Three Rivers baseball builds on Aussie pipeline

After signing Kieran Hall from the Australia World Cup team last year, Three Rivers baseball has added three more heralded players from Australia in the offseason.

New head coach Tyler Smith, taking over for Stacey Burkey after he retired this spring, is excited about his first recruiting class.

"I think when they all get on campus, I think it's going to be a really, really good group. The last few years I've been here, we've gotten better every year. I don't think this class is going to be any different," Smith said. "I think we are going to have a lot of competition in the fall for jobs, and that's going to make us all better."

Smith has added pitchers Stuart Tharle and Lachlan Waite off the Australian World Cup team, which Hall also played on, as well as Australia's top-ranked catcher, Trent Buchanan.

Tharle is a 6-foot righty with a 90 MPH arm while Waite is 6-6 and can throw in the upper 80s. Waite was the No. 2 pitcher for the World Cup team and can throw three pitches for strikes, Smith said.

Buchanan is 6-1 with a strong arm. Smith said all three players are legitimate pro prospects.

Hall also had some professional opportunities after leading the Raiders with a 1.35 ERA last season over 13.1 innings and 16 strikeouts before the season was canceled.

There are also four signings from Canada, giving the Raiders at least eight international players on next year's roster.

Stefan Turino is an outfielder from the Toronto Mets organization. Smith said he will bring plus-speed to the outfield and comes from a family of Division I players.

Cody Bond is also from the Toronto Mets and is a transfer from another college. He is a 6-5 right-handed pitcher who will throw in the upper 80s and touch 90.

"He has a good feel for his fastball and has a desire to come in and work," Smith said.

Josh Fluet is a 6-3 righty from British Columbia who also has upper-80s speed with strong offspeed pitches and can consistently throw for strikes.

Logan Keating is also from British Columbia. He's a lefty who will pitch and play in the outfield. He is transferring to the Raiders from the Kelowna Sun Devils.

"He has a chance to hit for average and power," Smith said.

Closer to home, Jackson Henfling-Jackson of Kennett was the first commitment of the 2021 class, and was coached at Kennett by former Raider Aaron New.

"He is a 6-3 catcher who will compete behind the plate early," Smith said. He has a high motor and controls the pitching staff well."

The Raiders also signed Lane Crowden of Jackson, who played summer ball for the Missouri Bulls and is a 6-6 infielder.

"We really like his athleticism and has a frame that we think will get stronger. He will have a chance to compete early for playing time in our lineup," Smith said.

Lane Baremore is transferring to Three Rivers from Quincy University. He is a 6-2 shortstop and played summer ball for the Charleston Fighting Squirrels.

"Lane has a chance to really defend the position and firm up our middle infield," Smith said.

While COVID-19 numbers are rising, Smith said all eight players from Canada and Australia have been approved to attend Three Rivers in the fall, unless something crazy happens.

"With COVID and everything, we're in an unknown situation," Smith said. "The thing about recruiting is recruiting never ends."