NORMAN – Led by the top-ranked player in the country, Oklahoma baseball signed a class of 12 high school seniors and one junior college transfer during the November early signing period, head coach Skip Johnson announced Wednesday.
Infielder Bobby Witt Jr., widely regarded as the No. 1 high school baseball recruit in the nation, led the way of future Sooners on Wednesday. The early class is comprised of five infielders (Connor Beichler, Trent Brown, Peyton Graham, Logan Kohler and Witt), five pitchers (Garrett Gearner, Davis Heller, Jacob Loflin, Payton Miller and Christian Ruebeck) and two outfielders (Hudson Head and Kendall Pettis), as well as outfielder/pitcher Kadon Morton. Baseball America ranked OU's early signing class No. 11 nationally.
In late November and January, the Sooners added pitchers Dane Acker and Jake Bennett to bring the #OUrtime19 class to 15 signees with seven pitchers. Acker will come to OU from San Jacinto College after spending his freshman year at Rice University, and Bennett is a high school senior from Bixby, Okla.
Of OU's 15 signees, four are from Oklahoma, nine hail from Texas, and one each come from Arizona and Illinois.
“We are excited about impact this signing class will have on the OU baseball program,” Johnson said. “This is a complete class that will fill all of our needs, from pitching to infield and outfield. We're proud that this class is rated as one of the top classes in the country, and these student-athletes will help us continue to build Oklahoma baseball to where we want to be as a nationally prominent program.”
Bobby Witt Jr. / INF / Colleyville, Texas
Witt is the top-rated recruit in the nation by both Perfect Game and Prep Baseball Report. The Colleyville, Texas, native won the 2018 High School Home Run Derby this summer at Nationals Park, knocking 26 home runs in two rounds, including eight home runs in less than 90 seconds to win the event. The Colleyville Heritage High school shortstop batted .470 with 18 home runs, 93 RBI and 92 runs scored over the last two seasons, earning consecutive all-star honors by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. A five-tool player, Witt Jr. is the son of former OU standout and Major League pitcher Bobby Witt.
Trent Brown / INF / Victoria, Texas
Brown, a middle infielder from Victoria, Texas, comes to OU from Angelina College in Lufkin, Texas. Coming out of high school in 2017, he was ranked the No. 42 prospect in Texas and a top 500 recruit nationally by Perfect Game. He earned all-state honors as a senior at Victoria East High School and led the Titans to the state finals in 2014. He redshirted his first season at Angelina and will have three years to play at OU.
Connor Beichler / INF / Owasso, Okla.
Beichler, an infielder and Oklahoma native from Owasso, is the fifth-ranked player in Oklahoma by Prep Baseball Report and sixth by Perfect Game, and a PBR top 200 recruit nationally. He was a 2018 Oklahoma all-state second-team selection at Owasso High School after hitting .375 with 46 runs and 31 stolen bases. Converting to a switch-hitter as a junior last year, he led the team in triples and steals. As a sophomore in 2017, he hit .407 with 42 runs and 16 steals, earning honorable mention all-state. Also a two-time academic all-conference selection, he played in the Area Code Games each of the last two years.
Garrett Gearner / RHP / Winnsboro, Texas
Gearner, a right-handed pitcher from Winnsboro, Texas, is ranked 104th in Texas by PBR and 119th by Perfect Game. A Perfect Game top 500 national recruit, he posted a 2.97 ERA and batted .300 as a junior at Winnsboro High School. He earned A long and athletic pitcher, Gearner also earned two letters in basketball at Winnsboro High.
Peyton Graham / INF / Waxahachie, Texas
Graham is an infielder from Waxahachie, Texas, and rated as the 28th best prospect from Texas and 235th nationally by PBR. A two-time first-team all-district selection, he was recognized as the District 10-5A Offensive Player of the Year as a junior in 2018. He hit .322 with 20 RBI, 21 runs scored, 13 walks and posted a .977 OPS to earn the district MVP award. Graham is also a top 500 rated prospect by Perfect Game.
Hudson Head / OF / San Antonio, Texas
Head, an outfielder from San Antonio, Texas, is rated as the No. 51 recruit in Texas by Perfect Game and No. 53 by PBR. As a junior at Winston Churchill High School in 2018, he batted .389 with 21 extra base hits and 36 runs scored. He ranked third in the state with 16 doubles, and added three triples and a pair of home runs. On the mound, Head went 4-0 and converted all six save opportunities, posting a 1.55 ERA and recording 42 strikeouts in 36 innings. He earned Texas second team all-state honors as a junior and is a two-time first team all-district selection. As a sophomore, Head hit .423 with 10 extra base hits, 23 RBI and 20 runs scored.
Davis Heller / RHP / Gilbert, Ariz.
