11-19-15
DAHLONEGA | University of North Georgia head baseball coach Tom Cantrell announced his 2016 signing class on Thursday.
The seven incoming freshmen have all signed letters of intent to join the Nighthawks next fall since the early signing period opened on Nov. 11.
“We have addressed our immediate needs with this fall signing class from top to bottom,” Cantrell stated. “Five of the seven players have attended our UNG Baseball Prospect Camps at some point during their high school career. Our coaching staff found a very talented group of players, but at UNG, we also look for extraordinary social and academic skills, which I feel these seven young men have.”
JAKE HOWARD
Infield R/R LaGrange, Ga. LaGrange High School Coach David Smart
Summer: Nelson Baseball School Coach Brian Nelson
Howard Accolades
– LHS batting average last year – .403
– 2015 Team MVP
– 2015 First team All-Region
– Named to 2015 17u WWBA All-Tournament Team
Howard Off the Field Notables
– Son of Kevin and Lisa Howard
“Jake is multitalented on the field,” Cantrell said. “Shortstop, second base, third base and catcher are all places he can play defensively. He is the son of a coach and plays the game with great passion. Jake is a real field general and understands how to play team oriented baseball. Great players and students with tremendous work ethic is what we look for while recruiting players at UNG, and we have found that with Jake. We are excited he chose to be a Nighthawk!”
PEYTON KNIGHT
Pitcher R/R Glennville, Ga. Tattnall County High School Coach Donny Sikes
Summer: Vidalia Baseball Academy Coach Mike Robins
Knight Accolades
– Named 2015 First Team All-Region
– Career ERA – 2.03
– In 2015, Knight threw 82.2 innings with 83 strikeouts and a 1.90 ERA
– Hit .314 batting average in 2015 and led TCHS in homeruns
Knight Off the Field Notables
– Son of Alan and Kim Knight
“Peyton is another south Georgia pitcher that we got to see in our prospect camp,” Cantrell said. “He possesses a mid to upper 80s fastball that he backs up with a wipeout slider. He is a great young man that profiles as a player that will represent what a UNG baseball player is all about. Tremendous people that take a professional approach to everything they do in life. Socially, academically and baseball are all areas he represents himself with great amounts of professionalism.”
BILL LEROY
Catcher R/R Dublin, Ga. West Laurens High School Coach Brian Brown
Summer: Bullpen Baseball Coach Brian Mallette
LeRoy Accolades
– Named 2015 MVP at West Laurens after hitting .347 at the plate
– Named Second Team All-Region in 2015 and First Team All-Region in 2014
LeRoy Off the Field Notables
– Recipient of the Raider Award, which is given to an athlete who displays character and desire to succeed on and off the field.
“We have heard a lot about Bill over the last couple of years, and finally we were able to see him play at our November Prospect Camp,” Cantrell said. Brian Brown and Jody Pollock have done a great job with this young man on the field at West Laurens. Also, Brian Mallette of Bullpen Baseball has really played a part in Bill’s development as well. We had a great catcher a few years ago from West Laurens High in Eason Spivey, who was drafted out of UNG by the Anaheim Angels. We hope Bill can follow in those footsteps as well. He can catch, throw and block right now at a collegiate level, but the tool that stands out the most is his leadership behind the plate. He’s going to be a good one!”
KYLE LUIGS
Pitcher R/R Richmond Hill, Ga. Richmond Hill High School Coach Stacy Bennett
Summer: Chain National Coach Andy Burress
Luigs Accolades
- Named to 2015 All-Region first team
- 44 innings pitched in 2015 season with 38 strikeouts, 16 walks and a 2.70 ERA
- Named to 2015 Perfect Game All-Tournament team
Luigs Off the Field Notables
- Son of Chuck and Vickie Luigs
“We dipped into south Georgia again to get a tremendous young right handed pitcher,” Cantrell said. “Kyle showed us over the last year how far he has come. His high school program has really gotten better over that last several years with Stacy Bennett at the helm. We know he has learned to compete at a high level with Stacy’s leadership and also help from Andy Burris and Chain Baseball. Kyle is going to be a big part of our pitching staff for many years to come. We can’t wait for him to get on campus at UNG.”
WILLIAM MAPES
Shortstop R/R Suwanee, Ga. Mount Pisgah Christian School Coach John O’Connor
Summer: Team DeMarini Coach Todd Greene
Mapes Accolades
– Hit .301 batting average in 2015 with 13 RBIs, 19 runs scored and seven stolen bases
– Posted a .939 fielding percentage in 2015
– Named Second Team All-Region in 2015
– Awarded Defensive Player of the Year at Mount Pisgah
Mapes Off the Field Notables
– Son of Todd and Kathryn Mapes
“William has been committed to UNG for a couple years,” Cantrell said. “When you watch him play the infield, it’s not hard to see his advanced level of skill with the glove. We started recruiting him early on with the help of Todd Greene from Team Demarini, and knew his bat would start to catch up with his infield skills. Needless to say, it has! We refer William as a baseball junkie. He eats, sleeps and drinks baseball 24/7. He will be a great addition to our clubhouse.”
PARKER MORRISON
Pitcher R/R Forsyth, Ga. Forsyth Central High School Coach Kevin McCollum
Summer: Barrett Baseball Coaches Michael Barrett and Dave Gerstner
Morrison Accolades
– In 2015, Morrison threw 59 innings with 73 strikeouts and a 1.07 ERA
– Named to First Team All-Forsyth County
– 2015 Perfect Game Honorable Mention
“Parker knows what it takes to be a UNG Baseball player,” Cantrell said. “His brother, Kevin, is a former player at UNG. He has a tremendous fastball that ranges into the 90s and one of the best sliders our staff saw all summer. One baseball intangible we saw was his ability to compete on the mound. He really hates to get beat. It’s going to be interesting to see how he will be used with our pitching staff. We think he could potentially close games in short relief, start, or be a setup guy. We are looking forward to his arrival next fall.”
ANDRES PEREZ
Catcher/First Base R/R Duluth, Ga. Pinecrest Academy Coach Ryan Weingart
Summer: Team DeMarini Coach Todd Greene
Perez Accolades
– Named 2014 and 2015 GHSA All-Region
– Named to 2015 18u and 16u Perfect Game WWBA National Championship All-Tournament Teams
– Hit .357 batting average in Summer 2015
Perez Off the Field Notables
– Son of Eddie and Marisol Perez
“Andres comes from great baseball bloodlines,” Cantrell said. “His father, Eddie, was a tremendous catcher in the big leagues for many years, currently serves as bullpen coach for the Atlanta Braves. Andres is a physical specimen that has really developed his body over the last year. We think he has another eight to 10 years left to physically develop his body, which will continue to show more and more on the field. I would feel comfortable with him behind the plate right now in a Peach Belt game, strictly on his catch and throw skills alone. Andres represents everything we want from our guys on and off the field perfectly.”
