INA, Ill. (Jan. 23, 2013) – Rend Lake College Head Baseball Coach Tony Etnier signed 13 new players Saturday on the college’s main campus in Ina. The recruits were joined by their friends and family as they signed their national letters of intent to play ball at Rend Lake in the fall. Below is information about each new Warrior. For all things athletic at The Lake, visit RLC online at www.rlc.edu/warriors.
Ty Henderson : 6’7, 165 lb RHP Webber Township HS (IL)
Ty Henderson, a 6-7, 165-pound right-handed pitcher from Webber Township High School, is joined by his grandfather and Rend Lake College Coach Tony Etnier as he signs his national letter of intent to play baseball at RLC in the fall. Henderson is ranked No. 93 overall in Illinois by Prep Baseball Report and No. 45 overall in Illinois for pitchers. An honor roll student, he was a three-time all-conference selection at WTHS where he was named Midland Trail Conference Player of the Year. He said he likes RLC’s nursing program and plans to get bigger and stronger in his training. “I want to be pushed to the limit,” he stated. “I want to get everything possible from it.” About Henderson, Etnier said, “Ty is a tall righty with a lot of upside. His fastball already works in the upper 80’s and we think that his velocity will continue to climb as he matures physically. He commands three pitches for strikes and, over the next couple of years, should turn into a big-time prospect.”
Landon Thomas: 6’0, 165 lb OF/LHP Mt Vernon HS (IL)
Landon Thomas, a 6-0, 165-pound outfielder and left-handed pitcher from Mt. Vernon Township High School, is joined by his parents, Rams Coach Tim Holloway, and Rend Lake College Coach Tony Etnier as he signs his national letter of intent to play baseball at RLC in the fall. Thomas is an honor roll student at MVTHS where he was an all-conference selection for his performance in the outfield as a junior. He was also valedictorian of the grade school he attended. “I chose Rend Lake because it is close to home and I really like the way coach Etnier handled the team when I was on my visit,” stated Thomas. “I find it to be a place where I have the chance to grow up as a person and find improvement in my game. Not only has coach Etnier led the team to mulltiple winning seasons in the past few years, but also, in talking to some guys in the program and some of his former players, they all talked about how much they had improved over their two years at Rend Lake. I really like that.” About Thomas, Etnier said, “Landon is a guy that we have seen a lot of over the years. He has gotten better every year in high school, and showed us the ability to hit and pitch from the left side. He is another guy that we think will only get better as he matures physically.”
Tyler Ellis: 6’0, 170 lb RHP Mt Vernon HS (IL)
Tyler Ellis, a 6-0, 170-pound right-handed pitcher from Mt. Vernon Township High School, is joined by his parents, Rams Coach Tim Holloway and Rend Lake College Coach Tony Etnier as he signs his national letter of intent to play baseball at RLC in the fall. Ellis, a first-team all-conference selection as a junior, said one reason he decided to play for Rend Lake is that he likes Etnier and his reputation for player development. “It feels like a good college for me to start off and it’s close to home,” stated Ellis. About Ellis, Etnier said, “Tyler was 8-0 last year for Mt. Vernon, largely because of his late-sinking fastball and sharp slider. His ability to get ground balls is what really attracted us to him. He is a true sinker/slider guy right now and will fit nicely into our staff next year.”
Sammy Stearns: 6’1, 170 lb RHP Carterville HS (IL)
Sammy Stearns, a 6-1, 170-pound right-handed pitcher from Carterville High School, is joined by his parents and Rend Lake College Coach Tony Etnier as he signs his national letter of intent to play baseball at RLC in the fall. Stearns was Academic All-State in football, and All-Conference and All-South in baseball and football at Carterville High. He said he likes the size of the college and its reputation for being a good fit for pitchers. About Stearns, Etnier said, “Sammy is a guy that we have been following for a couple of years now. We got pretty serious about his recruitment after seeing him this summer. He has a mid- to upper-80s fastball with good run and complements it well with command of his off-speed pitches.”
