Delaware Baseball Adds Eight

NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware baseball program signed eight to national letters of intent. Matthew Cooper, David Keane, Evan Harris, Joey Loynd, Eric Ludman, Will McCrum, Aiden Riley and Nate Rolka all will join Delaware next season.

"There's a great deal of excitement surrounding this recruiting class," head coach Jim Sherman said. "Our class includes three very talented pitchers that will join a large core of returning members on our staff. We're also welcoming a very physical group of position players that will help us continue to produce a high level of offensive success. We're very much looking forward to seeing the impact that these players will have in our program in the future, and feel they will all be very good representatives of the University of Delaware as student-athletes."

MATTHEW COOPER (Charlfont, Pennsylvania/Central Bucks High School West)

Third baseman
Two-time all-conference member
Three-year varsity starter
Two-year varsity captain
Team MVP junior season

SHERMAN ON COOPER: "Matt is a big, strong right-handed hitter that will project to factor early in his college career with his bat. Defensively, Matt played shortstop in HS, but projects to play a corner infield position here at UD. He's a tremendous young man, and we're happy to have Matt coming to us next Fall."

EVAN HARRIS (Dover, Delaware/Polytech High School)

Right-handed pitcher/shortstop
Three-year letterwinner in wrestling

SHERMAN ON HARRIS: "Evan is an in-state RHP with tremendous potential to have success in our program. He's a very good athlete and could be a dual-position player for us. Having athletic players like Evan has always been a plus in our program, so we're extremely excited to have landed Evan."

DAVID KEANE (Middletown, Delaware/Middletown High School)

Right-handed pitcher
Four-year varsity starter
Perfect-Game All-American in club
Honor Roll member

SHERMAN ON KEANE: "David is another in-state RHP that has the physical presence that you typically like to see in a pitcher. He's continued to develop over the last few years into the type of arm that we feel can make an immediate impact in college. We look forward to seeing David battle for us at UD, just as he did many times for Middletown HS and Middletown American Legion in the summer."

JOEY LOYND (Doylestown, Pennsylvania/Central Bucks South High School)

Shortstop/third baseman
First-team All-Suburban One League as a Junior, third-team as a sophomore
Hit .500 with five doubles, one triple, six home runs and 16 RBI has a junior
Had an on-base percentage of .650 as a junior
Hit .420 as a sophomore
Four-year letterwinner
Two-time captain

SHERMAN ON LOYND: "Joey is a strong, physical and athletic infielder that should demonstrate tremendous versatility. He can play anywhere in the infield, and carries a strong bat that should make a very good player in our program for the next four years. He's a tremendous kid, and we look forward to having Joey as a Blue Hen."

ERIC LUDMAN (Newark, Delaware/St. Mark's High School)

First baseman
Three-year starter
Second-team All-Catholic Conference
Won American Legion Post One World Series and was a member of the All-Tournament Team
Mizuno Aces 2019 All-America
National Honor Society member

SHERMAN ON LUDMAN: "He's another local player from nearby St. Mark's HS, Eric will give us more offensive power potential from the left side. He's another big, strong kid who was a member of the Post 1 American Legion team that won the national championship this past summer. Eric's brother, Chris, pitches in our program, and we're excited to now have Eric from the Ludman family as well."

WILL McCRUM (Kennesaw, Georgia/Kennesaw Mountain High School)

Spent first three years of high school at Dallas High School in Dallas, Pennsylvania
Shortstop/second baseman
Won a Pennsylvania state championship
First-team all-conference and all-region in 2018

SHERMAN ON McCRUM: :Will is a slick fielding shortstop that will certainly compete to make an immediate impact in the middle of our infield. His tall, athletic frame presents tremendous potential for growth as he continues to get stronger and more physical once he gets to college. He's a great player, and we're definitely looking forward to having Will in a Blue Hen uniform next Fall."

AIDEN RILEY (Middletown, Delaware/St. Georges Technical High School)

Outfielder
Three-time all-state member
Played varsity all four years of high school
Two-time Academic All-Conference

SHERMAN ON RILEY: "Aidan comes to us from nearby St. George's Tech. A left-handed hitting outfielder, Aidan will immediately provide serious power in our lineup. He has some serious pop from the left side, which will play very well in our ballpark. Aidan is one of the best hitters we've recruited into this program in the last 15-plus years. He has an unmatched understanding of how to hit for a young player. We're excited to have Aidan coming into our program, and look for big things from Aidan in the future."

NATE ROLKA (Dalton, Pennsylvania/Lackawanna Trail)

Right-handed pitcher
Three-time All-Lackawanna League
Lackawanna Conference Player of the Year in 2018
Scranton Times-Tribune All-Region member
Hit .541 with 23 RBI and five home runs as a junior
Hit .417 as a freshman and also recorded a 1.96 ERA as a pitcher

SHERMAN ON ROLKA: "Nate's arm works extremely well. He's a physical kid, and is also a very good football player in HS as well. Nate will certainly make an immediate impact within our pitching staff. He's an athletic kid that will certainly add depth within the pitching corps, and should very instrumental in helping our program vie for conference championships throughout his college career."

University of Delaware Athletics

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