Tulane announces 2019 baseball signing class

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NEW ORLEANS, La. – Entering his fourth year at the helm of the program, Tulane baseball coach Travis Jewett has announced the 18 members of the team’s most recent signing class ahead of the start of fall camp which will begin in the next few weeks.

Joining the Green Wave for the upcoming 2020 season are Jack Aldrich, Luis Aviles, David Bates, Simon Baumgardt, Donovan Benoit, Liam Cogswell, Dylan Goldstein, Adam Grintz, Parker Haskin, Haydan Hastings, Chris Holcomb, Luke Jannetta, Bryce Mackey, Trevor Minder, Braden Olthoff, Joey Phelps, Clifton Slagel and Eli Weiner.

“It is with great pleasure that we announce to you the class of 2019! This group includes 18 new players, ten of which come from junior colleges and eight from the prep ranks,” Jewett said. “We feel like we have addressed our needs when it comes to replacing the great talent from the 2018 team that included a program tying record six MLB draft picks as well as a free agent signing.

“We are excited to have them on campus and look forward to watching them gel with a talented roster of returners. Please help us welcome the new wave to Tulane baseball!”

The Green Wave, who won 32 games last season, will begin fall workouts in the near future with any fall exhibitions announced in the coming weeks.

Jack Aldrich, LHP, Oak Park, Calif.

Prior to Tulane: Spent one season at Santa Barbara City College after transferring from Santa Clara University… Appeared in 16 games with the Vaqueros, making 10 starts on the mound where he sported a 5-3 record on the season… In 82.1 innings pitched, he struck out 90 while only walking 25, allowing 40 runs, 30 earned, on 69 hits and was named a second team All-Western State Conference pitcher… Had six or more strikeouts in eight games, with two games having 10 strikeouts… Had a 9.84 strikeout-per-nine innings ratio and an ERA of 3.28.

Luis Aviles, C, Palmetto Bay, Calif.

Prior to Tulane: Was a JUCO Honorable Mention All-American at Wallace Community College in Dothan, Alabama, hitting .424 at the plate with 70 hits, 14 for doubles, four triples and 17 home runs… Had 61 RBI with 51 runs scored, holding an on-base percentage of .424 and a slugging percentage of .867 in 53 games played… Spent one season at Rice University, playing in 14 games with five starts, earning six hits with a double and home run, driving in seven scoring five times.

David Bates, RHP, Franklin, Tenn.

Prior to Tulane: Made 16 appearances at Howard College, making one start after transferring from Vanderbilt… Was 1-3 on the season, picking up one save in 19.0 innings pitched… Allowed 18 runs, 11 earned, on 16 hits with 32 strikeouts to 19 walks.

Simon Baumgardt, INF, Edgewood, Colo.

High School: A four-year letterwinner at Lakewood High School in Colorado, primarily playing at the shortstop position… Served as team captain for the Tigers as a junior in 2018 and senior in 2019… Set school records in hits, doubles, runs, slugging, OPS and home runs… Was an honorable mention 5A all-state selection as well as an All-Jeffco league pick as a senior in 2019 where he produced a .452 average at the plate with 10 home runs, 25 RBI and 1.027 slugging percentage… Was an all-league and all-state pick as a junior after hitting .364 with seven home runs, 26 RBI and an OPS of 1.245… Earned his first all-league selection as a sophomore where he hit .379 at the plate, driving in 14 with three home runs and a .673 slugging percentage.

Donovan Benoit, RHP, Pensacola, Fla.

Prior to Tulane: Made 14 starts on the mound in one season at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Florida, in the 2019 season, earning a 5-3 record… Had an ERA of 3.96 in 63.2 innings pitched, fanning 68 batters with 37 walks and allowing 43 runs, 28 earned, on 54 total hits… Was drafted in the 36th round by the Texas Rangers organization… Before joining Santa Fe, he spent one season at the University of Tennessee making appearances in five games for the Vols in 2018, recording one save with a 6.86 ERA and 17 strikeouts through 21.0 innings of work… Had a streak of five straight appearances where he allowed just one unearned run for the Vols, earning his only save of the season against Maryland.

Liam Cogswell, OF, Boca Raton, Fla.

High School: Was a letterwinner at North Broward Prep in Florida, serving as an outfielder and a pitcher… Was named team captain as a senior where he batted .314 with a home run and eight RBI on a team that finished second in its league.

Dylan Goldstein, C, Southwest Ranches, Fla.

High School: A four-year letterwinner in baseball at North Broward Prep in Florida, where he was teammates with freshman Liam Cogswell… Was named team captain as well as team MVP as a senior, as his team went 20-7 on the year and finished third in the league… Led his team in home runs and RBI as a junior and senior, earning all-district honors both seasons.

Adam Grintz, RHP, Glenmore, Penn.

High School: Was a four-year letterwinner for the Whippets as a pitcher, helping win the Chestmont League title in 2016, 2017 and 2018… Set the school record for wins as a pitcher with 24, breaking a record that stood for over 30 years… Earned All-Chestmont League first team honors as a freshman, junior and senior, while earning second team honors as a sophomore… Was team captain and was named the team MVP and pitching MVP as a senior going 8-2 on the season with 85 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.33… Was named the team’s pitching MVP as a junior.

