Tulane announces 2018 baseball signing class

NEW ORLEANS – Ahead of his third season, Tulane baseball head coach Travis Jewett officially announced the program’s 2018 signing class.

The incoming class consists of 15 newcomers, including 14 high school student-athletes and one junior college transfer. The breakdown of the newcomers comprises three catchers, three middle infielders, two outfielders, six right-handed pitchers and one left handed pitcher.

“Please help me in welcoming our 2018-2019 recruiting class to Tulane University,” Jewett said. “We are excited to have this new group on campus and certainly like what they will bring to the team! I’m very thankful to each one of them and their families for believing in us and what this opportunity provides to them both academically as well as athletically.

“I would be remised if I did not thank our staff for the hard work and dedication that it takes to procure such a quality group of young men. I’d like to thank each of them for their efforts, and we’re excited to see this group blend with what we believe is a quality group of returners to form what we envision will be a good year and future ahead for the program.”

J.C. Ariza, 6-5, 225, RHP
A two-year letterman at Seton Hall Prep in West Orange, N.J…pitched for the Pirates, helping the team to a pair of county championships and the North Jersey state finals…team captain during his senior year…posted a 6-1 record on the mound as a starter and a closer during his senior year in 2018.

Landon Boeneke, 6-6, 210, RHP
A three-year letterman at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, La., under coach Brad Bass…played first base and pitcher for the Bears…helped his team to a 27-9 record in 2018…recorded 21 strikeouts and a 2.00 ERA in 21 innings as a senior…led his team to the finals of the Division I 5A state playoffs as a junior and the semifinals of the state playoffs as a senior…earned the 2018 student-athlete award for baseball…played summer ball with Marrucci 17U under coach Rooster Southall…2017 17U WWBA All-Tournament Team selection…ranked third academically in his graduating class.

Collin Burns, 5-10, 175, INF
A three-year letterman at De La Salle High School in New Orleans…played shortstop for the Cavaliers…helped his team to a 31-9 record and an appearance in the state quarterfinals in 2018… posted a .402 batting average while leading the team in home runs and tallying 49 hits and 52 runs scored as a senior…tabbed a 2018 Preseason Rawlings All-America Honorable Mention…named to The New Orleans Advocate All-Metro Team, the LBCA All-Region 10 Team, the USAToday first team All-USA Louisiana, the PBR first team all-state, and LBCA all-state first team as a senior…first team all-district honors as a sophomore, junior and senior… the third ranked shortstop in Louisiana according to the 2018 Prep Baseball Report…tabbed to the Louisiana all-academic team…ranked second academically in his graduating class.

Ethan Groff, 5-11, 187, INF
A four-year letterman at Trinity Preparatory School in Winter Park, Fla., under coach Trevor Berryhill…played shortstop and second base for the Saints…team captain during his junior and senior years…posted a .338 batting average while tallying four homers, 19 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 22 games in 2018…earned Third Team Orlando Sentinel District III All-Area and Perfect Game Florida All-Region Second Team honors as a senior…National High School Invitational All-Tournament Team and Rawlings-Perfect Game All-American Honorable Mention in 2018…Perfect Game Underclass High Honorable Mention and Baseball District runner-up in 2017…named a top-30 shortstop prospect by Prospect Select 2018…batted .403 with 17 RBIs in 24 games as a junior…also lettered in basketball as a sophomore…member of the National Honor Society in Spanish and history and received the President’s Award as a senior.

Hudson Haskin, 6-2, 195, OF
A four-year letterman at Avon Old Farms School in Avon, Conn., under coach Rob Dowling…played centerfield for the Winged Beavers…2018 Perfect Game All-America Honorable Mention…drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 39th round of the 2018 MLB Draft…team captain during his junior and senior years…team MVP during his junior and senior years…helped his team to a 16-5 record in 2018…posted a .515 batting average while tallying nine home runs, 37 RBI, and 36 stolen bases in 2018…earned All-Founders League First Team honors as a sophomore, junior, and senior while earning Founders League MVP honors as a junior and senior…named to the American Baseball Coaches Association first team (NY+NE region) and the All-USA first team all-state as a senior …holds the Avon Old Farms school record for stolen bases previously held by current Houston Astros all-star outfielder George Springer…also a one year letterman in indoor track.

Blake Johnson, 5-10, 180, C
A four-year letterman at Gulfport High School under coach Jamie Macmahon…played catcher, pitcher, and infield for the Admirals…team captain during his junior and senior years…team MVP during his junior and senior years…helped his team to a 28-6 record in 2018…posted a .470 batting average while tallying nine home runs, 40 RBI, 34 runs scored, and 45 hits in 2018…earned first team all-league, District 8 First Team, first team all-region, and first team all-state honors by the Clarion Ledger as a junior and senior…named to the Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen and MAC CrossRoads Diamond Club All-Star Game in 2018…named the Gulfport Hall of Fame Male Athlete of the Year, Gulfport Teammate of the Year, and Gulfport Offensive Player of the Year as a senior…tabbed first team all-state by MaxPreps…helped the Admirals set a new school record for most wins in a season with 33 in 2017…holds the Mississippi State high school record for most home runs in a game, with six.

Aaron McKeithan, 6-1, 215, C
A four-year letterman at T.C. Roberson High School in Asheville, N.C., under coach Eric Filiper…played catcher for the Rams…Earned IMG National Classic Tournament MVP…team captain during his junior and senior years…named offensive MVP during his junior year…posted a .400 batting average in 2018 and helped the team to 21 wins…earned first team All-WMAC honors as a sophomore and junior…earned first team all-district and first team all-region honors as a junior after batting .409 with five home runs and 17 doubles…helped his team win the 3A state championship in 2017…played summer ball with Dirtbags Baseball which won the WWBA Jupiter World Championship in 2017…has an older brother, Joel, who played shortstop at Vanderbilt during Jewett’s time as an assistant coach.

