EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball announces the signings of catchers Logan Mock and Conner Anglin, pitchers Braden Watts and Abdriel Figueroa, and infielder Yahir Fonseca.
Mock will transfer to USI from San Joaquin Delta College (Stockton, California). Mock also played his high school baseball at Granada High School (Livermore, California). Last season at Delta College, Mock hit for a .412 average while having a .524 on-base percentage and a .412 slugging percentage. While attending Granada, Mock was named Team MVP on two occasions, 2018 and 2021, was named an All-EBAL Honorable Mention at catcher in 2019, and earned All-EBAL First Team Catcher honors in 2021. Mock was also a four-year honor roll awardee in the classroom.
“Logan is catching for one of the best juco teams in California,” said USI Baseball Head Coach Tracy Archuleta. “He is a good catch and throw guy that has handled the bat well during his juco career. We are excited to get him at USI and will be a nice addition to our roster.”
Anglin is a senior at Tecumseh High School (Lynnville, Indiana) where he has lettered in both football and baseball. The 2022 PAC First Team All-Conference Utility Player goes into his final year of high school ball after hitting for a .489 average, 29 RBI, six doubles, three triples, and three homeruns his junior year. Anglin and the Tecumseh Braves were also 2022 IHSAA Class A State Runner Ups after falling to Lafayette Central Catholic in the final. He plays club ball for the 18u Evansville Leathernecks.
“Conner is a tremendous competitor that has had a great high school career in baseball and football,” said Archuleta. “Conner is very athletic and has shown much improvement over his high school career. Looking forward to watching him develop into a great college player.”
Watts is a senior at Austin High School (Austin, Indiana) where he lettered in baseball, basketball, and cross country. While having very successful 2019 and 2022 seasons with the cross-country team, Watts was also named a 2021 All Mid-Southern Conference player and was invited to play in the IHSBCA Futures Game in both 2021 and 2022. During his junior season, Watts recorded a 2.1 earned run average for Austin while posting a .312 average and 2.9 earned run average for his travel ball team, Demand Command. Watts has excelled in the classroom as well, being a part of the National Honor Society as well as being named 2022 Cross Country Academic All-State, an IASP Rising Stars of Indiana Class of 2023, and earning national recognition for his SAT performance while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
“Brady has made some big strides on the mound and can really spin it,” commented Archuleta. “We are looking forward to helping him develop his game and be a contributor to our program.”
Figueroa comes to USI from Yauco, Puerto Rico, and the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School. While at the academy, Figueroa earned high honors academically.
“Abdriel has a very quick arm and has the potential to be a power arm for us,” said Archuleta. “He has played against great competition and been around some great coaches at the Puerto Rican Baseball Academy and High School.”
Fonseca comes to USI from the International Baseball Academy and High School (IBAHS) where he was a part of championship teams at the Prospect Wire Championships and the Perfect Game Championships. Fonseca also was part of the Championship Team in the Baseball Academy Tournament in 2022.
“Yahir is a 6’3′ 185 lbs. infielder with an athletic build that his body projects well,” commented Archuleta. “He has great arm strength with good actions on the infield. Yahir has the potential to be a middle-of-the-order bat for us. IBAHS has done a great job helping Yahir improve his skills.”
The Screaming Eagles open their first season at the NCAA Division I level and as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference on February 17 when they take on Western Illinois University in Millington, Tennessee. USI will play their first home game on February 24 as they host long-time rival Bellarmine University. The Eagles open OVC play on March 24 when they host Morehead State University.
