Louisiana Baseball Inks 11 During Signing Period


Louisiana Baseball Inks 11 During Signing Period

11/13/2019 3:55:00 PM

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LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Baseball head coach Matt Deggs has announced the 11 student-athletes who have signed during the Nov. 13 signing period to play baseball for the Ragin' Cajuns.

"In my mind, it's a really really good class," Deggs said. "You have six arms and five position guys that all come here highly recruited, and that speaks to the hard work of Jeremy [Talbot] and Jake [Wells]. Jeremy does and incredible job of finding players and identifying our needs and what fits our system. Him and I have been together for a long time and there isn't a harder worker on the recruiting side of things. He is very connected and sacrifices time away from his family. Recruiting is the lifeblood of any program and we are very fortunate of our recruiting. Jake, who assists Jeremy, is going to be a good one. He has been doing this for a while and recruited some really good classes in the past. The guy goes 1,000 miles per hour and is full of energy just like JT, he sacrifices a lot away from his family in order to identify players and get them on campus."

The 2020 signing class includes eight high school prospects and three junior college transfers. Seven members of the class call Texas their home, while three are from Louisiana and one hails from Mississippi. Each student-athlete will enroll at Louisiana beginning in the 2020-2021 academic year.

Hayden Durke highlights the high school products and is labeled the best overall prospect in the state of Louisiana and the No. 89 recruit in the country by perfectgame.org. Durke, an Abbeville native, is joined by LHP Chipper Menard and LHP Blake Marshall as the other athletes from Louisiana.

The lone Mississippi product is OF Sam Bianco, the son of Ole Miss head baseball coach Mike Bianco. Bianco is the first Ragin' Cajun to call Mississippi their home since Colton Lee in 2017.

The three JUCO singees are Marshall, RHP Spencer Arrighetti and SS Bobby Lada. Arrighetti spent his freshman season at TCU before transferring to Navarro JC while Lada plays ball at Bossier Parish CC, located in the northern part of the state.

"We went out and some of the guys were already committed but a lot of them have been committed since I've gotten here and they are 'Our Kind of Guys,'" Deggs said. "These are guys that fit our mold of speed and strength, love to compete, get after it and are really throwback type of guys. The dudes on the bump have a fastball and the makings of an out pitch and can field their position and hold runners. I can't say enough about the job JT and Jake did. We are very fortunate to have those two and it bodes well for the future of our program."

Below is a full breakdown of the signing class:

Pitchers (6)
Spencer Arrighetti | RHP | 6-2, 195 | Katy, TX | Navarro JC
-Played his freshman season at TCU, making 16 appearances and fanning 19 batters in 17 innings.
-Was a two-time All-District performer at Cinco Ranch High School
-Earned Second-Team Perfect Game Underclassmen All-American accolades as a senior.
-Perfectgame Top-200 RHP in high school.
-Perfectgame Top-25 RHP in Texas in high school.

Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Jeremy Talbot's Take
"Spencer was a guy that we recruited out of high school in Texas but chose to go to TCU. He will come to us a 4-2-4 transfer out of Navarro JC and we are enthusiastic about his arrival. He's an athletic rangy body type whose FB operates 90-93 with a short late slider, and good change-up. He will be a guy who has a chance to play through us and on to professional baseball."

Chad Brown | LHP | 5-11, 200 | McKinney, Texas | McKinney Boyd HS
-First team all-district (2018)
-First team all-district (2019)

Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Jeremy Talbot's Take
"Chad was a guy who played on a premier summer team in Texas with many high end D1 arms, and solidified himself as their go to man in the biggest games. He's very advanced for a high school player in that he can field his position, controls the running game, and fills up the strike zone. He should be a solid LH option on our staff with 3-pitch mix ability."

Hayden Durke | RHP | 6-2, 210 | North Vermilion HS | Abbeville, La.
-Perfectgame Top-30 National ranking for a RHP.
-Perfectgame No. 1 ranked prospect in the State of Louisiana.
-Pergectgame No. 89 overall ranked prospect.

Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Jeremy Talbot's Take
"Hayden is a power RH arm with a strong durable frame, and has been up to as high as 97 recently at a National invite event in Fenway Park. He could project as a high draft pick as he continues to refine his craft. A local product who represents everything the Acadiana region is about with his blue collar mentality and hard-nosed, confident approach."

Peyton Havard | RHP | 5-11, 201 | Bridge City HS | Orange, Texas
-THSBCA Second Team All-State Pitcher
-TSWA All-State Honorable Mention Pitcher
-TSWA All-State Honorable Mention Third Baseman
-Beaumont Enterprise Super Gold Baseball MVP

Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Jeremy Talbot's Take
"Peyton flashes a plus swing and miss breaking ball that should translate well to the back end of a bullpen. He pitches with attack and intent, and will only get better as we get him into our strength and nutrition program. He comes from the tough, no non-sense Golden Triangle area of Texas where many former successful Ragin' Cajuns have hailed from."