Spencer Oliver, 6-4, 200, RHP
A one-year letterman as a pitcher at Daniel Hand High School in Madison, Conn., under coach Nick Merullo…helped the Tigers to a 19-4 record and a trip to the state playoffs as a senior in 2018…played summer ball for the Northeast Baseball Rays…tabbed a 2018 Rawlings Perfect Game Honorable Mention…selected to the Perfect Game Northeast All-Region First Team…ranked as the fourth best prospect in the state of Connecticut according to Perfect Game.

Brendan Power, 5-9, 170, INF
A four-year letterman at Palm Beach Central High School in Wellington, Fla., under coach Tony Gullo…played shortstop for the Broncos…team captain during his sophomore, junior and senior years…team MVP during his sophomore year…sat out the 2018 season due to injury…earned first team all-league honors as a sophomore and junior…posted a .375 batting average in 2017 and a .388 clip as a sophomore in 2016.

Krishna Raj, 6-3, 204, RHP
A three-year letterman at Palm Beach Central High School in Wellington, Fla., under coach Tony Gullo…pitched for the Broncos, helping the team reach the regional semifinals…team captain during his junior year…Bronco Award winner his junior and senior years…academic award recipient as a senior.

Ryan Rogan, 6-2, 182, C
A two-year letterman at St. Paul’s High School in Brooklandville, Md., under coach Brandon Taylor…played catcher and outfield for the Crusaders…team captain during his senior year…team MVP during his senior year…posted a .380 batting average while leading the team in hits and doubles in 2018…tabbed a 2018 MIAA ‘A’ conference all-star…receiving St. Paul’s Crusader Award…also a three-year letterman in football, playing at wide receiver and corner back…one-year letterman in basketball.

Grant Segar, 6-0, 177, RHP
A three-year letterman at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, La., under coach Brad Bass…played outfield and pitched for the Bears…team captain as a senior…helped his team to a 27-9 record in 2018…earned a 6-1 record in eight starts while limiting opponents to a .182 batting average and 1.11 ERA as a senior…posted a .300 batting average while tallying 31 RBI and 17 runs scored as a senior…led his team to the finals of the State Playoffs as a junior and the semifinals of the State Playoffs as a senior…named to the LHSAA Academic All-State Team as a senior…earned second team All-Metro honors as a pitcher by The New Orleans Advocate and first team All-District as a utility player as a senior…Catholic High School Golden Glove Award Recipient in 2018…played every position except catcher during his high school career…also a two-year letterman in football as a quarterback and was the first freshman to ever play the position in a game and just the second ever at any position…posted a 3.8 GPA in the classroom as a four-year honor roll student.

Logan Stevens, 6-1, 195, OF
A two-year letterman at John Curtis Christian High School in River Ridge, La. (2016-18) under coach Jeff Curtis and valedictorian of his graduating class at John Curtis…also a three-year letterman at Northlake Christian High School in Covington, La. (2014-16) under coach Chad Catalano…played outfield and pitched for the Wolverines and Patriots…led his team to a 30-4 record in 2018…helped his team earn back-to-back State Championship Titles in 2017 and 2018…earned a 5-1 record while holding opponents to a 0.20 ERA as a senior…posted a .320 batting average while tallying 21 RBI and five triples in 2018…earned first team All-District and first team All-metro honors as a senior…named a Perfect Game Baseball Preseason Southeast Region All-American in 2018…named to the 2018 Perfect Game Baseball 18U National Championship All-Tournament Team and the 2017 Perfect Game Baseball 17U National Championship All-Tournament Team…ranked as the 10th overall player in Louisiana according to the 2018 Prep Baseball Report…an all-state and all-metro pick in 2016…an all-district selection in 2015 and 2016 at Northlake Christian…a two-time a 4.0 GPA in the classroom and was an honor roll student each semester…member of the Northlake Christian National Honor Society.

Ryan Wallace, 5-9, 181, LHP
A three-year letterman at Park Vista High School in Lake Worth, Fla…pitched for the Cobras…team MVP during his senior year… chosen as a 2018 Rawlings Perfect Game All-America Honorable Mention…helped his team to a 20-8 record in 2018…earned a 6-2 record in 12 appearances while holding opponents to a 0.96 ERA as a senior…earned first team All-City and first team All-District honors as a senior.

C.J. Whelan, 6-4, 225, RHP
Attended San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, Calif., for two years under head coach Reed Peters and pitching coach Mat Keplinger…redshirted in 2017 and pitched in 2018…helped the team to a 43-9 overall record en route to winning the 2018 California State Championship, the Big 8 Conference title and a No. 2 national ranking in Perfect Game’s final national poll…posted a 3-0 record on the mound with a 1.31 ERA during the regular season…suited up for the Dodge City A’s in the Jayhawk League in 2017 where he went 5-0 with two saves, a 1.12 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 14 innings of work…lettered two years at Granite Bay High School in California under coach Pat Esposito as a pitcher and third baseman…notched a 0.91 ERA as a junior but was limited during his senior campaign due to a leg injury…member of the California Scholastic Federation…earned the scholar-athlete award and the academic merit award…maintained a 3.92 GPA in the classroom…has an older brother Ryan who was a four-year letterman for the swimming team at TCU where he was an All-Big 12 First Team and Big 12-All-Academic First Team honoree.