MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama baseball program added 13 student-athletes for the 2019-20 academic year, as announced Wednesday by head coach Mark Calvi.

The class features seven junior-college student-athletes, and six who will join the program from high school.

"I really love this class," Calvi said. "It's a byproduct of a lot of hard work and man hours with Coach (Chris) Prothro spearheading the recruiting. It takes a village to put together a recruiting class and championship-type team, and that's what we have here with Coach Prothro out front leading the way. He's just done an exceptional job – one of, if not the hardest-working recruiters that I have worked with and had the chance to be around. It's the product of a lot of hard work, paying attention, and a lot of time away from home and the team. Then you add Coach (Brad) Phillips to the mix with the experience and contacts that he brought to the program, I think both of those guys did an unbelievable job of balancing the recruiting and coaching our guys here. I'm very appreciative and thankful to have assistant coaches around me who are so attentive, and have so much pride in their work and the program. 

"Also, when you get on campus, it's Coach (Alan) Luckie and Coach (Andrew) Carden – there are a lot of moving parts to having an outstanding recruiting class, and I'm only as good as the people I have around me. I'm very thankful for the work and time they put in, both here at the office and outside the office – all the things that have to happen in order for you to have a successful program. With that being said, you're never done recruiting. We're happy where we're at, but there are still a couple of areas that we feel we need to address in the spring which we'll do. It will be a full-court press to get those guys who we feel we need to be great for the spring of 2020. If we get the right arm or two, and the right hitter then I would lean toward that as rounding off what seems to be a really great recruiting class."

Alden Davis – 6-0 , 210 – R/R – IF – Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College – Pascagoula, Miss.
Batted .384 with 12 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 56 RBIs, 53 runs scored, three stolen bases, a .473 on-base percentage and .616 slugging percentage in 50 games played as a freshman last season at MGCCC en route to All-Region XXIII and First-Team All-Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges honors … In 28 conference games, hit .436 with six doubles, one triple, 33 RBIs, 30 runs scored, one stolen base, .496 OBP and .713 slugging percentage … Also named Academic All-MACJC last year for earning a 3.80 GPA or better … Lettered three years in baseball at Pascagoula High School in Pascagoula, Miss., where he hit .354 with seven doubles, one triple and 11 RBIs as a senior … Batted .350 with eight doubles, four home runs and 22 RBIs as a junior … Also lettered three years in football at PHS, where he recorded 96 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, six sacks and one interception while earning All-District 4-5A First-Team honors … Grandfather, Mike McAdams, played football at Southern Miss.

Calvi on Davis – "We have to replace a key part of our offense in Wells Davis, and you can't replace his type of production with a freshman. The best hitter probably in this area and in Mississippi JUCO is Alden, so we're thrilled to get a hitter of his caliber. It was great timing and there was a big-time need there, and he was a big-time run producer for Mississippi Gulf Coast last year. He's arguably the best hitter in a very tough junior college conference. But he's not just an offensive guy, he plays good defense and has really good makeup. He's right up our ally of who he is as a person and player, and the need we had. We're really excited to have him coming over."

Carter Quinn – 6-1, 180 – L/R – OF – Barbe (La.) High School – Lake Charles, La.
Has earned three letters in baseball and two in football … Helped BHS capture consecutive Louisiana High School Athletic Association 5A state title in 2016 and '17 … Led the team in runs scored and stolen bases as a sophomore en route to all-district honors … Helped BHS to a 5A semifinal appearance in the 2018 playoffs … Brother, Trey Quinn, is currently a member of the NFL's Washington Redskins.

Calvi on Quinn – "Carter was a multiple-sport guy, not a year-round baseball player who ended up foregoing football this year to concentrate more on baseball. So he was a little bit under the radar, kind of in the Ethan Wilson and Brendan Donovan type mold of high school players where he's an athlete and hasn't physically matured yet, but we saw enough out of him. He's a high-energy, outstanding outfielder who hits from the left side and can run; his speed is coming. He's long, lanky and very athletic with the chance to be a really dangerous hitter. He could go out there and play center field for us right now in my opinion – no doubt. He was physically a late bloomer, but he's really come on in the last year speed-wise and with his physical strength. So he could be a really exciting player here over the next couple of years."

D.J. Law – 5-10, 215 – L/R – Catcher – Rehobeth (Ala.) High School – Dothan, Ala.
Three-year starter at catcher at RHS where he has helped the Rebels capture three straight Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 5A Area 3 championships from 2016-18 … Holds the school record for consecutive innings (57) without allowing a stolen base, innings caught in a season (230) and caught stealing percentage (.711) … Batted .361 with 10 doubles, one triple, five home runs and 36 RBIs as a junior last season … Helped RHS to consecutive semifinal playoff appearances in 2016-17. 

