USI Baseball announces 2026 signing class

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Baseball announced early signees for the 2026 class. The Screaming Eagles welcome seven players to the program for 2026.

“Each player in this signing class does something that stands out on the baseball field,” USI Baseball Head Coach Chris Ramirez said. “Our recruiting focus was to become more explosive and dynamic both on the mound and throughout our lineup.

“We expect to win and compete for a championship,” continued Ramirez. “These future Eagles come from winning programs that are at the top of the national rankings every year.”

The class of 2026 newcomers, who are fifth in the @TheJBB Early Window Recruiting Class Ranking, are:

Dane DeWees | Outfielder | 6-0 | 175 | R-R | Sellersburg, Indiana
DeWees is in his second season at Southwestern Illinois College. He batted .369 as a freshman with 64 runs scored, 38 RBIs, 22 stolen bases, and one home run in 55 games. The right-handed hitting and throwing outfielder was a member of the Silver Creek High School’s state championship team in 2023.

Assistant Coach Brandon Krennrich on DeWees: “Dane is an absolute spark plug. He has game-changing speed and uses it on the bases and in the outfield. He is an elite athlete who has great bat-to-ball skills. Dane can create momentum quickly by making exciting plays on both sides of the ball. We look forward to getting Dane into our program”

Ryan Skwarek | Infielder/Pitcher | 6-0 | 170 | R-R | Crystal Lake, Illinois
Skwarek helped McHenry County College conference and regional championship team in 2024. He was named All-Conference and All-Region after hitting .384 batting average and producing a 4.91 ERA and two saves in five appearances on the mound. Skwarek was a two-time All-State, All-Area, and All-Conference performer at Crystal Lake South High School. He batted .430 as a junior and .400 as a senior at Crystal Lake South.

Assistant Coach Brandon Krennrich on Ryan: “Ryan is a plus athlete that can play all over the infield, really handle the bat in the box and step on the mound and be a difference maker as well. With the changing rosters, Ryan is going to be a huge addition to our program, allowing us to do a lot of different things with him. We are excited to get him in our program and watch him continue to develop.”

Jared Eckstein | Pitcher | 6-1 | 225 | R-R | Cincinnati, Ohio
Eckstein is appearing in his second season at Wabash Valley College. He produced a 3.38 ERA in 10 games as a freshman, striking out 18 in 10.2 innings of work. The right-handed pitcher also had a 1.47 ERA and 38 strikeouts as a senior at Elder High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Assistant Coach Brandon Krennrich on Eckstein: “Jared comes from a winning program in Wabash Valley. He has a big-time arm and the ability to strike out a lot of hitters. He has pitched in big games and is not afraid of the situation. We are looking forward to getting Jared into our program and seeing him continue to develop”

Konner Quinn | Pitcher | 6-5 | 235 | R-R | South Bend, Indiana
Quinn is in his second season at Wabash Valley College after producing a 4.50 ERA and nine strikeouts as a freshman in 2024. The right-hander was 4-1 as a senior in 2023 with a 1.06 ERA and 59 strikeouts for LaVille High School. He struck out 14 batters versus Oregon-Davis High School as a senior at LHS.

Assistant Coach Brandon Krennrich on Quinn: “Konner comes from up the road at Wabash Valley. Quinn is a big body with a big-time arm up to 94 miles per hour. He is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential, and we are excited to watch him continue to grow.”

Trey O’Neil | Pitcher | 6-2 | 189 | L-R | Williamsburg, Iowa
Entering his second season at Southeastern Community College, O’Neil was 5-0 with three saves as a freshman, finishing with a 3.90 ERA and 25 strikeouts. He also was an all-around athlete at Williamsburg High School, lettering in baseball, basketball, cross country, and track & field.

Assistant Coach Brandon Krennrich on O’Neil: “Trey is a competitor on the mound. His pitch ability is off the charts. He can start or close a game out. O’Neil comes from a winning program in Southeastern, pitching in the NJCAA World Series as a freshman. Coming from Southeastern, we know he will be prepared for anything that is thrown his way.”

Jacob Barrett | Pitcher | 6-0 | 200 | R-R | Evansville, Indiana
Barrett, who originally started his career at Murray State University, appeared in 11 games, making one start, while compiling a 0-1 record with three saves at Kirkwood Community College last spring. He also had a 4.26 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 12.2 innings of work. Barrett lettered in baseball at Castle High School (Newburgh, Indiana).

