Alabama Commit Brings Big Numbers to Waynesboro
Waynesboro, Virginia
Lawson State Community College standout and Alabama commit, Jackson Tate, will be playing for the Gens this summer. Coach Zac Cole had very high praise for Jackson, calling him “one of the very best players in Alabama junior college baseball and all the coaches and scouts we spoke to raved about this kid and the way he plays the game.” Waynesboro is lucky to have him and should look for Jackson to provide a lot of excitement this summer.
Jackson Tate – Outfielder
Jackson is the Jackie Ceman and Robert Tate. The sophomore is from Montgomery, Alabama and just finished up at Lawson State, which is located in Birmingham and Bessemer, Alabama. Though Jackson grew up a fan of Auburn athletics, he decided to commit to the University of Alabama. As we mentioned above, one of the top JUCO players in the state had impressive numbers this past season. In 55 games played, Jackson recorded a .377 batting average with 14 home runs, 41 RBI, 61 runs scored, and 26 stolen bases. Defensively, he had a clean record last season with Lawson. He had two assists, 119 putouts, and zero errors. Jackson brings a 5-tool game to Waynesboro this summer. Jackson has already impressed at the Meet the Generals Night with his batting practice he put forth as well as his manners off the field. We’re excited to see Jackson play this summer. Welcome to Waynesboro, Jackson Tate!
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles Spotlight
Waynesboro, Virginia
Florida Gulf Coast University will send three players that were key in their success this past season. The Eagles were 34-21 this season but unfortunately were two and done in their conference tournament. FGCU has sent some of their top players to Waynesboro before. The one that comes to mind is Alex Brait last summer. This season is no different because the Eagles are sending Tyler Shuck, Joe Kinker, and Christian Proffitt.
Tyler Shuck – Right-Handed Pitcher
Tyler is the son of Kirsten and Bill Shuck. The 6’3 210 pound righty from Cape Coral, Florida and Canterbury High School will be a junior next season. Tyler was the team leader in wins for the Eagles this season as he compiled a 7-1 record over his 52 innings of work. Over that time, he brought home a 4.01 ERA and made a save. In the 52 innings, he allowed just 49 hits and 23 earned runs while striking out 38 batters. While Tyler has played some time in the field in his collegiate career, he’ll most likely spend all his time on the mound this summer. Welcome to Waynesboro, Tyler Shuck!
Joe Kinker – Utility
Joe is the son of Jennifer and Joe Kinker. Joe is listed as a 6’1 220 pound freshman utility player from Northport, Florida and Venice High School. Joe is very comparable to former Gen Alex Brait. Both hit for good average, good pop, and could play multiple positions. Brait played catcher, first base, left field and right field for the Generals last summer. Joe will play both first and third base as well as the corner outfield spots for the Gens this summer. For the Eagles this spring, Joe hit .324 with 58 hits, 9 doubles, and 7 home runs with 40 RBI. He also is very disciplined at the plate as he walked 42 times this season. That helped him to a strong on-base percentage of .461. We look forward to watching Joe this summer. Welcome to Waynesboro, Joe Kinker!
Christian Proffitt – Middle Infielder
Christian is the son of Patricia and Christopher Proffitt. He, like Tyler Shuck, is from Cape Coral, Florida, but Christian is from Ida Baker High School. He’s listed as a 6’0 155 pound sophomore middle infielder. While Proffitt struggled a bit this spring, he’s shown he can be a huge impact for a team. He was named as the Freshman of the Year in the ASUN conference after his freshman campaign. He hit .284 last year with 25 RBI that year to bring home the award. This season he played in 47 games for the Eagles. His numbers dipped a bit, but Christian is fired up and ready to roll this summer for the Gens. He will look to get back to his freshman year ways. Welcome to Waynesboro, Christian Proffitt!
FIU Sends Four
Waynesboro, Virginia
Florida International University will help fill the roster this summer by sending the maximum four players to Waynesboro. The Panthers finished the season at 23-32 and 12-18 in Conference USA. Two of the four players that FIU will send to Waynesboro are Valley League Champions with the New Market Rebels from just last summer. Kobe Lopez and Jan Figueroa were instrumental in the Rebels’ championship run, and will be key to the Generals success this summer as well. Seth Cannady and Christian Dearman will also make their way north from Miami.
