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Mules Announce Early Signing Class for 2009

The University of Central Missouri baseball squad has announced its next group of players to wear the Cardinal & Black in 2009. The first early signing class for head coach Tom Myers includes 13 student-athletes, four from the junior college ranks and nine from high school programs.

Following is a list of the 2009 early class, along with quotes from their current coaches and coach Myers:

Chance Tuttle

Outfield – R/R

Northern Oklahoma College at Enid

Coach Raydon Leaton on Chance:  “Chance is one of the most fearless competitors I have seen on a field.  He makes our offense go with his speed and gap to gap hitting.  He is a solid kid off the field and in the classroom, making him a model student-athlete.”

Coach Myers on Chance:  “Chance is the type of player that fits the ‘style of play’ that we want here at the University of Central Missouri.  He is a very athletic player that can really run and hit.  Chance has the ability to take over a game in many ways.  He will be a leader by example both on and off the field.”

Steffon Williams

Outfield – R/R

Independence Community College (Kan.)

Coach Hallowell on Steffon:  “Steffon is one of the most athletic players I have ever coached.  His combination of speed and power are rare.  He truly is an exciting player in the outfield, on the bases and in the batter’s box.”

Coach Myers on Steffon:  “Steffon is a gifted athlete.  We really like his abilities on the field and his demeanor fits our needs as well.  He will bring a combination of speed and power to our team that we will need.  Steffon is the type of player that will apply pressure on the opponent as a hitter and base-runner.  We look forward to him being here and the impact that we know he will have on our team and the program.”

Brooks Martin

Righthanded Pitcher – R/R

Parkland College (Ill.)

Coach Rosenthal on Brooks Martin:  “Brooks is a difference maker.  He has the ability to take over a game.  He is a tremendous athlete with electric stuff.  He is a great leader with a great attitude.”

Coach Myers on Brooks:  “Brooks is a great athlete.  We feel that Brooks will be a front line pitcher for us.  He has command and a feel for pitching that is hard to find.  His presence and ability will be good for the team.”

Ryan Romo

Righthanded Pitcher – R/R

Barton County Community College (Kan.)

Coach Warren on Ryan:  Ryan’s work ethic has been extrodinary.  He has set an example for our entire pitching staff.  He has emerged this fall as our number 1 pitcher.

Coach Myers on Ryan:  “Ryan is a very educated and talented person.  He has a very blue collar approach to the game.  His pitch-ability is good and his determination and attitude are outstanding.  We look for Ryan to do great things here.  Ryan is a great addition to our program.”

John Oropeza

Infielder – R/R

Bishop Ward High School (Kansas City, Kan.)

Coach Hurla on John: “John is one of the better players to pass through our program in the past 5 years.  John is an outstanding person and comes from a great family.  I feel John’s best years are yet to come.”

Coach Myers on John:  “John is a very talented player with savvy.  He is a very good defensive player with great upside as a hitter.  We feel like John has the ability and desire to an impact player.  He plays for a tradition rich school at Bishop Ward, so we feel like he knows what it takes to win and he will be hungry to continue winning here at UCM.”

John Calhoun

Infielder – R/R

Rockhurst High School (Kansas City, Mo)

Coach DeGraw on John:  “John is the most competitive player that I have coached.  He is a natural leader with incredible desire to succeed.  John will be in the middle of our lineup.  He is a very aggressive player and I feel his best days are yet to come.”

Coach Myers on John:  “John brings a lot to our program.  He is a great competitor.  John has a great swing with a great mentality.  He goes to war in every at bat.  He has good defensive skills and can play any position on the infield.  We really like his style of play.  We look forward to having him here at UCM.”

Kemer Quirk

Utility – S/R

Rockhurst High School (Kansas City, Mo.)

Coach DeGraw on Kemer:  “Kemer has incredible tools.  He is a fantastic switch hitter who has the ability to play several positions.  Kemer has a very high ceiling and is one of our better prospects to come through Rockhurst.”