Heller, a right-handed pitcher from Gilbert, Ariz., is ranked the No. 3 prospect in Arizona by Perfect Game and No. 4 by PBR, and 222nd nationally by Perfect Game. In three years at Mesquite High School, Heller has compiled a 26-4 record and 1.95 ERA, notching 162 strikeouts in 126 innings. A two-time participant in the Area Code Games, he is also a two-time Arizona all-state and three-time all-region selection. Last season, Heller posted a 2.62 ERA and struck out 37 batters in 19 innings, while also hitting .390 with six home runs and 41 RBI at the plate. As a sophomore in 2017, he went 7-2 with a 1.47 ERA, collecting 70 punchouts in 57 innings.
Logan Kohler / INF / Little Elm, Texas
Kohler is an infielder from Little Elm, Texas, and the No. 11 prospect in Texas and No. 59 nationally by PBR. A high school third baseman, he is also rated 36th and 444th in Texas by Perfect Game, and earned third-team all-state honors as a junior in 2018. He hit .368 last season and posted a .449 on-base percentage along with a 0.62 ERA in 33 innings on the mound. A two-time all-district selection in baseball and football, Kohler has hit better than .320 each of his three years in high school. As a sophomore, he hit .322 and reached base at a .452 clip, while also posting a 1.76 ERA in 47 innings as a pitcher.
Jacob Loflin / LHP / Oklahoma City
Loflin a left-handed pitcher from Oklahoma City, is the No. 13 prospect in the state of Oklahoma according to Perfect Game, and the No. 14 prospect in the state according to PBR. Rated top 500 nationally by Perfect Game, Loflin has struck out 165 batters in 96 innings in his career, posting a 2.80 ERA. He went 6-1 with a 1.60 ERA and 80 Ks and also batted a robust .440 with a .591 on-base percentage, five home runs and 32 RBI as a junior at Mount St. Mary High School. As a sophomore, he hit .392 at the plate and went 4-1 on the mound with 55 strikeouts. He earned All-Little City honors as a sophomore and junior in baseball, and is a three-year letterwinner in football, where he also earned All-Little City honors.
Payton Miller / RHP / Yukon, Okla.
Miller is a right-hander from Yukon, Okla., and ranked 18th in the state by Perfect Game and 25th by PBR. Also a top-500 national recruit by Perfect Game, he earned second-team Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference honors in 2017 and was an Oklahoma state all-star selection in 2017 and 2018. As a junior in 2018, Miller struck out 46 batters in 42.2 innings across nine appearances and eight starts, posting a 3.02 ERA for Blanchard High School.
Kadon Morton / OF/RHP / Arlington, Texas
Morton, an outfielder and right-handed pitcher from Arlington, Texas, is ranked as the No. 22 prospect in Texas by Perfect Game and No. 41 by PBR. Also ranked No. 241 nationally by Perfect Game, Morton was a second team all-district pitcher at Juan Seguin High School. He was selected to compete in the States Play Tournament at the Texas Rangers ballpark in Arlington, an event featuring top high school players from Texas and California. A two-sport athlete, Morton was a two-year quarterback for the Cougars.
Kendall Pettis / OF / Chicago, Ill.
Pettis, an outfielder from Chicago, Ill., is the No. 7 rated prospect in the state of Illinois and No. 209 nationally by Perfect Game, and No. 35 in Illinois by PBR. He hit .342 with a .443 on-base percentage and compiled an .879 OPS last season. He is a three-year letterwinner at Brother Rice High School.
Christian Ruebeck / RHP / Denison, Texas
Ruebeck is a right-hander from Denison, Texas, who is ranked as the No. 23 prospect in Texas by Perfect Game and No. 26 by PBR. Ranked in the top 245 nationally by both publications, he is a two-time all-district selection and was selected to the All-Texoma Land Team as a sophomore. Coming off an injury prior to his junior season, he rebounded to strike out 69 batters in 59 innings and hit .315 at the plate. As a sophomore, he posted 60 strikeouts in 49 innings and batted .320 at the plate.
Dane Acker / RHP / Brenham, Texas
Acker joined the Sooners' early signing class on Nov. 27. The right-hander from Brenham, Texas, is a sophomore in his first year at San Jacinto College. He spent his freshman season at Rice University, where he posted a 5-2 record with a 4.20 ERA, earning Conference USA All-Freshman Team honors. He made 16 appearances with three starts, and collected two saves and struck out 32 batters in 40.2 innings of work for the Owls, despite missing time during the season with an injury.
Jake Bennett / LHP / Bixby, Okla.
High school pitcher Jake Bennett joined OU's signing class on Jan. 18. A native of Bixby, Okla., Bennett is the top-ranked left-handed pitcher in Oklahoma and a two-time participant in the Area Code games. He has been an Oklahoma state all-star selection and a three-time Tulsa World All-World honorable mention. As a junior last spring he struck out 54 batters in 35.2 innings and posted a 5-1 record and 2.30 ERA. He posted a 1.70 ERA as a sophomore in 2017, and as a freshman he went 5-0 while posting a school-record 0.62 ERA.