Kobe Lopez – Middle Infielder
Kobe is the son of Arnaldo Lopez and Leida Gonzalez. The junior from Orlando, Florida and Archbishop McCarthy High School is listed at 5’4 and 152 pounds. While small in stature, Kobe can cause big problems for opposing teams. Last year in the Valley League, Kobe was named to the All-Star team and finished the season with a .307 batting average while playing the majority of his time at second base for the Rebs. While he’s struggled a bit at FIU, Kobe is revered for his work ethic, attitude, and love for the game and it payed off last summer. While it can be tough to keep players all the way through the playoffs in summer ball, Kobe was a big part in winning the championship as he drove in 4 runs from the leadoff spot. Welcome to Waynesboro, Kobe Lopez!
Seth Cannady – Outfielder
Seth is the son of Craig and Tanya Cannady. The sophomore from Sebring, Florida and Sebring High School is listed at 6’2, 201 pounds. While Seth is an extremely capable ball player, he’s also extremely studious. He graduated high school with a 4.32 GPA and was named to the C-USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll in 2018. As for his baseball side, Seth had an immediate impact in his freshman campaign. He played in 42 games and hit .200 with three doubles and nine runs driven in. This season, Seth took a bit of a step back this season. He played in 31 games and made 15 starts. He picked up his first collegiate home run this season and drove in 11 runs. While he had a lower batting average, Seth still worked his way on base at a decent clip. His on-base percentage was at .311, which was about .150 points higher than his average. Seth will be looking to improve this summer and will play a strong defensive outfield.
Christian Dearman – Right-Handed Pitcher
Christian is the son of Bill and Lilli Dearman. The junior from Pembroke Pines, Florida and West Broward High School is listed at 6’0 and 195 pounds. Christian just finished up his first season with the Panthers after transferring from Tallahassee Community College. He was one of the top guys out of the bullpen for FIU. He made 20 appearances on the season, all out of the bullpen. He was 2-1 with a 3.91 ERA. Christian is a strike-thrower. He only walked 8 people in a little over 25 innings. Over that time he struck out 15 batters and gave up just 11 earned runs. We look forward to Christian making his way to Waynesboro this summer!
Jan Figueroa – Right-Handed Pitcher
Jan is the son of Ruben Figueroa and Magda Francisco. He’s a native of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. The sophomore was a member of the Valley League Champion New Market Rebels last summer. While his numbers look rough on the surface, he showed spirts last summer of dominance. After the summer, Jan figured some things out for the Panthers this season. He picked up 5 saves with a 4.03 ERA over 22.1 innings pitched. This year was a nice step up for Jan after a freshman year that saw him pitch in nine games with a 4.50 ERA. Jan will look to continue his momentum into this summer. Welcome to the Generals, Jan Figueroa!
Nationally Ranked ECU Pirates Send Two
Waynesboro, Virginia
East Carolina University is one of the premier baseball schools in the country and recently were named as an NCAA Regional Host. The Pirates are currently 43-15 and 20-4 in the American Athletic Conference. They were recently bounced from their conference tournament but look poised to make a run to Omaha. After the completion of their season, they plan to send a couple of position players to Waynesboro. Our newest Gens from ECU are Bryson Worrell and Connor Norby!
Bryson Worrell – Outfielder
Bryson Worrell is the son of Dawn and Greg Worrell. The sophomore is listed at 6’2 204 pounds from Sims, North Carolina and Hunt High School. The highly accomplished Worrell came to ECU and immediately made an impact. He played in 31 games for the Pirates in his freshman campaign and hit .256. In those 31 games, he picked up four doubles, a triple, and a home run. He had 10 rbi on the season and a highlight of a multi-hit game in the conference tournament. Last summer, he played for the Edenton Steamers of the Coastal Plains League where he hit .288 with four doubles, five homers and 20 rbi. This year, he increased his playing time by playing in 43 ball games and making 18 starts. He hit .226 with three doubles and three homers. Bryson will look to increase his skill set and hopefully move into a full time starting role with the Pirates next season after improving his game in Waynesboro this summer. Welcome to Waynesboro, Bryson Worrell!
