BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford University baseball program added 12 new signees in the early signing period, head coach Tony David announced today.
 
The signing class includes: Gus Gandy (INF, 5-9, 162, St. Simons Island, Ga./Glynn Academy), Mason Blasche (RHP/INF, 6-2, 190, Hoover, Ala./Hoover HS), Andrew Gillespie (RHP, 6-0, 186, Bogart, Ga./Prince Avenue Christian School), David Martin (RHP, 6-4, 210, Jacksonville, Fla/Bolles School), Brooks McKenna (INF, 6-3, 190, Canton, Ga./Woodstock HS), Gatlin Pitts (INF/RHP, 5-11, 185, Fairhope, Ala./Bayside Academy), John Robicheaux (OF, 6-2, 185, Birmingham, Ala./Mountain Brook HS), Hudson Shoaf (OF, 6-0, 196, Germantown, Tenn./Memphis University School), Jake Souders (INF, 6-2, 205, Birmingham, Ala./Briarwood Christian), Elijah Wellman (RHP, 6-3, 195, Brunswick, Ga./Brunswick HS), Charlie Bozeman (OF, 5-10, 200, Knoxville, Tenn./Farragut HS) and Trey Higgins (OF, 6-4, 210, Oxford, Ala./Snead State)
 
"Every class is important in its way, but this group will be going a long way to replace a number of outgoing seniors and draft picks," David said. "It is a group that has to have a number of immediate impact players in the class. We targeted the bulk of this group early on and then went after them. The class is filled with incredibly talented players overall, and talent has to be the starting ground in recruiting. But we went after them as student-athletes because they were also great fits for our program and university. I talk a great deal about fit in recruiting and building a coaching staff. These guys will thrive here as players and young men that are without question Samford guys. It's a group I've been able to see a lot of the last couple of summers and this is that next great large group for us.
 
"I believe to have consistent, sustained, yearly success you have to be able to evaluate young talent and bring them in to develop and play early," David said. "Evaluating our guys and getting them in here ready to play from day one, then making them better."
 
David gave a lot of credit to recruiting coordinator Tyler Shrout and assistants Gil Walker and Cam Shepherd for the success the program has seen in recruiting.
 
"Coach Shrout and I have coached together for a decade now and have been the only two recruiting coordinators the last 20 years," David said. "Continuity matters for consistency. Cam and Gil work their tails off on the recruiting front, hitting the road to find the talents and the phones to build relationships. They have all done an incredible job putting this group together."
 
Below is a short bio on each signee.
 
Gus Gandy was a four-year starter at shortstop for Glynn Academy in Georgia. He is rated as the No. 9 shortstop in Georgia and the No. 288 overall by Perfect Game.
 
"Gus is an outstanding athlete and defender that can also really handle the bat," David said. "He has an explosive first step and the range that comes with that and will arrive on campus with an opportunity to battle to take the reins of the shortstop position that will become vacant with the graduation of Garrett Howe."
 
Mason Blasche was a two-year starter, playing first base, third base and pitcher at nearby Hoover High School. He has a .346 batting average with four home runs, 10 doubles, two triples and 33 RBI. On the mound, he has a 3.93 ERA with 24 strikeouts and only five walks. He was named his team's MVP, as well as being selected All-Metro, second team All-State and Birmingham Terrific 20. He is also rated in the top 500 by Perfect Game.
 
"Mason continues our Hoover pipeline," David said. "He will be a true two-way guy that will pitch and hit for us. He has real power at the plate that moves well enough to play the hot corner. Coach Moseley does a great job at Hoover High School with those guys."
 
Andrew Gillsepie was a three-year starter as a pitcher and infielder at Prince Avenue Christian School. He has posted a .390 career batting average, with 75 hits, 63 runs scored and 63 RBI. As a pitcher, he posted a 2.79 ERA in 101 innings pitched with 135 strikeouts. He was named first team All-Region as a freshman and junior, and first team All-State as a junior. He is also rated among the top 500 by Perfect Game.
 
"Andrew will be another outstanding Georgia product to join our program," David said. "He is a good velocity guy now with multiple pitches for strikes that will continue to grow and develop under Coach Shrout. He is also a strong student that will excel here on and off the field."
 
David Martin was a three-year letterman at pitcher at the prestigious Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida. He also played for the Florida Dodgers Scout Club team. Martin is ranked among Perfect Game's top 500 players.
 
