In his first signing class since coming to The Hill, WKU head baseball coach John Pawlowski announced the addition of 14 players for the 2017 roster on Monday.

"We are very proud of this year's baseball signing class and look forward to having these student-athletes join us here at WKU," said Pawlowski. "Coach Ty Megahee, our recruiting coordinator, and Coach Rob Reinstetle did an excellent job of identifying and addressing our needs with this future group of Hilltoppers."

Logan County’s Caleb Bruner is a freshman pitcher on this year’s Hilltopper team. About half of the new recruits are pitchers, all but one of who throw from the right side, as does Bruner, who was a Louisville Slugger First Team All-American last spring.

The 14 signees come from nine different states and include seven total pitchers, three infielders, two outfielders, a catcher and a utility player. More information on each signee can be found below.

The Hilltoppers open their season this Friday, Feb. 19, at 3 p.m., hosting Youngstown State for Opening Day at Nick Denes Field.

Bailey Sutton, RHP/INF, Louisville, Kentucky

• Attends Eastern High School where he plays for coach Phil Evans
• Hit .350 and had a 2.00 ERA at Eastern HS as a Junior
• Won the Team's Offensive and Gold Glove Awards
• Also plays for coach Kevin Clark and Kentucky Baseball Club
• Has been named to multiple Perfect Game All-Tournament Teams
• Ranked as one of the Top 1,000 players in the country by Perfect Game and one of the Top 20 players in Kentucky by Prep Baseball Report

Coach Pawlowski on Sutton: "We saw Bailey early in the recruiting process and quickly identified him as one of the top players in the state of Kentucky. We feel like Bailey has a chance to be true two-way player at WKU. He will have an immediate impact for us on the mound with a good fastball and a plus breaking ball that he has an advanced feel for. Bailey is also a smooth-fielding, athletic infielder who should be able to compete early in his time on The Hill."

Jeffrey Ciocco, RHP, Blue Harbor, New Jersey

• Attends Nuemann-Goretti High School where he plays for coach Kevin Schneider
• Went 6-2 as a junior with a 1.90 ERA
• Was named Team MVP as a junior
• Also plays for coach Todd Davison and All-Star Baseball Academy and coach Todd Rizzo and MSI Bubba Baseball
• Ranked as one of the Top 40 players in New Jersey by Perfect Game and one of the Top 1,000 players in the country

Coach Pawlowski on Ciocco: "Jeffrey is a physical, right-handed pitcher that we were able to see on several occasions. He is an absolute bulldog on the mound and should be able to step in and pitch quality innings for us right away. Jeffrey's pitching acumen is off the charts. He is a very mature young man and will do great things on the WKU campus. We look for big things from him in a WKU uniform."

Michael Hicks, RHP, Bowling Green, Kentucky

• Attends South Warren High School where he plays for coach Chris Gage
• Three-year letterman at South Warren, where he has helped the school to the KHSAA Elite Eight each of the last two seasons
• Also plays for coach Jeremy Johnson and the Evansville Razorbacks
• Averaged over a strikeout per inning with compiling a 1.05 ERA during the summer
• Ranked as the No. 11 High School player in the state of Kentucky and as the No. 332 player in the country by Prep Baseball Report

Coach Pawlowski on Hicks: "We saw something special in Michael the first time we saw him on the mound. He has a big frame and great potential. The most impressive thing about Michael has been that every time we have seen him pitch, he has gotten better. Michael has a great work ethic and is very familiar with our program. He will have a great future as a Hilltopper."

Brett Vansant, RHP, Redlands, California

• Attends Redlands East Valley High School where he plays for coach James Cordes
• As a junior, pitched 25 innings with a 1.50 ERA and 25 strikeouts
• Also plays for coaches James Guerraro and David Quinowski with JG Baseball in California
• Participated in the prestigious USA Baseball National Team Championships, helping JG Baseball to a third-place finish
• Ranked as one of the Top 100 players in the state of California

Coach Pawlowski on Vansant: "Brett is a 6-foot-6, right-handed pitcher who comes from a great background and pedigree. He has had opportunities to play with and against some of the top competition in the country and has excelled. Brett's current ability and his potential on the mound will give him an opportunity to compete for early innings for us. We are very excited to have Brett as part of our program."

