LITTLE ROCK- Head Coach
Chris Curry has announced his 2019 spring signing class. The 10 students-athletes will be joining the Little Rock baseball program in 2020 in the team's attempt to build upon a record-setting 2019 season.
Gage Trahan
5'10 170lb RHP;Transfer from LSU-Eunice (LA)
Hometown: Maurice, LA
Lettered for two years in Eunice under Little Rock baseball alum, Jeff Willis; where he helped the Bengals to a record of 110-14 over a two-year span to go along with a National Championship as a freshman in 2018. The team finished with a record of 59-6.
In 2019, he made 13 appearances out of the bullpen for LSU-Eunice. He struck out 24 opposing batters and only gave up 14 hits in 17 innings pitched.
Trahan made seven appearances in 2018, including three starts and finished with a 5-0 record and 2.35 ERA as a true freshman in Eunice. In 15.1 innings pitched, gave up only six hits and seven walks while striking out 22.
"Gage is a quick armed righty who throws a ton of strikes with an upper 80s to low 90s fastball and has a wipeout breaking ball. He is a great competitor and we look for him to make an immediate impact on the field and in the locker room," Curry said.
Keegan Westbrook
6'2 195lb RHP/UTIL; Transfer from Meridian Community College (MS)
Hometown: Olive Branch, MS
Westbrook joins fellow Meridian Eagles, Luke Wallner and Houston Parker in the 2019 signing class for the Trojans. He lettered for two years under Head Coach Dillon Sudduth and Assistant Coach Justin Brewer.
In 2019, Westbrook appeared in 15 games on the mound for Meridian CC as a sophomore, finishing with a 3-3 record. In 27 innings pitched, gave up 27 hits, while walking only 10 and striking out 34. As a hitter in 2019, Westbrook finished third on the team in doubles (6), homeruns (5), and stolen bases (15)
Appeared in 14 games and started six in 2018 at Meridian CC. Finished the year with 32 innings pitched and 38 strikeouts.
Hit .375 in his first year with four doubles, three triples, and two home runs. Also stole six bases in nine attempts.
"Keegan is a physical two-way player who has seen time both as a starter and reliever on the mound at the collegiate level. He has an upper 80s fastball and an above average 12-6 curveball. He's a hard nosed competitor that comes from a very tradition-rich Meridian Community College program," Curry said.
Cole Evans
6'5 245lb RHP; Transfer from Seward County Community College (KS)
Hometown: Liberal, Kan.
Cole joins the Trojans from Seward County College in Liberal, Kansas where he lettered for two years under Head Coach, Mike Davidson.
Finished 2019 with 14 appearances, eight of which were starts. Garnered a 2-2 record while posting a 4.63 ERA. Struck out 70 opposing batters while walking only 26 in his 58.1 innings of work
Ended the 2018 campaign with a team best 73 strikeouts to go along with a 7-2 record, two saves, and one complete game as a freshman. Made 15 appearances, 13 of which were starts.
"Cole comes in with a lot of experience as a starter at the junior college level. He will have the ability to serve in a number of roles on the pitching staff, but we are most excited about his potential to stay in a starter role. His fastball has been into the low 90s, and is complimented by his three pitch arsenal which includes a slider and changeup," Curry said.
Austin Smith
6'2 200lb LHP; Transfer from Howard College (TX)
Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas
Austin comes to Little Rock from a storied Howard College program in Big Spring, Texas where he played for Head Coach Rob Martinez.
In 2019, Smith was used in a key relief role for Howard. Opposing hitters finished the season hitting just .103 against Smith. He also struck out 7.71 hitters per nine innings pitched.
The lefty struck out 25 hitters in 17.1 innings in 2018; good for a 12.98 K/9 ratio. Made two starts on the year and finished with a 1-1 record.
"We are very excited to announce the signing of Austin Smith. He's a left handed pitcher with an above average breaking ball that has shown the ability to give both right and left-handed hitters fits in the batter's box," Curry said.
John Michael Russ
6'0 200lb Catcher; Transfer from Northeast Texas Community College.
Hometown: Texarkana, TX
Russ comes to Little Rock from Northeast Texas where he caught and played first base for head coach, Andy Morgan. He was an integral part of a 2018 team that finished 35-22, one game shy of the NJCAA World Series.
In 2019, Russ hit .358 as a sophomore back-stop at Northeast Texas, to go along with a .481 on base percentage while slugging .413. He ranked second on the team with 23 walks and only struck out 19 times in 135 plate appearances.
Russ played an everyday role at first base in 2019. He finished with a .302 batting average to go along with 10 doubles in 172 at-bats.
"We're very fortunate to bring in John Michael from Northeast Texas. He is a high character ball player and human. He's got experience behind the plate, and at first base, but what we're most excited about is what he brings to the table offensively. He's a gap to gap hitter that has shown the ability to get on base at a high level," Curry said.
Ty Riche
6'1 185lb Infielder; Transfer from Mississippi Delta Community College.
Hometown: Brandon, Miss.
Riche (Ree-shay) joins the Trojans from Mississippi Delta where he played short stop for two years under head coach Dan Rives.
The leadoff hitter batted .318 in 148 at-bats to go along with a .414 on base percentage in 2019. He also stole a team-high 26 bases in 29 attempts as a sophomore.
In 2018, Riche hit .250 as a freshman in 128 at-bats. He finished second on the team with 22 walks, which helped lead to a .368 on base percentage. Led the team in stolen bases with 12 in only 13 attempts.
