Crowder picks up more recruits

There has been a little bit of tinkering with the baseball roster by Crowder head coach Travis Lallemand in recent weeks.

After bringing in the signing class of 12 earlier this season, more players have been added for the Roughriders.

Along with the new recruit, some of the ‘ghost’ Riders have found places to play to continue their baseball career.

Two Crowder players who have already signed to play at the next level changed their destination for next year. Dan Golden, from Rogers, Ark., initially signed with Oklahoma State. He is now going to play in his home state at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.

Another Arkansas native, Matt Sample, has changed his commitment from Arkansas State and will instead play at Rogers State in Claremore, Okla.

A third Arkansas native, Kendall Cotton, will return home to play his last two years. The catcher from South Bee Branch High School has inked with Arkansas Tech and will be a Wonderboy.
Another player bound for Arkansas is Kyle Zimmerman. The School of the Osage product has signed with Ouachita Baptist in Arkadelphia, Ark.

Willard product Josh Brock has returned to the Springfield area to continue college. The right-handed pitcher signed with Southwest Baptist. The final player mulling options is Neosho’s Tanner Pogue, who Lallemand noted has offers from three schools right now.

Onto the recruiting class for next year, Crowder has signed Neosho outfielder Ty Anderson; left-handed pitcher Michael Baker from Cassville, who will transfer from Meramec Community College; Fayetteville shortstop Adam Baker; East Newton pitcher Austin Brown; right-handed pitcher Chance Cleveland from Watson Chapel High School in Pine Bluff, Ark.; Kyle Clifton, a catcher from Truman High School in Independence; Hunter Cops, a shortstop from Rogers, Ark.; Travis Corporan, a pitcher/third baseman from Jay, Okla.; Daniel Ramsey, a second baseman from Greenwood, Ark.; Colby Roberts, the Class 6A Arkansas State Tournament MVP, who is a left-handed pitcher and outfielder from Benton, Ark.; Logan Smith, an outfielder from Warsaw, Mo.; Brandon Taylor, a left-handed pitcher from Harrison, Ark.; Ashton Wilson, a left-handed pitcher from Benton, Ark.; Brett Richardson, a transfer from College of the Ozarks, who is from Webb City; and Cody Garlington, a catcher from Green Brier, Ark.

The final commitment is Tim Bado, a left-handed pitcher from Eden Prairie, MN. He is scheduled to visit the Neosho area on July 11.

Other interesting tidbits from this class include: Bado was seen by Lallemand at a University of Missouri pitching clinic this year; Brown and Richardson are both playing for the Crowder Dirtbags this summer; Brown pitched one year at Missouri Southern and will be a sophomore in eligibility; Smith was recommended to Lallemand by former Crowder and Missouri State player Jud Kindle; Cops, Clifton, Corporan and Ramsey will all be walk-ons; Corporan was clocked at 89 miles per hour in an All-Star game in Pryor, Okla. recently.

And a final Crowder note included the departure of Ben Pieper.

The sophomore from St. Dominic High School in St.  Louis transfered to Crowder after a year at Kansas City, Kan. CC, but his year was cut short due to injury this spring. Crowder’s appeal to the NJCAA for a third-year of eligibility for Pieper was denied, Lallemand said.

That led to the signing of Smith.