Wyatt Featherston, OF, Lakewood, Colorado

• Attends Green Mountain High School where he plays for coach Brad Madden
• Has led Green Mountain to back-to-back Colorado 4A State Championships
• Hit .404 with 15 home runs and 69 RBI as a junior and was named First Team All-State during his sophomore and junior seasons
• Has played travel ball with the Houston Banditos, Chandler World and the SACSN National Team
• Also played with the Colorado Rockies Scout Team
• Ranked as the No. 342 overall player in the country by Perfect Game and as the No. 5 player in Colorado and as the No. 1 outfielder in the state

Coach Pawlowski on Featherston: "Wyatt was an early target of our staff when we arrived at WKU. He is a physical outfielder with multiple tools that allow him to play at a high level. Wyatt has been exposed to a very high level of amateur baseball and we expect him to come to WKU and compete for playing time right away."

Ray Zuberer, INF, Owensboro, Kentucky

• Attends Owensboro Catholic High School where he plays for coach Adam Hines
• In his career at Owensboro HS, he has hit for a .416 average with 58 RBI and 47 Stolen Bases
• Named the 2015 District Player of the Year and All-State
• Also a record-setting quarterback and point guard at Owensboro Catholic
• Played for the Western Kentucky Aces and coaches Mike Riley and Byron Boothe
• Ranked as one of the Top 25 players in Kentucky by Prep Baseball Report

Coach Pawlowski on Zuberer: "Ray is very much a throw-back type of player. He has had a tremendous high school career at Owensboro Catholic in three sports. We feel that his potential is through the roof when baseball becomes his total focus. We think that he could compete on the field at a high level at any position. Ray is an exceptional athlete and is a very intense competitor. Above everything else, the word that probably best describes Ray is "winner." We look forward to him having a great career on The Hill."

Kevin Lambert, INF, Palm Harbor, Florida

• Attends East Lake High School where he plays for coach Zack Roper
• During his junior season, hit .471 with 5 HR's, and 26 RBI
• Won ELHS's Gold Glove Award and was named All-Conference as a junior
• Also plays for coach Frank Maldonado with South Tampa Baseball Academy
• Was selected to participate in USA Baseball's National Identification Series in 2015
• Ranked as one of the Top 1,000 prospects in the country by Perfect Game and one of the Top 30 infielders in Florida

Coach Pawlowski on Lambert: "Kevin is a guy who caught our eye early in the recruiting process. We think that he has a very bright future on the infield for the Tops. Kevin is a rangy, athletic defender with sure hands and very good arm strength. His bat will also give him an opportunity to play early in his career. Kevin is a very mature young man and will be a great fit on our club."

Isaiah Garcia, C, Gilbert, Arizona

• Attends Campo Verde High School where he plays for coach Shawn Dukes and also attended Desert Ridge High School where he played for coach Pat Herrera
• Helped Desert Ridge HS to back-to-back District Titles in 2013 and 2014
• Also plays travel ball with the Arizona PROspects for coach Derrin Ebert
• Participated in the prestigious USA Baseball Championships in 2014
• Rated as one of the Top 1,000 players in the country by Perfect Game and the No. 6 catcher in the state of Arizona

Coach Pawlowski on Garcia: "Isaiah comes from a baseball-rich area in Arizona where he has had an opportunity to develop and compete against some of the top competition in the country. He is a very mature, very physical player who will have an opportunity to make an immediate impact on our program. Isaiah's skill set behind the plate makes him one of the top catchers in the country in this class. We look for great things from him moving forward."

Bryson Smith, INF, San Marino, California

• Attends San Marino High School where he plays for coach Mack Paciorek
• Named San Marino Offensive Player of the Year, First Team All-League and Second Team All-Area as a junior
• Also plays travel ball with Trosky Baseball for coach Nate Trosky and the Orlando Scorpions for coach Matt Gerber
• Was named an Underclass All-American by Perfect Game in 2015
• Ranked as one of the Top 500 players in the country by Perfect Game and one of the Top 100 players in the state of California

Coach Pawlowski on Smith: "Bryson was one of the first players to commit to us at WKU in this class. He bought into the vision and dreams that we have for this program. Bryson is a smooth-fielding infielder who has been exposed to a very advanced level of baseball. His makeup and desire made him a very vital piece of this class. We look for Bryson to come and compete at a high-level, immediately."

