BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- After finishing off another successful baseball season at 36-22, Samford head coach Tony David and staff were hard at work making upper classman additions for the upcoming season. The 2024 baseball team, which finished second in the Southern Conference regular season standings before advancing to the finals of the SoCon Tournament, was filled with graduating seniors. Those departing players, along with some portal departures, have created opportunities for the returning players and incoming signees.
 
"We had to add some players with experience and success beyond high school," David said. "We added switch hitter Trey Higgins in the fall that we recruited out of high school before he went to Mississippi State and junior college. Our 2024 incoming freshman class is incredibly talented and will be the foundation for years to come. We obviously knew we had a big group graduating and had anticipated the likely departures we were going to have in the portal really before the season even began. Only one sort of surprise on that font this summer, so we were prepared as a staff."
 
The Bulldogs have added Jeffrey Ince (Pear River CC), Austin Tommasini (Pear River CC), Joseph Lee (Ranger CC), Drew Druckenmiller (USM), Michael Gupton (N.C. State / Gulf Coast CC), Cameron Keshock (Auburn) and Bodie Vail (Shelton State CC) so far this summer, after adding Higgins and Josh Leersen (Birmingham Southern).
 
Higgins (6-4, 210 pounds) is a speedy outfielder with power from both sides, hitting .366 with 12 home runs and 10 stolen bases at Snead State this spring. The 6-2, 190- pound Leersen helped guide Birmingham Southern to the College World Series, leading the way on the mound going 10-2 with 86 innings pitched, 86 strikeouts and only 25 walks.
 
"Both these guys will be impact players for us that bring veteran experience," David said. "Leersen did it at a high level when it mattered the most and Higgins brings great athleticism and real power to the middle of the order."
 
Ince and Tommasini were both late spring signees. Ince is an outstanding defender in the infield, winning a gold glove this past season, and is a switch hitter at the plate hitting .411 with eight home runs, 23 stolen bases, and only three errors all season. Tommasini was a dominant reliever that is expected to be a major part of the end of game rotation with 53 strikeouts and only 18 walks in 38 innings pitched.
 
"Ince and Tommasini, along with Higgins, were the first part of the older additions we felt we needed," David said. "Ince can swing it from both sides with pop and is great on the bases on top of being such a good defender. Tommasini brings instant experience out of the pen that fills up the zone with velocity and quality pitches."
 
Lee comes to Samford from Ranger Community College in Texas and is originally from California. Another veteran arm that mostly started this past season racking up 90 strikeouts in 77 innings pitched.
 
"Lee has thrown a lot of innings with tremendous success," David said. "He has a great frame at 6-5, 190 pounds that will be coming down hill with good velocity at hitters."
 
Druckenmiller spent last season at Southern Mississippi after two dominant seasons at Jones Community College in Mississippi. At USM, the 6-3, 210 pounder struck out 16 hitters in 11 innings pitched. Over two years in junior college he was 9-6 with four saves with a 3.39 ERA over 109.0 innings pitched with 97 hits, 46 walks and 136 strikeouts.
 
"He was outstanding in junior college as both a closer and starter," David said. "Another really good frame guy whose fastball will touch some mid 90's and has an outstanding curve ball."
 
Gupton joins the program after spending his freshman year at N.C. State and last season at Gulf Coast Community College in Florida. He is considered one of the fastest players in the nation. At Gulf Coast he hit .286, was second on the team with 8 home runs, and lead the team with 16 stolen bases.
 
"We couldn't be more excited about Michael's addition," David said. "Over the years we have recruited Florida heavily and that conference specifically. The numbers have always translated. We had a summer departure and flew Michael in days later. Tremendous, game changing speed and power to all fields as a real potential upgrade for us there."
 
Keshock is transferring in from Auburn after an outstanding playing career at Spanish Fort High School where he used his 6-6 frame to excel at both basketball and baseball. Last season at Auburn he struck out seven and walked three in just under six innings pitched.
 
"Cam is an incredible athlete with a truly electric arm that needs mound time," David said. "He will run his fastball up to 96 miles per hour and will have a chance to be a major part of our rotation this year."
 
The Bulldog's latest addition is Bodie Vaile (6-2, 190) joins the program after leading Shelton State CC to the Junior College World Series after going 8-3, pitching 80 innings while striking out 61.
 
"Bodie has logged a lot of innings at the junior college level in a lot of high-pressure situations and helping lead the way to the World Series," David said. "He is a strike thrower with multiple pitches on another great, physical frame. He was a two-way guy at Shelton and is a really good athlete on the mound."
 
"There will be a lot of new faces this year," David said. "We have done a really good job over the years of having to reload. The reloading part takes on new meaning in today's world of college athletics, but we love the talent level of the guys on this upcoming team with a really good mix of freshmen, older additions and returning players from last season. We will continue to sign 'our guys' and develop the heck out of them. Our staff has done a great job of evolving with it all. We can't wait to get started."
 
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