Hawkeyes Add 9 for 2018

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa baseball team has signed nine players that will join the Hawkeyes next fall, it was announced Thursday by Iowa head coach Rick Heller.
 
The class includes junior college transfers Zeb Adreon (OF/1B), Korry Howell (SS), Austin Martin (C), and Tanner Padgett (1B/OF), and prep players Brayden Frazier (SS), Duncan Davitt (RHP), Drew Irvine (RHP), Clayton Nettleton (RHP), and Brendan Sher (SS).
 
Seven of the nine players hail from Iowa with the two out-of-state signees coming from Chicago, Illinois, and Wichita, Kansas.  The class consists of six position players and three right-handed pitchers.
 
“We feel this is a talented group that will help keep our program growing and improving,” said Heller, who has led the Hawkeyes to two NCAA Regional appearances in the last three seasons. “This year’s current team looks to have several MLB Draft selections in the junior class, so it was a challenge for our staff to find the right players to come in and keep the talent level high in case that happens.
 
“I believe that this class will do that. It’s a great mix of high school and junior college players with seven of the nine being from Iowa.  
 
“Associate head coach/recruiting coordinator Marty Sutherland did an outstanding job. This past recruiting year was a challenge with our preparation for the World Games and the coaching changes within our staff. Marty worked tirelessly to make sure we didn’t fall behind in our recruiting efforts. His outstanding effort is appreciated by us all and this an excellent class. 
 
“We may be signing a few more players in the spring and early summer depending on how things shake out on the field and if we feel we lose more players to the draft. Overall, we feel we are in a good place and have signed players who have the ability to come in and make an immediate impact.”
 
Iowa Baseball Recruiting Class

Zeb Adreon
OF/1B, 6-2, 185, L/L
Pleasantville, Iowa
Southeastern Community College (Justin Schulte)
Pleasantville High School (Sheldon Card)

• Earned second-team all-region honors after hitting .362 with 60 runs and 59 RBIs… led the NJCAA with 29 doubles and had eight home runs, two triples, and nine steals
• Three-time all-state selection in high school
• Three-time academic all-state selection
• Also was all-state in football and a member of the 4×100 state champion relay

Heller on Adreon
“Zeb can play both outfield and first base and will bring a proven left-handed bat to our lineup. He has put up big numbers in his first year and a half in junior college. Zeb is a tough kid who we believe will be a middle of the lineup-type hitter. We are excited Zeb will be a Hawkeye.”
 
Duncan Davitt
RHP, 6-3, 190, R/R
Indianola, Iowa
Indianola High School (Casey Aldridge)
Iowa Sticks (Mike Mahoney)

• Ranked as a top-500 prospect nationally by Perfect Game and as the No. 11 player in Iowa by Prep Baseball Report
• 2017 Perfect Game Underclass Honorable Mention selection
• Went 7-1 with a 0.47 ERA over 60 innings as a junior… allowed 33 hits, struck out 65, and issued 17 walks
• Second-team all-state by the coaches and third-team by the Iowa Newspaper Association as a junior… also was first-team all-district and all-conference
• Earned second-team all-district and all-conference honors as a sophomore

Heller on Davitt
“We are excited Duncan will be a Hawkeye. He commands three pitches; his fastball sits around 90 and his breaking ball can be a swing-and-miss pitch.  With Duncan’s work ethic and his excellent make up, he comes into our program as a mature pitcher for his age.”

Brayden Frazier
SS, 6-0, 190, R/R
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School (Kyle Rodenkirk)
Iowa Select (Steve James)

• Rated as the 440th-best prospect nationally by Perfect Game… was a 2017 Perfect Game Third-Team Underclass selection
• Ranked as the No. 6 player in the state of Iowa by Prep Baseball Report
• Earned first-team all-state honors by the Iowa Newspaper Association and second-team all-state honors by the coaches as a junior after hitting .432 with 33 runs and 33 RBIs… had 24 doubles, two triples, two home runs, and six steals… the 24 doubles ranked second in the state
• First-team all-district, all-metro, and all-conference honoree in 2017
• Was a preseason third-team All-American in 2017
• Was an Area Code Games player in 2016 and was invited to the National Showcase in 2017
• Has a 4.0 cumulative grade point average and got a 31 on his ACT
• National Honor Society member and is an All-Academic honoree

Heller on Frazier
“We are excited to have Brayden in our program. He is an excellent defensive infielder with a strong bat. Brayden has all the intangibles that we look for in an Iowa recruit and is a great student. His makeup is excellent and he plays the game the right way.”
 