Aidan Elias, OF, Lexington, Kentucky

• Attends Sayre High School where he plays for coach Kevin Clary
• Also plays travel ball with Kentucky Baseball Club
• Hit .409 at Sayre as a junior and was named to the All-District and All-Region teams
• A three-time member of the KHSAA Academic All-State team
• Named a Perfect Game Underclass All-American Honorable Mention in 2014 and 2015
• Ranked as one of the Top 20 players in Kentucky by Perfect Game and one of the Top 500 players in the country

Coach Pawlowski on Elias: "Aidan is a great in-state pickup for our program. He brings a lot to the table when you start looking at the total package in a potential player. First, he is a great student who will thrive on our campus. He is also an intense competitor on the baseball field. Aidan has proven himself to be a very good player. He possesses many tools and attributes that will allow him to have success in a Hilltopper uniform."

Lucas Gross, LHP, Hendersonville, Tennessee

• Attends Station Camp High School where he plays for coach Korey Heppard
• Plays summer ball for the Mid South Mayhem and coach Kenny Dillion and for Renegades Baseball and coach Mike Broadwell
• Went 6-2 with 4 Saves as a Junior at Station Camp with a 2.12 ERA
• Named a Team Captain at SCHS

Coach Pawlowski on Gross: "Lucas first came on our radar during a camp at WKU. We were able to follow his progress from there and felt like he could be a tremendous asset to our program. Lucas has the ability to throw multiple pitches for a strike from the left side and is a fierce competitor. We feel like he has an opportunity to come in and compete at an early stage in his career at WKU."

Paul Kirkpatrick, RHP, Austin, Texas

• Attends McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas, where he plays for coach Mitch Thompson
• Played his freshman season at Wake Forest, where he won 3 games and threw 37 innings
• Made 6 starts for the Demon Deacons and totaled 20 appearances
• Played last summer for the Martinsville Mustangs in the Coastal Plains League
• Attended Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, where he played for coach Jeff Montgomery

Coach Pawlowski on Kirkpatrick: "Paul is a great fit for our program at WKU. Not only is Paul a great student, he is also a very experienced pitcher who will be able to step in and help us right away. Paul is a physical presence who can command the strike zone and throw three quality pitches. He knows what it takes to be successful at the Division I level and that will translate to WKU, immediately."

William Rittenberry, RHP, Carthage, Texas

• Attends Temple College in Temple, Texas, where he plays for coach Craig McMurtry
• Went 4-3 at Temple in 53 innings pitched. Made 14 appearances with 7 starts as a freshman
• Selected to appear in the Texas Junior College All-Star Game
• Attended Carthage High School where he played for coach Jim Goldman
• Named one of the Top 100 players in Texas by Perfect Game and an Honorable Mention All-Texas Performer during his senior year

Coach Pawlowski on Rittenberry: "We are extremely excited about having William at WKU next season. He has a chance to step in and throw meaningful innings for us right away. William is an intense competitor who wants the ball in every situation. He will come to us from a great junior college program and that experience should lead to success for William at WKU."

Logan Haner, RHP, Kennesaw, Georgia

• Attends Chattahoochee Valley Community College in Phenix City, Alabama, where he plays for coach Adam Thomas
• Went 3-1 as a freshman with a 2.86 ERA for the Pirates
• Helped CVCC win the Alabama Junior College Conference Championship and advance to the Junior College World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado
• Attended Mt. Paren High School where he played for coach Harvey Cochran
• Finished his high school career with a 23-6 record and a 1.50 ERA
• Played summer ball for Team Elite and coach Brad Bouras and for 6-4-3 Baseball and coaches Ryan Sterling and Danny Pralgo

Coach Pawlowski on Haner: "Logan comes to us from one of the best junior college programs in the country. He has had an opportunity to pitch on many big stages in his career, including the JUCO World Series. We expect Logan to come into our program and be able to compete for a meaningful role on our pitching staff. His experience and competitive nature will greatly benefit our program."