Iowa Baseball Signs 7 for 2018

Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2016-17 | Hawk Talk Monthly — Nov. 2016

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa head baseball coach Rick Heller announced Thursday the signing of a seven-player recruiting class that will join the Hawkeyes in 2018. 
 
“We feel good about this year’s recruiting class,” said Heller. “With larger classes the past two years, this one fills most of our needs with some talented players. We will have a large number of returnees next season, so this this class will add the talent and balance we need to continue to improve.
 
“Our recruiting coordinator, Marty Sutherland, deserves a great deal of credit for his tireless effort. As always, he did an excellent job.”
 
Three of the seven recruits are position players, three are pitchers (two left-handed, one right-handed), and one is a dual-position prospect. Two of the players are junior college transfers from Missouri and Arizona.
 
The class features three Iowans, two players from Illinois, and one from Missouri and California.
 
Iowa Baseball Recruiting Class
 

Cam Baumann
6-3, 210, L/L, LHP
Fairfield, Iowa
Fairfield (Josh Allison)

• Ranked as the 398th-best prospect nationally by Perfect Game and 134th-best prospect in the country by Prep Baseball Report
• Went 4-1 with a 1.28 ERA as a junior… allowed just 27 hits over 43 2/3 innings and had 79 strikeouts to 10 walks
• Three-time all-state and all-conference selection… two-time Southeast Conference Player of the Year (2015, 2016)
• Golden Triangle Newspaper Player of the Year in 2016
• Four-year starter in football as team’s quarterback, where he was a two-time first-team all-district selection

Heller on Baumann:
“Cam is a hard throwing left-handed pitcher with plus upside. He is a tough kid who has also been a four-year starter at quarterback. He had an outstanding junior year on the mound this past summer. Cam has been committed to us for a long time and it feels good to finally make it official. We are all happy that Cam will be a Hawkeye.”
 
Jack Dreyer
6-3, 185, L/L, LHP
Johnston, Iowa
Johnston High School (Micheal Barta)
Iowa Select (Steve James)

• Rated as the 327th-best prospect nationally by Perfect Game and 119th-nationally by Prep Baseball Report
• Member of the 2016 18U USA Baseball team — Great Lakes Team
• Went 2-0 with a 0.58 ERA with 17 strikeouts to three walks in 12 innings as a junior
• 2016 Underclass High honorable-mention selection by Perfect Game
• 2016 Perfect Game Midwest Top Prospect Showcase Team
• Three-time CIML All-Academic Award selection in soccer and baseball
• Two-time all-conference honoree in soccer

Heller on Dreyer:
“Jack is a talented left-handed pitcher who can pound the strike zone with three to four pitches. We love the way Jack carries himself and how he competes on the mound. He is a mature pitcher for his age and will be a tremendous leader. We are happy Jack will be a Hawkeye.”
 
Zion Pettigrew
6-0, 165, R/R, SS
Chicago, Ill.
Mt. Carmel High School (Brian Hurry)
Hitters (RJ Fergus)

• Rated as the 259th-best prospect nationally by Perfect Game and 104th-nationally by Prep Baseball Report
• Ranked as the No. 1 shortstop in Illinois and the eighth-best prospect by Prep Baseball Report
• 2016 Underclass High honorable-mention selection by Perfect Game

Heller on Pettigrew:
“Zion is an excellent defensive middle infielder who has worked hard to become a good offensive player.  He is an outstanding competitor who has competed against high-level competition at both the high school level and with travel teams. We are excited to have Zion in the Hawkeye program.”
 
Alex Tovalin
6-1, 175, RHP
Chula Vista, Calif.
Cochise College (Todd Inglehart)
Otay Ranch High School (Marco Dickinson)

• Earned NJCAA Western First-Team All-District honors in 2016 after leading Cochise College in wins as a freshman… went 9-5 with a 4.37 ERA
• Logged 90 2/3 innings, allowing 99 hits, striking out 84, and issuing 22 walks… went seven or more innings in six starts
• 2015 California Region honorable-mention by Perfect Game

Heller on Tovalin:
“Alex can really pitch and he has the ability to pound the strike zone with all of his pitches. One thing evident when getting information about Alex was his competitiveness and toughness, which are exactly the type of attributes needed to compete on weekends in the Big Ten. We are excited to have Alex in the program.”
 
Joel Thompson
6-3, 210, R/R, C
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Lewis Central High School (Lee Toole)
Iowa Select (Steve James)

• Ranked as a Top-500-prospect nationally by Perfect Game and 386th-best prospect nationally by Prep Baseball Report
• Two-time Perfect Game Kernels All-Tournament team selection
• First-team all-state and all-state Super Team in 2016
• Hit .406 with eight doubles, two triples, and nine home runs as a junior… had 60 RBIs, scored 15 runs, and stole two bases

Heller on Thompson:
“Joel is a talented catcher who receives well behind the plate and has a plus throwing arm. He has great size and the potential to be an excellent offensive player with power. Joel is very athletic and a tough competitor. We are excited Joel will be a Hawkeye.”
 
Trenton Wallace
6-1, 175, L/L, OF/1B/LHP
Rock Island, Ill.
Davenport Assumption High School (Billy Argo)
Iowa Select (Steve James)

• Ranked as a Top-500-prospect nationally by Perfect Game and as the seventh-best prospect in the state of Iowa by Prep Baseball Report
• 2016 Elite All-State honoree by the Des Moines Register and 2016 MAC Player of the Year
• Two-time first-team all-state, all-district, and all-conference selection
• Went 6-1 with a 0.28 ERA as a junior, allowing 29 hits and striking out 70 over 50 innings… hit .403 with 17 doubles, four home runs, 51 RBIs, and 31 runs scored
• Helped Davenport Assumption to a state title as a freshman
• Member of the National Honor Society and Fellowship of Christian Athletes
• Also plays basketball

Heller on Wallace:
“Trenton is an excellent left-handed pitcher who we feel may be able to hit and play in the outfield for us as well. On the mound, he shows great pitch-ability with a mid-to-upper 80’s fastball, a sharp curveball, and a changeup. Offensively, he is a high average hitter with doubles power and is an excellent defensive outfielder. He competes and possesses a high baseball IQ. We are happy Trenton will play at Iowa next season.”
 
Tanner Wetrich
6-0, 170, R/R, SS
Moberly, Mo.
Mineral Area College (Blake Jones)
Moberly High School (Adam Smith)

• Earned second-team all-conference honors at William Woods University as a freshman after hitting .344 with 11 doubles, 1 triple, and three home runs as a freshman… scored 36 runs, had 28 RBIs, and five steals… recorded 12 multi-hit games
• First-team all-state as a high school senior… three-time first-team all-conference honoree
• 2016 MINK League All-Star
• Also was a two-time first-team all-state selection in basketball

Heller on Wetrich:
“Tanner is an outstanding all-around shortstop with the type of savvy and leadership skills we love in all of our student-athletes. He is a hard-nosed player who has the ability to be a versatile offensive player. We are excited to welcome Tanner to the Hawkeye family.”