Baseball Adds Three During Early Signing Period

SAN ANTONIO — The St. Mary’s baseball team grabbed three additions during the early signing period, as they're already looking ahead to revamping for the 2014 season and beyond.

The 2014 recruits include junior transfer third baseman Joe Hermsen (Fort Scott, Kan.), junior transfer pitcher Dylan Hay (Deer Park, Texas) and freshman shortstop Oscar Sepulveda (San Antonio), head coach Charlie Migl announced.

With his senior season yet to be played at Central Catholic High School, Sepulveda has earned accolades in each of his three years of play. The future Rattler shortstop earned First Team All-District honors following his freshman, sophomore and junior years while winning the District Championship his junior season. Sepulveda was selected All-State his sophomore year and reached his highest honors as a junior with a First Team All-State Selection and being named Pitcher of the Year. The left-handed hitter will be a much-needed and desired asset to the Rattlers’ ballclub, according to assistant baseball coach and recruiting coordinator Chris Ermis.

“We need left-handed swingers,” says Ermis, “and we like to have them because it allows teams not to lock in with a pitcher (that only faces right-handed batters).”

The Rattlers will also gain an arm in right-handed pitcher Hay. Transferring from Galveston College, the 6-foot-1 Hay will come into a high-caliber pitching staff.

“Hay is going to be looked at as a closer,” says Ermis. “He pitches with velocity and is very athletic.”

Hay will finish his junior-college experience this year and will come primed for Rattler play in 2014.

St. Mary’s will gain another transfer in junior Hermsen. Hermsen will transfer from Fort Scott Community College as a predicted infielder. In addition to his skills on the field, Hermsen is boasted for his action at the plate.

“He’s a guy that’s slated to hit big,” says Ermis. “He’s going to be an offensive asset to our team.”

The 6-foot-2 Hay will finish his development and be ready for the Rattlers in 2014.

St. Mary’s University, as a Catholic Marianist University, fosters the formation of people in faith and educates leaders for the common good through community service, integrated liberal arts and professional education, and academic excellence. The University has six athletic national titles: men’s basketball (1989–NAIA), baseball (2001–NCAA Div. II), softball (1986–NAIA and 2002–NCAA Div. II) and an individual national champion in men’s golf (2006–NCAA Div. II) and a national academic championship in men’s golf (2009–NCAA Div. II). St. Mary’s also had more than 40 percent of its athletes named to conference, regional and/or national honor rolls this past year. St. Mary’s student–athletes graduation rate is 65 percent, higher than the NCAA Division II average of 55 percent. To learn more about St. Mary's, visit www.stmarytx.edu/athletics.