"Ty is an incredibly sound defender in the infield with well above average speed. He's been clocked at a 6.3 60. He swung the bat well in junior college, and also possesses the ability to use his speed with the bunt game, and on the base paths. We look forward to seeing his skill-set flourish at this level," Curry said.
Reed Shepherd
5'11 180lb Infielder; Transfer from Eastern Oklahoma State College.
Hometown: North Little Rock, Ark.
Shepherd returns home to Little Rock after spending two years playing on the infield at Eastern Oklahoma under head coach, Matt Parker. He played in high school under Randy Sandefur and Brock Moore at nearby North Little Rock High School.
In 2019, Shepherd led Eastern Oklahoma State in multiple offensive categories including batting average (.385), triples (5), and stolen bases (13). Finished the year with an on-base percentage of .460 while slugging .541 and collecting 39 RBI.
Shepherd hit .409 as a true freshman infielder in 2019. Also, he finished the season with an on-base percentage of .519 while slugging .455
"We are excited to welcome Reed Shepherd home to Little Rock. We followed his progress for two years in junior college where he excelled on the field and in the classroom. He's a gritty, hard-nosed player who's not afraid to get dirty on the baseball field. He's a good defender on the infield and has a skill-set that fits our mold offensively," Curry said.
Chance Lyon
5'10 170lb Infielder; Loyola College Prep High School.
Hometown: Shreveport, La.
Lyon comes to Little Rock from the storied Loyola College Prep High School where he played for head coach Dusty Griffis, and helped lead the Flyers to an 27-9 record in 2019 as a senior.
In 2019, Lyon had a banner senior year as an infielder for the Flyers in 2019 where he batted .465 with 10 doubles, three triples, and six homeruns. He racked up 40 RBI on his way to a .554 on-base percentage, while slugging .808 as a senior. Lyon struck out only four times in his 123 plate appearances. He also starred on the mound during his prep career, finishing up 2019 with a 4-0 record, a 0.88 ERA, and two Saves.
"Chance is a gamer. He played in a good high school league and excelled thoroughly. We believe his bat, along with his work ethic, will be what eventually helps him crack the lineup for us," Curry said.
Tucker Childers
6'3 235lb First Baseman/Catcher; Mississippi State.
Hometown: Ripley, Miss.
Tucker joins the Trojans as a transfer from Mississippi State University. Prior to his time with the Bulldogs, he played in junior college at Northeast Mississippi CC under head coach Richie Harrelson, and in high school under Head Coach Joel Gafford and Assistant Coach Caleb Reno.
Redshirted in 2019 at Mississippi State.
Owns the career record at Northeast Mississippi CC for home runs with 23.
Played for the National Junior College Athletic Association National Team and represented the United States of America at the National Baseball Congress…Named first-team All-Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges…Earned first-team NJCAA All-Region 23 honors.
In 2018, Childers hit .352 twelve doubles, one triple and 13 homeruns. He led the team with 53 RBI and also scored 42 times. Finished the year with a .424 on-base percentage while slugging .679.
Batted .367 in 2017 for the Tigers. Led the team in both home runs (10) and RBI (43). Also had an on-base percentage of .437 while slugging .662
High School:
Lettered all four years at Ripley High School…Named team captain and team MVP as a senior…Three-time all-state honoree, earning first-team honors as a senior, and second-team accolades as a junior and senior…Tabbed District 1-4A Most Valuable Player as a junior and senior
"Tucker is a very physical left handed presence in the batter's box. He has shown the ability to hit for a ton of power at the collegiate level. He also brings a needed veteran presence to the lineup. He has played his entire career for good coaches in really good programs, and we look forward to having his bat in the middle of our lineup in 2020," Curry said.
Gunner Halter
6'3 180lb Infielder/Pitcher; Mississippi State. Seminole State
Hometown: Texarkana, Texas
Gunner comes to Little Rock as a transfer from Mississippi State University where he helped the Bulldogs reach the College World Series in 2019. Prior to MSU, he played for two seasons at Seminole State College (OK), and in high school at Blue Valley High School under Tony Scardino.
In 2019, Halter batted .297 at Mississippi State with 41 hits in 143 at-bats. Hit six doubles and one homerun to go along with 19 RBI. Finished the year with a .364 on-base percentage while slugging .350 and stealing three bases in three attempts. Had a memorable walk-off hit vs. LSU in a contest that lasted 17 innings during the SEC Tournament in Hoover, AL.
At Seminole State, Halter was selected in 26th round of MLB First Year Player Draft by Cleveland Indians. Batted .394 as a sophomore with 76 hits. Finished first on the team with 20 home runs, 20 doubles, 45 walks, and 29 stolen bases. Tied for second on team with 60 RBI. On the mound, Halter finished the year with a 1-0 record and two saves, while striking out just over two batters per inning pitched.
In 2017, Halter was selected in 22nd round of MLB First Year Player Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. Had 103 hits in 234 at-bats for a final batting average of .440. Belted 19 home runs to go with 13 doubles and three triples. Walked a team leading 31 times on his way to a .506 on-base percentage while slugging .765. Also stole 14 bases in 16 attempts.
"We're very excited to announce the signing of Gunner Halter. He brings a veteran presence to our lineup and our position player core. He's played all three infield positions as well as pitched at the collegiate level. We look for Gunner to hit toward the top or middle of our lineup and bring a veteran work ethic to the table every day," Curry said.
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