Baseball Signees: Garret Rukes and John Trousdale
11/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama baseball team inked 11 recruits to the 2016-17 roster last week during the early signing period. Over the next two days, all 11 players from this year's signing class will be featured on RollTide.com. Today's featured signees are left-handed pitcher Garret Rukes and infielder John Trousdale.
Garret Rukes
LHP
6-4, 180
Coconut Creek, Fla. (Pine Crest)
Garret Rukes is one of five out-of-state recruits in the 2016-17 class, coming from Coconut Creek, Fla. The 6-4 southpaw attends Pine Crest High School, where he recently was selected to the all-county team as a junior. Rukes was a major contributor on his club team, helping lead the Elite Squad 17U Prime to a BCS Championship during the summer of 2014.
Head Coach Mitch Gaspard on Rukes:
"He's a left-handed strike-thrower. He's a highly recruited kid out of the Miami area. He played for an elite travel squad team, while also seeing a lot of success throughout his high school career. He's a guy that we anticipate contributing and battling to be a part of the rotation early in his career."
Coach Andy Phillips on Rukes:
"Garret is a strike-throwing machine. He has a very deceptive delivery from the left side of the mound. Rukes is a kid that has a tremendous frame at 6-4. He has a very good arm and real high-end pitchability. He's another guy in this class that we think that has just a tremendous ceiling. "
John Trousdale
INF
6-1, 180
Rogersville, Ala. (Lauderdale County)
John Trousdale signs with The University of Alabama from Lauderdale County High School, in Rogersville, Ala. The Rogersville native has received a number of accolades, including the Times Daily 1A-3A Hitter of the Year in 2014, when he posted a .413 batting average with 10 home runs, 47 RBIs and a 1.399 OPS. The Times Daily also named him to the 1A-3A All-Area team as a sophomore and then again last season. Trousdale was also selected to the 3A All-State team two years in a row and the All-Tennessee Valley team in 2014. In addition to baseball, Trousdale also competed in football, where has named to the AL.com Super All-State Team and the 3A All-State Team - both in 2013, as well as the Times Daily 1A-3A All-Area Team and the 3A Region 8 All-Region Team in 2013 and 2014.
Head Coach Mitch Gaspard on Trousdale:
"John is a hitter. He's a left-handed bat that has hit for a really high average every year in high school and travel ball. He has a real good head on his shoulders. He's a very versatile guy that can play three different infield positions. He's another guy that can do a lot of things on the field. We really like his offensive game, he knows how to find the barrel. He's been a winner at every level he's played."
Coach Andy Phillips on Trousdale:
"John Trousdale is a left-handed hitter that I think is just a pure hitter. He is another kid that every time you saw him play, he seemed to find contact at a high level. He can bounce around and play multiple positions and gives us a lot of versatility. I think he adds a high-end left handed bat for us."
