TWC News
11.03.2009 - [Baseball]
2010 Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldog Baseball Recruits
2010 Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldog Baseball Recruits
 
Winning has been a tradition for the Bulldog baseball program for years. The Bulldogs are looking to win their ninth straight AAC Conference Championship and making their first trip to the World Series. Head coach Billy Berry says that this is one of the best, if not the best, recruiting class he has seen in his four years as head coach at Tennessee Wesleyan. "Having to replace several key loses from last year's team, it was difficult to fill the holes," said coach Berry. "Coach John Hendricks and former assistant Michael Moody put a lot of time and effort into recruiting the best players to help us continue our great tradition." Berry mentioned how the new recruits outnumber the returners, but they should bond well with each other during the fall. "This year will be successful again if our guys work hard day in and day out."

The recruits come from all around (New York to Missouri to Florida and even Puerto Rico). Below is a list of the newcomers recruited for 2010. The picture above shows the new recruits. (Front Row: Kurtis Bramlett, Troy Graybill, Cody Gaskill, Michael Whiteford, Josh Bolton, Murphy Martin, Drew Housewright, Ryan Santos, Andy Duncan) (Second Row: Freddy Lewis, Ronald Phelps, Ryan Hopson, Max Loveland, C.J. McElroy, Jonathan Smith, Rafael Carlot, Hamilton Bennett, Blake Register, David Lindsay, Andrew Tharp) 

David Lindsay - The 6-foot-2, 205 pound sophomore catcher from Glenn Allen, VA. Lindsay bats and throws right. Lindsay played at North Carolina State University for Coach Elliott Avent. There he batted .118 with 3 RBIs in 21 games. 

"Lindsay is a good catcher with a great arm behind the plate," said Berry. "We think he can become one of the top catchers in this league"

Andy Duncan - A 6-foot, 180 pound freshman catcher from Hixson, Tennessee. Bats and throws right. Andy played for former Bulldog Ted Mulder at Hixson High School where he was selected to the 6AA All District Team. While at Hixson he batted .352 with 3 homeruns, 12 doubles, 21 RBIs, and 10 SB in 36 games.

"Duncan has a good arm and with time can develop into a solid catcher over his playing career," said Berry. "He has good tools for a freshman, and look for him to help us this year."

Ryan Santos - 5-foot-11, 180 pound switch hitting infielder from Carolina, Puerto Rico. Santos is a junior transfer from Wabash Valley College, where he played for Coach Rob Fournier. While at Wabash Valley he batted .321 with 4 homeruns, 13 doubles, 38 RBIs and 9 stolen bases in 44 games.

"Santos is a solid defender in the infield and has the ability to switch hit," commented Berry. "Having a switch hitter is a nice option when making out a line up."

Rafael Carlot - A 6-foot-2, 190 pound junior infielder from Miami Florida. Carlot is a junior transfer from Wallace State Dothan and played under former big leaguer Mackey Sasser. Bats and throws right. Rafael batted .333 with 3 homeruns, 10 doubles, and 31 RBIs in 34 games. He was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 50th round in 2007.

"Carlot is a good infielder with a great arm," said Berry. "With his work ethic you will see him excel as a ball player."

Jonathan Smith - 6-foot-3, 200 pound junior infielder from Niagara Falls, New York. Smith played at Mount Olive College under Carl Lancaster. While there he batted .346 with 1 homerun, 7 doubles, 20 RBIs, and 6 stolen bases in 39 games. He bats left and throws right.

"Smith is a versatile infielder that can play at several spots," stressed Berry. "He is also a versatile option in the lineup as well."

Cody Gaskill - A 6-foot, 180 pound infielder from Petersburg, Tennessee. Gaskill is a junior transfer from Volunteer State Community College under former Bulldog Mike Crossland. While there he batted .347 with 18 homeruns, 12 doubles, 52 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases in 45 games. Selected to the 2009 2nd Team All Tennessee Community College Athletic Association.  He bats and throws right.

"Gaskill is a dangerous hitter and a good defender," says Berry. "I look for him to put up solid numbers for us this spring."

Andrew Tharp - 6-foot-4, 230 pound freshman infielder from Leesburg, Georgia. Tharp played at Lee County High School for Rob Williams, and batted .400 with 2 homeruns, 10 doubles, and 20 RBIs in 26 games. Bats and throws right.  

"Tharp is a big, strong kid and has some pop in his bat," Berry said. "Over time he will gain experience and become a better ball player."

Michael Whiteford - 5-foot-9, 160 pound freshman infielder from Douglasville, Georgia. Michael played at Chapel Hill High School under Nick Harper. Throws and bats right. Whiteford batted .350 with 2 homeruns, 9 doubles, 26 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases in 26 games. Whiteford was selected to the 4-A All District Team and was selected 2nd Team All State his senior year. 

"Whiteford is a good defensive infielder with a good arm and will only get better. He is a scrappy player that only wants to improve," Berry says.

Murphy Martin - 5-foot-9, 195 pound freshman infielder from Dalton, Georgia. Martin attended Dalton High School and played for Bobby Brotherton. There he batted .320 with 4 doubles, 10 RBIs, and 2 stolen bases in 18 games. Martin bats and throws right.

Berry said, "Martin is a good competitor. He never gives up and is willing to do anything to get better."

Josh Bolton - 5-foot-8, 160 pound freshman infielder that bats and throws right. He is from Greenville, Tennessee where he attended Greenville High School and played for Greg Dykes. Bolton batted .353 with 8 doubles, 24 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases in 28 games his senior year. He was Honorable Mention All District 3A.

