Houston Announces 18 Additions at Start of Fall Camp
Cougars welcome eight junior college transfers, 10 prep stars
HOUSTON – Head Coach Todd Whitting announced on Friday afternoon the addition of 18 players to the University of Houston Baseball program since the end of the 2018 season.
“Coach (Terry) Rooney and Coach (Ryan) Shotzberger have done a phenomenal job in putting this class together,” Whitting said. “This class complements what we bring back from last year’s championship team and will help us continue to represent at the highest level of the culture and expectations we hold ourselves to at the University of Houston.”
The 18-member 2018 recruiting class features eight junior college transfers and 10 prep stars from the high school ranks.
“We are excited about this group of newcomers,” Rooney said. “It is an outstanding combination of high school and junior college talent that we feel will make an immediate impact for us in 2019.”
The Cougars opened fall team practice on Sunday, Sept. 16.
TY ABRAHAM
FR | RHP/INF | R-R | 6-2 | 220 | Sugar Land, Texas | George Ranch HS
High School: Named First-Team All-District at George Ranch High School… rated No. 22 overall in Texas Top 100 by Prep Baseball Report… high school teammate of fellow signee Cole McMillan.
TRISTAN BAYLISS
JR | LHP | L-L | 6-1 | 200 | Hutto, Texas | Hutto HS/Texas A&M/McClennan CC
Prior to Houston: Spent the 2018 season at McLennan Community College… posted a 2-3 record with a 3.86 ERA and 41 strikeouts across 15 appearances and eight starts… spent the 2017 season at Texas A&M… made two relief appearances… tossed 3.0 innings with four strikeouts against UTRGV (3/7/17) to earn the save… also appeared against LSU (3/31/17).
High School: Two-year letterwinner for Head Coach Peter Schmidt at Hutto High School… as a senior, earned Texas SportsWriters Association Class 5A All-State Second Team as an outfielder and Honorable Mention as a pitcher… also named District 17-5A MVP and earned a spot in the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Game… posted an 8-1 record with a 0.93 ERA… recorded two no-hitters and a school-record 158 strikeouts… fanned 19 of 21 batters faced in a perfect game against Waco University High School (4/26/16)… batted .393 with 21 RBI… as a sophomore, earned All-District recognition as a pitcher… also lettered in football as a wide receiver and defensive back… named Second-Team All-District as a receiver… drafted in the 35th round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals.
SEAN BRETZ
JR | RHP | R-R | 6-6 | 230 | River Ridge, La. | John Curtis HS/Delgado CC
Prior to Houston: Spent 2018 season at Delgado Community College under Head Coach Joe Scheuermann… posted a staff-best 7-1 record with a 3.00 ERA and 54 strikeouts across 10 appearances and nine starts… helped the Dolphins win the 2018 Region XXIII Division I Championship and the NJCAA South Central District Championship… tossed a complete-game with seven strikeouts in the South Central Championship… spent 2017 season at Spring Hill College under Head Coach Frank Sims… led team with a 8-1 record and 1.57 ERA across 16 appearances and 10 starts… added one save and recorded 77 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .190 batting average.
High School: Named All-District as a senior… helped John Curtis High School to District Championship from 2014-16.
BRAD BURCKEL
FR | OF | L-R | 5-7 | 165 | Lindale, Texas | Lindale HS
High School: Four-year letterwinner at Lindale High School… as a senior, batted .458 and recorded 16 stolen bases… named Defensive MVP and helped Eagles to a District Championship… as a junior, hit .463 with 31 stolen bases to earn Second-Team All-District honors… also helped LHS to a Bi-District Championship… as a sophomore named Offensive MVP with a .337 batting average… played football as a freshman… member of National Honor Society.
DERRICK CHERRY
FR | RHP/INF | R-R | 6-1 | 185 | Baytown, Texas | Goose Creek Memorial HS
High School: Four-time First-Team All-District selection at Goose Creek Memorial High School… also named Texas-All Region First Team, Perfect Game MVP, Freshman All-American and Newcomer of the Year.
BRETT ESAU
JR | INF | R-R | 6-3 | 200 | Meadow Lake, Sask., Can. | Foothills Composite HS/Phillips College
Prior to Houston: Spent two seasons at Frank Phillips College… as a sophomore, posted a .368/.498/.701 slash with 11 home runs… as a freshman, posted a .343/.415/.803 slash, ranking second in the nation with 21 home runs to be named a Region 5 All-Star and WJCAC Conference All-Star… in summer 2017, helped the Swift Current 57s to the Western Major Baseball League Championship.
High School: Attended Foothills Composite High School… named a 2014 and 2015 Toronto Blue Jays Tournament of 12 All-Star and the 2014 Saskatchewan Baseball Player of the Year.
COLBY FERIS
FR | INF | R-R | 6-1 | 180 | North Richland Hills, Texas | Birdville HS
High School: Three-year letterwinner at Birdville High School under Head Coach Vance Bonner… three-time All-District 8-5A and named to First Team as a junior and senior… led Hawks to Bi-District Playoffs all three years and Area Playoffs as a junior… as a senior, hit .368 with a .576 on-base percentage and had a 2.04 ERA to be named to Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American and a DFW All-Star… also a three-year letterwinner and two-time All-District selection in basketball… made playoffs all three seasons and won District Championship as a senior… also two-year letterman and All-District honoree in football.
JORDAN GOCHENOUR
SO | INF | L-R | 6-1 | 205 | Houston, Texas | Houston Christian/Coastal Bend JC
Prior to Houston: Spent 2018 season at Coastal Bend College under Head Coach Brian Bauerle… named NJCAA Division III and ABCA/Rawlings NJCAA Division III Second-Team All-America… led team in batting average (.427), on-base percentage (.542), slugging percentage (.713), doubles (15) and walks (33)… set school records with 67 hits and 46 runs scored… also finished third all-time in program history with 43 RBI and 12 stolen bases.