Jake Stewart: 5’10, 170 lb C Murphysboro HS (IL)
Jake Stewart, a 5-10, 170-pound catcher from Murphysboro High School, is joined by his parents, Red Devils Coach Butch Brasel, and Rend Lake College Coach Tony Etnier as he signs his national letter of intent to play baseball at RLC in the fall. Stewart batted around .350 with 50 RBI in high school and was a first-team all-conference selection with an all-star game appearance as a junior. He mentioned the coaches, facilities and history of the program as big selling points for his commitment to Rend Lake. About Stewart, Etnier said, “Jake is another guy that we have been following for a while. He has always hit well and has put on a little muscle over the years. He is an athletic catcher who we think will not only be able to play the position defensively, but also contribute on the offensive side as well.”
Alex Andros: 6’4, 175 lb UT Goreville HS (IL)
Alex Andros, a 6-4, 175-pound utlity player from Goreville High School, is joined by his parents, brother, and Rend Lake College Coach Tony Etnier as he signs his national letter of intent to play baseball at RLC in the fall. Andros, the younger brother of current Warrior Nick Andros, is involved in Beta Club at Goreville High where he is an honor roll student. He said he is excited about developing as a player at RLC. “I chose Rend Lake College because it was pretty close to where I live and it looks like a pretty good place to start my college baseball career,” he stated. About Andros, Etnier said, “Alex is a kid with a big frame who can play first base, outfield, and pitcher. He has a nice swing, stays inside the ball well and should make big jumps with his bat speed as he gets stronger. He has the potential to be a very nice offensive player.”
Alex Wittenauer: 5’10, 160 lb SS Waterloo HS (IL)
Alex Wittenauer, a 5-10, 160-pound short stop from Waterloo High School, is joined by his parents and Rend Lake College Coach Tony Etnier as he signs his national letter of intent to play baseball at RLC in the fall. Ranked No. 115 overall in Illinois by Prep Baseball Report and No. 16 overall in Illinois for shortstops, Wittenauer started three of the four years he played varsity at Waterloo High. He was honorable mention all-area and all-conference his sophomore season when he helped the team to a third place finish in the state finals. As a junior, Wittenauer batted .304 with 31 runs scored, nine RBI and a home run. He thinks RLC is a great fit and he likes coach Etnier. “They seem to have a good history of moving players on to the next level,” stated Wittenauer. About him, Etnier said, “Alex is a slick fielding shortstop with a nice swing. He is a 6.9 runner with soft hands, quick feet, and a strong, accurate arm that he can use from every slot. His defensive prowess should allow him to compete immediately for playing time.”
Zack Jansen: 6’2, 200 lb 3B/RHP Maderia HS (OH)
Zack Jansen, a 6-2, 200-pound third baseman and right-handed pitcher from Maderia High School (Ohio), is joined by his parents and Rend Lake College Coach Tony Etnier as he signs his national letter of intent to play baseball at RLC in the fall. Jansen was selected all-state, all-city and all-league for baseball at Maderia High. He is ranked No. 108 overall in Ohio by Prep Baseball Report, and No. 53 overall in Ohio for pitchers. Jansen batted .477 with 56 RBI, 16 doubles, nine triples and four home runs in his most recent season. He was also selected all-southwestern Ohio, all-city and all-league for high school football. Jansen said he likes Rend Lake’s reputation, the competitive conference, and that he and his new coach will share something in common. “He played the same positions as me in college,” Jansen stated. About Jansen, Etnier said, “Zack is a big, physical infielder with soft hands, a strong arm and good speed running a 6.9. His is a good fit at third base and has the reputation for driving in a lot of runs as he is 62 RBIs away from breaking the Ohio state record for career RBIs. On the mound, his mid- to upper-80s fastball and sharp, late slider make him a nice fit out of the bullpen in the set up/closer role.