"Bolton is a guy with decent speed," says Berry. "Look for Bolton to be a contributor in the years to come."

Max Loveland - 6-foot-3, 180 pound senior from Bradenton, Florida. Loveland is a senior transfer from Lenoir-Rhyne University where he played under Paul Knight at LRU. He is a dual player that plays the outfield and pitches. Loveland batted .401 with 7 homeruns, 20 doubles, 46 RBIs, and 23 stolen bases in 44 games. Loveland pitched in 19 innings with 2-0 record, and 23 strikeouts in 12 appearances. In 2009 Loveland was selected to the 1st Team All North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association, 2nd Team NCAA Division II Dakatronics All Southeast Region, and 2nd Team All South Atlantic Conference. He bats and throws right.

"Loveland is a great athlete that excels both as a hitter and a pitcher. It is tough to be really good at both but Max has found a way," states Berry.

Kurtis Bramlett - 5-foot-10, 195 pound junior outfielder from Bartlett, Tennessee. Kurtis played at Dyersburg State Community College for Robert White. While there, he batted .456 with 3 homeruns, 8 doubles, and 27 RBIs in 25 games. Bramlett was selected to the 2009 2nd Team All Tennessee Community College Athletic Association. Throws and bats right.

Berry states, "Bramlett swings a good bat and is a good addition to the lineup. If he will continue to work hard he could become something special."

C.J. McElroy - 6-foot-2, 210 pound junior outfielder from Lee's Summit, Missouri. McElroy played at Maple Woods Community College for Marty Kilgore. There he batted .315 with 4 homeruns, 8 doubles, 40 RBIs, and had 11 stolen bases in 53 games. He bats and throws right.

"McElroy is a strong kid with some power and a strong arm in the outfield," said Berry. "He is a great presence in the middle of our lineup."

Blake Register - 6-foot, 180 pound freshman outfielder from Dublin, Georgia. Attended Dublin High School where he played for William Barham. At Dublin HS he batted .450 with 10 homeruns, 12 doubles, 25 RBIs in 18 games. During Blake's senior year he was selected 1st Team All District, 1st Team All Region, and 1st Team All State AA. Register bats and throws left.

Berry says, "Register has a chance to be a big contributor to the club this spring. He has the tools to become a good ball player for years to come."

Troy Graybill - 5-foot-11, 195 pound senior from Sarasota, Florida. Troy transferred from Florida Southern University where he played under Jim Tyrrell. While there the lefty had a 2-0 record with 9.1 innings pitched, 9 strikeouts, and has a 12.43 ERA in 7 games. He was selected in the 42nd round by the Boston Red Sox in the 2006 amateur draft.

"Graybill is a hard throwing lefty with a good breaking ball," Berry said. "We expect him to be a top pitcher for us this spring."

Freddy Lewis - Lewis is a 6-foot-2, 210 pound senior pitcher from Gainesville, Florida. Attended Troy University last year and played under Bobby Pierce. The left hander posted an 8.18 ERA in 9 games with a 1-0 record, 5 strikeouts in 11 innings.

"Lewis is an athletic kid with the ability to be a top pitcher for us," Berry mentioned. "With his stuff and command we will expect a lot of good things from him."

Drew Housewright - 6-foot-1, 195 pound left handed pitcher from Maynardville, Tennessee. Housewright is a junior transfer that comes from Cleveland State Community College where he played under former bulldog head coach and TWC hall of famer Mike Policastro. While there he appeared in 9 games with an 8.18 ERA with a 1-2 record, 14 strikeouts in 11 innings.

"Housewright is a guy that will throw a lot of strikes and get outs for us this year," Berry said. "He will be a good guy out of the bullpen for us."

Ronald Phelps - 6-foot-3, 215 pound right handed junior pitcher from Roper, North Carolina. Attended North Carolina A&T where he played under Keith Shumate. While there he posted a 5.02 ERA and a 6-4 record with 42 strikeouts in 43 innings and 7 saves in 34 games.

Berry says "Phelps is a big strong kid that has the stuff to be a go to guy out of the bullpen. He will help us at the back end of the bullpen." 

Hamilton Bennett - 6-foot-2, 200 pound left handed junior transfer from Surry Community College where he played for Jamie Lowe. Hometown is Tega Cay, South Carolina. While there he pitched in 58 innings with a 4-3 record, 66 strikeouts, and posted a 3.10 ERA in 11 appearances.

"Bennett has the chance to be one of the top pitchers for us," said Berry. "He has the stuff and command of his pitches to pitch in a lot of big games for us."

Ryan Hopson - 6-foot-4, 155 pound freshman right handed pitcher from Greenville, Tennessee. Attended North Greene High School and played under Jason Shelton. Had a 2.33 ERA and an 11-3 record with 146 strikeouts in 96 innings his senior year. Hopson was selected 1st Team All District and 1st Team All State 1A.

"Hopson is a young player with good stuff," Berry said. "He will be good for years to come."

Rounding out the 2010 Recruiting Class is: 

Phillip Akridge Chattanooga, TN Hixson HS
Anthony Brewer Westmoreland, TN Westmoreland HS
Jordan Childres Maryville, TN William Blount HS
Michael Coccia Cleveland, TN Walker Valley HS
Michael Ellis Hopewell, VA Hopewell HS
Nathan Hagy Abingdon, VA Abingdon HS
Cody Massey Dayton, TN Rhea County HS
Mason Trenda Maryville, TN Maryville HS
Casey Myers McMinnville, TN Boyd Christian HS
Nick Roop Wise, VA J. J. Kelly HS
Tres Scoggins Rock Springs, GA Gordon Lee HS