Xavier University Athletics
Xavier Baseball Announces 11-Person Signing Class for Fall Period
12.21.23 | Baseball
Newest Musketeers join Billy O'Conner's program for the 2024-25 academic year
CINCINNATI – Xavier baseball head coach Billy O'Conner announced the Musketeers' signing class for the fall 2023 period this week, adding 11 newcomers to the program. The newest Musketeers will join the team for the 2024-25 academic year.
Jack DeTienne is a right-handed pitcher from Verona, Wis., where he attends Verona Area High School.
DeTienne has played three years of varsity baseball for head coach Brad O'Orzio at Verona, pitching and playing shortstop. He's earned All-Big 8 Conference Second Team honors at shortstop during his career. DeTienne also has experience playing club with the GRB Rays and the Cincinnati Reds Scout Team. He was a Prep Baseball All-American, and the publication has DeTienne ranked as the No. 63 player in the country. Perfect Game ranks him as the No. 1 player in Wisconsin.
DeTienne plans on studying Business at Xavier. He is the son of Sara and Andrew DeTienne and has one sibling, Ben. Sara was a member of the rowing team at Wisconsin.
Sam Eppley is a right-handed pitcher from Union, Ky., who attends Ryle High School.
Eppley has two years of experience playing varsity baseball for head coach Joe Aylor. In 2023, he helped Ryle to a 25-11 record and a district championship, and in 2022, helped the team to an 18-15 record and a district runner-up finish. He finished the 2022 season with 35 strikeouts in 14.1 innings pitched. He also has over 10 years of experience playing club baseball with ATY Baseball Club.
Eppley plans on majoring in Business at Xavier. He is the son of Susan Pierce Eppley and James Eppley and has three siblings, James, Grace and Hope. His father played baseball collegiately at Oberlin.
Ben Escobar is a right-handed pitcher from Santa Margarita, Calif., where he attends Santa Margarita Catholic High School.
Escobar has 14 years of experience playing club baseball with BPA Travel Baseball. In summer 2023, Escobar posted a 2.7 ERA through 43 innings pitched, collecting 66 strikeouts and earning a 4-1 record for a team that went 23-4 and earned the No.1 ranking in California from Perfect Game. Escobar was a PG Preseason All-American, and is one of the publications top ranked pitchers in the country.
Escobar plans to major in Business at Xavier. He is the son of David and Sarah Escobar, and has two siblings, Liliana and Jake.
Wilson Kruse is a left-handed pitcher from Oak Park, Ill., where he attends Oak Park and River Forest High School.
Kruse has played three years of varsity baseball for head coach Kevin Campbell at Oak Park-River Forest. He also has four years of experience playing club baseball for Cangelosi Sparks Black 2024, posting an ERA of 2.45, and helping the team to 21 wins in 2023.
Kruse plans on studying Marketing at Xavier. He is the son of Matthew and Catherine Kruse and has one brother, Ben.
Alex Martin is a utility player from Rush, Ky., where he plays for Boyd County High School.
Martin is a four-year member of the varsity team, playing for head coach Frank Conley at Boyd County. He has experience playing left field and third base before moving to shortstop for the final two seasons of his prep career. At Boyd County, Martin was part of the 2022 squad that won the 16th Region Championship and advanced to the Elite Eight of the KHSAA State Tournament. Martin has earned All-Area honors during his time at Boyd County. He also has club experience playing for Ohio Elite and the Louisville Legends.
He is the son of Dave and Beverly Martin and has one sibling, Caleb.
Landon Mensik is a utility player from Mokena, Ill., where he attends Lincoln-Way Central High School.
Mensik is a four-year member of the varsity team, playing for head coach Mitch Nowicki at Lincoln-Way Central. He helped the squad to a 25-6 record in 2023, and was named Lincoln-Way Central's Athlete of the Year. He also has nearly 10 years of experience playing club baseball with Cangelosi Sparks Travel Baseball.
Mensik is the son of Heather and Todd Mensik.
Jack Nobe is right-handed pitcher from Washington, Mo., where he attends St. Francis Borgia High School.
Nobe is four-year member of the varsity team at St. Francis Borgia, playing for head coach Rob Struckhoff. He posted ERA of 1.04 through 67 innings pitched, with 101 strikeouts. He earned AAA Conference Player of the Year and a spot on the All-State First Team. He also has eight years of experience playing club with the Rawlings Tigers.
