Sports
Ohio Baseball Signs Four Recruits To 2015 Class
By: Austin Carpenter
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The Ohio baseball team announced Wednesday that head coach Rob Smith has added four new recruits for his 2015 campaign. The new Bobcats, Tony Giannini, Logan Jacik, Mason McWilliams and Ty Suntken, have all signed national letters of intent to play for Smith and company in the spring of 2015.
Giannini was ranked as the No. 26 prospect in the state of Indiana by Prep Baseball Report and was selected to the Hamilton County Sports Daily All-Honor Team. The 5-foot-11 infielder was also named to Perfect Game's Under 17 WWBA All-Tournament Team.
The Carmel High School (Carmel, Ind.) senior received All-County Team honors while batting .333, with 25 RBIs, four home runs and eight doubles. Giannini led Carmel to an 18-11 record his junior season.
In the press release, Smith said that Giannini is a versatile player that “is solid behind the plate, but athletic enough to play both third and first base.”
Jacik is a two-sport varsity athlete and a four-year varsity letter winner in baseball at Millard West High School (Omaha, Neb.). The two-time varsity captain threw a no-hitter during his 2012 season.
According to Smith, the right-handed pitcher “is a very projectable arm that has a very good upside. He has shown mid-80s velocity but has a very good feel for the ball as he can throw three pitches for strikes.”
Jacik will be that young arm on the bump that Smith and his staff can rely on to throw strikes and get outs.
As a 3-year varsity letter winner in baseball at Seneca East High School (Bellevue, Ohio), McWilliams was named First-Team All-League and All-District in 2013, as well as being a Second-Team All-State Pitcher in 2013. The southpaw set the record for most strikeouts in a season in 2013 with 110.
McWilliams led his high school to three Sectional championships, two Districts championships, and a Regional Runner-Up finish in 2012. With all the success on the bump in high school, Smith will look for him to be that dominant and deceiving arm as a Bobcat.
After his sophomore campaign at Wauseon High School (Wauseon, Ohio), Suntken was named to the Second-Team All-Ohio squad. The shortstop was also named First-Team All-Ohio his junior year while setting a school record for hits in a season in 2012 with 39. He was named NWOAL player of the year both seasons as well.
Smith loved the versatility and competitive nature Suntken will bring to the program, saying that he can provide both pitching and hitting.
The Bobcats begin their season on Feb. 13, 2014 in Cullowhee, N.C., as they take on Western Carolina.