COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech baseball coach Matt Bragga has been working tirelessly in the off-season, having inked six in his early signing class for the 2011-12 season, three out of Tennessee, two from Georgia and one player hailing from Pennsylvania.
"Our 2011-2012 early signing class is a special group of high character young men that have been incredibly successful in the classroom," Bragga said. "They are all extremely talented baseball players. Each of these young men will have a chance to be contributors early in their careers.
"This is another special recruiting class for Tennessee Tech Baseball," Bragga continued. "We look forward to having these great young men as a part of our TTU Baseball family. Our assistant coaches, Coach Suttles, and Coach 'B' do such a wonderful job in evaluating and recruiting and I cannot thank them enough for all there help and the hours they put in finding this Championship group of young men."
SETH LUCIO – 5'10 185 RHP/IF Locust Grove High School , GA
A product of Locust Grove, Ga., Seth was a four-year letterwinner at Locust Grove High, earning honors as Offensive Player the Year once and twice consecutively named Defensive Player of the Year and all-region shortstop. As a pitcher and a shortstop, Lucio helped his team to the all-region title his sophomore year of high school. He batted .450 with four home runs and held a 5-1 pitching record during his junior year
Bragga on Seth:
"Seth is a special baseball player with a dominating fastball from the mound and the ability to be a real good infielder for us. One of his outings this summer typifies his ability to be dominant, as he struck out 21 hitters in a game. He has the ability and mental desire to compete early in his career on the mound and on the field, we believe he is going to have a special career here at TTU. Not only is Seth an excellent baseball player, but he is an outstanding person with strong Christian faith. We are thrilled that Seth will make Cookeville and TTU his home away from home."
DAVID HESS – 6'1 185 RHP/OF Tullahoma High School, TN
Hess is a native Tennessean out of Tullahoma and a three-year letterwinner under coach Brad White. He was named all-district in 2010 as his team claimed the district championship as well as the regional runner-up spot. Hess was once named Tullahoma Player of the Week by Lighttube as he maintained a .340 batting average with nine homers, as well as a 3.00 ERA with a 6-1 pitching record.
Bragga on David:
"David jumped on our recruiting board very early. His tremendous athleticism and ability really caught our eye. David is incredibly intelligent, this is not only good for the classroom, but it carries over to the baseball field and enables him to elevate his game. David has such a high ceiling as a baseball player, we look forward to watching him grow on the diamond. He also runs cross country so we know he is in great shape and mentally tough. He again is a special young man that 'wowed us' with his ability to communicate and brighten a room. We could not be happier that he chose Tennessee Tech to call home."
DYLAN BOSHEERS – 6'0 170 IF Lawrence County High School, TN
An infielder out of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., Bosheers earned three varsity letters under Lawrence County High coach Mike James. He was named all-district as he batted .513 with 57 RBI's, 52 runs scored, 13 stolen bases and a .980 fielding percentage last season.
Bragga on Dylan:
"Dylan can flat play the game of baseball. He is a great athlete with a strong arm and he has a great understanding of driving the baseball as a hitter. He is an 'old school' type player ( he absolutely gets after it ) and we believe he has the ability to contribute very early in his career. His competitive fire allows him to set goals and know that he will reach those goals. On Dylan's visit to campus he absolutely blew me away as a charismatic, wonderful young man. He is another great fit for our program, a Championship player and human being."
JORDAN HOPKINS – 5'11 170 C Grace Christian Academy High School, TN
A five-year letterwinner at Grace Christian, Hopkins was a member of his varsity baseball team from 8th grade on, being named to the all-district team all five years, as well as the district MVP after his sophomore year. A catcher out of Knoxville, Hopkins batter .406 including 15 doubles and four long-balls last season, and helped his team to the district title during his sophomore and junior years.
Bragga on Jordan:
"We have been looking for a 'great' and I mean 'great' defensive catcher for 2 years and we know Jordan fits that bill. He is one of the finest receiving and throwing catchers I have seen in high school in many years. He has the ability to lead as well, which is obviously an important characteristic of a catcher, not to mention he is a fine offensive player. Jordan is extremely competitive and brings a fire to his team. He is not only a great baseball player, but his character and academic abilities are also incredibly strong."
BOBBY ROACH – 6'3 190 UTL/RHP Erie McDowell High School, PA
Roach is a utility player out of Eria, Pa., having earned three varsity letters at Erie McDowell as a shortstop and a pitcher. A six-time scholar athlete, Roach was named the second team region seven shortstop his sophomore year, first team his junior year, and was awarded the team batting title as a junior. He helped his team to the district 10 championship title in 2008 and the PIAA Region Seven championship in 2009, as well as the PIAA Region 7 co-championship title in 2010. He batted .469 his junior year, logging 14 RBI and a .750 slugging percentage. As a pitcher he was 1-0 with two saves in 8.1 innings pitched, logging 11 K's and maintaining a 1.68 ERA.
Bragga on Bobby:
"Bobby is a versatile athlete able to play anywhere on the field and that includes pitching. His athleticism is off the charts and allows him to not only play multiple positions, but to thrive at playing multiple positions. Offensively, Bobby has a mature approach at the plate and a great ability to drive the baseball. Bobby is another incredibly gifted student and he uses his strong mental capacity to make himself and his team better. He is also a tremendous young man. We are excited to have Bobby as a part of our TTU Baseball family."
JORDAN DUKES – 6'3 205 RHP Locust Grove High School, GA
A pitcher out of Locust Grove, Dukes earned three varsity letters as well as his team's Utility Man award in high school. He was named first team all-region and helped his team to a state championship.
Bragga on Jordan:
"Jordan has a pro-style body with a very strong arm. He has the ability to dominate games with his plus fastball and split finger. We believe as he continues to progress that he could one day be not only a weekend starter for us, but a big time pro prospect. Jordan is the second player in this signing class from Locust Grove High School in the state of Georgia and we hope to continue to build the relationship with other high schools throughout the state of Georgia. We are absolutely thrilled that Jordan will be joining out Tennessee Tech Baseball family."
