40 Area Baseball Players Sign Letters of Intent

WICHITA, Kan. (Catch it Kansas) - In an event put together by 316 Elite and the Wichita Sluggers, 40 local baseball student-athletes inked letters of intent Saturday at their facility. It was an idea brought to life by Tonto Baxley, a longtime coach and director of operations with the program.

“It’s because Covid, kids can’t sign in their schools for particular reasons so we felt like we needed to do something for these kids to get them back to normalcy,” said Baxley.

“We didn’t all get an opportunity to sign at school so this is an opporunity for everyone to just come together and to all be with our families to sign for our special day,” added Jorey Faber, a senior at Bishop Carroll Catholic High School signed to play at Neosho County.

Of the 40 athletes taking part, a majority of them signed to play college close to home in Kansas, others choosing to cross state lines.

“It’s a real dream come true, finally here," said Wichita Heights' Gary Brock, who will stay in Wichita to play at Friends. “I remember starting out playing baseball, now going to college for it, it’s a real surprise.”

For all of the signees, this day comes after they lost their junior year due to the pandemic, when KSHSAA was forced to cancel all spring sports across the state earlier this year. But nobody at this event was dwelling on the past, instead looking forward to the future and wrapping up their high school careers on the diamond.

“Losing my junior year was heartbreaking, but senior year is going to be awesome,” said Andover Central’s Easton Elliot, a Johnson County commit. “I’m super eager to get back out there and just see what our guys can put together.”

2021 216 Elite/Wichita Sluggers commitments

Coleson Syring - Derby - Butler

Reid Liston - Derby - Neosho

Grant Ash - Derby - Neosho

Will Johnson - Andover - Coffeyville

Max Maholland - Circle - Missouri-St. Louis

Jack Bell - Andover Central - Coffeyville

Kade Snodgrass - Derby - Neosho

Tate Rico - Campus - Butler

Jaden Wiley - Goddard - Barton

Jorey Faber - Bishop Carroll - Neosho

Keaton Dunlavy - Maize South - Sterling

Alex Ronk - Andover Central - Labette

Easton Elliot - Andover Central - Johnson County

Owen Bucher - Arkansas City - Neosho

Wyatt Falco - Moundridge - Bethany

Kaden McBratney - Maize South - State Fair

Gavin Djurovic - Maize - Pratt

Jacob Steffen - Kapaun Mt. Carmel - Benedictine

Jacob Read - Goddard - Benedictine

Harper Kennedy - Maize South - Newman

Logan Bartlett - Cheney - Neosho

Aaron Geisler - Maize South - Coffeyville

Drake Unrein - Bishop Carroll - Coffeyville

Sterling Pierce - Andover - Coffeyville

Justice Hannon - Northwest - Coffeyville

Scott Adams - Maize - Barton

Brendon Green - Northwest - Tabor

Carson Olmsted - Derby - Southwestern

Jace Horn - Derby - Southwestern

Jesse Johnson - Valley Center - Tabor

Kekoa Vincent - Valley Center - Tabor

Gary Brock - Heights - Friends

Dominic Minjares - Alva (Ok.) - Pima

Kacey Parrett - Northwest - Central Christian

Mitchael Casement - Maize - Sterling

Ethan Denk - Andale - Friends

Beau Grant - Maize South - Kansas Wesleyan

Alex Rocha - Kapaun Mt. Carmel - Friends

Matthew Buffington - Andover Central - Kansas City Kansas

Jett Hand - Augusta - Allen

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