Ouachita Baptist University head baseball coach Chris Moddelmog announced the signing of six student-athletes to their National Letter of Intents to begin at Ouachita Baptist in the fall of 2009.
“We have put together a very good mix of freshmen and junior college players during the early signing period,” Moddelmog said. “Coach (Luke) Howard and (Dan) Skirka have done a great job of identifying players who fit our style of play on and off the field.
Cass Via, native of Fruita, Colo., is a shortstop from Garden City Community College in Kan., where he plays for Chris Finnegan. Last year as a freshman, Cass batted .349 with 53 hits, 31 runs, 21 RBIs, and nine stolen bases.
“Cass is a very talented player in the field and with the bat,” Moddelmog said. “We feel like he brings a lot of intangibles to our ball club next year.”
Sam McGill, a native of North Platte, Neb., is a right-handed pitcher and infielder from Independence Community College in Kansas under Coach Tye Hallowell. He attended Creighton University as a freshman before transferring to Independence. McGill hit .322, with 35 runs batted in, 11 stolen bases, nine doubles and six homers. He had a .920 field percentage while playing shortstop. On the mound, McGill worked 51 2/3 innings with a 4-4 record and 1 save. He recorded 29 strikeouts and 12 walks with a 4.06 earned run average.
“Sam is a very hard worker and will bring a workman like attitude to the park daily,” Moddelmog said. “He will bring toughness to our club on the mound and on the infield.”
Blake Sapp, is an infielder from Bedford, Texas where he attends Trinity High. He is a hard-nosed athlete who loves to play the game. His athleticism will make him an asset both in the field and on the bases. Sapp was second-team all-district last season after hitting .340 with 20 runs batted in. He plays club baseball in the summer for the Texas Stix.
“Blake is another dirt-bag type of player that will make our team better daily,” Moddelmog said. “He is a very good athlete who plays the game the correct way, full speed.”
Duncan Collins is an infielder from Texarkana, Ark., and attends Trinity Christian High School. As a junior, he batted .506 in 29 games. Collins finished with 48 runs scored, 40 hits, three triples and a pair of home runs. On the mound, he was 8-1 with an 0.70 ERA and 93 strikeouts. Those numbers earned him All-Conference, All-Region and All-State. He is a decorated three-sport athlete at Trinity, where he recently helped the school win a Cross Country State Championship. He also starts for the basketball team, while also carrying a 4.0 GPA, academically.
“Duncan brings a great work ethic and some speed to our program,” Moddelmog said. “He is a great asset to our program on and off the field.”
Landon Flax is a catcher/infielder from Fort Collins, Colo. He plays at the same high school that Moddelmog attended and plays for coach Brad Deal. Flax is a very versatile athlete and will help the Tigers by playing multiple positions. He hit .397 as a junior with 12 RBIs with an on-base percentage of .514. Academically, Flax also carries a 4.0 GPA.
“Landon is a guy who will fill a variety of spots for our ball club next year,” Moddelmog said. “He can play behind the plate and on the infield. He is a guy who really knows how to play the game.”
Taylor Henry, a native of Boulder, Colo., is a left-handed pitcher from Neosho County Community College in Kan., where he plays for coach Steve Murry. Henry boasts a 4-2 record in 52 innings with a 2.56 ERA and three complete games.
“Taylor will bring a very competitive attitude to the mound for us next year,” Moddelmog said. “He has very good stuff and will give us a chance to win each time out.”
Ouachita begins the 2009 season Feb. 1-2 at Angelo State.
