Troy Baseball Releases Early Signing Class

TROY, Alabama - Troy head baseball coach Mark Smartt announced nine players who signed with the Trojans in this week's early signing period. Each of them will enroll at Troy University in August 2018.

The signing class includes seven high school seniors and two junior college sophomores who all hail from different parts of the southeast – Caleb Bertolero, Logan Cerny, Tanner Jackson, Taylor Pridgen, Dalton Sinquefield, Cameron Stewart, Grant Stewart, Donovan Whibbs and Bay Witcher.

Both junior college players should provide an impact quickly. Smiths Station, Ala., native Dalton Sinquefield, a high school teammate of Troy sophomore Max Newton, will complete his sophomore season at Wallace Community College in Hanceville, Ala. Grant Stewart from Laurel Hill, Fla., will transfer to Troy from Florida State via Northwest Florida State.

Logan Cerny, catcher/outfielder from Lawrenceville, Ga.; Caleb Bartolero, catcher from Woodstock, Ga.; Taylor Pridgen, infielder/pitcher from Eustis, Fla.; Tanner Jackson, infielder from Dothan, Ala.; and Donovan Whibbs, infielder from Pensacola, Fla., are the five high school position players that will enroll in August 2018.

Rounding out the class are two high school pitchers – Bay Witcher from Loganville, Ga., and Cameron Stewart from Apopka, Fla.

Quotable – Troy Head Coach Mark Smartt
"We will lose two outfielders and two infielders who will play major innings this year. We also lose three pitchers that expect to log significant innings for our program that must be replaced and this talented recruiting class is the first step in the process.

It's a talented group of athletes and each of them will have an opportunity to play a major role throughout their careers. Both Sinquefield and Stewart are well-known to our program as we have seen them develop from their high school days until now and we believe they will impact our team immediately as juniors in 2019. Cerny will primarily catch, but he is athletic enough to play the outfield and swing the bat. Bartolero is a talented defensive catcher that can really hit, Jackson and Pridgen are both corner players that provide power potential. Whibbs is an athletic left-handed hitter that plays middle infield and can run. Both Witcher and Stewart offer good size and arm strength along with secondary pitches that have a chance to be swing and miss pitches. They both have had huge success throughout their high school careers.

I want to both congratulate and thank Shane Gierke and Brad Phillips for assembling this talented group of players. Recruiting is a significant challenge that required time and energy while spending time away from their families. I appreciate their commitment to the Troy program and salute them for their efforts. I also appreciate the players and their families for choosing our program and wanting to represent Troy University. We are all excited to begin coaching this group next fall."

The Trojans will open their season on February 16 with a four-game series at Riddle-Pace Field against UT Martin. For ticket information, contact the Troy Ticket Office at 334-670-3681.

Caleb Bartolero
6'0 • 195 • C/OF
Woodstock HS / Woodstock, Ga.

"Caleb is one of the top high school defensive catchers in Georgia. Caleb was an early target for us two years ago and will impact the program right away. He has an advanced feel for the catching position, which will translate well at the Division I level. His knowledge and passion for the game of baseball will play a major role at Troy."

Logan Cerny
6'1 • 170 • C/OF
Parkview HS / Lawrenceville, Ga.

• WWBA 17u National Championship All-Tournament
• WWBA 18u National Championship All-Tournament

"Logan was an early commitment and someone we felt we could build around for the future. Logan has developed into a quality all-around player that can impact the game especially offensively. His athletic ability as a catcher and outfielder will transition well to the college game. He has continued to improve offensively and defensively each year and has been a run producer throughout his career. The accolades he has earned over the years speak to his success on the field and everything suggests that he will have success at Troy."

Tanner Jackson
6'2 • 210 • 3B/OF
Houston Academy / Dothan, Ala.

• 2016 First Team All-State
• 2016 Under Armour All-American
• 2017 First Team All-State

"Tanner is someone we've been following throughout his high school career. His ability to change the game with his bat is something that stood out for us. Tanner is a versatile player that can play multiple positions. His size and power potential separate him from most his age."

Taylor Pridgen
6'2 • 215 • 1B/LHP
Eustis HS / Eustis, Fla.

• 2016 Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American
• 2017 Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American
• 2017 WWBA All-Tournament Team

"Taylor was another recruit we targeted early in the recruiting process. He offers good size and strength, with extra-base production. His offensive production throughout his career will transition well at this level. We are excited about Taylor's future here at Troy."

Dalton Sinquefield
6'2 • 210 • OF
Wallace Hanceville CC / Smiths Station, Ala.

• 2017 First Team All-Conference

"Dalton has the opportunity to impact our program right away. He offers good size and athleticism that will bode well for him in the future. We believe his bat has a chance to impact our team and the ability to defend at a high rate which translates well here at Troy. We have had great success with other Wallace Hanceville transfers and his coach, Randy Putman, has always put his players in a great position to succeed at the next level."

Cameron Stewart
6'4 • 215 • RHP
Apopka HS / Apopka, Fla.

• 2017 Rawlings Underclass Preseason All-American – High Honorable Mention
• 2017 First Team All-Metro Conference (Orlando)
• 2017 Prep Baseball Report Preseason All-State

"We first saw Cameron in the fall of 2015, and his ability to execute pitches impressed us immediately. He has easily been one of the most successful pitchers in Central Florida in the last ten years. He has won a lot games the last two years on the mound and we believe he has a bright future as a pitcher because of his overall success in big games. There is no question in our minds that he fits the direction of where we are going on the mound."

Grant Stewart
5'10 • 185 • LHP
Northwest Florida State CC / Laurel Hill, Fla.

"Grant first hit our radar three years ago out of high school. His consistent ability to throw strikes with more than one pitch and attacks each hitter, which is a great formula for winning at any level. His arm strength and competitiveness is what separates him from most pitchers his age. Our success with players from Northwest Florida and his coach, Doug Martin, will help in his transition here at Troy. Grant's drive to be a Trojan is something that will be valuable in his future here at Troy."

Donovan Whibbs
6'1 • 175 • IF
Pensacola Catholic / Pensacola, Fla.

"Donovan is someone that has been on our radar for a couple years. He has developed into a quality all-around player that can impact the program in a couple different areas. He comes from a highly successful high school program and that translates well here at Troy."

Bay Witcher
6'5 • 190 • RHP
Loganville HS / Loganville, Ga.

• Ranked 34^th overall prospect in Georgia – 12^th RHP in Georgia
• Atlanta Braves 2017 All-Star Award
• 2018 Under Armour Preseason All-American

"Bay is someone we targeted early in the process two years ago. He offers great size and has won at every stop throughout his high school career. He throws a high number of strikes with a quality breaking ball that has swing and miss capability. His arm strength and athleticism will allow him to compete right away at the Division I level. We are excited about Bay's future here at Troy.

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Troy Baseball Releases Early Signing Class

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