Roux: Louisiana Announces 2022 Baseball Signing Class
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Baseball Coach Matt Deggs formally announced his 2022 signing class on Wednesday, featuring seven in-state products in the 12-member class.
Louisiana, which finished 32-23 overall last season and claimed the Sun Belt Conference West Division title, inked seven pitchers in the signing period while also getting commitments from prospects from Alabama, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia.
Signing a National Letter-of-Intent to play for Louisiana beginning in the 2023 season are pitchers Ryan Baron (Lake Charles, La./St. Louis Catholic HS), Gage Bihm (Opelousas, La./Hinds CC), Steven Cash (Centreville, Ala./Bibb County HS), Sam Hill (Laurel, Miss./Pearl River CC), Luke McGibboney (St. Amant, La./LSU-Eunice), Brendan Moody (Iowa, La./LSU-Eunice) and pitcher/outfielder Luke Yuhasz (Lake Charles, La./Sam Houston HS).
Louisiana also added outfielders Jake McCarter (West Chester, Pa./Bishop Shanahan HS) and Caleb Stelly (Baton Rouge, La./Parkview Baptist), infielders Lee Amedee (Gonzales, La./St. Amant HS) and Carson McCoy (St. Albans, W.Va./St. Albans HS) plus catcher Landon Williams (Abilene, Texas/Abilene Wylie HS).
"The biggest thing we wanted to do is creating that tie back again to the region," Deggs said. "That was a really big emphasis of us doing really well in this area, the region and the state.
"I thought (recruiting coordinator) Jake (Wells) did a tremendous job in the recruiting aspect. He was a pitbull on the road and spent countless hours on the recruiting trail and I appreciate the job that he did. Our staff did a great job in getting them all in and organizing. It was a great team effort."
"When commenting on classes this far out, there's always a lot of speculation involved," Deggs added. "Obviously, they're good players or they wouldn't have the chance to sign, but now is the time when the real work starts. They've got to come in and be ready to make an impact and I'm excited to see what they can do. It's an exciting class."
Louisiana will officially open its 2022 season with a three-game series against UC Irvine on Feb. 18-20 at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park.
Season ticket renewals for Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns Baseball are currently underway for the 2022 season.
Season ticket prices have been set for the 2022 season with renewals available at RaginCajuns.com/tickets. Fans wishing to upgrade their tickets can visit RaginCajuns.com/BSBupgrade.
Season tickets require a $100 investment to the RCAF Annual Fund. Premium seat holders will be contacted by the RCAF at a later date regarding renewing premium seating.
LOUISIANA RAGIN' CAJUNS BASEBALL SIGNING CLASS
Lee Amedee – IF, L/R, 6-0, 195, Gonzales, La. (St. Amant HS)
Ryan Baron – LHP, R/L, 6-3, 175, Lake Charles, La. (St. Louis Catholic HS)
Gage Bihm – LHP, L/L, 6-4, 195, Opelousas, La. (Hinds CC/Opelousas Catholic HS)
Steven Cash – LHP, R/L, 6-1, 180, Centreville, Ala. (Bibb County HS)
Sam Hill – RHP, R/R, 6-6, 210, Laurel, Miss. (Pearl River CC/West Jones HS)
Jake McCarter – OF, R/R, 6-1, 185, West Chester, Pa. (Bishop Shanahan HS)
Carson McCoy – IF, R/R, 5-11, 170, St. Albans, W.Va. (St. Albans HS)
Luke McGibboney – RHP, R/R, 6-2, 200, St. Amant, La. (LSU-Eunice/Catholic HS)
Brendan Moody – RHP, R/R, 6-2, 210, Iowa, La. (LSU-Eunice/Iowa HS)
Caleb Stelly – OF, R/R, 6-1, 200, Baton Rouge, La. (Parkview Baptist School)
Landon Williams – C/UT, R/R, 6-3, 185, Abilene, Texas (Abilene Wylie HS)
Luke Yuhasz – RHP/OF, R/R, 6-5, 220, Lake Charles, La. (Sam Houston HS)
SIGNEES CAPSULES
LEE AMEDEE – IF, L/R, 6-0, 195, Gonzales, La. (St. Amant HS)
First-Team All-District and First Team All-Metro at St. Amant High School as a junior … lettered in both football and baseball for the Gators as a sophomore.