Coach Myers on Kemer:  “Kemer is a very talented player.  He can play a lot of different positions and play each one very well.  We like him from both sides of the plate offensively and we love his athleticism on the field.  We feel like Kemer can help our program continue its winning tradition.”

Albert Selanders

Catcher – R/R

Rockhurst High School (Kansas City, Mo.)

Coach DeGraw on Albert:  “Albert has a great feel for the game of baseball. I would consider Albert a great leader and captain of our defense.  He is a student of the game and I put a lot of trust into his decision making.”

Coach Myers on Albert:  “Catching is a very under rated position.  Good receiving catchers are hard to find.  We feel like Albert will become one of those guys.  Good catchers are the cornerstone of every championship team.  We feel that Albert will develop and be able to improve our pitching staff by receiving and calling an effective game.  He is an athletic player and one we feel will continue our winning tradition.”

Kurtis Schuyler

Righthanded Pitcher – R/R

Maize High School (Maize, Kan.)

Coach Helm on Kurtis:  “Kurtis is a great competitor.  He has the ability to throw three pitches for strikes.  He will leave our program with the most career wins by a pitcher.  Kurtis will become a very valuable piece of the University of Central Missouri program before his career is over.”

Coach Myers on Kurtis:  “Kurtis is a very good athlete.  He has made great progress during his time at Maize High School and the Wichita Wolverines summer team.  His coaches have done a great job developing him and we look for him to be an impact pitcher right away.  He has the ability to repeat his delivery which allows him to throw pitches where he wants.”

Cory Deedrick

Infielder – R/R

Seaman High School (Topeka, Kan.)

Coach Bushnell on Cory:  “Cory is a great kid!  He has been a starter since his sophomore year.  He is a tough competitor that has played on winning teams.  He is a coach’s dream and is willing to put in the extra time to be successful at the college level.”

Coach Myers on Cory:  “Cory is a bulldog.  He has the style of play that we love here at UCM.  We have a plus defensive player and a very talented hitter coming to our program.  He has the ability to play all three infield spots and a great approach at the plate.  We are very excited about him coming to UCM.”

Aaron Baker

Righthanded Pitcher – R/R

Belton High School (Belton, Mo.)

Coach Shrum on Aaron:  “Aaron is an extremely hard worker both on and off the field.  I am excited for him to become part of the Mules Baseball Family, to continue the tradition there and to work with his teammates to bring another National Championship to UCM.”

Coach Myers on Aaron:  “We are very excited about Aaron.  Coach Shrum has done a great job developing Aaron and we feel he has been prepared to pitch at this level.  He has good arm strength and showed he can match up well with good hitters.  He has a lot of upside on the mound and his athleticism will help him develop.  We are really glad to be getting a great in-state pitcher in the early signing period.”

Scott Bradbury

Infielder – R/R

Oak Park High School (Kansas City, Mo.)

Coach Andrews on Scott:  “Scott is one of those kids who leads by example through his work ethic and coach-ability.  He is one of those kids coaches love to have.  Scott has been a two year starter at Oak Park and led the team in batting average as a junior.  He will be an asset to the Mules Baseball Program.”

Coach Myers on Scott:  “Scott is another good athlete coming to our program.  He has a great approach at the plate and his discipline will benefit him at the college level.  He has good defensive skills and can play a lot of positions on the infield.  We are thrilled to have him coming into our program.”

Bret Schwartz

Infielder – L/R

Blue Springs High School (Blue Springs, Mo.)

Coach Hines on Bret:  “Bret is the slickest fielder that I have ever coached, but more important, as great a player that he is, he is a better person.”

Coach Myers on Bret:  “Bret is a very talented player.  He comes from a great high school and has been well coached for a long time.  He plays with a style and tempo that dictates how well his teammates play.  He is one of those players that makes everyone else better.  His glove work is outstanding and he has a very good swing.  He will be a great addition to our program.”