Nobe plans on majoring in Business at Xavier. He is the son of Matthew and Diane Nobe, and has one sibling, Brooke.
Eddie Peters is an infielder from La Crescent, Minn., where he attends La Crosse Aquinas High School.
Peters is a four-year member of the varsity team at La Crosse Aquinas, playing for head coach Mike Dee. He's earned All-Mississippi Valley Conference honors during his career, and helped his team to a state runner-up finish as a junior. He has experience playing club baseball with Mash Baseball. Perfect Game named him an Underclass All-American, and he has also earned Super 17 MVP and PG Midwest World Series MVP honors during his club career.
Peters plans on majoring in Engineering Physics at Xavier. He is the son of Andrew and Tiffanie Peters and has one sibling, Lewis. He father was a collegiate baseball player at Winona State and his mother played college softball at Loras College and Winona State. His brother currently plays collegiate baseball at Luther College.
Dawson Smail comes to Xavier from Clarion, Pa., where he plays at Clarion Area High School. He's played four years of varsity baseball for head coach Rob Jewett.
Smail was part of the State Championship squad at Clarion as a junior, earning all-conference and all-district in each year he has played. He also has experience playing club baseball for Artillery Baseball and Tri-State Baseball. At Clarion, he was also a three-year member of the football team and four-year member of the basketball team, helping both programs to district titles during his time there.
Smail plans to study Business at Xavier. He is the son of David and Jami Smail, and has one sibling, Derek.
Simon Wilkinson is a right-handed pitcher from Zionsville, Ind., where he attends Zionsville, Community High School.
Wilkinson is in his third season of playing varsity baseball for Jered Moore at Zionsville, helping the team to 18 wins in 2023 and 22 wins in 2022. He also has experience playing club baseball with Indiana Bulls for four seasons.
Wilkinson plans to major in Finance at Xavier. He is the son of Jamie and Dave Wilkinson, and has three siblings, Maya, Leo and Moses.
Jon Wylie is a right-handed pitcher from Ironton, Ohio, where he plays for Ironton High School.
At Ironton, Wylie has earned all-Ohio Valley Conference and all-district honors twice, pitching and play at shortstop. He also has club experience playing for Ohio Elite and Cincy Flames.
Wylie plans to study Business at Xavier. He is the son of Travis and Isabelle Wylie and has one sibling, Olivia. His father played collegiate baseball at Marietta College and is the head coach at Ironton High School.
Jack DeTienne is a right-handed pitcher from Verona, Wis., where he attends Verona Area High School.
DeTienne has played three years of varsity baseball for head coach Brad O'Orzio at Verona, pitching and playing shortstop. He's earned All-Big 8 Conference Second Team honors at shortstop during his career. DeTienne also has experience playing club with the GRB Rays and the Cincinnati Reds Scout Team. He was a Prep Baseball All-American, and the publication has DeTienne ranked as the No. 63 player in the country. Perfect Game ranks him as the No. 1 player in Wisconsin.
DeTienne plans on studying Business at Xavier. He is the son of Sara and Andrew DeTienne and has one sibling, Ben. Sara was a member of the rowing team at Wisconsin.
Sam Eppley is a right-handed pitcher from Union, Ky., who attends Ryle High School.
Eppley has two years of experience playing varsity baseball for head coach Joe Aylor. In 2023, he helped Ryle to a 25-11 record and a district championship, and in 2022, helped the team to an 18-15 record and a district runner-up finish. He finished the 2022 season with 35 strikeouts in 14.1 innings pitched. He also has over 10 years of experience playing club baseball with ATY Baseball Club.
Eppley plans on majoring in Business at Xavier. He is the son of Susan Pierce Eppley and James Eppley and has three siblings, James, Grace and Hope. His father played baseball collegiately at Oberlin.
Ben Escobar is a right-handed pitcher from Santa Margarita, Calif., where he attends Santa Margarita Catholic High School.
Escobar has 14 years of experience playing club baseball with BPA Travel Baseball. In summer 2023, Escobar posted a 2.7 ERA through 43 innings pitched, collecting 66 strikeouts and earning a 4-1 record for a team that went 23-4 and earned the No.1 ranking in California from Perfect Game. Escobar was a PG Preseason All-American, and is one of the publications top ranked pitchers in the country.
Escobar plans to major in Business at Xavier. He is the son of David and Sarah Escobar, and has two siblings, Liliana and Jake.