COMMENTS – "Lee is regarded as one of the best left-handed hitters in our state in the 2022 class. He has the ability to hit for power and average at our level. When you think of a run producer, Lee fits the bill. We are expecting Lee to impact our offense as soon as he steps on campus. Lee also possesses the toughness that Cajun Nation likes to see, he's a linebacker on his football team and will not shy away from contact. We are very excited about having Lee join our program."
RYAN BARON – LHP, R/L, 6-3, 175, Lake Charles, La. (St. Louis Catholic HS)
Helped St. Louis Catholic to the 2021 LHSAA Division II state title … father, Jim Baron, played nine seasons in the minor leagues with the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates organizations.
COMMENTS – "When it comes to project-ability, Ryan is the definition. With professional baseball in his blood lines, Ryan is on pace to being a high profile pitcher in our game. With a long athletic frame and a loose arm the velocity will continue to increase. His frame shows that it will hold more strength which will elevate his overall game. We are excited to see what the future hold for Ryan not only here but beyond."
GAGE BIHM – LHP, L/L, 6-4, 195, Opelousas, La. (Hinds CC/Opelousas Catholic HS)
Was 0-2 with a 6.28 earned run average in 14.1 innings as a freshman at Hinds Community College (Miss.) … rated the No. 3 left-hander pitching prospect in the state of Louisiana by PerfectGame.org coming out of high school … played in the 2019 WWBA World Championship in Jupiter, Fla. … named All-District 5-1A in 2019 as a utility player.
COMMENTS – "Another projectable left-handed pitcher, Gage is a hometown kid. He has the ability to pitch for a long time and we are excited to watch his development over the next two years. A Hinds Community College product, Gage has a really good arm that possesses power. He also has a good breaking ball that makes him a matchup that hitters will not be excited to take on. He will be a guy that will have the opportunity to start and can fit into a bullpen role nicely as well. We are excited to have Gage in our program."
STEVEN CASH – LHP, R/L, 6-1, 180, Centreville, Ala. (Bibb County HS)
Posted a 9-1 record with a 1.02 earned run average and 125 strikeouts in 61.1 innings pitched as a junior … named the PBR Alabama Player of the Month in March 2021 … a two-time Alabama Baseball Coaches Association All-Star and 2020 AlaBCA Team Alabama selection … team captain for the BCHS football team as a senior … named the JV Basketball team captain and Defensive Player of the Year for basketball.
COMMENTS – "Steven is a very projectable, left-handed pitcher with a history of winning. He is very athletic for a pitcher and we look for him to eat up a lot of innings as a freshman. Steven has a very unique competitive bone that Cajun Nation will love to watch. We expect Steven to be a solid piece to our pitching staff for several years."
SAM HILL – RHP, R/R, 6-6, 210, Laurel, Miss. (Pearl River CC/West Jones HS)
A second-team NJCAA All-American in 2021 at Pearl River Community College (Miss.) … named to the All-MACC team … was 4-1 on the mound with a 2.48 earned run average … fanned 42 batters in 36.1 innings … won a MHSAA state championship at West Jones High School in 2019 ... was 4-1 that season with 1.78 ERA; struck out 44 in 35.1 innings ... Struck out 17 in 6.2 innings during shortened senior season.
COMMENTS – "Starting pitching is such a premium position and Sam fits that perfectly. He is a physical kid with a really good arm. He has pitched some big innings for a successful junior college program, so moving into a big role here will be comfortable for him. Sam has a bright future on the mound here as well as in the future and we are excited to be able to watch him progress over the next year or two."
JAKE MCCARTER – OF, R/R, 6-1, 185, West Chester, Pa. (Bishop Shanahan HS)
Three-year letterwinner in baseball at Bishop Shanahan … also lettered in basketball.
COMMENTS – "Another speed and strength package, Jake is a top prospect in the country in the outfield. Jake possesses a little bit of everything from arm strength, a run tool and a feel to handle the bat. Our outfield next fall will be full of great athletes with Jake being a great addition to our program."
CARSON MCCOY – IF, R/R, 5-11, 170, St. Albans, W.V. (St. Albans HS)
The No. 1-ranked shortstop in West Virginia by Prep Baseball Report … named to the All Kanawha-Valley Baseball team and a first-team All-Mountain State Athletic Conference selection … hit .357 and scored 45 runs as a junior … led the state of West Virginia in stolen bases … helped St. Albans to the 2019 state championship and 2021 Sectional and Regional championships … Named to the Great Lakes Indoor Showcase Top Prospect Team.
