Courtesy: Ball State Athletics
Release: 11/13/2009
Courtesy: BSU Photo Services
Ball State baseball head coach Greg Beals and the Cardinals are coming off of a Mid-American Conference West Division championship last spring.
MUNCIE, Ind. - Ball State baseball head coach Greg Beals announced the signings of seven players to national letters of intent Friday during the early signing period. The seven players will join the Cardinals for the 2011 season.
Joining the Cardinals are Jacob Brewer (South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph), Cody Campbell (Muncie, Ind./Cowan), Derek Hannahs (Robinson, Illinois./Robinson), Tyler Jordan (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington South), Kenneth Mahala (Highland, Ind./Andrean), Mitch Overley (Zionsville, Ind./Brebeuf) and T.J. Weir (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo).
'I am very pleased to announce this year's recruiting class as coach Stafford, coach Marconi and myself have worked hard to attract this group to Ball State University,' Beals said. 'This class exemplifies all the characteristics we are looking for in student-athletes - a history of success in the classroom and on the field, hard working players with development on their mind and tough competitors.'"
Hannahs, a 6-1 infielder, is a standout at Robinson High School for Scott Albright. He played summer baseball for the Indy Pony Express where he hit .337 with two home runs and 12 doubles this season. Hannahs is the son of Mitch and Amy Hannahs.
"The more we watched Derek play this summer, the more we liked him," Beals said. "He is a good athlete with a great feel for the game. He is a steady defender with clean fielding actions. At the plate, he barrels a lot of balls, and as he develops physically, he will become an even more offensive threat."