TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Lamar University's baseball program continued to draw in national recognition Thursday with the release of the annual Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network junior college recruiting class rankings. The Cardinals received a Top 25 national ranking.

"We only have six seniors this year so we wanted the few guys that we did sign to be guys that could come in and make an impact right away. We certainly feel that we have done that with these four junior college players and I think this ranking backs that up," said head coach Will Davis.

With the additions of Zach Bravo, Zach Sweet, Trevin Michael, and Braxton Douthit for the 2020 season LU ranked 22nd nationally, coming in just ahead of fellow Southland Conference school Southeastern Louisiana and Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) powerhouse North Carolina. Of SLC schools, only Abilene Christian (17) and Sam Houston State (14) received higher rankings.

"As always, a lot of credit for this recruiting class goes to our incredible coaching staff, Scott Hatten and Sean Snedeker, who continue to be tireless workers," said Davis. "They sacrifice a lot in order to make this program better, including spending many nights away from their families, and their reputations have helped us pull in some of the top-notch recruits in the country."

The full Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (CBSN) ranking can be found here. The 2019 baseball season opens on Feb. 15 at Vincent-Beck Stadium with the first of a three-game series against LIU-Brooklyn.

JUNIOR COLLEGE ADDITIONS

 
Zach Bravo – P – Rio Rancho, N.M./Eastern Arizona College (Butler CC/Rio Rancho HS)
Butler: Worked a 4.70 ERA through 61 innings with 65 strikeouts and two wins … Ranked 32nd in the nation in innings pitched, 21st in strikeouts, and 12th in strikeouts per game
 
Swift Current 57s (Collegiate Summer Ball): Struck out 13 batters in a 7-1 win
 
Newton Rebels (Collegiate Summer Ball): Worked a 2.64 ERA through 17 innings of work, appearing in four games including two starts … Struck out 11 while walking just two
 
What Coach Davis is Saying: "Zach is a kid that can flat out pitch. He has a top of the rotation type arm, he will sit 90-93 with his FB, with the ability to command three pitches for strikes. He will compete to be one of our weekend starters. Pitched 61 innings as a freshman at Eastern Arizona."

 
Braxton Douthit – P – Wyanotte, Okla./Northern Oklahoma College – Enid (Wyanotte HS)
Northern Oklahoma – Enid: Finished with an 11-1 record in 14 appearances … Worked a 3.92 ERA through 87 innings, striking out 81 batters … Named the Regional MVP and to the All-Tournament team of the NJCAA World Series
 
What Coach Davis is Saying: "Braxton is an extremely talented RHP who went 11-1 last year for NOC-Enid. He was named regional MVP and made the All-Tournament team at the World Series. He will pitch anywhere from 90-95 with a wipe out slider. His potential is through the roof and has a chance to follow in the footsteps of some of the great Lamar pitchers of the past."
 

Trevin Michael – P – Piedmont, Okla./Northern Oklahoma College – Tonkawa (Piedmont HS)
Northern Oklahoma - Tonkawa: Appeared in 16 games, including 14 starts … Worked a 5.37 ERA through 68.2 innings of work, striking out 67 batters while allowing just 33 walks … Earned a 7-4 record
 
What Coach Davis is Saying: "We are excited to add RHP Trevin Michael from NOC-Tonkawa in Oklahoma. He is an established starting pitcher who we feel will make an immediate impact in our rotation. He possesses strike out stuff, has a good understanding of the art of pitching, and pitches with a competitiveness we really like. He was named Region 2 pitcher of the week three times."

 
Zach Sweet – INF – Houston, Texas/Cisco College (UTSA/Langham Creek HS)
Cisco College: Named First Team All-Conference after hitting .421 on the year with 18 doubles, seven triples, and four home runs … Had 51 RBIs and 11 stolen bases
 
What Coach Davis is Saying: "Zach had an unbelievable freshman year and is an offensive force. We are losing Adames and possibly Correa after 2019 and Zach could come in and fill those roles at either 2B or 3B and provide the offensive production that we need."

In addition to the four junior college transfers, Lamar also added three high school signees for its 2020 class. Those follow below.

HIGH SCHOOL ADDITIONS
 

Jose Cintron – INF – Overland, Colo./Overland HS
High School: Ranked as the 20th player in the state of Colorado according to Perfect Game and the fourth-best third baseman in the state … Named First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-State while batting .567 with 12 stolen bases … Was a team captain his junior season … Has 49 hits with 47 runs scored and 29 RBIs over two seasons at Overland
 
What Coach Davis is Saying: "With Colorado being a state that has only one traditional D1 school it has long been a state that goes under-recruited. We feel that Jose Cintron is a diamond in the rough that will be a real difference maker for us. He can play 2B, SS, and 3B and has a chance to be very offensive when he grows into his frame."
 

Cole Marler – C – College Station, Texas/College Station HS
High School: Ranked as the 54th player in the state of Texas according to Prep Baseball Report and the seventh-best catcher in the state
 
What Coach Davis is Saying: "Cole Marler fits the mold of what we are looking for in a catcher. We are confident in our ability to develop catchers defensively, so we look for catchers who can really hit in the recruiting process. You would be hard pressed to find many catchers in the state of Texas that hit the way Cole does."
 
Marler on Why He Chose Lamar: "I love the coaching staff – Davis, Hatten, and Snedeker," said Marler. "Coach Davis has a prestigious status when it comes to catchers. He coached catchers at LSU and now at Lamar, and had a catcher get drafted his first season in Beaumont. The school itself has a small town feel, and I like the idea that it can be a great home for me."
 

Nicholas Gullo – P/SS – Dripping Springs, Texas/Dripping Springs HS
High School: Ranked as the 62nd player in the state of Texas … Held a 2.12 ERA through 33 innings of work, striking out 51 batters with a 1.27 WHIP … Named Second Team All-District as a pitcher … Appeared at shortstop for 34 games with a .938 fielding percentage
 
What Coach Davis is Saying: "When we first committed Nicholas Gullo, it looked like he could go either way as an infielder or a pitcher. He went out and had an unbelievable junior year on the mound and it looks like he is on his way to being able to help us as a freshman on the mound. He features a pretty left-handed swing as well and could potentially be a two-way player."