COMMENTS – "Carson possesses an elite tool that is hard to find – speed. Carson has been clocked at a 6.3-6.4 60 time with a solid fundamental defensive skill set. He will fit nicely into our style of offense with his ability to put extreme pressure on the defense with his legs and bat-to-ball skills. As he continues to get stronger, Carson will be an elite player in our game. He will be exciting to watch over the next several years."
LUKE MCGIBBONEY – RHP, R/R, 6-2, 200, St. Amant, La. (LSU-Eunice/Catholic HS)
Posted a 3-0 record with a 3.96 ERA in 2021 at LSU-Eunice … appeared in 11 games with nine starts for the NJCAA National Champions … earned the start and pitched 4.2 innings with three strikeouts for the Bengals in the NJCAA championship game against Western Oklahoma State … named third-team All-Academic (NJCAA) … lettered three years in baseball at Baton Rouge's Catholic High School where he was a two-time All-State Academic recipient.
COMMENTS – "Luke is another south Louisiana kid that loves the Cajuns. He will be a nice reliable piece to our pitching staff next season. He has the ability to start as well as relieve so that adds a great dynamic to our staff. He is a 'know what you're going to get' right-handed pitcher that we can count on. We are excited to watch his career over the next few years."
BRENDAN MOODY – RHP, R/R, 6-2, 210, Iowa, La. (LSU-Eunice/Iowa HS)
Posted an 0-1 record with a 1.54 ERA for the NJCAA National Champions at LSU-Eunice … named All-Southwest Louisiana Big Schools, LSWA All-State and LBCA All-State as a high school senior in 2019 … a first-team all-district pitcher … also lettered in cross country.
COMMENTS – "Brendan is a Cajun that will be a power arm for our pitching staff. He comes from a very successful junior college program (LSU-E) that has a history of winning. Brendan will be expected to pitch a lot for us next season. Being a south Louisiana kid, pitching for the Cajuns is something he takes pride in .Brendan has a bright future in our game."
CALEB STELLY – OF, R/R, 6-1, 200, Baton Rouge, La. (Parkview Baptist School)
Lettered 3 years in Baseball at Parkview Baptist … named to the All-Metro and Class 3A All-State teams.
COMMENTS – "Caleb is one of the top-rated outfielders in the state of Louisiana in the class of 2022. He profiles as a future professional in our game. He possesses the speed and strength that our program looks for and we are counting on him to make an impact right away. Caleb is a very special athlete that has a bright future here in Cajun Country as well as in the future."
LANDON WILLIAMS – C/UT, R/R, 6-3, 185, Abilene, Texas (Abilene Wylie HS)
Two-year starter at catcher for Abilene Wylie … named to the 2021 PGBA 17U Central Texas Open for the DFW Twins … a 2020 Don Mattingly AABC World Series Team member with the Texas Angels.
COMMENTS – "Landon is a physical, athletic kid with a leadership personality. We look for him to be a leader in our clubhouse and on the field. He profiles as an advanced catch-and-throw catcher with some strength in the bat. We look for Landon to add long term stability behind the plate for three years. Landon is also able to play other positions to allow us to have depth in our line-up. Landon is a great addition to our program."
LUKE YUHASZ – RHP/OF, R/R, 6-5, 220, Lake Charles, La. (Sam Houston HS)
Helped lead Moss Bluff's Sam Houston to the LHSAA Class 5A semifinals in 2021 … originally a Texas A&M commit in baseball … two-way product at Sam Houston who also excelled on the Broncos' football team as a wide receiver … spent 2020 football season at Crowley's Notre Dame High School due to damage caused in the Lake Charles area by Hurricanes Laura and Delta.
COMMENTS – "Luke is another speed and strength athlete that we are excited to add to our 2022 class. Luke has the ability to hit for power, run and throw hard on the mound. His physicality is impressive and he will be able to make an impact early both in the box and on the mound. He is also a highly-recruited football player in the state of Louisiana so his mentality is a perfect fit for Cajun Nation."
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Re: Louisiana Announces 2022 Baseball Signing Class
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