BEAUMONT, Texas – With just under two weeks left before the 2018-19 school year begins, summer is finally starting for a good portion of the Lamar University baseball team - the vast majority of last year's squad and eight incoming Cards spent the summer in the NCAA-sanctioned wood bat summer leagues.
 
Of the 23 LU baseball players who spent the summer away from the friendly confines of Vincent-Beck Stadium, 10 Big Red student-athletes made names for themselves this summer, which is encouraging for head coach Will Davis.
 
"We saw many of our young players play really well the second half of the season last year and it is great to see them make further jumps in their development this summer," said Davis. "I also think it is important for our incoming JUCO and high school recruits to play summer ball and face more guys from four-year schools to help bridge the gap from the levels that they are coming from."
 
In the Texas Collegiate League five 2019 Cards were named to the All-Star team, including Nathan Gabryzwski, Rhett McCall, Cole Secrest, Robin Adames, and Cole Coker. McCall (second), Coker (seventh), Secrest (eighth), and Adames (ninth) all finished in the Top 10 in the league in hitting with McCall taking fifth in RBIs, Secrest finishing third in RBIs, fourth in homers, and fifth in doubles, Adames tying with Secrest in homers and finishing sixth in doubles, ninth in RBIs, and eighth in stolen bases, and Coker tying with Adames for sixth in doubles and taking sixth in RBIs and fifth in stolen bases.
 
Those five Texas Collegiate League Cards weren't the only All-Stars though. Chet Jones was named to the Expedition League All-Star team after playing the summer for the West Nebraska Pioneers, and incoming Cards Luke Baley (Rocky Mountain League), JC Correa (Alaska League), Anthony Quirion (New England), and Austin Smith (Hamptons League) all made their respective All-Star teams as well.
 
Due to an influx of youth in 2018, 21 members of last season's team will return for LU in the upcoming season. They'll be joined by a nationally-ranked recruiting class that will include a brother of a current Houston Astro, a former starting catcher for Texas A&M, and the strikeout leader of Texas high school baseball. Cardinal baseball fans should stay tuned to LamarCardinals.com and @LamarAthletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for the release of the 2019 schedule later in the fall.