The North Greenville Crusaders will look to repeat in 2023 as the NCAA Division II National Champions. NGU will return multiple everyday starters in their lineup including 2022 Conference Carolinas Player of the Year and ABCA/Rawlings First Team All-American Marek Chlup and ABCA/Rawlings Second Team All-Southeast Region and First Team All-Conference Carolinas recipient John Michael Faile. On the mound, NGU returns Herff Jones Conference Carolinas Male Athlete of the Year and NCBWA First Team All-Southeast Region member Reece Fields.

North Greenville also brings in a number of key newcomers for the 2023 season.

1. Myles Daniels-(Jr. LHP) is an athletic LHP that comes to the Crusaders via Spartanburg Methodist College. Daniels played his high school ball down the road at JL Mann High School. Long and lean, Daniels has great stuff and controls the strike zone very well. He has good movement on his pitches and has a wide velocity range on his fastball (86-92) that keeps hitters off balance. He had a dominant fall, tossing 9 scoreless innings, only allowing 3 hits while striking out 13.

What Coach Landon Powell says about Myles Daniels- "We are very happy to have Myles Daniels in our program. He has only been in the program for a short time, but he is already loved by his teammates. We look for Myles to be a big contributor on the mound for us this year."

2. Brody Fowler-(Fr. RHP/1b)- Standing at 6' 7" he is an intimidating presence on the mound. Coming off an outstanding state championship senior season at Eastside High School, he had interest from power 5 schools before deciding to take his talents to Tigerville, SC.

He was one of the more impressive pitchers for the Crusaders this fall striking out 22 batters in 20 innings of work. He also limited hitters to a .227 batting average. He has an impressive 3 pitch mix that he commands very well. As a position player, he is an athletic first baseman that has power potential with the bat. He posted a very respectable .906 OPS in his first fall as he adjusted to college pitching.

His brother, Collin Fowler (Jr. OF), has also joined us this year after transferring from UNC Greensboro in the off season. He is an athletic outfielder that plays great defense and has potential with the bat.

What Coach Landon Powell says about Brody Fowler-"Brody is one of the most talented freshman we have had come to our program since I have been at North Greenville. At 6' 7" he presents a very tough challenge for opposing hitters in multiple facets. Not only does he have a low 90's fastball that we think will keep improving, but he also has great feel for his secondary pitches. He has great poise on the mound for a young pitcher. We are also excited to see how he progresses as a hitter as he has the ability to drive the ball out of the ball park to any part of the field."

3. Jalen Vasquez-(Jr. SS/2b)- Jalen Vasquez was one of the highest ranked shortstops in the Southeast when he committed to the University of South Carolina in May of 2017. He enrolled in 2020 and was used sparingly in 2 seasons for the Gamecocks. He was a valuable late inning defensive replacement at all of the infield positions and was also called upon to pitch several times. Vasquez, who played high school baseball at Fort Dorchester High School, alongside Crusaders star Pat Monteith, wanted to prove he belongs amongst the best and decided to transfer to North Greenville in the Fall of 2022.

A slick fielding shortstop with great range and plus arm, Vasquez has the tools required to play at the next level. Offensively, he is a left handed bat that consistently puts together tough ab's. Coming off of an all-star caliber performance in the Valley Summer league, Vasquez continued his assault on opposing pitchers this fall as he finished with an eye opening 1.220 OPS tying for the team lead in HR's with 5. He also showed great discipline at the plate walking 14 times

compared to only 9 strikeouts. Look for him to hit near the top of the order this year for the Crusaders while playing a valuable role in the middle infield.

What Coach Powell says about Jalen Vasquez- "We are very excited to have Jalen in our program. He is an outstanding defensive player who can play all of the infield positions. His future is at shortstop but we may use him at multiple positions this spring. We knew he possessed the defensive ability to play at any level, but what has impressed us the most is his discipline in the box. He has the ability to put together really good at bats against righties and lefties, and has sneaky power. We are looking forward to seeing what he can do this year."

4. Carter Dierdorf (Fr. 1b/OF/LHP)- Dierdorf comes to Tigerville via Inspiration Academy High School in Bradenton, Florida. A very talented hitter, Dierdorf was in a class by himself when it came to the Freshman hitters in his first fall. He led all hitters with a .419 batting average to go along with an eye-popping 1.321 OPS. Even more impressive was his quality at bat % as this was also tops on the team. He finished the fall walking 21 times while striking out only 6. A calm, quiet approach at the plate, coupled with a very quick bat is what gives him the ability to see the ball for such a long time before making a swing decision. He is very talented and is looking to be a big part of the offensive plans for the Crusaders this Spring. He will split time in the outfield as well as first base.

Carter Dierdorf is also a pitching prospect for the Crusaders. As talented as he is with the bat, he is also looking to make an impact on the mound. He features a four-pitch mix including a fastball (87-90), curveball, change-up, and slider.

What Coach Powell says about Carter Dierdorf-"We knew when we recruited him that his disciplined approach at the plate would serve him well at the college level. There can be a steep learning curve for freshman hitters. Carter had tough matchups all fall and handled every challenge that came his way. The talent is there both as a position player as well as a pitcher. We are very excited to have Carter in our program and are looking for him to make a big impact for our team this Spring."

5. Caleb Freeman-(So. 1b/OF/RHP)- Two-way transfer Caleb Freeman is back home after spending his Freshman season at UNC Greensboro. While at UNCG, Freeman received at bats as a designated hitter while also spending time on the mound. A very talented high school player, Freeman played alongside current Crusaders LHP Myles Daniels at JL Mann high school. He finished his high school career at P27 in Lexington, SC. Caleb is a very strong kid, standing at 6'4" 225 pounds and has power to all parts of the field. After struggling to begin the fall, Freeman saved his best for last, destroying the baseball in the latter parts of the fall season. He ended the fall with a respectable .895 OPS to go along with 6 doubles. Early this preseason, he has shown flashes of power with the bat as well as on the mound.

A right handed pitcher, Freeman has been up to 92 mph, and has a good slider and change-up that work off the fastball.

What Coach Powell says about Caleb Freeman-"I have been watching Caleb Freeman play baseball for a long time. He is a local kid that has a lot of talent. He has the ability to play at a

high level both as a hitter as well as a pitcher. He struggled a bit this fall, but I was very impressed with his ability to bounce back when things were not going his way. He's an extremely hard worker and we are excited to have him back home and in a Crusaders uniform.

6. David Lewis (So. 1b/3b) Over Christmas break, Landon Powell landed a power hitting corner infielder who transferred from Clemson University. Lewis, a local kid, played at Blue Ridge High School alongside current Crusader second baseman Bryce Roddey, was a highly recruited player out of high school. A former South Carolina state player of the year, Lewis will not only add length to the lineup, but will also add another layer of protection for Conference Carolinas Players of the Year, Marek Chlup and John Michael Faile.

What Coach Powell says about David Lewis- "David is a very talented player that we are glad to have in our program. He has power to all parts of the field and will provide some valuable protection to our already dangerous lineup."