Eli Miller: 6’1, 165 lb OF/LHP Shelbyville HS (IL)
Eli Miller, a 6-1, 165-pound outfielder and left-handed pitcher from Shelbyville High School, is joined by his parents and Rend Lake College Coach Tony Etnier as he signs his national letter of intent to play baseball at RLC in the fall. Miller was a two-time all-conference selection in high school who batted .304 and struck out 76 batters in 44 innings pitched. He said he feels like the Warriors baseball program will help him improve as a player. “I like the fact that it will be difficult,” stated Miller. “That makes me believe I can improve and won’t feel like I could of done more to get to the next level.” About Miller, Etnier said, “Eli is a really nice athlete. His 6.6 speed from the left side of the plate will be a nice asset to a team that is built around speed. He will also help us on the mound. He has good arm side run on his low 80’s fastball and has a sharp, late-breaking slider that will be extremely tough on lefties.”
JT Arnemann: 6’1, 165 lb SS Franklin-Simpson HS (KY)
JT Arnemann, a 6-1, 165-pound short stop from Franklin-Simpson High School (Ky.), is joined by his parents and Rend Lake College Coach Tony Etnier as he signs his national letter of intent to play baseball at RLC in the fall. Arnemann said RLC is going to be a great fit because he likes the coaches, staff and the program. “The program’s gotten better every year and I think it will get even better this year,” stated Arnemann. About him, Etnier said, “JT is another athletic infielder with good speed – 6.8 – soft hands, and a strong arm. He drives the ball well at the plate and has a great build for getting stronger. We are excited about JT’s overall athleticism and physicality and think he will really develop over the course of the next two years.”
Dylan Dunn: 6’1, 165 lb LHP Mt Zion HS (IL)
Dylan Dunn, a 6-1, 165-pound left-handed pitcher from Mt. Zion High School, is joined by his parents and Rend Lake College Coach Tony Etnier as he signs his national letter of intent to play baseball at RLC in the fall. Dunn is an all-county selection and high honor roll student at Mt. Zion where he batted around .370 in his most recent season. According to him, word of mouth from other players and a visit to the campus were enough to get him to commit to Rend Lake. About Dunn, Etnier said, “Dylan is a low 80’s arm with a sharp curveball from the left side. He is a good athlete and will give us another left handed arm to complement a pitching staff full of righties. His pitching repertoire will have him competing for time on the hill right away.”
Chance Hamilton: 5’10, 175 lb SS Hancock County HS (KY)
Chance Hamilton, a 5-10, 175-pound short stop from Hancock County High School (Ky.), is joined by his parents and Rend Lake College Coach Tony Etnier as he signs his national letter of intent to play baseball at RLC in the fall. Hamilton is a three-time selection to the Kentucky All-Star Team, was on the MI All-Region team as a junior and senior, was conference player of the year, and is the recipient of the Ray Kroc Leadership Scholarship. His batting average is .420 with 42 hits and six home runs in his most recent season. Hamilton feels RLC is a great place to advance his baseball career, as well as his education. “I like that it’s a smaller college and makes me feel like I’m at home,” he stated. “It will prepare me to move on to a bigger college.” About Hamilton, Etnier said, “Chance is a middle infielder with soft hands and a quick release. His defensive skills will allow him to compete in the field for time, but his bat is makes him a stand-out player. He has a short direct swing with some pop that will allow him to hit top-level pitching right away.”
Derek Flaugher: 6’3 175 lb RHP Mt Zion HS (IL)
Derek Flaugher, a 6-3, 175-pound right-handed pitcher from Mt. Zion High School, is joined by his parents and Rend Lake College Coach Tony Etnier as he signs his national letter of intent to play baseball at RLC in the fall. Flaugher was second-team all-county at Mt. Zion with a record of 5-1-2 and ERA of 2.09. He sees Rend Lake as a place of great educational and athletic opportunities where he can develop his skills. About Flaugher, Etnier said, “Derek is another projectable right-handed pitcher that lives in the mid to upper 80’s with good arm side run on his fastball and a nice slider and change-up to complement it. He will be competing right away for innings and should be able to add velocity as he develops physically.”
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