SIUE Baseball Earns Recruiting Recognition

"I think I speak for all coaches when I say, 'It is great to be back with the guys,'" Head Coach Sean Lyons said. "Missing out on baseball was extremely tough for all the players, not just the games but also the relationships."

Lyons stressed that his players benefit from a more normal routine.

"I think it is very important for our guys to get back the routine of normalcy," Lyons added. "Much of their lives and routine have been turned upside down over the last six months. Knowing that after on-line classes or an in-person class they get to go the field and practice with their teammates is a good thing. I think it will be quite some time before things are back to how they were before the pandemic hit but getting close to that is helpful to our players' mental well-being."

To assist with safety and health protocols and allow for easier social distancing, the team began with practicing in smaller groups before working back to full-team activities.

Even with several players using their extra season of eligibility, the 2020 roster features 12 newcomers to the Cougars. Seven of the newcomers are transfers with five being true freshmen.

"After seeing the new guys for a couple weeks, what I like most has been how well they have fit in with the returning players," Lyons said. "There is a good mix of young and experienced players in this recruiting class. I am excited to see how they compete during fall practice. We lost some key innings on the mound from 2020 but I feel like the new pieces will fill those innings and add to the depth of the staff.  Jake Bockenstedt, Isaac Vargas, and Alec Kubik bring quality college experience to the staff and the fall will paint a clearer picture of what roles they will fill. Our Freshman arms have shown the ability to command the strike zone in the past and we look forward to seeing them compete against our hitters.

"Offensively, we needed some more firepower and we've been able to add some power potential to the lineup as well," Lyons continued. "I believe we have a chance to have a very deep and balanced lineup, but time will tell. Ole Arntson, Brennan Orf and Avery Owusu-Asiedu are physical, middle of the order type bats that I am excited to see. Brett Johnson, Matthew Klein and Ethan Copeland are athletic players who can provide flexibility to the lineup because they can play anywhere on the field."

Of the seven transfers, five of them come to SIUE from junior college programs. The Cougars' junior college recruiting class was ranked 21st by Junior College Recruiting website TheJBB.net.

"It is great to be recognized as having one of the top Juco recruiting classes across the country," Lyons said. "Committing and signing top level Juco talent was very important to us heading into the 2021 season. Knowing that we would have some big innings to fill on the mound and the need to add some run producers in the lineup it was a priority of ours to sign several Juco players. Having this class recognized alongside some of the top baseball programs in the country says a lot about where our program is headed."

Lyons credited his staff for the honor.

"Brandon Scott and PJ Finigan deserve all the credit," he said. "They are tireless workers who are continuously looking for talent that fits our program needs and SIUE. They did a tremendous job with this group of players."

The Cougars' full roster features 35 players and Lyons believes depth will be a strength across the Ohio Valley Conference and the NCAA.

"I think the depth of rosters across not just the league but also the country will increase the level of play in college baseball," he said. "We had a lot of momentum going within the program before last season was cut short. I feel really good about the direction of this team, but we still have a lot to learn about the roster and our 'make-up' before the 2021 season begins."