Connor Norby – Infielder
Connor Norby is the son of Jill and Dave Norby. The freshman is listed at 5-10 177 pounds from Kernersville, North Carolina and East Forsyth High School. The All-state selection has done a nice job for the Pirates this season. Most of his playing time has been later in the season and he has picked up his play as of late. His .231 batting average has been buoyed by his lates ball game where he had two hits vs Wichita State in the conference tournament. His first collegiate home run was off of Memphis pitcher and future teammate for the Gens this summer, Bailey Wimberley. When Connor arrives, that should be a fun conversation between the two. Welcome to Waynesboro, Connor Norby!
Mason Sends Twin Skyscrapers
Waynesboro, Virginia
George Mason University will send two arms down I-66 from Fairfax for this summer. The Patriots compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference. While youth plagued the Patriots a bit this spring, the Generals are hoping they can help continue the growth of a couple of their freshmen arms. The two righties are both of long and lanky stature. Stuart Barrett is 6’6 and Nick Zenga is 6’5. Welcome the twin towers to Waynesboro!
Nick Zenga – Right-Handed Pitcher
Nick Zenga is the son of Janet and Jeff Zenga. The 6’5 210 pound righty is a freshman from Newark, Delaware and Newark High School. Nick was selected to the All-State team his senior year and has quickly been inserted into the rotation at George Mason. In his 16 appearances on the year, Nick has made six starts for the Patriots. He’s 2-4 with a 6.60 ERA. He’s picked up a save on the year in 46 innings of work. His six starts rank him at 4th on the team in that category. He’ll look to better his numbers this summer while staying in the state of Virginia. Welcome to Waynesboro, Nick Zenga!
Stuart Barrett – Right-Handed Pitcher
Stuart Barrett is the son of Kate and Mike Barrett of Charlottesville. The 6’6 210 pound righty is a graduate of the Miller School where he was the owner of a 15-2 career record with a 2.00 ERA and 101 strikeouts over 85 innings pitched. Barrett, like Zenga, has pitched meaningful innings in his freshman campaign. He leads the Patriots in appearances, racking up 21 games pitched. He has a 1-0 record with a 5.14 ERA. Over his 28 innings pitched, Stuart has only allowed 23 hits and has struck out 21. He only allowed a total of 4 extra base hits all season with all of them being doubles. Stuart will look to continue what has been a solid start to his collegiate career when he makes his way to Waynesboro this summer. Welcome to the Generals, Stuart Barrett!
Four Bucs Set Sail for Waynesboro
Waynesboro, Virginia
After not having a single Buccaneer on the roster last summer, East Tennessee State University will make up for it this year with four players making their way to Waynesboro. ETSU is currently the 6th seed in the Southern Conference and will look to make a run in the tournament. The Bucs finished with an overall record of 32-19 and an 11-12 mark in conference play. Of the four players that ETSU will send, there will be one position player and three pitchers. Matt Mercer is a left-handed pitcher, Zach Kirby and Joseph Acosta are right-handed pitchers, and Ethan Cady is a first baseman and corner outfielder.
Matt Mercer – Left-Handed Pitcher
Matt Mercer is a 6’0 178 pound sophomore from Chattanooga, Tennessee. He’s a graduate of Chattanooga Christian School. Matt appeared in five games for ETSU as a true freshman and, even with limited playing time, showed flashes of brilliance. He had five strikeouts in his first career start vs Northern Kentucky in just three innings. This season, Matt has appeared in 19 ball games to place second on the Bucs pitching staff. Over those 19 appearances, he’s made one start. He’s 1-2 with a 5.08 ERA over 28.1 innings pitched. In just over 28 innings, Matt has only allowed 25 hits and has struck out 34 to lead all bullpen arms for ETSU. He’s also one of six total pitchers on the staff that have recorded at least one save. He’s recorded two to tie himself for the 2nd most on the team. Matt looks to continue what has been a solid sophomore campaign in Waynesboro this summer. Welcome, Matt Mercer!
Zach Kirby – Right-Handed Pitcher
Zach Kirby is the son of Lauren and John Kirby. The 6’0 212 pound righty is a native of Upland, California and a graduate of Damien High School in La Verne, California. After compiling a 6-1 record at Damien in his senior season, Kirby has provided an immediate impact. He’s appeared in 17 games for the Bucs and has made a start. Kirby has thrown 28 innings in his 17 games on the bump, and has only given up 13 earned runs en route to a 4.18 ERA and a 1-1 record. He, like Mercer, has recorded a save this season. All these numbers tell the story that Kirby is one of the top guys out of the pen for ETSU and we look forward to him possibly shutting the door a few times in Waynesboro this summer. Welcome, Zach Kirby!