"We were put on David initially by a good friend of the program in the Jacksonville area and followed up," David said. "His body and frame profile well for a lot of our staff over the years with guys that we have had tremendous success right out the gate and in development. Really good velo guy now with way more in the tank."
 
Brooks McKenna was a four-year starter in the infield for Woodstock High School in Georgia. Batted .360 with 64 hits, 42 runs scored, 38 RBI and 13 doubles. He played in the 2023 17U WWBA National Championship, collected 10 hits and scoring 11 runs. He was an honorable All-State honoree, as well as being All-Region and All-County. He ranks in the top 10 in program history in at-bats, hits, runs, doubles and RBI. He was named among the top 500 players by Perfect Game.
 
"Brooks is an outstanding baseball player that can really handle the bat," David said. "He has some occasional pop with a great frame that will add mass and strength too when he arrives on campus. Another outstanding student and fit."
 
Gatlin Pitts was a six-year starter on the baseball team at Bayside Academy. During the 2023 season, he led his team with a .402 batting average, 43 hits, 12 doubles, three triples and 17 stolen bases. For his career, he has collected 133 hits. He was a three-time All-Baldwin County selection and was named All-State as a junior. He is s ranked as the No. 8 shortstop in Alabama and among the top 500 players by Perfect Game.
 
"Gatlin will come in as another true two-way player," David said. "He really swings the bat and has tremendous arm strength. He is coming out of an outstanding program at Bayside Academy, which is a forever special place to me as the first school to give a head coaching opportunity."
 
John Robicheaux was a three-year starter as an outfielder and pitcher at nearby Mountain Brook High School. In the last two seasons, he has started 67 games, posting a batting average of .354, with 70 hits, five home runs, 73 runs scored and 23 stolen bases. On the mound, he has 21 appearances, earning 10 wins and striking out 88 batters. As a junior, he was named second team All-State by the Alabama Sports Writers Association. He was also named first team All-Metro and All-Over the Mountain. He is rated as the No. 4 outfielder in Alabama and the No. 158 outfielder in the nation by Perfect Game.
 
"John is an incredible athlete that can really swing it," David said. "He is a really good runner and an outstanding defender in the outfield with a great physical frame that projects well."
 
Hudson Shoaf was a four-year starter in both baseball and football at Memphis University School. He has a .400 career batting average with over 100 hits and 14 home runs. He was a three-time team MVP, two-time All-State honoree and four-time All-City selection. He is rated as the No. 7 outfielder in Tennessee and in the top 500 overall by Perfect Game.
 
"We have had great success with guys hitting for power for us right out of the gate," David said. "Hudson comes in with tremendous power at the plate. He has real strength that will have an opportunity to show out in big numbers."
 
Jake Souders was a three-year starter at Briarwood Christian. As a junior, he hit .437 with 11 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 37 RBI. He was named first team All-State, All-County and All-Metro, and second team All-Over the Mountain. He is rated as the No. 8 third baseman in Alabama and one of the top 500 players overall by Perfect Game.
 
"Jake is literally a Samford guy from a Samford family," David said. "His dad was a great player here. Jake has good size and arrives on campus with real power and the ability to handle the glove."
 
Elijah Wellman was a four-year starter at Brunswick High School in Georgia. He was named the Utility Player of the Year and was named the PBR Region 2 6A Georgia High School Preseason MVP. He is rated among the top 500 by Perfect Game.
 
"Elijah is a great student that is another good velo guy now that can really pitch, but with that classic physical frame built perfectly for growth and development after he arrives here," David said. "He is an outstanding student in the classroom and another great fit for our community."
 
Charlie Bozeman played three seasons as an infielder and outfielder at Farragut High School in Tennessee. He led his team to a pair of stat titles. He was named the District Defensive Player of the Year. He is rated among Perfect Games Top 1000.
 
"Charlie has tremendous bat speed and real strength at the plate," David said. "He has worked like crazy to get back from injury. He has an aggressive mindset at the plate that will translate well here in our league."
 
Trey Higgins comes to Samford from Snead State Community College. He batted .311 with 16 home runs, 52 RBI and 57 runs scored at Snead. He played his high school baseball at Oxford High School. He is rated as the No. 1 outfielder in Alabama, the No. 79 outfielder in the country and the No. 439 player overall by Perfect Game.
 
"I have followed Trey closely for years," David said. "I recruited him coming out of high school and again briefly out of the portal last year. He hits for average, tremendous power, outstanding runner, and plays an outstanding outfield. He put up huge offensive power numbers last spring and is expected to come in for some of our graduating power in the middle of the order."
 
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