Mercer Baseball Announces 2014 Recruiting Class

MACON, Ga. (MERCER RELEASE) – The Mercer baseball program and head coach Craig Gibson announced their 10-member 2014 recruiting class on Tuesday afternoon.

Aided by assistant coaches Brent Shade and Ty Megahee, the 2014 recruiting class includes four pitchers and six position players who will enroll at Mercer in the fall of 2014.

“This 2014 class was all about balance and consistency for us,” Gibson said. “As a coaching staff we identified our needs and went out and found 10 guys that really fit the mold we were looking for. These signees will help us replace a loaded senior class that has been one of the best in Mercer history. With us moving into the Southern Conference next year, these 10 student-athletes will definitely aid in make a smooth transition and help us challenge for SoCon Championships right away.”

Below is a snapshot of each player in Mercer’s 2014 recruiting class.

2014 Mercer Baseball Recruiting Class

Chandler Newton
Position: Left-handed Pitcher
Hometown: Flowery Branch, Ga.
Previous School: Gainesville HS

Bio:
Three-year letterwinner at Statesboro High School under head coach Jim Simmons … Is a two-sport star as he also doubles as a four-time All-Region football player in the fall … Threw a no-hitter and was named an All-Area and All-Region selection following his junior season.

What they are saying about Newton:
“Chandler is a bulldog and brings a football mentality to the mound with him every times he pitches. Chandler is a very talented left-handed pitcher that has a competitive streak in him and throws strikes that are hard to find as a hitter.” – Craig Gibson, Head Baseball Coach Mercer University

Carter Varga
Position: Right-handed Pitcher
Hometown: Clermont, Fla.
Previous School: East Ridge HS

Bio:
Three-year letterwinner at East Ridge High School under head coach Adam Taylor … 2013 Perfect Game USA Preseason HS Underclassmen All American Honorable Mention … Was named the Most Improved Player on his high school squad as a sophomore and Varsity Team MVP as a junior.

What they are saying about Varga:
“Carter has a power arm and possesses the best curve ball I saw all summer on the scouting trail. He will make life tough for opposing hitters and will be a stopper for us at the end of games.” – Craig Gibson, Head Baseball Coach Mercer University

Collin Snider
Position: Outfielder
Hometown: Spring, Texas
Previous School: Klein Oak HS

Bio:
Three-year letterwinner at Klein Oak High School under head coach Ramon Hernandez … Was named a Houston 5A All-Star and voted onto the Texas Class 5A All-District first team as a junior.

What they are saying about Snider:
“Collin is one of those scrappy left-handed hitters that you hate to play against, but love to have on your team. He will bring a different skill set to the outfield and at the plate for us and is a great student in the classroom as well.” – Craig Gibson, Head Baseball Coach Mercer University

Connor Herd
Position: Left-handed Pitcher
Hometown: Chaska, Minn.
Previous School: Holy Family Catholic HS

Bio:
Three-year letterwinner at Holy Family Catholic High School under head coach Bryan DeLorenzo … 2013 Perfect Game USA Preseason HS Underclassmen All American Honorable Mention … Was named an All-Conference selection as a junior after posting a 5-1 record, a 0.95 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 37.0 innings pitched … Herd helped lead the Fire to a 2012 Minnesota Class AA State Championship by recording the final out in a state championship final.

What they are saying about Herd:
“Connor is a highly-touted left-handed pitcher and we are very excited he chose to continue his baseball career here at Mercer. He will be a guy we count on very early in his career to help us win ball games and is one of the best academic recruits we have signed here in recent memory.” – Craig Gibson, Head Baseball Coach Mercer University

Trevor Hendrix
Position: Left-handed Pitcher
Hometown: Nahunta, Ga.
Previous School: Brantley County HS

Bio:
Three-year letterwinner at Brantley County High School under head coaches Paul Able and Keith Mobley … Was named to the All-Academic team after helping Brantley County to the State Championship Final Four last season.

What they are saying about Hendrix:
“Trevor is a left-handed pitcher with a fastball that just disappears down in the zone to opposing hitters. All the batters he faced this past summer had a tough time squaring him up due to the great movement on his fastball. He has a great pitchers body and will no doubt improve overall during his time here.” – Craig Gibson, Head Baseball Coach Mercer University

Trey Truitt
Position: Outfielder
Hometown: Rehobeth, Ala.
Previous School: Rehobeth HS

Bio:
Three-sport star at Rehobeth High School lettering in baseball, football and basketball … Named an Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State Class 5A Honorable Mention selection in 2012 and 2013 … Voted onto the Wiregrass Athletic Conference All-Conference team in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

What they are saying about Truitt:
“Trey is a great runner that has a high ceiling on the diamond. Trey has a lot of tools that you just can’t teach and he will be a guy other teams have to focus on either at the plate or on base. Trey will also shrink the field for us defensively which is another huge plus he brings to our club.” – Craig Gibson, Head Baseball Coach Mercer University

Jackson Ware
Position: Infielder
Hometown: Statesboro, Ga.
Previous School: Statesboro HS

Bio:
Three-year letterwinner at Statesboro High School under head coach Jim Simmons … Is a two-sport star as he also doubles as a starting defensive back for the Statesboro football team … Was voted the Team MVP as a sophomore and was named to the Class AAAA All-Region team as a junior … Helped the Blue Devils to the second round of the State AAAA Playoffs last season as well.

What they are saying about Ware:
“There is an old saying in baseball (recruit coach’s kids) and we got a coach’s dream in Jackson. His Dad is a football coach at Georgia Southern and Jackson has been around college athletics his entire life. All Jackson cares about is helping the team win and our infield unit as a whole got better with his commit.” – Craig Gibson, Head Baseball Coach Mercer University

Steven Taylor
Position: Infielder
Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.
Previous School: The Marist School

Bio:
Three-year letterwinner at The Marist School under head coach Mike Strickland … Has been the starting shortstop and lead-off hitter for all three years of his high school career … Helped Marist to a Region 6-AAAA Championship and a Georgia AAAA State Runner-Up finish as a junior.

What they are saying about Taylor:
“Smooth is a great word to describe Steven. He is always in the right spot defensively and is the captain of the infield. We got a great one in Steven and he will make us better both on and off the field.” – Craig Gibson, Head Baseball Coach Mercer University

Tyler Homer
Position: Catcher/Designated Hitter
Hometown: Orlando, Fla.
Previous School: Indian River State College

Bio:
Appeared in 36 games and hit .309 with five doubles, 12 RBI and 12 runs scored as a freshman at Indian River State College under head coach Mitch Markham.

What they are saying about Homer:
“Tyler is a power left-handed hitter that will be a middle of the order guy for us. Anytime you can get a left-handed bat like Tyler’s in our park, it’s a difference maker. We expect him to put on a show at the plate once he arrives at Mercer.” – Craig Gibson, Head Baseball Coach Mercer University

Jose Hernandez
Position: Catcher
Hometown: Fort Meade, Fla.
Previous School: St. John’s River State College

Bio:
Appeared in 24 games behind the plate and hit two home runs to go along with seven RBI as a freshman at St. John’s River State College under head coach Ross Jones … Helped the Vikings to a 2013 Mid-Florida Conference Championship.

What they are saying about Hernandez:
“Jose is one of the best junior college defensive catchers in the country. His leadership and maturity will help our pitching staff immensely. We look forward to Jose helping us win another championship in his two years in Macon.” – Craig Gibson, Head Baseball Coach Mercer University