SAN ANTONIO — First-year head coach Jason Marshall announced the signing of seven student-athletes to National Letters of Intent on Thursday.
Joining the Roadrunners for the 2014 season will be Jeremy Filipek (Langley, British Columbia/Walnut Grove Secondary School/Midland JC), Matt Hilston (Bulverde, Texas/Smithson Valley HS/McLennan CC), Logan Kinder (Round Rock, Texas/Rouse HS), Mitch Matulia (Kingwood, Texas/Park HS), Boone Mokry (Pleasanton, Texas/Pleasanton HS/McLennan CC), CJ Pickering (Houston, Texas/Westside HS) and Andres Vieyra (Valley Center, Kan./Valley Center HS/Barton CC).
"I am excited about the future of Roadrunners baseball as we enter Conference USA in 2014," Marshall said. "I think each of these young men will bring value to the program on the field and represent the standards of the program off the field. I appreciate the hard work and time served by our coaching staff to sell UTSA and the baseball program and look forward to watching this recruiting class compete in C-USA. The expectations are high, but I believe this group will be up to the task and challenges ahead."
Below is a breakdown of this year's early signing class.
Jeremy Filipek
6-4 · 195 · R/R · P
Langley, British Columbia (Walnut Grove Secondary School/Midland JC)
· Spring 2012 stats: 7-3 W-L, 3.80 ERA, 43 K, 47 IP
· Selected to play in the 2012 Texas/New Mexico Junior College All-Star Game
· One of 14 Chaparrals to earn a team academic award last season
Marshall on Filipek
"Jeremy is a very talented pitcher and had a great deal of success for Midland College last year. His fastball ranges from 88-92, but what separates him is his great feel for two quality breaking balls. He has the ability to step in and be a starter or closer for us. We are excited to have him in our program."
Matt Hilston
6-0 · 175 · L/L · OF
Bulverde, Texas (Smithson Valley HS/McLennan CC)
· Spring 2012 stats: .319 BA, 22 RBIs, 17 SB
· Named 2011 District 27-4A and Comal County Player of the Year
· Set single-season records for home runs, walks and runs scored as a senior at Smithson Valley High School
· Spring 2011 stats: .420 BA, 12 HR, 45 RBIs
Marshall on Hilston
"Matt is a very athletic player that projects to be a top of the lineup guy for us. He fits into our needs and style of play. We expect Matt to have a great influence on our program."
Logan Kinder
5-9 · 180 · R/L · OF
Round Rock, Texas (Rouse HS)
· Three-time first-team all-district selection as an outfielder
· Named 2012 Rouse High School Pitcher of the Year
· Also tabbed 2011 Rouse HS Most Valuable Player for football
· Played summer ball with the Austin Wings
Marshall on Kinder
"Logan is an exciting player and his intangibles are off the charts. He plays with a very high motor and projects as a table setter in the lineup. We are glad that he is going to be a part of the Roadrunners program."
Mitch Matulia
5-10 · 185 · R/L · INF/C
Kingwood, Texas (Park HS)
· Named District 18-4A co-Most Valuable Player
· Spring 2012 stats: .370 BA, 12 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR
· Earned District 18-4A second team and Newcomer of the Year honors in 2011
· Played summer ball with Houston Heat Black
Marshall on Matulia
"We are excited about Mitch and what he brings to the Roadrunners program. He is a very versatile player and can play anywhere on the field. We decided he was the guy we wanted when we saw him catch. We think he has a bright future behind the plate and we also are excited about what he brings from an offensive standpoint."
Boone Mokry
6-5 · 205 · R/R · P
Pleasanton, Texas (Pleasanton HS/McLennan CC)
· Spring 2012 stats: 2-1 W-L, 1.59 ERA, 16 K
· Posted a 20-3 record with a 1.32 ERA at Pleasanton High School
· Two-time all-district selection
· Led Pleasanton HS with 107 strikeouts in 2010
Marshall on Mokry
"Boone has a very talented arm. His fastball ranges from 90-93 and he has improved every time we have seen him pitch. He has the ability to be a power starter for us next year. One of our goals in recruiting is to keep the better local players in San Antonio, so we are excited to have both Boone and Matt Hilston in this class."
CJ Pickering
6-1 · 180 · R/R · INF
Houston, Texas (Westside HS)
· Two-time All-District 20-5A selection
· Played summer ball for Houston Kyle Chapman
Marshall on Pickering
"We really liked the way CJ swung the bat this summer. He has the ability to be a run producer in the middle of the order in the near future. He also has the ability to play multiple positions in the infield and has really developed in the last year."
Andres Vieyra
6-0 · 185 · R/R · C
Valley Center, Kan. (Valley Center HS/Barton CC)
· Spring 2012 stats: .274 BA, 6 2B, 21 RBIs
· Spring 2011 stats: .530 BA, 7 2B, 5 HR, 30 RBIs
· 2011 Kansas Coaches Association Second-Team All-State
· Selected to 2011 Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches All-Star Game
· Three-time first-team all-league selection
Marshall on Vieyra
"We saw Andre a few times this fall and he really separated himself from other players in the way he approached the game and the speed at which he played. He has the tools to be a great run producer and we expect him to contribute immediately."