ESU baseball team signs 14 new players
Friday, July 3, 2009
Hours after Emporia State lost the National Championship game, Bob Fornelli rested in his hotel bed. When Fornelli was asked whether he would take some time to rest when the team got back to Emporia, he made it clear there would be no time to do so.
Fornelli said he needed to hit the road and make sure that he signed a recruiting class that could help him get back to the World Series.
On Thursday, Fornelli showed that he wasn’t kidding. The Hornets announced the signing of 14 players, filling several holes and adding depth to a roster that was already pretty complete.
“I think we had a good recruiting class and every kid has a purpose and a role,” Fornelli said. “In our program, everybody comes in and battles for a job every year and that’s what these guys will be able to do.”
The Hornets’ biggest needs were in the outfield and at catcher, and not surprisingly, those positions highlight the class.
In the outfield, Fornelli signed two Division I transfers along with one junior college outfielder.
Tyler Knight, who will be a senior, is a transfer from Sam Houston State and will likely start in right field for the 2010 Hornets. Knight nearly signed with ESU last season after finishing up at Neosho County Community College, but he ended up at Sam Houston State and helped the Bearkats make the NCAA tournament.
Knight hit in the middle of Sam Houston State’s lineup and hit .346 with seven home runs and 55 RBIs.
Tyler Herrig, a transfer from Florida Atlantic, is the leading candidate to replace Conner Crumbliss in center field. Herrig hit .118 in 22 games for the Owls last year. Before spending one season at FAU, Herrig was an All-Jayhawk League performer at Allen County Community College.
“Tyler Knight will definitely be a guy that will come in and hit in the middle of our order,” Fornelli said. “He’s a young man that we think can come in and be an immediate impact guy for us. Tyler Herrig is that guy too, even though he didn’t get an opportunity to play a lot at Florida Atlantic, he’s got a chance to come in here and make a big impact for us as well.”
The Hornets other big need entering the offseason was at catcher. The likely replacement for Mike Sharp will be David Allbritton, a 6-foot-6 power-hitting catcher from Barton County Community College. Allbritton hit .401 with eight home runs, 47 RBIs and 50 runs scored and was an All-Jayhawk League selection.
Fornelli also signed Matthew Dahms to compete for the job. Dahms hit .289 with three home runs and 30 RBIs for Coffeyville Community College last season.
“One of them has to win the job,” Fornelli said. “Allbright has all the numbers and has an opportunity to be a great player here, and Dahms should come in and battle him as well.”
Fornelli also signed five pitchers to help compensate for the loss of starting pitchers Tyler Applehans and Ryan Anthony and closer Diego Soto.
Drew Smith will be a prime candidate to replace Soto as closer. Smith had 12 saves, 47 strikeouts and a 2.76 ERA as closer for Barton County Community College. He also received offers from Nebraska and UT-San Antonio.
Jake Hosey, a right-handed pitcher from Allen County Community College, will fill one of the weekend starter slots left by Applehans and Anthony. Hosey went 11-1 with a 3.13 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 78 innings pitched in 2009.
“With the guys we have competing back — (Ben) Graham and (Colby) Killian and those guys — and the guys we signed, we could have a chance to have one of the better pitching staffs in our conference for sure and one of the better pitching staffs we’ve had here,” Fornelli said.
In the infield, the Hornets return every starter from the postseason run. They lose only Anthony Dreiling at second base, who moved to designated hitter during the postseason. Jacob White took his place and was one of the stars for the Hornets in the postseason.
White will have competition at second base with the signing of J.D. Herman. Herman played shortstop for Butler Community College and was an All-Jayhawk League selection. He hit .326 with eight home runs, 48 RBIs and 16 doubles last year and would provide more power than White, who is known more for his speed and fielding prowess.
If there’s a signing that indicates the rich only get richer, it would be Zack Carlson, who is transferring from New Mexico University where he redshirted last season. Carlson is a candidate to DH and should provide depth at the corner infield spots. He was an All-State selection at Topeka Seaman High School and is no stranger to ESU. His brother Nick Carlson played for the Hornets and his uncle, Mike Carlson, is in the ESU Hall of Honor.
The Hornets also had six players redshirt last season. The most likely of the six to contribute in 2010 would be Parker Amos, an outfielder who transferred from Arkansas Little-Rock. Amos should compete with Jeremy Francis for the starting spot in left field.
Fornelli left open the possibility that he could sign a few more players in the coming weeks. The team lost 13 players to graduation.
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