First-year University of Evansville baseball coach Wes Carroll announced his first recruiting class as head coach on Monday, signing six pitchers and two middle infielders in his inaugural signing class at UE.

High school pitchers Scott Scheumann (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Bishop Dwenger), Josh Biggs (Valparaiso, Ind./Washington Township), Kyle Lloyd (Carmel, Ind./Carmel), Adam Culiver (Newburgh, Ind./Castle), Ben Lady (Louisville, Ky./Eastern) and Jake Naumann (Naperville, Ill./North) join high school infielder Ryan Pierce (Jeffersonville, Ind./Jeffersonville) and junior college transfer Ryan Oesterle (Peoria, Ariz./Scottsdale C.C.) in Carroll’s first class as head coach.

“I’m a firm believer in the old saying that pitching and defense win championships,” said Carroll.  “So, with that being said, our main objective with this recruiting class was to help bolster our pitching staff and to get better defensively up the middle, and I believe that we have done that with this class.

“I really like the balance that we have in this class between power arms and control pitchers on the mound, and I believe that they will be able to step in and compete right away for us as freshmen. 

“Both infielders will also help bolster our pitching staff, because they are both defensive specialists who will catch the ball behind the pitchers and give them the confidence to pound the strike zone.  While all of the players in this class are extremely talented, the thing that we really liked as a staff was their character off of the diamond.  Each of these young men are of high character and will fit in well, not only with our team, but also with the mission of the University.

“Despite getting a late start as a staff, both Marc Wagner and Josh Reynolds did a great job of developing relationships with these players and getting them on campus so that they could see what UE has to offer, both from a baseball and an academic standpoint.  Marc really showed why he is one of the best recruiters in the Midwest by the way he was able to target the right kind of student-athlete for Evansville in such a short period of time, while Josh’s reputation as a pitching coach will only grow with the talent this class can provide over the next four years.”

Below is a quick synopsis of each player, with a quote from the UE coaching staff:

Pitchers:

Scott Scheumann • RHP • 6-4, 180
Ft. Wayne, Ind. / Bishop Dwenger H.S.
Went 5-4 with two saves and a 4.12 ERA in 54.1 innings of work last year at Bishop Dwenger.  Possesses a mid-80s fastball with the ability to throw three pitches for strikes.

“Scott’s a highly competitive right-hander with a smooth delivery and a high upside,” said Carroll.  “Watching him in a Purple Aces’ uniform over the next four years will be fun.”

Josh Biggs • LHP • 6-3, 185
Valparaiso, Ind. / Washington Township H.S.
An all-conference pick who was limited during his junior year due to injury, but pitched well this past summer for the Indiana Bulls and Roundtripper Giants travel squads.  The only left-hander in the signing class, with a mid- to upper-80s fastball.

“Josh will help fill a void that we really have on our pitching staff, and that is a power pitcher from the left side,” said Reynolds.  “He has tremendous upside with continued development on the mound.”

Kyle Lloyd • RHP • 6-5, 190
Carmel, Ind. / Carmel H.S.
Posted a 3-0 record and two saves as a junior for Carmel.  Owns a mid- to upper-80s fastball with the ability to show three pitches for strikes.

“Kyle has one of the quickest arms that I saw this summer, and will only continue to develop on the mound as he logs more innings,” said Carroll.  “Kyle is also a great character kid and will be a great fit for UE.”

Adam Culiver • RHP • 6-3, 180
Newburgh, Ind. / Castle H.S.
Went 3-1 with 3.89 ERA and 46 strikeouts in just 36 innings of work during his junior year.  Attends head coach Wes Carroll’s high school alma mater and combines a mid-80s fastball with the ability to throw three pitches for strikes.

“Adam is a great local talent that has continued to develop over the summer,” said Carroll.  “He has a nice heavy sinking fastball and an explosive slider, and will fit in well here at UE.”

Ben Lady • RHP • 6-3, 165
Louisville, Ky. / Louisville Eastern H.S.
Posted a 2.03 ERA and a 3-0 record on the mound as a junior, with 22 strikeouts in 21 innings of work.  Another right-hander who has the ability to throw three pitches for strikes with a mid-80s fastball.

“Ben is a projectable right-hander who really opened our eyes at our camps this fall,” said Reynolds.  “He has a firm fastball and a smooth arm action on the mound.”

Jake Naumann • RHP • 6-2, 190
Naperville, Ill. / Naperville North H.S.
Compiled a 10-2 record with a 1.67 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 75.1 innings of work last spring as a junior.  Played summer baseball with the Illinois Sparks.  A strike-thrower with a mid- to upper-80s fastball.

“Jake is a perfect fit for Coach Reynolds’ pitching philosophy,” said Carroll.  “He is a highly competitive right-hander with a good feel for three pitches and is able to throw strikes.  He is only going to continue to develop as well on the mound.”

Infielders:

Ryan Pierce • INF • 6-0, 180
Jeffersonville, Ind. / Jeffersonville H.S.
Hit .345 with four home runs and nine doubles last year as a junior, while earning honorable mention all-conference honors.  Helped the Jeffersonville Red Devils to a 23-7 record and back-to-back sectional championships as a middle infielder.

“Ryan is one of the best defensive shortstops in the state of Indiana, and is a good all-around athlete,” said Carroll.  “He will help fill a void we have up the middle over the next four years.”

Ryan Oesterle • INF • 6-0, 195
Peoria, Ariz. / Scottsdale C.C.
Earned all-star status in the 2008 Arizona Collegiate Wood Bat League this past summer after hitting .277 with 13 RBI.  Plays collegiately at Scottsdale Community College in Arizona, where he saw action in 46 games last spring on the infield.

“Ryan is a great defensive shortstop that is going to make every play,” said Wagner.  “He will solidify our middle infield over the next two years.  He has been a starter in a highly competitive Arizona Junior College League and has been very successful.”