Hayden Announces 2015 Signing Class
11/17/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
OXFORD, Ohio – Miami baseball head coach Danny Hayden has announced the signing of the 2015 class, which will join the RedHawks baseball program for the 2016 season. After signing three players just months after taking over the program last year, Hayden has signed eight prospects this year.
The eight-man class features five Ohioans, Nick Ernst (Cinncinati, Ohio), Dallas Hall (West Chester, Ohio), Michael Hendricks (Defiance, Ohio), Zach Hoffmann (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Hayden Senger (Hamilton, Ohio). Hayden also inked Cole Gnetz (Woodbury, Minn.), Ricky Sisto (Liverpool, N.Y.) and Zach Spears (Fortville, Ind.).
Biographical information on the eight signees as well as thoughts from coach Hayden (prospect rankings from PrepBaseballReport.com).
Nick Ernst
Right-Handed Pitcher
6-3, 205
Cincinnati, Ohio/La Salle
Prep: Features a fastball clocked at 87-88 to go with a good curveball and changeup … rated as the No. 19 prospect and No. 10 RHP in Ohio … posted a 3.23 ERA in his junior season as the Lancers went 12-13.
Coach Hayden on Ernst: Nick is a tough kid. When we saw him pitch we really loved the way he competed. We felt very comfortable that he could improve our staff. Then we met him and we realized that this is a guy who we can really count on to come in his freshman year and have an impact on our team. He is a confident guy who expects to be really good. It will be fun to watch him work his freshman year and earn his innings and establish himself as a leader.
Cole Gnetz
Right-Handed Pitcher/First Baseman
6-4, 200
Woodbury, Minn./Cretin Derham Hall
Prep: Big right-hander that has topped out at 91 mph … the No. 7 overall prospect in Minnesota and the fourth best RHP in the state … also played first base and hit .391 while going 5-4 with a 2.50 ERA on the mound for Cretin Derham Hall as the team went 15-5 in 2014.
Coach Hayden on Gnetz: “Cole has as much upside as anyone in this class both as a hitter and on the mound. He is a mature kid but still very young as far as being a pitcher goes. We expect Cole to make huge strides working with Coach Davis every day. He has the talent to have a major role on our club his freshman year. In Cole, we feel that we are getting a player that can certainly contribute early, but if he makes a jump between now and his freshman spring he will really be electric.”
Dallas Hall
Outfielder
5-9, 180
West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West
Prep: Hit .360 with four home runs, eight doubles, one triple and 26 RBIs as a junior to lead the team to a 23-5 record … played in the infield and outfield for the Firebirds … ranked as the No. 10 outfielder in the state of Ohio.
Coach Hayden on Hall: “We started our 2015 recruiting class saying that we were not going to add an outfielder, but then I saw Dallas Hall play and came back to our staff and said we will be adding one. Dallas was our first commit in the 2015 class and he is absolutely the kind of guy we wanted to find. He is talented enough that any team would want him, but what sets him apart is his passion for baseball. He is the kind of tough gritty player that we want to embody our program. I look for him to make as big an impact in our clubhouse as he will on the field.”
Michael Hendricks
Right-Handed Pitcher
6-3, 210
Defiance, Ohio/Defiance
Prep: Big righty clocked consistently in the upper 80s with his fastball … posted a 1.95 ERA in 17.0 innings on the mound for the 23-6 Bulldogs … rated the 10th-best prospect in Ohio by Perfect Game … also earned Perfect Game Underclass All-American honorable mention.
Coach Hayden on Hendricks: “Michael is a tremendous talent. He already has the kind of stuff to come in and get college hitters out. What we are excited to see out of him is what kind of strides he can make when he gets to campus. If he doesn’t get any better we know that he can get guys out, but if his work ethic matches his ability, then we could have a really good one. I know we got a good one in Michael and it will be fun to watch him work.”
Zach Hoffmann
Left-Handed Pitcher
6-5, 215
Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller
Prep: Struck out six batters in just 5.2 innings as a junior for the Moeller baseball team that went 24-5 and finished as the state runner-up in 2014 … honor roll student … the No. 24 overall prospect in the state and is the seventh best lefty in Ohio.
Coach Hayden on Hoffmann: “Zach is another pitcher in this class that has the kind of upside to get any coach in the country really excited. He is that big, hard-throwing lefty that all teams covet. As Zach continues to improve he will prove to everyone why we are so excited to have him be a part of the Miami Baseball Family. We are really excited to see how hungry Zach is to have a major role his freshman year. If he works for it, the sky is the limit for him.”
Hayden Senger
Catcher
6-1, 220
Hamilton, Ohio/Lakota East
Prep: A top defensive catcher with a pop time below 2.0 … hit .379 with four home runs and threw out 90 percent of base stealers as his high school team went 21-10 in 2014 … 4.0 student and a member of the National Honor Society … earned First Team All-Ohio honors as a junior … Rated as the No. 3 catcher in Ohio … starting linebacker on Lakota East’s football team.
Coach Hayden on Senger: “Hayden is one of the best catch-and-throw guys that I have seen in any class that I have recruited. Most of the recruiting process we saw him as a really good catcher, but his bat has steadily improved over the last year. Because he is so good defensively, we thought he would be a guy that can play early and with how he has improved as a hitter, we feel even stronger that he will be able to do just that. Besides his talent, he has so many intangibles that set him apart. I will look to Hayden to be a leader in this program for the next four years.”
Ricky Sisto
Shortstop
6-2, 190
Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool
Prep: Is rated as the No. 44 prospect in the state of New York and sixth best shortstop prospect … first-team all-county and first-team all-league as a junior while batting .412 with 25 extra-base hits … also one of the top high school quarterbacks in the state leading his team to a 9-0 record and sectional championship this season.
Coach Hayden on Sisto: “Ricky is a really athletic guy who can play a bunch of different positions. We know he is talented enough to be our short stop but he also provides us with the versatility to get us more athletic at several positions. He is another really tough competitor. We cannot wait for this guy to get to campus and earn his role on our club.”
Zach Spears
Left-Handed Pitcher
6-6, 220
Fortville, Ind./Mount Vernon
Prep: A long and athletic lefty that has been clocked in the high 80s … rated as the No. 21 prospect in the state of Indiana and the fifth highest rated LHP … a three-sport star who also plays basketball and football in high school … earned Perfect Game Underclass All-American honorable mention.
Coach Hayden on Spears: “My favorite part about Zach is how hungry he is to get to Oxford and get better. Getting to know him through the recruiting process has made me extremely excited to watch him develop. He is a hard worker for sure but what gets me so excited about him is how much he wants to win for Miami. He is another big hard throwing lefty that will earn his role on this team based on how eager he is to work and develop.”
