Cardinal Baseball Adds 10 Players For 2019-20

MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State baseball head coach Rich Maloney has added 10 student-athletes to the Cardinals for the 2019-20 academic year – Mac Ayres, Zach Cole, Cade Fitzpatrick, Tyler Hill, Devin Porter, Trenton Quartermaine, Luke Schafer, Tyler Schweitzer, Adam Tellier and Seth Wilson.

This year's additions feature four pitchers, three infielders, one outfielder, one utility player and one catcher.

"We feel like we met all of the needs we had, but with guys who can become legitimate prospects," Maloney said. "That's what we are after in this program, trying to find guys who have aspirations to play at the next level. The other thing is we found a lot of guys who are solid academically. I think the balance between academics and athletics and the possibility of developing into professional baseball players is strong in this class."

Ayres is wrapping up his prep career at Scecina Memorial High School this spring. The Indianapolis, Indiana, native was an all-conference pitcher as a sophomore. Last year, Ayres tossed 56.2 innings and struck out 80 batters to help Scecina Memorial win the regional championship. He is also a decorated football and basketball player for the Crusaders.

"Mac is an outstanding athlete," Maloney said. "He's the quarterback on the football team. He's got a very strong arm and a body that can carry more weight. There's good projection in him. He's a competitor and should be a player who has an immediate impact on the team."

Cole, an outfielder from Springfield, Missouri, hit .420 with seven home runs last year for Springfield Catholic High School. He is a three-time first team all-conference selection and has helped the Fightin' Irish to 20-plus wins in all three of his seasons on the varsity squad.

"Zach is a true hitter," Maloney said. "He has plus bat speed, can run, throws well and has a chance to get bigger and stronger in his frame. He should be able to make an immediate contribution to our ballclub."

Fitzpatrick, a catcher out of Indianapolis, Indiana, is a three-year team captain for Franklin Central High School. He has thrown out 20 base stealers as a prepster. Over his three years at Franklin Central, Fitzpatrick owns a .375 batting average with five home runs, 11 doubles and 36 RBIs. He was a 2018 second team all-state selection.

"Cade is a plus-defender," Maloney said. "He's physical, has power and has a very strong arm. He has a chance to become an outstanding prospect."

Hill will join the team after playing one year at Lansing Community College. A native of Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, the right-handed pitcher earned first team all-state honors after going 8-2 with a 0.86 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 52 innings for Grosse Point North High School last spring. Hill was selected to play in the 2018 Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association (MHSBCA) All-Star Game.

"Tyler's a competitor," Maloney said. "He's a strong kid who should have an immediate impact on our staff. He has an excellent breaking ball and a live arm."

Porter, hailing from Des Moines, Iowa, is in his second year at Iowa Central Community College. The first baseman hit .342 with 11 home runs and 44 RBIs for the Tritons in the spring. As a two-time captain at Saydel High School, Porter earned all-conference accolades all four years on the squad. Porter was a first team all-state selection as a senior at Saydel High after posting a .566 batting average with 10 home runs and 63 RBIs.

"He has an opportunity to come in and compete for the first base job and bat in the middle of the lineup," Maloney said. "We wanted to add an experienced hitter and that's what we got in Devin."

Quartermaine, a 6-3 shortstop from Marshall, Michigan, is an all-conference player at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. He batted .366 with 34 RBIs in 42 games during his freshman year at KVCC and also earned third team NJCAA Academic All-American honors. At Gull Lake High School, he was an all-conference and all-district performer while leading the team to 45 wins over his last two varsity seasons.

Schafer is a right-handed pitcher out of Leawood, Kansas. He helped Rockhurst High School win the district championship in 2018. A member of the National Honor Society, Schafer has tossed 64 innings for the Hawklets over the last two seasons.

"Luke's best days are ahead of him," Maloney said. "He has good feel with the baseball. As his body continues to develop, we think he will throw even harder and have a real shot to be an outstanding pitcher in our program."

