Southern baseball adds seven for 2012
Joplin, Mo. -- Missouri Southern baseball coach Bryce Darnell has announced the addition of seven players for the 2012 season. Six of the seven players are either junior college or Division I or II transfers and one hails from an Oklahoma high school.
Luke Acosta is a 5-9 180 pound infielder that transfers to Southern from Oregon State University. This past season with the Beavers, Acosta played in 19 games, starting eight, while posting a .306 batting average in 42 at bats with a .405 on base percentage. Prior to OSU, Acosta played two seasons at Hutchinson CC in Kansas where he was an All-Conference pick in each season. In his sophomore season, Acosta batted .393 with nine doubles, a triple, two home runs and 27 RBIs, while stealing 33 of 39 bases.
A native of Lafayette, La., Acosta played at Lafayette HS where he lettered three seasons for head coach Jay Domengeaux. A business major at Southern, Acosta is the son of Wilson and Cindy Acosta and will be a senior in eligibility.
"Luke has spent time in quality programs that have experienced a lot of success," Darnell said. "Everywhere he's been, he's demonstrated consistency. He's a disciplined hitter with good speed and has the potential to hit at the top of the order."
Sam Ryan is a 6-3, 205 pound utility player that transfers to Southern from the University of Minnesota. Ryan was drafted in the 35th round by the Minnesota Twins out of high school as a catcher, but was used primarily in the infield at Minnesota and can play both corner outfield positions, as well. He hit .296 as a true freshman for the Gophers, but an injury ended his sophomore season. This past year as a redshirt sophomore, Ryan played in 17 games with six starts and hit .214. Ryan will have two years of eligibility left.
A native of Lake Elmo, Minn., Ryan was a highly decorated athlete in three different sports, lettering four times and starting all four years in football, basketball and baseball for the Titans. He was an All-Conference selection three times in baseball, twice in football and three times in basketball, while being named All-State in baseball and basketball twice each. He was a Sporting News All-American in 2008. As a senior, Ryan batted .487 and led the state of Minnesota in home runs. He helped his baseball team at Lake Elmo to a conference championship in 2008, while helping the basketball team to two conference titles. He also holds the distinction of being only the third freshman all-time to start on the varsity basketball team at his school.
A history major at Southern, Ryan is the son of Peter and Kathleen Ryan. Ryan's brother Max plays baseball at Minnesota-Duluth, while his other brother Zack played basketball at Wisconsin-Eau Claire. His father, Peter, played basketball at the Naval Academy.
"Sam is a talented player that was drafted out of high school," Darnell said. "We needed to add a middle of the order type of hitter who hits from the right side and that is what Sam is. He is a physical player that could provide us with a lot of options because of his versatility."
MJ Sartin is a 5-11 205 pound outfielder that transfers to Southern from Nebraska-Omaha. He will be a senior at Southern after hitting .329 in his junior season at UNO last year. In 51 games, 40 starts, Sartin had nine doubles, five home runs, 37 RBIs and 29 runs scored. He had 16 walks and was perfect on the basepaths.
Sartin transfered to UNO after two seasons at Garden City CC in Kansas. As a freshman, Sartin hit .374 with 18 doubles and 35 RBIs, helping the team to a 45-17 record. In his sophomore season, Sartin was hitting .456 through 18 games when he suffered a season-ending injury. A four-year letterwinner at Hamburg (Ark.) High School, Sartin earned All-State honors as a junior and a senior and was named All-Conference three times. The son of Marty and Sheila Sartin, MJ is a business major at Southern.
"MJ is a very competitive kid that can hurt you with the bat," Darnell said. "He has a lot of pop from the left side and will have a chance to h it in the middle of our lineup. He comes from a baseball family and has a great work ethic. He can play any outfield position and has a lot of experience at first base."
Michael McCoy is a 6-0, 170 pound utility player that comes to Southern from Mountain View College in Texas. While at MVC, McCoy played the infield and pitched the past two seasons. As a sophomore, he led the team in multiple offensive categories, including average (.401), on base percentage (.455), extra base hits and also posted a 3.47 ERA in 37 innings on the mound. As a freshman, he led the team in hitting with a .380 average, while also leading the team in extra base hits and on base percentage.
Prior to MVC, McCoy was a three year starter at Mesquite High School in Mesquite, Texas where he was an All-District selection as a utility player in each of his junior and senior seasons. the son of Michael McCoy Sr., and Terrie McCoy, Michael is a criminal justice major at Southern.
"Michael brings in a lot of versatility to the table defensively for us," Darnell said. He played shortstop in junior college, but is very capable of playing any infield position. He handles the bat well and is able to hit to all fields with consistency."
Will Wagner is a 6-0, 200 pound outfielder from Northeast Texas Community College. In one season at Northeast Texas, Wagner batted .360 with 19 doubles, five home runs and 12 stolen bases, primarily playing the corner outfield positions. Prior to Northeast, Wagner played one season at the University of Central Arkansas where he played in 37 games as a freshman, starting 16. He hit .313 in 83 at bats with four home runs.
A native of Texarkana, Ark., Wagner went to Arkansas High Schoool where he was part of back-to-back state championships in football, as well as a state title in baseball. He was an All-State selection once on the baseball diamond, while earning three All-Conference nods. As a football player, Wagner was twice All-State and three-times All-Conference. The son of Billy Wagner and Jaime Caraway, Will is a history education major at Southern.
"Will played outfield at his junior college, but can also play first base," Darnell said. "He's a physical kid that has the potential to hit in the middle of our lineup as he has done in the past. He's a talented athlete that has played against quality competition."
Thomas Wilson is a 5-11, 180 pound infielder that comes to Southern after two years at Elgin (Ill.) CC. This past year, Wilson hit .297 in 54 games, where he drove in 23 and added nine doubles, two triples and 37 runs scored. As a freshman, he hit .316 in 51 games, with 26 RBIs, six doubles, three triples, two home runs and 38 runs scored.
Wilson is a native of Wonder Lake, Ill., where he played at Woodstock High School, starting three years for the baseball team and two years on the football field. He was an All-Conference and All-Area selection in both sports. The son of Tom and Martha Wilson, Thomas is undecided on his major at Southern.
"Thomas is a great addition to the middle of our infield," Darnell said. "He is a good strong athlete that should have an immediate impact on our team. He has good speed and has the potential to be a top of the order player for us."
Jordan Alexander is a 6-0, 190 pound outfielder that comes to Southern from Fairland (Okla.) High School. While at Fairland, he set school records in single-season batting average (.509), career batting average (.469) and career RBIs (127). He helped his team to four-straight district championships, and regional runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2010, while being named All-State.
Alexander also ran track, while playing both basketball and football at Fairland. He was also an All-State wide receiver. The son of Mark and Karen Alexander, Jordan is undecided on his future major at Southern.
"Jordan has a nice combination of speed and power," Darnell said. "He is a strong kid with a lot of upside and will provide depth to our outfield."
