Two weeks before his 2012 season starts, Chattanooga State baseball coach Greg Dennis made great progress toward the 2013 season.
First baseman and pitcher Adam Weldon and outfielder Read Walden from Georgia Class AAA power Ringgold High School signed letters-of-intent Saturday to remain Tigers at a new level, along with left-handed pitcher Tyler Troutt from Alcoa.
They joined four other Chattanooga State recruits so far in the junior college signing period: catcher Austin Swayze from Riverdale High in Murfreesboro, right-handed pitcher Casey Henshaw and catcher/first baseman Colton Bales from Jefferson County (Tenn.) High and second baseman Tripp Sullivan from Pope High in Marietta, Ga.
“We think Adam can legitimately be a two-way player,” Dennis said of the 6-foot-5 former shortstop. “We’ve been on him since last year, and we really like his upside on the mound. He hasn’t had to throw that much for Ringgold, with that staff they’ve got, so he’s been kind of under the radar as a pitcher.”
Ringgold coach Brent Tucker noted that Weldon has been behind three NCAA Division I recruits pitching for his Tigers.
“He’ll throw more innings for us this year, and every time he’s pitched he’s done a good job,” Tucker said, “but I kind of hate to move him off first base. Defensively I haven’t coached a first baseman as good as him, and I really haven’t seen one.”
Weldon bats right-handed and the 6-2 Walden bats lefty, but otherwise they’re very similar at the plate.
“Read hits the ball to all fields and has good power. He hits a lot of doubles and is a good RBI guy, and Weldon is the same kind of hitter. The bigger the situation, the better he is,” Tucker said. “As they get stronger in the weight room, there’s no telling how good they’ll get. Both of them also are great kids.”
Walden has played for Chatt State assistant coach Joe Wingate in summer ball.
“Coach Wingate is really high on him,” Dennis said. “He swings it really well from the left side. He’s potentially a middle-of-the-order guy for us.”
Troutt took advantage of an open tryout in early November and wowed the Tigers coaches.
“He blew [pitching coach] Adam Howard away,” Dennis said. “He threw consistently 86-87 from the left side with command. So we got on him pretty quickly. Adam thinks he can come in and be a conference [games] guy right away.”
Swayze “is a good defensive catcher and comes from a good program. I think he’ll be a good catch-and-throw guy,” Dennis said. “And Sullivan is very athetic and swings the bat well, but the main thing about him is that he has really, really good hands. He can really turn the double play.”
A former Tiger’s father was instrumental in getting the Jefferson County duo, Dennis said.
“Henshaw is 6-3, 6-4 and throws in the mid to upper 80s, and Bales is a big, strong kid who’s a left-handed batter and swings it very well.”
Chattanooga State’s 2012 season is scheduled to begin Feb. 4 with a doubleheader at Georgia Perimeter. The Tigers have three other dates before hosting West Georgia Community College on Feb. 14.