Calvi on Law – "He's solid defensively and a really physical kid – strong left-handed hitter who is solid behind the plate. Again, there's a need there in losing Felix (Aberouette) and Carter (Perkins). We have a few guys coming back, but we wanted to bring in a younger catcher and maybe even an older catcher in the class. But D.J. was the high school kid we chose – he's just physical and can really swing the bat. His catching is solid right now. He's a guy to keep an eye on, because he is left-handed hitting catcher who is really offensive and strong as an ox. We're looking forward to watching him develop as well."

John Michael Hamby – 6-2, 180 – R/R – IF/OF/RHP – Next Level Academy – Canton, Ga.
Has earned three letters in baseball at Next Level Academy in Montgomery, Ala. … Batted .410 and went 4-1 on the mound while earning team most valuable player honors as a sophomore … As a freshman, went 5-1 to earn the team's Cy Young Award … Father, Curtis, played baseball at LaGrange (Ga.) College.

Calvi on Hamby – "He was a great late addition. He just started throwing sidearm recently in the last year. He was a shortstop and started pitching and changed his arm slot. John Michael is mid-80s with a good slider. He's an athletic pitcher with arm strength, throws from a different slot with sink and he has the good breaking ball right now. He plays for Tyler Courson, who is doing a great job up there in Montgomery (Ala.) with Next Level Academy. They are producing some outstanding athletes, especially on the baseball side. So he's trained at a high level, and it was an outstanding pickup late in the signing period for us. We're excited to have him."

Miles Smith – 5-11, 190 – R/R – RHP – Pearl River (Miss.) Community College – Laurel, Miss.
Went 6-2 with a 3.23 ERA in 13 appearances as a freshman … Recorded 50 strikeouts against 31 walks in 55 2/3 innings pitched en route to MACJC Second-Team All-State honors … In seven conference appearances, finished 4-1 with a 2.18 ERA while striking out 34 batters in 33 innings … Also named to the 2017-18 MACJC All-Academic Team for maintaining a minimum GPA of 3.25 … Lettered four years in baseball and three years in football at Northeast Jones High School in Laurel, Miss. … Went 6-1 with a 1.09 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 58 innings pitched as a senior, while also batting .374 with one home run and 18 RBIs to earn Class 4A First-Team All-State honors by the Mississippi Association of Coaches … Finished 7-4 with a 0.80 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings pitched as a junior while also hitting .318 with one home run and 18 RBIs as a junior … Went 5-3 with a 2.10 ERA and 73 strikeouts as a sophomore, and batted .324 with 17 RBIs, Went 2-3 with a 3.15 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings pitched as a freshman, and also batted .426 with one home run and 21 RBIs … Father, Ken Smith, played football at Jones County Junior College … Uncle, James Hodge, Played baseball at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

Calvi on Smith – "We've had a lot of success in Mississippi and the Mississippi junior college ranks with some position players, but especially on the mound. Miles is a lot like Randy Bell, and that's kind of how (assistant coach and recruiting coordinator) Chris Prothro explained him to me and you don't have to say any more than that if you're telling me he's a Randy Bell clone with maybe a better changeup. They're about the same stature. Miles is upper 88-91 with a really good feel for pitching, and he competes like a bulldog. He pitches in a great conference and for a great program in Pearl River. We'll lose some guys, especially on the rotation side of it so he should slide right in and be counted on to be one of our rotation starters."

Peyton Millirons – 5-8, 180 – R/R – RHP – Wallace-Dothan (Ala.) Community College – Panama City Beach, Fla.
Went 5-1 with three saves and a 3.00 ERA in 16 appearances with four starts as a freshman last season at Wallace-Dothan Community College … Recorded 46 strikeouts against 14 walks in 39 innings pitched … In eight conference appearances, two of which were starts, went 3-0 with three saves and a 0.48 ERA while striking out 23 batters and issuing six walks in 18 2/3 innings pitched … Earned First-Team Academic All-America honors as a freshman … Lettered in baseball four years at Mosley High School in Lynn Haven, Fla. … Helped the Dolphins to two state playoff runner-up finishes.

Calvi on Millirons – "We liked Peyton out of high school, but he wasn't quite ready and went to an outstanding program in Wallace-Dothan. He had a great freshman year as a reliever. He's 88 to 91 with a very good slider and good changeup. I don't know if he will start or relieve for them this year, but last year he came out of the bullpen a lot and that's outstanding for them. That's kind of what he wants to do. He's going to be that three-pitch reliever who could go long or short for you, because he is so competitive and such a bulldog with that out-pitch in his slider. We had him targeted since high school and followed his entire freshman year. We're super excited to have Peyton on board with us."

