UTSA Roadrunners Baseball Looks to the Future with National Signing Day Class

National Signing Day is an exciting event for both the University and the student athlete. The University supplements their future rosters while the student athlete achieves one of their goals of playing at the next level. UTSA signed 11 studenth-athletes for the class of 2023 last week. 

It was a field with a good mix of everything. Pitchers, Infield/Outfield, and Utility guys make up the class. Eight of the players come from Texas. The Roadrunners signed Idaho’s top recruit and will bring in two JUCO transfers. Both JUCO players are originally from across the pond, Australia, and Italy. 

The past two seasons UTSA rosters were made up of more transfers than recruits straight out of high school. In 2021, 23 of the 41 players were transfers, 56 percent. Last year’s roster had three less players so 60 percent of the roster were transfers. Even with the high number of transfers, 89% of the roster were Texas kids. The next highest for C-USA is Charlotte at 73 percent transfers. Most of the C-USA teams average 25-30%. 

The transfer portal can be a great tool. You get players who already have experience at the next level. They can be taking a step up to Division I or perhaps transferring to a smaller program. It can also be a hustle to constantly replenish graduating classes. At the time of publish, UTSA has not posted their 2023 roster. 

Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the future Roadrunners signed on NSD. All stats, rankings, and scout reports came via perfectgame.org. 

Ryan Jester – 6’1” 215 – Bracken Christian School, Bulverde TX 43 TX / 320 Nat. 

Played 1B and pitched in high school. Across three seasons of varsity play he posted a 5.29 ERA in 20 appearances. Accumulated 74 K and allowed 50 BB. While batters faced only compiled a .204 BA, the high walks led to a .429 On Base Percentage. Hopefully Jester can widen the K/BB ratio. Of note is that his sophomore year he posted a 3.07 ERA in 8 appearances. His FB velocity average is 84-87 MPH putting him at the 91^st percentile for his class. While he signed as a pitcher his career BA is .442 with a .535 OBP and 52 RBIs. Hopefully Jester being just 30 minutes from home will help him adjust well to college baseball. 

Conor Myles P/OF – 6’4” 240 – Melbourne Australia – Odessa College – Bats L/ Throws L 

Had a five game stretch his senior year in Australia where he hit .625. Across 43 games at Odessa college, he posted a .331 BA with 5 HR and 22 RBI. Also achieved a .522 slugging percentage. Struck out 22 times over 145 at bats. While his ERA was 21.00 over three innings of total work his expected strikeouts per game was 15.00. The high strikeout rate is a great addition to the record strikeouts the Runners earned last season. 

Lucas Moore – 6’2” 170 – Katy HS, Katy TX – R/R – 71/682 

0.50 ERA across 35 innings of work. Struck out 46 batters while allowing 25 hits and 37 BB. The high walks result in a career WHIP of 1.55. While that number is not great, his WHIP has decreased almost a full point each season. Hopefully this is something Moore can get under control for his senior year. He brings a fast ball velocity of 91 MPH putting him in the 98^th percentile. Was a Rawlings preseason All-American last season. His curveball sits around the low 70s and has a late drop. Moore also has a good rotation of pitch use while keeping a very quick but controlled tempo on the mound. This is a great tool to get batters off their groove. He shows great poise with runners on base. Continues the Katy HS pipeline by joining Katy HS alumnus and current UTSA pitcher Drake Smith. 

Robert Orloski – 6’2” 175 Middleton ID – R/R – 1 ID / 127 Nat

Perhaps the best signee of the class being the number 1 ranked recruit out of Idaho. Over the past two seasons he has a 0.00 ERA over 22 IP. He has struck out 34 and only allowed 4 BB and 11 hits. This leads to a career WHIP of 0.68. From the end of 2021 to the fall of 2022, he added 10 MPH to his fastball velocity topping it out at 92 MPH. Has an overall national ranking of 397. Even at his current height and weight his frame still has plenty of room for growth. He has a natural strikeout ability. To compliment his fastball, he has a very good changeup registering in the upper 70s. Scouts see his velocity only improving. A high 70s breaking ball finishes out his relentless pitching style. Orloski should hopefully enjoy playing in a much warmer spring down in Texas. 

Colin Correjo – 6’4” 190 Rouse HS, Leander, TX – OF L/R – 38/389 

His fastball velocity of 79 MPH is a nice tool to have when considering throws from the outfield. Has the skills to play outfield and infield if needed. Posted a career BA of .247 an .360 OBP and .634 OPS. Only 13 K across 86 PA. Scouting notes have seen that he recognizes the pitch plane early and does a great job getting the barrel of the bat on the ball. Presents a very athletic build. Has great mobility in the field. Current Roadrunner Fischer Kingsbery also came from Rouse HS. It’s nice to see some connections forming between UTSA and certain high schools. Generational recruiting can pay dividends. 