Joseph Acosta – Right-Handed Pitcher
Joseph is the son of Alicia and Joseph Acosta. The 6’1 165 pound freshman hails from Vineland, New Jersey and Vineland High School. He was a four-year letter winner at Vineland and led them to a conference championship in his junior season. Now in Johnson City, Tennessee, Acosta has appeared in nine games for the Bucs this season. He’s 1-0 and, you guessed it, he has also recorded a save just like his two teammates above. Joseph is averaging just below a strikeout per inning this season where he’s struck out 10 in 10.2 innings. The ERA may be a little higher than Joseph wants it, but it’s another reason for excitement for the Generals as he’ll show up determined to get better this summer. Welcome to Waynesboro, Joseph Acosta!
Ethan Cady – Outfielder
Ethan Cady is the son of Tammy and Colin Cady. Listed at 5’11 195 pounds, the junior is a true left-hander from Soddy Daisy, Tennessee. This is Ethan’s first year with the Bucs after transferring from Lipscomb to Columbia State Community College, then ending up in Johnson City. With Columbia State, Cady showed that he had some pop. He hit 15 homers and racked up 52 RBI while hitting for a solid .295 average. This year for the Bucs, Ethan has appeared in 47 out of 51 games and has hit .242 with 11 doubles, three triples, five homers, and 24 RBI. Look for Cady to cause problems on the base paths in the Valley this summer. He’s a perfect 13 for 13 in stolen bases to lead the team. A solid left-handed bat in the lineup for the Gens this summer that could end up seeing his name written into middle of the order. Welcome to Waynesboro, Ethan Cady!
Morehead State Sends Big10 Transfer
Waynesboro, Virginia
The Generals will bring in a player from Morehead State University out of the Ohio Valley Conference. The Eagles have reached the 30 win plateau this season with a 33-19 record to this point. Their 16-11 conference record is good enough for 4th in the conference. They’re looking to repeat as OVC Tournament Champions after coming all the way through the loser’s bracket last year and topping a nationally ranked Tennessee Tech twice in the final. Logan Goodnight will be the man coming from this talented team from Morehead, Kentucky.
Logan Goodnight – Middle Infielder
Logan Goodnight is the son of Lisa and Scot Goodnight. Logan is listed at 6’2 200 pounds from Wheeling, West Virginia where he went to The Linsly School. In high school, Logan had a career batting average of .424 and was ranked by multiple sources as the top player out of the state of West Virginia. Was named All-American multiple times in his time before coming to college. Originally, Logan enrolled at Penn State University. As a freshman, he got a good bit of playing time as he played in 45 games and made 42 starts. He played mostly third base but also played a good bit of short stop. He would play his sophomore campaign at PSU as well but ultimately transferred to Morehead State this past season. With the Division I transfer rules, Logan had to redshirt this season, so he’ll be fresh and ready to make an impact with the Generals this summer. Welcome to Waynesboro, Logan Goodnight.
Gamecocks Send Former Draft Pick
Waynesboro, Virginia
The Generals will have three catchers on the roster this summer and all three have the capability to take the Valley League by storm. We’ve introduced you to Santi Garcia and Luis Olivier, now it’s time to spotlight the catcher from the University of South Carolina. The Gamecocks play in the loaded Southeastern Conference (SEC) and aren’t far removed from their back-to-back national championships of 2010 and 2011. USC will send freshman Wes Clarke to Waynesboro this summer.
Wes Clarke – Catcher
Wes Clarke is the son of Mary and David Clarke. The 6’2 207 pound freshman is from Forest, Virginia and Liberty Christian Academy. Wes has a long and impressive high school achievement list. A few of those achievements include state player of the year awards, a .571 batting average with 14 home runs in his senior season, and multiple All-America honors. He was selected in the 40th round of last year’s MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. He hasn’t gotten a lot of time at Carolina, but did have his first collegiate hit in his first at-bat on February 22nd. Wes will look to continue to grow as a player this summer and maybe bring those impressive stats with him. Welcome to Waynesboro, Wes Clarke!
