TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler baseball has announced the addition of six new recruits in the class of 2023 to mark their second consecutive ranked class.
The 2023 signings are currently ranked by Perfect Game Baseball as one of the top classes in all of Division II and that follows up the 4
th best junior college classes in all of Division II last season as ranked by the Juco Baseball Blog.
"We are extremely excited to welcome these six guys and their families of the 2023 class to the Patriot Baseball family," head coach
Brent Porche said. "Every year since beginning the transition to NCAA Division II, we've been able to sign some extremely quality players of out high school and this class is no exception."
The Patriots are coming off of a year in which they played to a 31-22 record and earned qualification into their first ever Lone Star Conference Tournament in their first year of eligibility. That lead to a first round matchup with Texas A&M-Kingsville where the Patriots took down the Javelinas in a three game series to earn a spot in the second weekend of the tournament, where the Patriots would end up with a fourth place finish.
"We want to complete for the Lone Star Conference Championship year in and year out and we believe this group of guys gets us closer to doing that," Porche said.
This year's 2023 class features six recruits, and Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator
Taylor White provided quotes on each player and their abilities.
Josh Pelfrey - 6' 190 – RHP - Kingwood HS
Travel Team - Houston Kyle Chapman
Kingwood, TX
"Josh had an extremely impressive summer and shined every time out. He has run his fastball up into the low 90's and has a wipeout slider to go with it. He is a workhorse on the mound and an ultra competitor."
Ethan Stone - 6'1" 190Lbs – RHP - Whitehouse HS
Travel Team - Marucci Elite East Texas
Whitehouse, TX
"Ethan has already put together an impressive high school career earning all-state honors during his sophomore season. Ethan commands a three pitch mix at an extremely high level with a fastball consistently in the upper 80's."
Will Johnson - 6'5" 200Lbs LHP - Frisco Reedy HS
Travel Team - United Baseball Club
Frisco, TX
"Will is a physical left-handed pitcher that has already logged a ton of innings over his high school career. Will has run his fastball into the upper 80's with a slider from a ¾ arm slot."
Drew Schmidt - 6'1" 185Lbs INF - Lewisville HS
Travel Team - Texas Cannons
Flower Mound, TX
"Drew is an extremely talented infielder that absolutely loves to play the game of baseball. He had a very impressive summer defending at a very high level and consistently hitting against some of the top pitchers in the state."
Connor Clark - 5'10 160 INF - Sherman HS
Travel Team - North Texas Longhorns
Sherman, TX
"Connor is one we have been watching for several years and has continued to impress us. He is a very athletic infielder that has game changing speed and pop in the bat. He is super competitive and plays the game extremely hard."
Luke Benoit - 6'0" 190Lbs - C- Sulphur HS
Travel Team - Team Louisiana
Sulphur, LA
"Luke had a really good summer behind the plate. He is a physical catcher that controls the game extremely well with a high baseball IQ. He has very good receiving skills with a very strong arm with a projectable bat."
"We will lose a senior behind the plate as well as several senior infielders and Coach White has done a tremendous job of addressing those needs in this class as well as adding some always needed depth to the pitching staff," head coach
Brent Porche said. "Most importantly we love the way all of these guys compete and play the game, and love their families and the type of young men they are. They are perfect fits for what we are building. Congratulations to each of them in achieving their dream of playing college baseball. All the credit goes to Coach White and his tireless efforts in recruiting. We look forward to helping them continue to develop as leaders and baseball players, and reach the next goals and dreams they have in front of them."