Schweitzer is a local product from Fishers, Indiana. The left-handed pitcher went 3-1 with one save in nine appearances for Hamilton Southeastern High School a year ago.

"Tyler has a very good breaking ball and strong upside," Maloney said.

Tellier set a program record for stolen bases (36) at Forest Hills Central High School during his sophomore year. The shortstop from Ada, Michigan, racked up 50 hits and posted a .430 batting average on the way to first team all-conference honors last year.

"Adam is a very athletic, slick fielding shortstop who's best days are in front of him," Maloney said.

Wilson is another local product out of Monroe Central High School who is expected to play both outfield and infield for the Cardinals. The two-time all-conference player from Modoc, Indiana, was the team's MVP as a junior. He was also an all-state player on the Golden Bear football team.

"Seth is a very gritty baseball player and excellent football player as well," Maloney said. "He falls into our 'dirtbag' category which is something we take a lot of pride in in our program. He's a guy who will find a way to get it done and win for you."

"The job that coach Glant and coach Beemer have done in securing this class was outstanding," Maloney concluded. "We feel like we fall right in line of our recruiting philosophy of getting several guys who have an upside, so their best days are in front of them."

Ball State concluded the 2018 season with a 32-26 overall record and a 17-10 mark in the MAC. The Cardinals have won at least 30 games in six consecutive seasons.

For the most up-to-date information on the Ball State baseball team, please follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateBB and @CoachMaloney.

2019-20 Ball State Baseball Commitments

Name	Pos.	B/T	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown	Previous School
Mac Ayres	RHP	R/R	6-4	180	Indianapolis, Ind.	Scecina Memorial HS
Zach Cole	OF	L/R	6-3	170	Springfield, Mo.	Springfield Catholic HS
Cade Fitzpatrick	C	R/R	6-1	213	Indianapolis, Ind.	Franklin Central HS
Tyler Hill	RHP	L/R	6-3	210	Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.	Lansing CC
Devin Porter	1B	L/L	6-1	215	Des Moines, Iowa	Iowa Central CC
Luke Schafer	RHP	R/R	6-3	195	Leawood, Kan.	Rockhurst HS
Trenton Quartermaine	SS	L/R	6-3	185	Marshall, Mich.	Kalamazoo Valley CC
Tyler Schweitzer	LHP	L/L	6-1	164	Fishers, Ind.	Hamilton Southeastern HS
Adam Tellier	SS	R/R	6-3	165	Ada, Mich.	Forest Hills Central HS
Seth Wilson	UTIL	R/R	5-10	177	Modoc, Ind.	Monroe Central HS

Welcome to the family @Mac_Ayres #ChirpChirp pic.twitter.com/8Zz2WwMcg7
— Ball State Baseball (@BallStateBB) November 14, 2018

Welcome to the family @ZachCole06 #ChirpChirp pic.twitter.com/bL5yulOBNk
— Ball State Baseball (@BallStateBB) November 14, 2018

Welcome to the family @CadeFitz #ChirpChirp pic.twitter.com/vMizCbdabB
— Ball State Baseball (@BallStateBB) November 14, 2018

Welcome to the family, @darththill #ChirpChirp pic.twitter.com/KHTgjtYvXJ
— Ball State Baseball (@BallStateBB) November 14, 2018

Welcome to the family @devinporter23 #ChirpChirp pic.twitter.com/v61ykWiClV
— Ball State Baseball (@BallStateBB) November 14, 2018

Welcome to the family @LS0319 #ChirpChirp pic.twitter.com/n152x7jJZD
— Ball State Baseball (@BallStateBB) November 14, 2018

Welcome to the family @TylerSchweitz22 #ChirpChirp pic.twitter.com/l7enovItuZ
— Ball State Baseball (@BallStateBB) November 14, 2018

First one in this morning! Welcome to the family @tellier_adam! #ChirpChirp pic.twitter.com/dkQepS2sgN
— Ball State Baseball (@BallStateBB) November 14, 2018

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