High School: Named Texas Prep Baseball All-Houston 6-A First Team at Houston Christian High School.
TANNER GREEN
FR | RHP | R-R | 6-2 | 195 | Lufkin, Texas | Lufkin HS
High School: Named Second-Team All-District and Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association Academic All-State at Lufkin High School… member of National Honor Society.
KOBE HYLAND
JR | INF | L-R | 6-0 | 200 | Spruce Grove, Alb., Can. | Spruce Grove Composite/Iowa Western
Prior to Houston: Spent 2017 and 2018 seasons at Iowa Western… as a sophomore, hit .386 with three home runs, 22 doubles and 11 stolen bases to help Reivers win NJCAA Division I Region XI Championship and advance to JuCo World Series… as a freshman, batted .330 with six doubles and six stolen bases.
High School: Attended Spruce Grove Composite… played for Team Canada in the 2015 U-18 Baseball World Cup… also played for Team Alberta in the 2014 Canada Cup.
SPENCER HYNES
SO | LHP | L-L | 6-4 | 225 | Weatherford, Texas | Weatherford HS/Grayson College
Prior to Houston: Spent 2017 and 2018 seasons at Grayson College… did not compete in 2018… as a freshman, posted a 4-2 record with 51 strikeouts across 14 appearances and one start… named Texas-New Mexico North Regional All-State.
High School: Three-year letterwinner at Weatherford High School… as a senior, named All-State, District 4-6A Pitcher of the Year and an All-Star… helped Kangaroos to District, Bi-District and Area Championship as a senior and Bi-District Championship as a sophomore and junior… also played football and was a member of the National Honors Society.
HUNTER MAYO
FR | RHP | R-R | 6-0 | 185 | Lufkin, Texas | Hudson HS
High School: Four-year letterwinner at Hudson High School… named First-Team All-District and helped Hornets to a 22-9 record and District Championship as a senior… member of the National Honors Society.
TRISTAN McDONOUGH
FR | RHP | R-R | 5-11 | 210 | Whaleyville, Md. | Decatur HS
High School: Four-year letterwinner at Decatur School… rated No. 2 player in State of Maryland… as a junior, named Bayside South Player of the Year… as a sophomore, named Bayside South Pitcher of the Year and helped Seahawks win the Bayside Championship… played in the 16U WWBA National Championship, featuring nearly 400 different teams, and was named the Tournament MVP.
COLE McMILLAN
FR | LHP | L-L | 6-4 | 190 | Sugar Land, Texas | George Ranch HS
High School: Named District Pitcher of the Year at George Ranch High School… rated No. 68 overall in Texas Top 100 by Prep Baseball Report… member of the National Honors Society… high school teammate of signee Ty Abraham.
DEVON ROEDAHL
JR | RHP | R-R | 6-2 | 225 | Beaumont, Texas | West Brook HS/TCU/San Jacinto College
Prior to Houston: Spent 2017 and 2018 seasons at San Jacinto College… as a sophomore, went 9-3 with a 2.95 ERA and 83 strikeouts across 17 starts to be named Second-Team All-Region XIV… as a redshirt freshman, went 3-0 with one save and a 1.00 ERA across 16 appearances and one start… spent 2016 season at TCU… went 1-0 across two appearances and one start before suffering an injury… allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits in 3.0 innings in start against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2/24/16)… also made a relief appearance against USC (3/13/16).
High School: Four-year letterwinner at West Brook High School… named First-Team All-District and All-Region, and a Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American.
JOHNATHON THOMAS
FR | OF | R-R | 5-7 | 175 | Fresno, Texas | The Kinkaid School
High School: Four-year letterwinner at The Kincaid School… finished career with .340 batting average and nine home runs… three-time All-Southwest Preparatory Conference honoree… helped Falcons win SPC Championship as a freshman and was runner-up from sophomore to senior season… also lettered football… named Football-Touchdown Club of Houston Private High School Ironman of the Year… garnered All-SPC honors twice… winner of The Dan Hart Award for Athletics as a senior.
BLAKE WAY
JR | C | R-R | 5-10 | 205 | Slidell, La. | Northshore HS/Delgado CC
Prior to Houston: Spent 2017 and 2018 seasons at Delgado Community College… helped Dolphins win back-to-back Region XXIII Championships… as a sophomore, posted a .379/.483/.627 slash with 64 hits, 13 doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 62 RBI and 10 stolen bases… garnered the NJCAA All-Academic Student-Athlete Award… as a freshman, posted .291/.429/.373 slash with six doubles, one home run and 11 RBI.
High School: Four-year letterwinner at Northshore High School… named First-Team District 6-5A as a junior and senior… also named All-Metro, All-State and Team MVP as a senior… batted .397 with 12 stolen bases… helped Panthers win the District 6-5A Championship as a junior… as a sophomore, named Second-Team All-District… was a Chancellor’s Honors Graduate for posting a 4.0 GPA.
CRAIG YOHO
FR | INF | R-R | 6-3 | 205 | Fischers, Ind. | Fischers HS
High School: Four-year letterwinner at Fishers High School… Tigers’ career record holder in home runs, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and walks… single-season record holder in games played, plate appearances, runs scored, walks and defensive innings played… single-game record holder in home runs… helped Tigers win two conference championships… twice named All-Indy Star Super Team and All-County… also named First-Team All-State, IHSBCA All-Star, District Player of the Year and Victory Views Player of the Week… also lettered in basketball.