Assistant Coach Brandon Krennrich on Barrett: “Jacob, who comes from a winning program, is a local kid who we are excited to get back to Evansville. He can close games out with one of the best-breaking balls in the country. He has pitched in big spots, and we look for him to continue to do that at USI to help us bring home an OVC championship”

Gavyn Boyle | Outfielder | 6-2 | 200 | L-R | Gasport, New York
An All-American in 2024, Boyle batted .395 during his first collegiate season with 57 RBIs, 55 runs scored, and eight home runs in 57 games during his first season at Niagara County Community College. He lettered in baseball, soccer, and basketball at Royalton Hartland High School in Middleport, New York, before originally signing with Virginia Commonwealth University.

Assistant Coach Brandon Krennrich on Boyle: “Gavyn is a big-time power bat with the ability to make any park look small. On top of his power, he is a plus athlete with the ability to steal bases. Gavyn was an All-American as a freshman and is playing for Niagara, which is one of the winningest programs in NJCAA baseball over the last 10 years. We can’t wait to get his bat on campus.”

Allen Hernandez | Infielder | 6-2 | 205 | R/R | Wallington, New Jersey
Hernandez started his collegiate career at Howard Community College prior to transferring to Mineral Area College this spring. He had a .352 batting average in 32 games with six home runs, 22 RBIs, and 24 runs scored as a freshman. Hernandez lettered in Don Bosco Prep before starting his collegiate career.

Assistant Coach Brandon Krennrich on Hernandez: “Allen is an advanced hitter who had good power numbers as a freshman. He can play multiple positions across the infield. We are excited to get Allen in our program and watch him to continue to grow.”

Lars Dabrowiak | Pitcher | 6-7 | 225 | R/R | Nashville, Tennessee
Dabrowiak is in his senior season at Montgomery Bell Academy (Nashville, Tennessee).

Assistant Coach Brandon Krennrich on Dabrowiak: “Lars is a big body with a power arm and his ceiling is through the roof. He pitched well this summer in the Area Code games against the top players in the country. Lars is going to continue to get better and become a big part of our program. We are looking forward to getting Lars on campus and watching him become a household name in Evansville over the next few years”

Vincennes University Bowling places third at AHBA tournament

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Vincennes University Bowling team closed out the 2024 portion of their schedule this past weekend with a strong showing at the fourth American Heartland Bowling Association (AHBA) tournament of the year.

The Trailblazers as a team placed third overall after the one day tournament consisting of four individual games and 10 baker games this past Saturday.

Vincennes was led in the individual games by another outstanding tournament by sophomore Dakota Waskom (Louisville, Ky.) who finished the games with a total of 850 pins, including a team-leading game of 264 to finish 11th overall.

Sophomore Nick Gregg (Salem, Ill.) was the second VU finisher in the top 20, finishing his four games with a total of 836 pins, finishing with three games over 200 pins and a best game of 227 to take 15th overall.

Sophomore Dylan Lewis (Louisville, Ky.) was the third Trailblazer in the top 20 on the leaderboard, placing 20th with a total of 800 pins in four games and closing out the individual portion of the day strong with his best game of 232.

Freshman Ryan Webber (Evansville, Ind.) just missed out on the top 20, placing 22nd with a total of 792 pins, with his best game coming right at the start with a 235 in game one.

Freshman Colton Martin (Breese, Ill.) rounded out the Vincennes individual games with a total of 667 pins to finish 38th on the leaderboard.

The Trailblazers found themselves in fourth place heading into the baker games with a team total of 3,945 pins.

Vincennes was able to climb up one spot after a strong showing in the 10 baker games, finishing with a total of 1,977 pins to give them a tournament total of 5,922 to finish third overall.

With this strong closing to the 2024 portion of the VU bowling season, the Trailblazers will enjoy the Holiday break before returning to the lanes Saturday, Jan. 18 and Sunday, Jan. 19 for the Kegel-ISBPIA Midwest Classic in Addison, Ill.

TOURNAMENT RESULTS

VU (3rd) – 998, 1070, 888, 989 – 3945. Baker – 1977. Total – 5922.

Dakota Waskom (11) – 194, 264, 160, 232 – 850

Nick Gregg (15) – 201, 227, 194, 214 – 836

Dylan Lewis (20) – 186, 195, 187, 232 – 800

Ryan Webber (22) – 235, 190, 176, 191 – 792

Colton Martin (38) – 182, 194, 171, 120 – 667