lineup as a Trojan."

Zak Szabo
RHP | 6'3
Ontario, Can. / Sinclair HS

"Zak is a young arm that joined the Trojan family unofficially in early August," Meade said. "His summer coach Rich Leitch (Toronto Mets), was a massive help in the process, providing plenty of insight on Zak. He then exploded on the scene with a big velocity jump and eventually made the Canadian National Team. He is ranked as the seventh-best player in Canada, second-best RHP as well. Zak has an explosive fastball, hard slider, and competitive makeup to be a difference-maker in the Sun Belt."

Jeff Wilson
RHP | 6'3
Pensacola, Fla. / Pensacola State

"Jeff is a special kid who comes to us from Pensacola State, who won the conference last season," Meade said. "Jeff was the Fireman of the year in the Panhandle Conference (one of the best conferences in the country) and was also first-team all-conference. Jeff threw 22.1 innings with a 1.61 ERA, only 10 hits allowed, with 34 strikeouts. He also pitched in the draft league this past summer. He is a freak athlete, a fastball up to 95 mph, and a couple plus breaking balls. However, we believe that Jeff has only scratched the surface of his potential as a pitcher."

Witt Wetherington
C | 6'1
Boston, Ga. / Thomasville HS

"Witt is a strong hitter from Georgia," Meade said. "He can play multiple spots in the field, but his bat will be his calling card. The consistency he has shown over the last year in the box shows he can drive the ball to multiple areas of the field and will be able to slug it at a high percentage during his time at Troy."

Slade Wood
RHP | 6'3
Prattville, Ala. / Prattville HS

"Slade is an arm that we locked up once our coaching staff got in place late July," Meade said. "We saw him compete a couple of times, and we are convinced that his physicality, breaking ball, and increased velocity were enough to make a hard push to be a Trojan. Slade is ranked as the 43^rd best player in the state of Alabama. We are excited to see where his 6'3 frame can get to in our weight room starting next fall."

Troy University Athletics

Troy Baseball Welcomes 14 Players to Signing Class

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