EVANSVILLE – The University of Evansville baseball team may be just three months away from the start of the 2017 season, but head coach Wes Carroll and his coaching staff has already lined up eight players to join the program for the 2018 campaign, as announced on Monday
"I would like to thank Cody Fick and Jake Mahon on their exhaustive efforts for putting together a fantastic Aces recruiting class," Carroll said. "We formalized a plan and executed it well. This class will not only be successful on the field, but in the classroom as well. All of the players in this class can play multiple positions, and their offensive approach at the plate will fit in very well. Both pitchers have tremendous upside and will be able to compete in the Missouri Valley Conference."
Of the eight players set to join the program, three hail from southern Indiana, including a local product in Evan Aders, who will make the trek to campus from nearby Jasper. Scottsburg's Tanner Craig and Columbus' Cooper Trinkle rounds out the representation, and they will join another Indiana product in Daylan Nanny of Plainfield.
UE's footprint will grow with the other four players, who each come from different states. From the east, Jace Burke and Pete Vaccaro will join from Akron, Ohio, and Oley, Pa., respectively. Meanwhile, Austin Ruesch will join an already sizable St. Louis-area contingent on the UE squad while Shawnee product Zach Reeder is set to reunite with his brother Nate and high school teammate Brandon Gomer.
The 2017 baseball season will get under way in February.
EVAN ADERS | INF | 6-5 | 225 | Jasper, Ind. (Jasper HS)
PREP: Three-year letter-winner for Jasper High School ... Hit .347 in his first three seasons, recording over 100 runs batted in ... Put together impressive sophomore campaign in 2015, hitting .367 with team-best 42 RBI ... Helped team to runner-up finish in the state tournament that season ... Earned sectional crown as a junior ... Also played for Ironmen Baseball Club.
PERSONAL: Born Evan Aders on June 23, 1998, in Evansville, Ind. ... Son of Doug and Pam Aders.
"Evan is a local kid that will wear the 'Evansville' on his chest with pride. He is very athletic for his size and he has many of the tools suited for this level. He's been well coached throughout his career, and that's going to help him with his transition to college baseball." -- UE head coach Wes Carroll
JACE BURKE | P | 6-1 | 180 | Akron, Ohio (Walsh Jesuit HS)
PREP: Lettered three years for Walsh Jesuit High School ... Helped high school team to back-to-back conference championships as a freshman and sophomore ... Team also earned national rankings in those seasons ... As a junior, he posted a 5-1 record, striking out 40 batters over 32 innings ... Earned one varsity letter with bowling team ... Also played on the club level for Ohio Elite, where he tossed two no-hitters.
PERSONAL: Born Jace Burk on Dec. 30, 1998 in Cincinnati, Ohio ... Son of Troy and Mary Burke.
"Jace is a competitor. He has shown the ability to get out outs consistently, regardless of the situation or opponent. He has the ability to change speeds well, and he showcases a good feel for his breaking ball. We are thrilled to be a part of his continued development on the mound." -- UE pitching coach Cody Fick
TANNER CRAIG | INF | 6-0 | 200 | Scottsburg, Ind. (Austin HS)
PREP: Three-year letter-winner for Austin High School ... All-state honoree as a junior after setting school records for hits (57) and runs (47) ... Hit .518 as a junior with 38 runs batted in, 18 doubles, three triples and six home runs ...Went 7-1 on the mound with a 1.56 earned run average ... .469 hitter for his career with 15 homers and a 15-2 pitching record ... Also named MVP of sectional ... Named to all-conference squad all three seasons ... Also an all-conference tennis player and member of academic all-state team ... Played on the club level for Ironmen Baseball Club.
PERSONAL: Born Tanner Jordan Craig on Dec. 7, 1998, in Florence, Ky. ... Son of Todd and Jennifer Craig. ... Aunts Patty Hutchinson Clancy and Christie Hutchinson played college basketball for Ball State and Oakland City, respectively.
"Tanner is one of the best hitters in the state of Indiana. He is an RBI machine with power in his bat, and he'll be a force in our line-up for years to come. We are looking forward to seeing him in an Aces uniform next year." -- UE head coach Wes Carroll
DAYLAN NANNY | INF | 6-0 | 180 | Plainfield, Ind. (Plainfield HS)
PERSONAL: Two-time letter-winner in baseball ... Named Underclass All-American by Perfect Game ... All-conference honoree ... Career .365 hitter with .461 on-base mark over 54 games ... Recorded 62 hits and 45 runs while knocking in 31 more ... Also lettered in soccer ... Member of the USSSA national team that placed second in an international tournament in Italy.
