Two junior college pitchers add heft to recruiting class

The Pittsburgh Pirates drafted pitcher Zach Lewis in the 33rd round in June. Teams called to gauge his interest in the top 10 rounds, but Lewis turned them away.

“He knew he needed to come back to school and get better,” Wabash Valley (Ill.) College baseball coach Rob Fournier said. “He needs to polish up his secondary stuff. He’s got a bright future.”

Depending on how next year’s draft plays out, that future could be at Wichita State. Lewis returned for his sophomore year at Wabash Valley and recently gave Wichita State a non-binding commitment. Lewis (6-foot-3, 207 pounds) stayed in school to work on his off-speed pitches and to continue toward a career in physical therapy.

“Baseball will end at some point,” he said.

Lewis is one of 13 players, eight of whom pitch, committed to WSU in advance of the November signing period. WSU has four juco pitchers on the roster now, all of whom are eligible for the 2015 draft. Lewis and Central Arizona College lefty Justin Seiwald, depending on their draft fortunes, offer a hedge against departures.

Lewis went 11-0 with a 1.84 ERA, striking out 93 in 88 innings, as a freshman.

“He’s got a very deceptive fastball,” Fournier said. “It gets on you and it’s hard to pick up.”

Lewis, from Palos Heights, Ill., said he also considered Florida International, Indiana State and Iowa.

“(Wichita State) has a good history with pitchers,” he said. “I felt extremely comfortable there. They way they run their program, it’s pretty top-notch.”

Seiwald (6-3, 215) went 3-2 with a 3.23 ERA as a freshman. He struck out 80 and walked 24 in 53 innings.

“He’s made some big strides,” Central Arizona coach Anthony Gilich said. “When he first came here, we saw the talent. He’s turned into a very good pitcher. He throws 88-92 mph and he’s left-handed. People are always in the market for that.”

Seiwald improved by learning to use his defense and secondary pitches. Gilich said his slider can be a strikeout weapon when it’s consistent.

“That kind of dictates his day,” Gilich said. “He’s got a changeup he’s still working on.”

Seiwald, from Broomfield, Colo., played in tournaments at Eck Stadium growing up.

“It’s always been a little bit of a dream school,” he said. “I really loved the coaching staff.”

WSU coaches cannot comment on athletes until they sign. Also known to have given WSU non-binding commitments are: Heights pitcher Keylan Killgore, third baseman Clay Richards of Cashion, Okla., Savannah (Mo.) pitcher Clayton McGinness, Omaha Roncalli third baseman/first baseman Alex Bohm, Olathe South catcher Noah Croft, Maize pitcher Connor Lungwitz, DeSoto pitcher Greyson Jenista, Rockhurst (Mo.) shortstop Luke Ritter, McKinney (Texas) North pitcher Gabe Constantine, outfielder Dayton Dugas from Sam Houston (La.) High and Frisco (Texas) Liberty pitcher Robby Evans.

WSU begins fall practice on Wednesday.

Right place for mom — Shelly Evans watched every baseball game that her oldest son played. She rooted for the Baylor Bears and listened to country singer Luke Bryan. Last spring, she visited Wichita State with Robby, her oldest son, a pitcher at Frisco (Texas) Liberty.

“She was in love with the coaching staff,” Robby Evans said. “The thing that really captivated me about Wichita State was the family atmosphere. I felt at home from the second I got there.”

Soon after, Robby committed to WSU, in part because of Shelly’s affection for the program. Shelly Evans, 42, died July 31 from an aortic dissection.

“She was my everything,” Robby said. “She was my No. 1 supporter. I just want to do everything to honor her name.”

Nobody scores more — WSU’s five-set volleyball victory (25-22, 25-23, 28-30, 33-35, 16-14) over Bowling Green on Friday in Omaha set an NCAA record for points. The Shockers totaled 127, most in the 25-point era that began in 2008.

Bowling Green totaled 124, one behind the old mark set by Michigan in 2011 and Fordham in 2008.

The match lasted two hours and 37 minutes and featured 52 ties and 24 lead changes.

This story was originally published September 13, 2014 at 2:47 PM with the headline "Two junior college pitchers add heft to recruiting class."