Coming off the best season in the history of Stetson baseball, the Hatters brought in a bumper crop of new players during the fall signing period. The 11 players in the class will join the program in the fall of 2019 and will be on the field for Stetson in 2020.
 
"We are very happy with our 2019 class and the way it fills the needs we had coming into the year," Hatters head coach Steve Trimper said. "We feel strongly that these guys are all players who can come in a compete for playing time right away and contribute to our team as freshmen."
 
The class includes four true pitchers, one two-way player who could see time in the outfield and on the mound, three infielders, two outfielders and a catcher.
 
"The pitchers we signed are all guys who can fill up the strike zone, but they all have room to get better," Trimper said. "All of our incoming pitchers can really spin the breaking ball, which is something pitching coach Dave Therneau looks for.
 
"With the way Coach Therneau has proven he can develop our arms, all of these guys will get much better in a hurry."
 
In addition to the hurlers in the class, the Stetson coaches focused on recruiting players with outstanding athletic ability.
 
"We wanted to go get some guys that really had a lot of athleticism, and I think we did that," Trimper said. "There is a great balance of guys who can run, steal bases and pressure the defense but we also have guys who will develop into offensive threats with their ability to drive the baseball out of the ballpark. We are looking for balance with the offense and I think this class really did a nice job of helping us get there."
 
Below is a list of each of the 11 newest Hatters followed by a short bio and comments from assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Joe Mercadante on each player. 
 

Name	Pos.	B/T	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown	Current School
Vance Anderson	OF	R/R	6-0	165	Mooresville, NC	Lake Norman HS
Nick Durgin	P	R/R	6-3	208	Melbourne, FL	Melbourne Central Catholic
Tyler Gonzalez	INF	R/R	6-2	190	North Reading, MA	Lawrence Academy
Gavin Melians	P/OF	L/L	6-1	180	Palm City, FL	Martin County HS
Christian Pregent	C	R/R	6-3	210	Daytona Beach, FL	Atlantic HS
Raheem Salmon	OF	R/R	6-2	185	Fort Lauderdale, FL	St. Thomas Aquinas HS
Cade Shissler	INF	R/R	5-11	160	Plant City, FL	Plant City HS
Christian Suarez	P	R/R	6-0	210	Tampa, FL	Leto HS
Anthony Tomczak	P	R/R	6-2	192	Boca Raton, FL	North Broward Prep
Henry Wallen	SS	L/R	6-0	170	Miami, FL	South Dade HS
Kyle Yeoward	P	R/R	5-11	190	Coral Springs, FL	Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS

Player bio sketches

Vance Anderson is the son of a former member of the Clemson baseball program who grew up around the game. As a junior he was ranked as the second-best outfielder in North Carolina, helping his team to a 24-4 record and a No. 1 ranking in the state. He hit .408 with a .495 on-base percentage last spring, scoring 28 runs in 27 games to earn All-County, All-Conference and All-Region honors. He has spent his summers playing for the Dirtbags Skrap-Pak in Burlington.
 
"Stetson has everything I could have ever asked for from a college," Anderson said of selecting Stetson over East Carolina and UNC Charlotte. "The high academics, the exceptional baseball program and the culture of the student life was unmatched by any other college."
 
Mercadante's assessment: "Vance was the last position player we added in the 2019 class but was a great final piece to add. He is a guy who has the versatility to play all three outfield positions, he is a good runner with an average to plus arm in the outfield. He shows very good bat speed and has a chance to develop some power. We see him as a guy who will be able to bring that balance to our offensive game, a guy who can use his speed to play the short game but will also be able to drive the baseball."
 
Nick Durgin is one of nine Floridians in the class, coming from Melbourne Central Catholic where he posted a sparkling 0.81 ERA as a junior in 51.2 innings of work on the mound. He recorded an eye-popping 83 strikeouts last spring, or 53.5 percent of the hitters he retired. He helped his team to district and regional titles before finishing third in the state. Durgin said Stetson "has always been my dream school", and chose the Hatters over Alabama, UCF, FAU, Miami and High Point.
 
Mercadante's assessment: "Nick is a guy we are really excited about. He is a very physical RHP with tons of upside. He currently is an 88 to 90 guy with a good slider and feel for his changeup as well. The great thing about Nick, besides the fact there is a lot more to come, is the fact that he is a strike thrower. He attacks hitters and has a great feel for pitching. He is a really good athlete who plays shortstop for his high school team as well."
 
Tyler Gonzalez was born in Miami, but grew up in New Hampshire, and is the son of former Major League shortstop Alex Gonzalez, who played for eight different teams during a 17-year career from 1998 to 2014. His career including one All-Star game appearance and he was a member of the 2003 World Series champion Florida Marlins. As a junior at Lawrence Academy he posted a .360 batting average in helping the team to a 15-6 record. In addition to baseball, he played on the Spartans' hockey team as a junior.
 
"The coaching staff at Stetson really stood out to me," Gonzalez said of picking Stetson over Bryant, Dayton, Jacksonville and Connecticut. "They are very professional and the program is on the rise. That is something I wanted to be a part of."
 
Mercadante's assessment: "Tyler is a very physical third baseman from Massachusetts. He has very soft hands and very good footwork. As the son of former MLB player, he really knows the game. Tyler is a plus defender and should develop into the power hitter he looks like he will become."
 