Korry Howell
SS, 6-3, 170, R/R
Chicago, Ill.
Kirkwood Community College (Todd Rima)
Homewood-Flossmoor High School (Todd Sippel)

• Drafted in the 19th Round of the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Kansas City Royals
• Earned first-team all-region honors at Kirkwood as a freshman, hitting .394 with 14 doubles, six home runs, and one triple… had 33 RBIs and 43 stolen bases
• Ranked third nationally in steals in NJCAA Division II
• Posted 27 multi-hit games and 10 multi-RBI contests… scored two or more runs in 19 games… hit safely in 41 of 53 games… had at least one steal in 26 games

Heller on Howell
“Korry is a tremendous all-around player. He is an excellent defensive shortstop with outstanding range. Offensively, Korry can hit for power and is a plus runner. He loves to play and always has a hop in his step. We are excited Korry will be a Hawkeye.”
 
Drew Irvine
RHP, 6-3, 160, S/R
Waukee, Iowa
Waukee High School (Dave Dirxx)
Iowa Sticks (Mike Mahoney)

• Ranked as a top-500 prospect nationally by Perfect Game
• All-state, all-district, and all-conference selection
• Went 9-2 with a 1.13 ERA as a junior… struck out 46 over 68 innings and issued just four walks

Heller on Irvine
“Drew can really pitch. He pounds the zone with confidence with three pitches every day. He has made a nice jump with his velocity the past few months touching 90. Drew is a great fit for our program with his attitude and love of the game. We are looking forward to seeing Drew in a Hawkeye uniform.”
 
Austin Martin
C, 6-1, 200, R/R
Altoona, Iowa
Southeastern Community College (Justin Schulte)
Southeast Polk High School (Scott Belger)

• Hit .304 with 36 runs and 26 RBIs as a freshman at Southeastern Community College… had 10 doubles and three home runs
• Was a first-team academic all-region honoree at Southeastern
• Was a first-team all-state selection as a senior… helped guide Southeast Polk to back-to-back state titles in 2014 and 2015
• Was a 2016 All-Star in hockey, where he was a two-time team captain

Heller on Martin
“We are happy Austin will be a Hawkeye. He is an excellent defensive catcher, who can handle a pitching staff. He plays hard and has the perfect makeup for a catcher.  Austin will be a solid bat in the lineup as well and he has added more power to his swing this past year.”
 
Clayton Nettleton
RHP, 6-2, 205, L/R
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport West High School (Scott Beatty)
Iowa Select (Steve James)

• Rated as the 245th-best prospect nationally by Perfect Game
• 2017 Perfect Game Second-Team Underclass selection
• Two-time all-state and two-time all-metro selection
• Went 6-3 with a 2.94 ERA as a junior… struck out 61 over 52 1/3 innings

Heller on Nettleton
“Clayton has had fantastic high school career to this point and we are happy he will be a Hawkeye. He possesses a low 90s fastball with a plus breaking ball and excellent control. Clayton’s make-up and competiveness are tremendous. He has a high ceiling on the development side; we are glad he’s coming to Iowa.”
 
Tanner Padgett
1B/OF, 6-6, 240, R/R
Wichita, Kan.
Johnson County Community College (Kent Shelley)
Valley Center High School (Nick Barnes)

• First-Team All-Kansas Jayhawk CC Conference selection as a freshman at JCCC
• Hit .382 with 53 runs and 61 RBIs… had 16 home runs, 14 doubles, and one triple
• His 86 hits were the most ever by a Johnson County CC freshman and the second-most in a single season in school history
• Had 25 multi-hit games, the fifth-most in a single season

Heller on Padgett
“Tanner is a big, physical hitter, who is athletic. He has put up big numbers in his first year and a half in junior college and we look for him to be a presence in the middle of our lineup. Defensively, he can play outfield and first base. Tanner has a great work ethic, and we are happy he will be a Hawkeye next season.”
 
Brendan Sher
SS, 6-2, 170, R/R
Indianola, Iowa
Indianola High School (Casey Aldridge)
Peak Performance (Bobby Reisz)
 

• Ranked as a top-500 prospect nationally by Perfect Game
• First-team all-state by the coaches… also earned first-team all-conference and all-district honors
• Hit .400 with 40 RBIs and 36 runs… had 10 doubles, four home runs, and three triples… swiped nine bases
• Was team’s 2017 Most Valuable Player… two-time team offensive and defensive MVP
• Two-time team captain (2016, 2017)
• Earned first-team all-district and all-conference selection as a sophomore… second-team all-conference as a freshman

Heller on Sher
“Brendan is an outstanding defensive shortstop, who plays the game with a lot of passion and energy. He has worked hard in the weight room and we believe he will be a strong offensive player. Brendan loves to play and is a great fit for our program. We are happy he will be a Hawkeye.”