Sophomores Kyle Herrick (Adel, IA/Adel-Desoto-Minburn) and Ryan Thrasher (Sherwood Park, AB/St. Francis Xavier) of the Marshalltown Community College baseball team signed their National Letter of Intent to play Division I baseball at Alabama A&M University on Tuesday.
Thrasher and Herrick become the sixth and seventh players from MCC to commit to the Bulldogs over the last three years. Ty Russell, who finished up his playing career at MCC in 2014, committed to the Bulldogs this past summer. Andrew Utterback, the 2014 conference Field Player of the Year at A&M, Ben Ryder, and Justen Folger completed their junior seasons for the Bulldogs in 2014 and will be relied upon heavily in their upcoming senior year. Ben Lott, a 2012 graduate of MCC, will compete in his first year at Alabama A&M in the spring of 2015.
The Bulldogs compete at the NCAA Division I level in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and finished with a 21-32 record in 2014, the team's highest win total in more than 11 years.
As freshmen, Herrick and Thrasher provided quality time on the diamond for the Tigers. Thrasher played in 42 games, as both a catcher and designated hitter, collecting 32 hits, including three home runs and drover in 19 runs. Herrick appeared in 21 games on the mound, the most of any reliever. Herrick struck out 14 batters in 35 innings while posting three wins out of the bullpen.
"Alabama A&M is getting two outstanding young men, both on and off the field," said MCC head coach Rich Grife. "Ryan came here to make himself a Division I caliber player, and that's exactly what he's done since stepping foot on campus. He's a versatile player and will be able to help them a lot. After seeing what he provided last year as a freshman, I believe his best three years are ahead of him."
"Kyle is a true testament to hard work. He's a great all-around kid. Since he's gotten here, he's jumped quite a bit, velocity wise. Kyle is a constant worker and is an outstanding student. You can't say enough good things about him."
"It's been a dream of mine since I was kid to reach the Division I level," Thrasher stated. "I'm extremely blessed to have the opportunity to continue my baseball career at such a high level."
Thrasher pointed to the abundance of former Tigers as a primary reason for committing to the Bulldogs. "Being able to play with Ty (Russell) again, and having Kyle sign as well made it a pretty easy decision. Having a handful of Marshalltown guys will make for a very smooth transition for both of us next year."
Herrick commended the MCC coaching staff for allowing him to get to the next level. "Having coach Grife as a pitching coach, helping me figure out my mechanics over the past year, has been a tremendous help. Overall, the school has been a huge help in bettering myself as both an athlete and as a student."
"I'm glad to have this opportunity to continue my baseball career, especially with Thrasher and the other MCC guys down there."