Preston Welchel – 5-11, 173 – L/L – OF/LHP – Cartersville High School – Cartersville, Ga.
Batted .333 with one home run, 17 RBIs, 25 runs scored and .427 OBP as a junior last season while also recording a .981 fielding percentage … Hit .545 in region contests … Drove in 13 runs, hit one home run, scored 19 runs and posted a .427 OBP and .981 fielding percentage as a sophomore ... Batted .440 with 17 RBIs, 22 runs scored, 19 stolen bases, .567 OBP and .700 slugging percentage as a freshman while playing as a member of both the varsity and junior-varsity squads … Helped CHS to a state runner-up finish in 2018 … Cousin, Dustin Evans, played in the Atlanta Braves organization.

Calvi on Welchel – "Preston is a guy who pitches as well for his high school team, and is upper 80s on the mound. That's something we can explore if the opportunity presents itself, but he's a guy who really swings the bat. He was great on the summer circuit with his travel ball team, the East Cobb Yankees. He's been committed to us for over a year. Over the summer, Preston was a guy who just kept hitting and a lot of times it's the about the right fit for our program and the player. We're thrilled to have him. He has an outstanding throwing arm who is a great thrower from the outfield, and has the ability to pitch. Offensively, he has some advanced skills in the batter's box for a younger guy. Hopefully, he and Carter Quinn come in and are that next wave of young guys who grow up in the program and become outstanding players here."

Tyler Knierim – 6-3, 195 – R/R – OF – Calvary Christian (Fla.) Academy – Weston, Fla.
Batted .347 while helping CCA capture the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 4A state title … Hit .323 as a sophomore, and helped the Eagles to a 4A semifinal appearance … Batted .400 as a freshman and helped lead the Eagles to the 2016 4A state championship … Also lettered two years in swimming at CCA … Father, David, played baseball at Nova Southeastern.

Calvi on Knierim – "Tyler originally committed to Duke early. We were just starting to recruit him and Duke made him an offer and he committed to Duke, so we backed off. He's 6-3 or 6-4, 185 pounds right now; he's a big kid who can run, really throw and has a lot of power. He's just starting to come in to his own offensively, and I think his best days are in front of him. We're really excited to get him on campus and get him in the program, and kind of grow up in the program and be part of that next wave of position players that have had a tendency to really develop and flourish here."

Trace Holder – 6-0, 170 – R/R – RHP – Coastal Alabama Community College-North – Monroeville, Ala.
Went 4-0 with one save and a 3.46 ERA in 16 relief appearances last season … Recorded 31 strikeouts against 10 walks in 39 innings pitched … Earned AISA Second-Team All-State honors as a senior at Monroe Academy in Monroeville, Ala., after finishing 10-3 … Named AISA First-Team All-State as a junior after posting a perfect 12-0 record on the mound … Finished 8-1 as a sophomore for the Volunteers … Also lettered two years in football at Monroe Academy.

Calvi on Holder – "Trace is a guy who was an addition to our class late in the signing period. He had a very solid freshman campaign for a former pitcher here in head coach Daniel Head. When you ask a guy about a kid, especially when you're dealing with coaches you are close with, and they give you certain answers, it goes a long way. One of them was, Coach Head said if they had one win to get to Grand Junction (Colo.), this was the kid I would throw. And with this being his (Head) alma mater, it just made sense to me. Trace is a guy who has room to fill out, and he has a really good arm right now; he's mid to upper 80s with a very sharp breaking ball. If can put on 10 pounds in the next year or two, he could be really exciting. He already has the out-pitch in his breaking ball, and I think he's just starting to come in to his own right now physically. I think he is an under-the-radar, sneak-up-on-you type of guy who has a chance to have a really big year for them this season."

Trevor Hillhouse – 6-7, 225 – L/L – LHP – Wallace-Dothan (Ala.) Community College – Woodstock, Ga.
Went 4-2 with in 10 appearances with four starts last season … Struck out 14 batters in 18 1/3 innings pitched … Played his freshman season at Auburn, where he recorded one strikeout in his lone appearance … Finished 4-1 with a 1.37 ERA and recorded 41 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings pitched as a senior at Woodstock High School … Earned all-state honors three seasons at WHS … Also received class 6A all-state honorable mention in 2016 … Selected in the 38th round of the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Calvi on Hillhouse – "He was at Auburn out of high school. Trevor was one of those highly-touted left-handed prospects out of high school, and committed with a Power 5 school early. He encountered some snags early in his career and ended up going to Wallace-Dothan, where he had Tommy John surgery. This was a guy who we probably wouldn't have had a chance to sign three years ago, and now after going down that road – it's just the right fit for him and us as well. It's about timing and fit, and this is one of those guys who is showing up in January. He will do the spring with us and do all of his rehab, throwing and work with (Certified Athletic Trainer) Chris McDonald and (assistant) Coach (Brad) Phillips. He should be ready to go out there next fall. We're excited to about it, because he's been an 88 to 93 mile-per-hour lefty with a good breaking ball. We're excited about what the future can bring for him here in this program."