Wilson Kruse is a left-handed pitcher from Oak Park, Ill., where he attends Oak Park and River Forest High School.
Kruse has played three years of varsity baseball for head coach Kevin Campbell at Oak Park-River Forest. He also has four years of experience playing club baseball for Cangelosi Sparks Black 2024, posting an ERA of 2.45, and helping the team to 21 wins in 2023.
Kruse plans on studying Marketing at Xavier. He is the son of Matthew and Catherine Kruse and has one brother, Ben.
Alex Martin is a utility player from Rush, Ky., where he plays for Boyd County High School.
Martin is a four-year member of the varsity team, playing for head coach Frank Conley at Boyd County. He has experience playing left field and third base before moving to shortstop for the final two seasons of his prep career. At Boyd County, Martin was part of the 2022 squad that won the 16th Region Championship and advanced to the Elite Eight of the KHSAA State Tournament. Martin has earned All-Area honors during his time at Boyd County. He also has club experience playing for Ohio Elite and the Louisville Legends.
He is the son of Dave and Beverly Martin and has one sibling, Caleb.
Landon Mensik is a utility player from Mokena, Ill., where he attends Lincoln-Way Central High School.
Mensik is a four-year member of the varsity team, playing for head coach Mitch Nowicki at Lincoln-Way Central. He helped the squad to a 25-6 record in 2023, and was named Lincoln-Way Central's Athlete of the Year. He also has nearly 10 years of experience playing club baseball with Cangelosi Sparks Travel Baseball.
Mensik is the son of Heather and Todd Mensik.
Jack Nobe is right-handed pitcher from Washington, Mo., where he attends St. Francis Borgia High School.
Nobe is four-year member of the varsity team at St. Francis Borgia, playing for head coach Rob Struckhoff. He posted ERA of 1.04 through 67 innings pitched, with 101 strikeouts. He earned AAA Conference Player of the Year and a spot on the All-State First Team. He also has eight years of experience playing club with the Rawlings Tigers.
Nobe plans on majoring in Business at Xavier. He is the son of Matthew and Diane Nobe, and has one sibling, Brooke.
Eddie Peters is an infielder from La Crescent, Minn., where he attends La Crosse Aquinas High School.
Peters is a four-year member of the varsity team at La Crosse Aquinas, playing for head coach Mike Dee. He's earned All-Mississippi Valley Conference honors during his career, and helped his team to a state runner-up finish as a junior. He has experience playing club baseball with Mash Baseball. Perfect Game named him an Underclass All-American, and he has also earned Super 17 MVP and PG Midwest World Series MVP honors during his club career.
Peters plans on majoring in Engineering Physics at Xavier. He is the son of Andrew and Tiffanie Peters and has one sibling, Lewis. He father was a collegiate baseball player at Winona State and his mother played college softball at Loras College and Winona State. His brother currently plays collegiate baseball at Luther College.
Dawson Smail comes to Xavier from Clarion, Pa., where he plays at Clarion Area High School. He's played four years of varsity baseball for head coach Rob Jewett.
Smail was part of the State Championship squad at Clarion as a junior, earning all-conference and all-district in each year he has played. He also has experience playing club baseball for Artillery Baseball and Tri-State Baseball. At Clarion, he was also a three-year member of the football team and four-year member of the basketball team, helping both programs to district titles during his time there.
Smail plans to study Business at Xavier. He is the son of David and Jami Smail, and has one sibling, Derek.
Simon Wilkinson is a right-handed pitcher from Zionsville, Ind., where he attends Zionsville, Community High School.
Wilkinson is in his third season of playing varsity baseball for Jered Moore at Zionsville, helping the team to 18 wins in 2023 and 22 wins in 2022. He also has experience playing club baseball with Indiana Bulls for four seasons.
Wilkinson plans to major in Finance at Xavier. He is the son of Jamie and Dave Wilkinson, and has three siblings, Maya, Leo and Moses.
Jon Wylie is a right-handed pitcher from Ironton, Ohio, where he plays for Ironton High School.
At Ironton, Wylie has earned all-Ohio Valley Conference and all-district honors twice, pitching and play at shortstop. He also has club experience playing for Ohio Elite and Cincy Flames.
Wylie plans to study Business at Xavier. He is the son of Travis and Isabelle Wylie and has one sibling, Olivia. His father played collegiate baseball at Marietta College and is the head coach at Ironton High School.
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