MOREHEAD, Ky. – Morehead State baseball will be welcoming nine new student-athletes for the 2018-19 season.
 
"I'm very excited about our fall signing class," said head coach Mike McGuire. "It's a good mix of quality arms who should pitch right away for us and impact position players who have a chance to step in and contribute right away. In addition to their athletic achievements they have excelled in the classroom as well."
 
The newest Eagles are Zach Boyd (Kent, Ohio), Nick Gooden (Berlin, Pa.), Stephen Hill (Homer Glen, Ill.), Noah Matousek (Eden Prairie, Minn.), Tim Petrucelli (Delran, N.J.), Noah Short (Scott Depot, W.Va.), Zach Smith (Carrollton, Ga.), Austin Sultzbach (Troy, Mich.) and Landon Weins (Frankton, Ind.). Eight of the nine will be freshmen in the fall of 2018, while Hill is a junior college transfer.
 
"We went into recruiting this class knowing we are going to have to replace several players on our 2018 team to graduation and the draft," McGuire added. "My assistant coaches Adam Brown, Graham Johnson and Jeff Birkofer did a great job of identifying and recruiting quality student-athletes who will represent Morehead State well in addition to filling our needs."
 
Boyd is a 6-2, 185-pound corner infielder who prepped at Tallmadge High School. He is ranked as the 49^th-best player overall and third-best third baseman in Ohio by Prep Baseball Report (PBR). He has been named First-Team All-Suburban League as well as Second-Team All-Ohio by PBR. As a junior he batted .349 with six doubles, 31 runs scored, a home run and 25 RBI while leading his team to the Ohio Division II title.
 
"Zach is a good left-handed hitter with power and has the ability to play either corner infield or corner outfield spot which provides us a lot of flexibility," said McGuire.
 
Gooden, a 5-10, 170-pounder, played shortstop for Berlin Brothers High Valley High School. He is ranked as a High Follow nationally by Perfect Game. As a junior, he belted 10 doubles and nine triples while hitting .611 and scoring 41 times. He also stole 18 bases and drove in 18 runs. Gooden was named First-Team All-County as his team was the district runner-up.
 
"Nick is an athletic middle infielder who handles the bat well and has a strong arm that will allow him to step in and play all three infield spots for us," McGuire commented.
 
Hill, a 6-1, 200-pound third baseman, will play his sophomore year this season at South Suburban Community College. He attended Lockport (Ill.) High School. In 2017, he was named all-region after leading SSCC to a 43-13 record. Hill batted .316 with 52 runs, 14 doubles, 10 home runs and 40 RBI. He carried a .438 on-base percentage as well as a .573 slugging effort.
 
"Stephen is a physical, middle-of-the-lineup hitter," said McGuire. "His bat should make an impact right away for us."
 
Matousek is a 6-0, 185-pound right-handed pitcher and infielder from Eden Prairie High School. As a junior, he was 2-1 on the mound with a 2.24 ERA and 18 strikeouts. He also batted .362 with 12 doubles and knocked in 21 runs.
 
"Noah is a dual guy who, in addition to pitching, can play both infield and outfield for us," McGuire added.
 
Petrucelli, a 6-0, 200-pound outfielder from Holy Cross High School, is the 20^th-best outfielder in New jersey, according to Perfect Game. He is also among the top 1000 players ranked nationally. He led HCHS to a conference title in 2017 while being tabbed First-Team All-Conference and All-County. The team MVP was named Second-Team All-State. As a junior, he hit .408 with eight two-baggers, seven home runs and 31 RBI. He also excelled in football, being named First-Team All-Conference as a running back in 2016 and 2017.
 
"Tim is a physical outfielder who is also a gifted athlete," McGuire noted. "He is a left-handed hitter with power and can play all three outfield spots."
 
Short is a 6-1, 175-pound righthander who preps at Hurricane High School just a few hours east from Morehead. He is ranked as a High Follow nationally by Perfect Game and is the fifth highest-ranked player and the best right-handed pitching prospect in the state by Perfect Game while being the second-best RHP by PBR. In 2017, as a junior, he posted a .340 ERA with 31 whiffs in 22.1 innings. He was named Honorable Mention All-State.
 
"Noah is an upper 80's righthander who has tremendous upside," said McGuire. "We feel there is more velocity in there."
 
Smith, a 6-2, 180-pound right-handed pitcher and catcher, is ranked in the top 500 nationally by Perfect Game. He is the 53^rd-ranked player and the 10^th-best catcher in Georgia by PG. He helped his squad win a region title and reach the Elite 8 of the Georgia 6A state tournament as a junior when he batted .315 with 19 RBI and two round-trippers. He was named all-county and First-Team Region 6A.
 
"Zach is a dual guy who pitches and catches, a rare combination," McGuire said. "His future may shine brightest on the mound where he showcases a low 90's fastball."
 
Sultzbach is a 6-4, 175-pound righthander who plays for Athens High School. PBR ranks him as the 17^th-best player and seventh-best RHP in the state, while Perfect Game lists him in their top 500 nationally and the fourth-best righty in Michigan. He was named all-league and all-district and was the Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore and junior. As a sophomore he fashioned a 9-2 record with a 1.90 ERA and fanned 80 batters in 55 innings. Sultzbach established his school's single-season record for wins. Last season, as a junior, he was 6-1 with a 0.40 ERA and 65 punchouts in 41 innings while setting the school ERA record.
 
"Austin is a tall, lanky kid with a good arm," McGuire said. "While he is 88-91 mph now, that should only go up with physical development."
 
Weins, a 6-1, 170-pound right-handed pitcher, is from Frankton High School where he is the 66^th-best player in Indiana by PBR. Perfect Game lists him as a top 1000 national watch and the 52^nd-best player in the state. He helped FHS win conference titles in baseball and basketball as a sophomore and junior and won a state title on the hardwood as a junior. On the diamond, he was 6-3 with a 3.19 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 41.2 innings his sophomore campaign. Last year, as a junior, he went 4-1 with a 0.78 ERA while sitting 61 batters down on Ks in 36 innings. Weins was tabbed all-conference both years. He is also a three-time all-conference honoree in tennis. His brother Logan was a pitcher at Western Kentucky.
 
"Landon is a three-sport star who has a bright future on the mound," McGuire concluded. "He should pitch right away for us but also has a very high ceiling as he fills out."