PREP: Born Daylan James Nanny on Feb. 9, 1999 ... Son of Jamie and Jennifer Nanny.
"Daylan is a pure hitter with a high ceiling. I really like his hand path and gap-to-gap power. He fits our overall offensive approach at the plate, and we look forward to him having a great career as an Ace." -- UE head coach Wes Carroll
AUSTIN RUESCH | P | 6-4 | 200 | Glen Carbon, Ill. (Edwardsville HS)
PREP: Three-time letter-winner for Edwardsville High School ... Posted 2-0 record with 2.63 earned run average last season, helping the team post a 29-8 record in the process ... Played on the club level for the St. Louis Pirates.
PERSONAL: Born Austin Ruesch on Oct. 29, 1998, in Glen Carbon, Ill. ... Son of Thomas and Lisa Ruesch ... Father played college basketball at Jefferson College ... Comes from a strong baseball lineage as grandfather Gerald and great uncle Walter were members of the New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers organizations ... Walter also helped found the St. Louis Metro Collegiate League and is a member of the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame.
"Austin is a right-handed pitcher with great upside. He is able to move well and displays great athleticism from the mound. He is a hard worker, and he's driven to continue his growth as a pitcher. We look forward to helping him compete at a high level in our conference and on our pitching staff." -- UE pitching coach Cody Fick
ZACH REEDER | INF | 5-9 | 180 | Shawnee, Kan. (Shawnee Mission Northwest HS)
PREP: Two-year letter-winner for Shawnee Mission Northwest High School ... Led team in runs batted in and doubles as a junior ... As a sophomore, alongside current UE players Nate Reeder and Brandon Gomer, helped team to a state runner-up finish ... Played on the club level with the Midwest Black Sox.
PERSONAL: Born Zachary Reeder on July 29, 1998, in Kansas City, Mo. ... Son of Pam Reeder ... Younger brother of current UE outfielder Nate Reeder.
"Offensively, Zach has a simple and explosive swing, which is a rare combination. He plus bat speed and balanced attack gives him tremendous upside. In the field, he's played at short and shown the capabilities to play anywhere on the diamond. We believe Zach has plenty of tools to leave his own footprint behind when he joins his brother in the fall of 2017." -- UE hitting coach Jake Mahon
COOPER TRINKLE | INF | 5-10 | 175 | Columbus, Ind. (Columbus North HS)
PREP: Three-time letter-winner in baseball for Columbus North High School ... Named to all-state team as a junior ... Also ranked No. 1 second baseman in Indiana by Prep Baseball Report and All-America Honorable Mention by Perfect Game ... All-conference honoree ... Hit .416 as a junior with seven doubles, two triples and six home runs ... Scored 32 runs and knocked in 27 more ... Helped team to sectional title as a freshman and conference crown as a sophomore ... Also played club ball with Indiana Prospects and Indiana Outlaws.
PERSONAL: Born Cooper Trinkle on Feb. 10, 1998, in Paoli, Ind. ... Son of Todd and Melanie Trinkle ... Father was a college golfer for Hanover ... Comes from a family with strong athletic lineage as grandfather Jerry Stroud and uncle Joel Stroud played baseball for Earlham and Vincennes, respectively ... Cousin Evan Seacat played basketball for Northwestern and uncle Eldon Seacat is a former UE football player.
"Cooper is one of the best middle infielders in the state of Indiana. He has great athleticism and instincts up the middle. He has electric speed and tremendous upside with his bat as well. He can hit to all fields, and his overall approach at the plate is great." -- UE head coach Wes Carroll
PETE VACCARO | INF | 5-9 | 185 | Oley, Pa. (Oley Valley HS)
PREP: Lettered three times for Oley Valley High School ... Twice named to Big 26 roster for Pennsylvania ... Three-time participant in the Carpenter Cup ... As a junior, hit .430 with six home runs, including four grand slams ... Led team to district title ... Also played for American Legion Post 217.
PERSONAL: Born Peter F. Vaccaro II on June 18, 1998, in Reading, Pa. ... Son of Peter Vaccaro and Natalie Fisher.
"Pete will be bringing offensive prowess to our line-up from the left-handed batter's box. His ability to consistently barrel balls to all fields will make him a versatile fit throughout the line-up. Defensively, his athleticism will allow him to play in both the infield and the outfield. He has a great work ethic and a 'ball-player' mentality, which will serve him well as he transitions to college." -- UE hitting coach Jake Mahon
=== #AcesAces ===