Whitt Joyce – 6’0” 185 – Medina Valley HS, Castroville Texas – C R/R – 35/376

For whatever reason it was difficult to find any scouting reports on Joyce. His stats show that he has improved at the plate each season. While his career BA is .283 he hit .350 between his sophomore and junior seasons. He has a OBP of .492, an OPS of .884, and a 1.000 fielding percentage. Having a catcher who does well at the plate can be a huge bolster to a lineup. Joyce also has the benefit of being from right down the road. 

Hank Howard – 6’4” 225 – Vista Ridge High, Cedar Park TX – Utility – R/R 31/231

I wouldn’t be surprised if Howard has some history of QB on his resumé. He has the build of an NFL QB, and his arm checks out too. While he signed as a utility guy, he has great stats from the mound. Across 15 innings of work, he has a 1.90 ERA with 19 K, 14 hits, and 6 BBs. His career WHIP of 1.33 is approaching the higher side but his FB velocity is 89 putting him in the 95^th percentile for his class. From the batter’s box he has a .308 career BA, a .439 OBP and the highest OPS of the class at .931. With only 14 strikeouts across 82 PA, he has present strength in his frame and puts the barrel of the bat on the ball. 

Barrett Johnson – 5’11” 175 – Johnson HS, SATX – Infield – R/R – 12/75 

Another local recruit right from UTSA’s back yard. Johnson brings the highest TX ranking for the class and the highest national ranking overall. His arm strength and patience at the plate speak for the high ranking. He has an IF velocity of 87 MPH. Only 24 SO across 172 PA but drew 25 BB. This explains his .372 OBP and .681 OPS to a career BA of .259. He can get down the basepaths in 3.7 seconds and his exit velocity off the bat is 84 MPH. While those are good numbers, he also has room for growth in both areas. He has a very natural and smooth swing. Primarily a 3B that moves well and relies on his arm strength. Johnson was a Rawlings preseason All-American the last two seasons. 

Diego Diaz – 5’10” 160 – Sharyland HS, Mission TX – SS/OF – L/R – 41/400 

Gets down the base paths in 3.24 seconds to come in at the 98^th percentile. IF velocity registers at 87 MPH and an exit velocity of 92 MPH. That speed and arm strength will help both in the range asked of a SS and the grass to cover in the OF. He is very smooth in his path to the ball and his throw to 1B. He has a simple swing and consistently gets the barrel to the ball. He can also put the ball in either gap with power. His strikeout percentage of 20% is on the higher side but he draws a fair number of walks as well. This comparison explains his OBP of .400 to a career BA of .231. His ability to grind out at bats, ability to adjust to in-game scenarios, and his throwing accuracy are all important tools to have at the next level. 

Lorenzo Morresi 5’9” – New Mexico JC / Macerata, Italy – C S/R 

The second transfer signed on NSD. Morresi comes from Italy originally. During his freshman year at NM JC he posted a .341 BA with 4 HR and 38 RBI. His throw out percentage is .350 (MLB average is 30 percent.) This past summer Morresi had the opportunity to represent Team Italy in a week-long tournament in the Netherlands. Teams that were also represented included the U.S., Japan, and Curacao. While he did not register a hit in the game he was selected for the team by former MLB catcher and HOF Mike Piazza. The opportunity alone to pick the HOG brain for a few moments was probably worth the trip. He also saw some time at 3B and SS for NM JC. Like Myles, Morresi will bring college level experience that is sure to help himself and his teammates. 

Tanner Sever – 6’0” 190 – Coppell HS, Coppell TX – Infield – L/R 46/458

Finally, Tanner Sever rounds out the NSD class. He brings a career BA of .292 but his OBP of .432 comes from 24 walks to 13 K across 132 PA. He was a preseason All American the past two seasons and the recipient of several all-tournament team awards. He gets down the basepaths in 3.6 seconds and has an infield velocity of 82 MPH. His exit velocity tops out at 94.6 MPH. Like Joyce he did not have any scouting notes on his profile. His stats and metrics however show he should be an asset to the class. 

Well, if you are still here, I thank you! I hope you got something out of this report. Recruits are never a guarantee to work out, at the same time how kids develop can surprise people. What is encouraging with this class is that it seems UTSA and Pat Hallmark are continuing to move in the right direction. While there are benefits to out of state recruiting, I personally have no problem bringing in local kids. It is an exciting time to be a Roadrunner sports fan. Here is to hoping these signees are able to help continue that excitement. 

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