Trevor McDonald – 6-2, 175 – R/R – OF/RHP – George County (Miss.) High School – Lucedale, Miss.
Earned 2018 6A all-region honors after posting a 1.49 ERA with 88 strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .191 batting average … Helped lead the Rebels to a state runner-up finish last season … Recorded a 3.58 ERA as a sophomore while striking out 29 batters … Posted a 2.62 ERA with 38 strikeouts as a freshman while helping CGHS to a state runner-up finish … Named 2016 6A all-region, and was also an All-South selection by the Sun Herald … Brother, Jason, played baseball at Nicholls State.

Calvi on McDonald – "Trevor had a great year for (head coach) Brandon Davis at George County last year. He was basically their go-to guy on the mound. He can really spin the breaking ball; he's had it since he was a sophomore in high school when I saw him out here. He had an advanced feel for a breaking pitch like a lot of young kids don't have. He's an upper 80s guy who will touch 91 with a really good breaking pitch. He really put it together last year in his junior year, so I know George County is expecting big things out of him this year. He's that kind of guy who, if he keeps progressing then he could really have a big impact as a freshman."

Tyler Lehrmann – 6-0, 185 – L/L – LHP – Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College – Tallahassee, Fla.
Went 5-1 with two saves in 21 appearances with two starts while posting a 2.76 ERA … Struck out 55 batters against 15 walks in 42 1/3 innings pitched … In 10 conference appearances, finished 2-1 with a 2.95 ERA while striking out 30 batters and issuing seven walks … Named to the Dean's List (3.50-3.99 GPA) for the Fall 2017 semester … Earned two letters at Leon High School in Tallahassee, Fla. … Went 7-3 with a 1.63 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 64 1/3 innings pitched as a senior … Earned First-Team All-Big Bend honors … Great-grandfather, Ken Bagot, played baseball at LSU.

Calvi on Lehrmann – "Tyler put up great numbers last year in, arguably, one of the better junior college conferences in the country. He's a mid-80s guy with a plus changeup; he has a nasty changeup and a developing breaking ball, and I know he is working hard on tightening up his breaking ball. Typically, hitters and pitchers who put up numbers in the Panhandle Conference translates to Division I, and I don't see why they won't for Tyler at this level. He's a pitch-ability guy with the out-pitch, the polished changeup already, and is mid-80s right now. If you start seeing some 88s out of him and the breaking ball gets a little bit tighter, he could be a monster to deal with for us. He fits the mold we were looking for:  an experienced pitcher with pitch-ability and the out-pitch in the changeup, developing breaking ball and velocity that's coming. He's a pretty good-sized kid, and was another guy who was added late in the signing period and we are very thankful he was still available. He's done nothing but pitch well in front of us when we went to see him, and we're excited about adding him to our signing class."

Jerod Meggs – 6-2, 175 – R/R – RHP – Pearl River (Miss.) Community College – Kosiusko, Miss.
Went 1-0 with three saves in 21 relief appearances at Pearl River CC last season … Recorded 27 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings pitched … Finished 8-0 with a 2.51 ERA and one complete game in 10 appearances with three starts as a senior while striking out 51 batters against 26 walks in 44 2/3 innings pitched at Kosiusko High School … Posted a 2.33 ERA with a 3-1 record and two complete games in eight appearances with six starts while striking out 42 batters against 10 walks in 33 innings as a junior … Earned two wins and tossed one complete game in seven appearances with three starts as a sophomore while striking out 17 batters in 19 1/3 innings pitched.

Calvi on Meggs – "He's an interesting a signee as I have had in a long time. He recently throwing sidearm in the last year or year-and-a-half. His numbers weren't great as a freshman, but he is 88-92 (mph) from the side with a nasty breaking ball. Being relatively new at throwing sidearm, he took some lumps last year just from an overall command standpoint – he had too many walks in there. But he has ironed some things out, and all I heard from Coach Phillips and Coach Prothro was that Meggs was nasty and we had to do something with him. Being with Anthony Izzio, a former pitcher here and now the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Pearl River, and having Drew LaBounty over there as well, those guys would call every week and rave about how nasty Meggs was. I went over there and saw him in October as we were getting close to the early signing period, saw 10 pitches and didn't need to see anymore. From his arm slot and with his velocity with the sink and slider he has, he could be a devastating relief pitcher for Pearl River this year and for us in the future."

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