STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton baseball head coach Bryan Conger and his staff announced the signing of four new recruits for next season.
Landon Merka, Evan Robinson, Jonathan Schmitz and Andrew Jacobi will join the Texans starting next season here at Tarleton.
Merka is a 6'1” shortstop out of The Woodlands High School here in Texas. Under the tutelage of head coach Ron Eastman, the Woodlands has achieved a No. 1 ranking in the state and No. 1 ranking in the nation by USA Today.
“Landon joins us from one of the most tradition rich programs in the state of Texas,” said Conger. “Landon is extremely athletic and will have the physical ability to step in and contribute immediately as a freshman. We are excited about the combination of speed and baseball ability and instincts that Landon will bring to our program.”
The next recruit, Robinson, comes to Tarleton from Flower Mound High School. The 5'8” shortstop is currently amidst an 18-7 season with Flower Mound, who competes in District 8 of 5A.
“Evan comes to us from a very good program in one of the best 5A districts in north central Texas,” said Conger. “Evan is the epitome of a baseball player. He brings a lot of energy and plays the game hard all the time. We anticipate Evan being able to step in and contribute immediately and look forward to watching him compete.”
The third addition to the Texans is Schmitz, a 6'1” catcher from A&M Consolidated High School in College Station. There, Schmitz and his teammates have gotten A&M Consolidated to a No. 6 ranking in the state of Texas in 5A.
“Jonathan joins us from another one of the best 5A programs in Texas,” said Conger. “Jonathan is a big, strong young man who is going to turn into a tremendous catcher at the collegiate level. He brings a very strong, athletic body to the catching position and it is very evident why he received such a high grade at the Perfect Game USA Scouting Combine. Jonathan will also have the opportunity to step in and earn playing time as a freshman.”
Finally, Tarleton adds Jacobi, a 5'11' catcher from Mansfield Legacy High School, who is currently on a 20-10 season. They compete in District 5 of 5A.
“Andy is another athletic young man at the catching position,” said Conger. “ He is an offensive, left-handed hitting catcher who is going to be a legitimate threat at the plate immediately for us. Andy has a bright future at the collegiate level and is going to wind up being a very solid player for us.”
With the collection of recruits the Texans have added to their 2012 roster, Tarleton will look to build on their outstanding rise to prominence in the Lone Star Conference. The hard work and dedication by Conger and his staff will be noticeable in the next few years as the Texans continue to improve. Look for the class of 2012 Tarleton baseball players to make an impact not only on the program, but also on the university and the community of Stephenville.
“Coach Brandon Bailey and Coach Tommy Szalewski did a tremendous job of identifying and addressing the continuing needs of next year's recruiting class,” said Conger. “We are extremely pleased with the overall athletic ability of these young men, as well as their character on and off the field. We feel this group is a tremendous fit for what we are looking to accomplish as a program.”
