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From Staff Reports

 

AMERICUS – Georgia Southwestern State University head baseball coach Josh McDonald welcomed 15 newcomers to campus this fall as the 2022-23 signing class looks to build upon the program’s highest Peach Belt Conference finish in school history. This group includes 11 college transfer position players, three college transfer pitchers and one high school pitcher.

GSW posted a 27-27 record last spring with a 17-10 record in Peach Belt play which resulted in a third place finish in the league, the highest finish in the history of the program, to go with a new record in Peach Belt wins at 17. The Hurricanes look to reload and continue the upward trend of the program with its newest additions to the roster.

“We are excited about this recruiting class,” McDonald said. “(Assistant Coach) Tyler Bender did an excellent job in coordinating the recruiting efforts. We expect all of these guys to impact right away and help this club compete for a championship.”

(Pictured in front row from left to right: Christopher Viamonte, Barron Northorp, George Davis, Chris Patterson, Jake Blinstrub, Victor Sanchez, Jordan Walden, Cory Lee; back row from left to right: Jared White, Kalvin Alexander, Paul Hegeman, Trent Justice, Troy Shepherd, Angel Mediavilla, Rijnaldo Euson)

#1 – Christopher Viamonte (Naples, Fla.) – Transfer infielder from Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio. Viamonte was a 2021 American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings Gold Glove Award at third base. He hit .338 with a home run and four stolen bases his last year at Baldwin Wallace.

#5 – Barron Northorp (Fort Myers, Fla.) – Transfer catcher from Andrew College. Northorp had a .221 batting average during his career Andrew with six doubles and a home run. Northorp threw out 14 runners in his career behind the plate.

#8 – George Davis (Bradenton, Fla.) – Transfer utility player from Polk State College in Winter Haven, Fla. Davis hit .284 with five home runs and nine stolen bases last year at Polk State and tallied 11 career JUCO home runs.

#11 – Chris Patterson (Hephzibah, Ga.) – Transfer outfielder from NCAA Division I Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Fla. Patterson led the Wildcats last spring with a .344 batting average and .427 on-base percentage. He was second on the team with 13 doubles and 24 stolen bases.

#16 – Jake Blinstrub (Peachtree City, Ga.) – Transfer outfielder from the College of Mount Saint Vincent in Bronx, N.Y. Blinstrub was back-to-back Skyline Conference Player of the Year and a Third Team D3 Baseball All-American last spring when he hit .494 with 20 doubles and 19 stolen bases.

#19 – Victor Sanchez (Vega Alta, Puerto Rico) – Transfer shortstop from Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan. Sanchez hit .358 with nine home runs and eight stolen bases last spring on a Tabor squad the posted a record of 38-19-1. He tied for the team lead with 17 doubles.

#21 – Jordan Walden (Vidalia, Ga.) – Walden had a .314 career batting average for Vidalia High School with 55 hits, including eight doubles, 38 RBIs, and 39 runs scored. He also  pitched 12 innings for the Indians with 20 strikeouts. Walden was selected to the 2021 Region 2-AA Second Team All-Region and helped lead Vidalia to the 2022 Class AA GHSA State Championship.

#23 – Cory Lee (Loganville, Ga.) – Transfer utility player from Chattahoochee Valley Community College. Lee hit .331 with 13 stolen bases last spring for CVCC.

#27 – Jared White (Johns Creek, Ga.) – Transfer outfielder from Chattahoochee Valley Community College. White hit .301 with nine doubles and three home runs last spring at CVCC.

#29 – Kalvin Alexander (Lakeland, Fla.) – Transferring catcher from Florida Southwestern State College in Fort Myers, Fla., comes to Georgia Southwestern after playing in 34 games this past season hitting .258 with 18 runs batted in, seven doubles and eight stolen bases. Alexander hit eight home runs for the Charlottesville Tom Sox in 18 games in the Valley Baseball League this summer before arriving at GSW.

#31 – Paul Hegeman (St. Simons Island, Ga.) – Transfer first baseman from Chattahoochee Valley Community College in Phenix City, Ala. Hageman hit .342 last spring and led CVCC wih 14 doubles, seven home runs and 45 RBIs.

#37 – Trent Justice (Lynn Haven, Fla.) – Transfer outfielder/first baseman from Marion Military Institute in Marion, Ala. Justice led the Tigers with eight home runs and 31 RBIs in 47 games last spring.

#40 – Troy Shepherd (Claremont, N.C.) – Transfer right-handed pitcher from Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory, N.C. Shepherd struck out 16 batters in 12 innings last spring while posting a 3.75 earned run average. Catawba Valley finished the year with a conference record of 24-12.

#42 – Angel Mediavilla (Hialeah, Fla.) – Transfer left-handed pitcher from Elite Squad Academy had committed to NCAA Division I Florida International University out of high school.

#45 – Rijnaldo Euson (Haines City, Fla.) – Transfer left-handed pitcher from Frank Phillips College in Borger, Texas. Euson struck out 43 batters in 27.2 innings last spring and finished his career with seven wins for the Plainsmen.