Blake Marshall | LHP | 6-0, 200 | Mandeville, La. | Hinds JC
-Made 10 appearances at Hinds JC in Raymond, Mississippi.
-Pitched 10.1 during his freshman season fanning 15 batters.
-All-District pitcher at Fontainebleau High School

Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Jeremy Talbot's Take
"Originally from the state of Louisiana, Blake has really turned the corner this fall at the junior college level as his stuff and command have made big jumps. He presents a lower slot look from the left side with arm strength and deception that could pose a problem for opposing hitters. His mental make-up fits well with the culture of Louisiana Baseball."

Chipper Menard | LHP | 5-10, 160, L-L | New Iberia Senior HS | New Iberia, La.
-First Team All-State (2017 & 2018)
-Freshman All-American (2017)
-District 3-4A MVP (2018)
-Compiled a 11-2 record with a 0.51 ERA striking out 147 in 82.0 innings pitched as a sophomore.

Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Jeremy Talbot's Take
"Another LH addition to the pitching staff and local product; Chipper is a throwback on the mound. He has experienced tremendous success in the high school ranks with his outstanding feel to pitch. He can spin the ball very well, induces weak swings and timing mistakes, and pitches with great attack and deception from a funky athletic delivery."


Hitters (5)
Sam Bianco | OF | 6-0, 180, L/R | Oxford HS | Oxford, Miss.
-Hit .395 in 118 plate appearances during his junior season. Tallied 38 runs, 14 RBI and 7 extra base hits last season.
-Owns a career .370/.478/.462 slash line with a .940 OPS.
-Hasn't been thrown out on the bases since his freshman season going 22-for-22 during his sophomore season and 20-for-20 his junior season.
-Father is Mike Bianco who is the head baseball coach at Ole Miss

Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Jeremy Talbot's Take
"Sam is a versatile player who will be a big asset on the INF or OF and has continued to get more physical with age. He plays with a high baseball IQ and understands who he is and what he brings. The swing is compact and quick and has a chance to play against better arms; vs both right and lefties. We love his energy and personality and he will fit in our clubhouse very well."

Clayton Dean | SS | 5-11, 185, R-R | Cypress Community Christian | Tomball, Texas
-Three-time First Team D2 District 6 Member
-First Team All-State member
-2018 Division 3 State Champion

Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Jeremy Talbot's Take
"Clayton is compact, mature build with some strength at contact. He's a grinder and a competitor who plays the game aggressively. He profiles best at either 3B or 2B, and brings good intangibles that compliment his physical tools well. Dean is a first class young man and an outstanding student to boot."

Conor Higgs | OF | 6-1, 160 | Texas City, Texas | Texas City HS
-Two-time All-District honors junior and sophomore seasons.
-(.375/.407/.568) .975 OPS, eight triples, two HR as a junior.

Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Jeremy Talbot's Take
"Conor fits very well into Coach Deggs' Pack System as he possesses a notable combination of speed and strength. He has the ability to hit gap to gap and brings a solid OF defensive skill set. His well-rounded set of physical tools make him a very promising prospect for our ball club. Conor is also from a part of the country that typically produces guys that get after it and love to compete."

Bobby Lada | SS | 6-0, 180 | Richmond, Texas | Bossier Parish CC
-Slashed .335/.373/.497 during freshman JUCO season.
-Had 60 hits on the year, 14 of them doubles and five home runs while swiping 12 bags and scoring 33 runs.
-First-team all-conference at Bossier Parish CC
-#29 ranked JUCO Prospect in Texas according to PBR

Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Jeremy Talbot's Take
"With premier defensive actions and a strong accurate arm, Bobby will be a steadying force on the infield. Solid above .avg run tool and a strong projectable body make him a viable pro draft pick at some point in his career. We are very optimistic about his potential impact as he continues to work and grow into an exciting and promising pro prospect."

Carson Roccaforte | OF | 6-0, 180 | Port Neches, Texas | Port Neches-Groves HS
-2017 High School State Champion
-Beaumont Enterprise Super Gold Team Member
-Two Time All-State Team Member
-Two-Time All-District Team Member
-In 37 games as a junior Roccaforte hit .358 with two HR, four 3B and nine doubles.

Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Jeremy Talbot's Take
"Carson has the potential to be an impact LH hitter with a rock-solid speed and strength profile. He's got advanced feel on the bases and should impact the game defensively as well. He's a guy that can play well inside of the Pack and function as a utility knife. We are very excited about his future as a Ragin' Cajun."