Duncan, Staff Announce 2018 Baseball Recruiting Class
12/8/2017 12:08:00 PM | Baseball
KENT -- Head coach Jeff Duncan announced his team's 2018 recruiting class recently. The Golden Flashes signed nine players from several different states and winning prep programs.
"All in all it's a great class. As a staff we feel like this is going to be the best class we've had up to this point. We didn't miss on any of the players we wanted. We all felt like these players fit perfectly into our program. They are great players, obviously, but they are also great people off the field and in the classroom," Duncan said.
Below are the Kent State signees along with Duncan's comments.
DEVAN NAIL – Elyria, Ohio – Elyria High School
"He is a guy we identified two summers ago. He plays shortstop right now but he might fit better as a power third baseman. Tough-nosed and really talented and plays really hard. He reminds me a lot of DJ LeMahieu who played at LSU. He's had a tremendous career at Elyria. We're excited about him.
NICK THWAITS – Fort Recovery, Ohio – Fort Recovery High School
"Nick is a guy Mike Birkbeck and I both saw. He's got a big time arm. He's been up to 93 mph and has the ability to get drafted out of high school. He is going to have a big career."
GRANT VERA – Tiffin, Ohio – Tiffin Calvert High School
"Very athletic kid who played in a pretty prestigious summer league. He is very good defensively. He is dynamic in the middle of the field and can be very good for us. He brings some flash to his game and brings a lot of energy as well."
MAX RIPPL – Ft. Myers, Florida – Southwest Florida Christian High School
"Max came to our camp two years ago as an outfielder and third baseman. He is very strong and swings the bat well. We actually see him as a possible two-way guy but his future might be on the mound.
SAM THOMPSON – Bremen, Georgia – Bremen High School
"Sam is a good right-handed hitter who was being recruited by Derek Simmons at Alabama. He came to our camp last summer. He is a very good student and a flexible hitter. He made a huge impression on us.
RYAN KIRCHER – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – Plum High School
"Ryan is one of the best left-handed pitchers in the country right now. He has been up to 93 mph and he has a high ceiling. Very flexible arm and elbow. He has a chance to be really special.
CAM TOUCHETTE – Columbia, Illinois – John A. Logan College
"He's a left-handed hitting center fielder and was a junior college All-American. He's got some speed and really good baseball instincts. I wanted to get an older presence in here because we might be a little younger next year."
LUKE ALBRIGHT – Fishers, Indiana – Fishers High School
"He went to East Coast Pro this summer and pitches with a lot of energy. He is very competitive and right now throws a fastball, curveball and change. We beat out some pretty good national programs to get him."
JOE CAPRETTA – Aurora, Ohio – Aurora High School
"He is a really tough kid whose father played here under Danny Hall. Very good catcher. He also brings great leadership skills to handle a pitching staff. He plays hockey too so he has a really tough mentality."
BRENT VANAMAN – Spring Valley, Illinois – Hall High School
"Really athletic outfielder who runs well. He throws well and did a lot of catching in high school. He has great power and bat speed."
The Golden Flashes begin preparations for the 2018 season once the players return to campus following the winter recess. The season begins the weekend of Feb. 16-18 at Sam Houston State.