Gavin Melians is pitcher/outfielder from Stuart, Florida, who hits and pitches from the left side. Over his first two prep seasons at Martin County HS he posted a .271 batting average. He chose Stetson over Miami, FAU and UCF. "I chose Stetson because I believed it gives me the greatest opportunity to continue my baseball career while getting an amazing education not many schools can offer."
 
Mercadante's assessment: "Another 2019 commit from South Florida, Gavin is a guy we think has a realistic shot to be a two-way contributor for us. On the mound, he is a left-handed pitcher who pitches in the mid to upper 80's with a good breaking ball.  Offensively, Gavin profiles as a corner outfielder with a strong arm and the ability to hit for some power."
 
A local product from Father Lopez High in Daytona Beach, Christian Pregent is a catcher who can both hit and throw. He posted a .342 batting average last spring with a .484 on-base percentage and .466 slugging percentage. He also threw out 54 percent of the runners who tried to steal against him.
 
Mercadante's assessment: "Christian has a chance to get the most MLB draft attention next year. He is a very physical kid and has added a lot of strength over the past year. Christian's strength is his defense. He is an elite receiver and shows a very strong and accurate throwing arm. He also has a chance to be an offensive force behind the plate.  He has very good bat speed and has the potential to have very good power down the road."
 
Raheem Salmon comes from an athletic family and a terrific high school baseball program. His father, Shaheed, played in the NFL for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His St. Thomas Aquinas team in Ft. Lauderdale has posted a 49-9 record over the last two seasons, winning the 2018 8A state title. Salmon contributed to that team by swiping 14 bases in 15 attempts.
 
Mercadante's assessment: "Raheem is an elite athlete from a powerhouse program (St. Thomas Aquinas). We have seen Raheem run in the 6.4-6.5 range in the 60-yard dash and his speed really plays in the outfield. He profiles to be a true center fielder who can track down everything hit his way. At the plate, he has some good bat speed and has shown glimpses of power. He is a little raw now, but has a chance to be a very complete player with a very good skill set once he gets in the program and develops like we know he will."
 
Cade Shissler plays in the middle infield and pitches at Plant City HS, but is expected to be an everyday player in college. An excellent student and player, he hit .321 as a junior last spring with a .432 on-base percentage, earning MaxPreps Player of the Year honors. He plays for the Florida Burn Platinum team in the summer and chose Stetson over UCF.
 
Mercadante's assessment: "Cade is probably the most versatile guy we have in our class. We initially signed him as a middle infielder but, the more you watch him, you can see he can play anywhere you want him to on the field. Cade has the arm to play on the left side of the infield, but also has the speed and athleticism to move to the outfield if needed. He really knows how to play the game and has great instincts on the base paths. He is just a great baseball player."
 
Christian Suarez posted eye-popping numbers on the mound for Leto High in Tampa last spring. His 11-0 record and 0.95 ERA in 73.0 innings of work with 73 strikeouts helped his team earn district and regional titles as part of a 24-5 season.
 
Mercadante's assessment: "Christian was the last signee for the 2019 class. A right-handed pitcher from Tampa, Christian has been his high school's No 1 pitcher for the past two years. He has won some really big games for them and is a great competitor on the mound. He pitches in the upper 80's with a very good three-pitch mix and will add some more velocity once he gets here and gets stronger."
 
Anthony Tomczak played his junior year at North Broward Prep after playing as a sophomore of Boca Raton HS. Despite posting a 2-4 record as a junior, he had a 2.76 ERA in 45.2 innings of work with 65 strikeouts. His season included a no-hitter in the opening round of the playoffs.
 
Mercadante's assessment: "Anthony is a guy we think has a chance to be another special arm to come out of Stetson baseball. He has been up to as high as 92-93, but pitches more in the upper 80's and touches 90. His curveball has a chance to be a plus pitch. He has a very clean arm and good delivery with the ability to throw three pitches for strikes.   Anthony is another one of our commits that should get a lot of pro interest this year."
 
Another Miami area product, Henry Wallen is from South Dade High in Homestead where he is a left-handed hitting shortstop. Over three prep seasons he has hit a combined .240 with a .359 on-base percentage. He has also stolen 10 of 11 bases. He chose Stetson over Miami.
 
Mercadante's assessment: "Henry was one of the first guys Coach Trimper saw when he got to Stetson. He knew Henry was a guy we could build our 2019 class around. He is a guy we think can be our shortstop of the future. He has great actions and a feel for the game.  A left-handed hitter with a very good, repeatable, swing. he has a chance to play right away. Henry is the type player who should get some interest in the draft this year, but we think we will get to Deland next fall."
 
A product of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Coral Springs, Kyle Yeoward has a 10-1 record over three seasons with five saves. He has made just 12 starts in 25 career pitching appearances and missed much of the 2018 season with an injury. When healthy, he has been electric, posting a 1.25 ERA with 84 strikeouts in 84.1 innings of work.
 
Mercadante's assessment: "Kyle comes from the Stoneman Douglas program that continues to produce high level prospects every year. Kyle has a very quick arm and has been up to 91-92 with a plus curveball. His ability to spin it will allow him to contribute for us right away. Kyle really caught my attention because of his demeanor on the mound. He has the "bulldog" mentality and competes just about as hard as any guy we've recruited."
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.