The Stetson baseball program hauled in another bumper crop of young players during the early signing period in November, with 12 high school players signing letters of intent to attend Stetson starting in the fall of 2021.
Of the dozen new players slated to join the Stetson program, 10 hail from the state of Florida with the other two among the top prep prospects from north of the border in Canada.
Hatters assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Joe Mercadante said the recruiting process for this class of new Hatters was unlike any other in his career.
“It was a different situation trying to through the NCAA dead period that we have been under since the pandemic started back in March,” Mercadante said. “It has almost been a full calendar year since anyone has been able to go out on the road to see kids play.”
With that being said, Mercadante said the players signed by the Hatters during the fall are the kind of players who will push the veterans on the team.
“Every year it seems we have brought in guys who have a chance to take a position away from someone else,” Mercadante said. “We want to motivate our guys the best we can, but the best motivation out there is knowing there is someone who is going to come in here and try to take your job.
“Most of these guys come from winning programs, and that is a big thing for us, getting guys who know how to win and expect to win. That resonates in the club house and spreads.”
Stetson head coach Steve Trimper credited Mercadante and Associate Head Coach Dave Therneau for their efforts in pulling this class together under unusual circumstances.
“Coach Mercadante and Coach Therneau did a tremendous job identifying top talent both in the classroom and on the field with this year's recruiting class,” Trimper said. “This group of student athletes will compete for roles to help us reach our program goals of championships and will be quality role models for all Hatter fans and alums to be proud of."