Parker Haskin, C, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

High School: Was a four-year letterwinner at catcher and playing in the infield at The Benjamin School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida… Was named team captain for the Buccaneers as a senior, while also earning team MVP honors… Batted .309 in his final prep season with eight doubles and 11 stolen bases, while behind the dish he threw out over 40 percent of runners on base to earn second team all-district honors… Earned all-district honors for the first time, as well as honorable mention all-area honors from the Palm Beach Post, as a junior, hitting .309 for the year with 28 RBI and .404 on-base percentage as the Buccaneers made the state semifinals.

Haydan Hastings, C, South Lake Tahoe, Calif.

Prior to Tulane: Spent one season at Palomar College where he was teammates with Braden Olthoff, playing in 34 games where he hit .275 at the plate… Of his 30 hits, eight were doubles and two were home runs, driving in 20 with 25 runs scored for a .399 on-base percentage and .404 slugging percentage… Had a .996 fielding percentage to claim a JUCO Gold Glove award… Played one season at Gonzaga seeing time in eight games as a freshman with a pair of starts.

Chris Holcomb, LHP, Marstons Mills, Mass.

Prior to Tulane: Spent the previous two seasons at State College of Florida in Bradenton, appearing in 37 games on the mound for the Manatees… Pitched 43.1 innings in 2019, going 2-3 on the year with a save in 17 appearances and five starts… Allowed 10 runs on 39 hits with 46 strikeouts and 25 walks to finish the season with an ERA of 2.08… In his first year at SCF, appeared in 20 games in relief and earned a 1-1 record in 22.1 innings pitched… Allowed 24 runs, 17 earned, with 22 strikeouts and 16 walks.

Luke Jannetta, LHP, Brookhaven, Ga.

High School: A three-sport prep athlete at Westminster High School in Georgia, lettering all four years in baseball as a pitcher and outfielder, three years as a wide receiver and safety on the football team and one year as a shooting guard on the basketball team… Was the pick as team captain as a junior and senior, pulling in team MVP honors both seasons as well… Went 6-3 as a senior on the mound earning all-league honors for the third consecutive year, as well as all-region and all-state honors in class 3A for the second straight year… Was 8-2 on the mound as a junior, falling in the state championship game… Was 5-2 on the year as a sophomore, falling in the first round of the state playoffs… As a freshman helped clinch a state championship where he went 3-0 on the season.

Bryce Mackey, RHP, Phoenix, Ariz.

Prior to Tulane: Spent three seasons at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Arizona… Was a part of a team that was ranked in the top 25 nationally, while winning the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference title in 2018.

Trevor Minder, INF, Springfield, Ill.

Prior to Tulane: Spent two years at Parkland College in Illinois, where as a sophomore he served as the team’s starting shortstop, playing in all 54 games where he averaged .326 at the plate with a .421 slugging percentage and .484 on-base percentage… Ranked in the top 10 in the region in hits, runs, RBI, steals and at-bats, as the Cobras finished the year as the NJCAA Division II national runner-up… Was named the NJCAA DII Player of the Week after batting .407 while accounting for 28 of Parkland’s runs over six games… Had seven RBI in a game on the season.

Braden Olthoff, RHP, Vista, Calif.

Prior to Tulane: Spent two seasons at Palomar College in California, appearing in 30 games with 13 starts… Sported a 6-1 record with five saves in a first team all-conference season as a sophomore, allowing 19 runs on 41 hits with 75 strikeouts and 23 walks… In 68 innings of work had an ERA of 2.51, making 16 appearances and eight starts… As a freshman, appeared in 14 games with five starts, earning a 1-1 record… In 37.1 innings pitched allowed 24 runs, 17 earned with 47 strikeouts and six walks for an ERA of 4.10.

Joey Phelps, RHP, Los Angeles, Calif.

High School: Was a three-year letterwinner at Loyola High School in California, serving as a pitcher, shortstop and outfielder… Was named team captain as a senior, earning All-Mission League honors after hitting .297 at the plate and having a 1.15 ERA on the mound with 66 strikeouts with eight earned runs allowed… Was named the Loyola Pitcher of the Year that season… Was a second-team all-league selection as a junior hitting .273 with 11 stolen bases… In his sophomore season, he hit .260, while picking up a pair of saves.

Clifton Slagel, RHP, Fairbury, Ill.

Prior to Tulane: Spent previous two seasons at Heartland Community College in Normal, Illinois… As a sophomore was 7-2 on the year, where in 10 starts had a 3.59 earned run average… In 62.2 innings pitched he allowed 29 runs, 25 earned, on 47 hits with 55 strikeouts and 14 walks and an opponent batting average of .200… Was named to the all-conference and all-region second team… As a freshman, appeared in 15 games with three starts, going 4-1 on the year with three saves… Pitched 43.2 innings that season, allowing 15 runs, 13 earned, with 26 strikeouts and 12 walks for a 2.68 ERA.

Eli Weiner, RHP, Roswell, Ga.

High School: Was a four-year letterwinner as a pitcher and utility player at The Weber School in Georgia… Was named team captain and team most valuable player as a senior after striking out 38 in 22 innings of work on the mound, while hitting .442 with nine doubles, two home runs and 17 RBI… Was named to the all-region team, while also being named a Perfect Game preseason All-American and all-southeast region… As a junior was named a Perfect Game preseason underclass All-American… As a sophomore was named a Perfect Game preseason underclass All-American.

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