Baseball Adds Seven to 2020 Signing Class

MACON, Ga. – Mercer head baseball coach Craig Gibson has announced the signing of seven student-athletes to National Letters of Intent on Thursday afternoon.

Robert Bennett, Shep Hancock, Dominik Ramil, Garett Delano, Matt Gannon, Antonio Brown, and Spencer Borgel are set to join the Bears this fall, along with nine additional student-athletes who signed in November.

ROBERT BENNETT
Lilburn, Ga.
LHP | 6-2| 195
Parkview HS | Chipola College
Summer Ball – East Cobb

Bennett joins the Bears after two years at Chipola College. During his second year at Chipola, he made eight appearances, six of which were starts. Bennett had a record of 2-0 and fanned 19 in in 22 innings pitched during the 2020 season.

Prior to this season, Bennett led Chipola in innings pitched with 61 in 25 appearances. He had 53 punch outs and helped Chipola to the Florida JUCO State Championship for the third-straight season, where the team punched its ticket to the 2019 JUCO World Series.

Bennett was a two-time state champion at Parkview High School. While playing for Coach Chan Brown, he was named a First Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and a 2018 Georgia All-State First Team selection. The honors continued to rack up for Bennett in 2018 as he was named Gwinnett Daily Post Co-Pitcher of the Year, and a 2018 Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American.

Coach Gibson on Robert
"He is a polished left-handed pitcher coming to us from Chipola College. He played high school ball at Parkview High School, which is one of the top baseball programs in the country. We expect him to come here and jump into the rotation."

SHEP HANCOCK
Sharpsburg, Ga.
RHP | 6-3| 225
Trinity Christian School
Summer Ball – Foundation Sports

Hancock comes to Mercer after playing at Trinity Christian School. The Sharpsburg, Ga. native, helped Trinity Christian to a 2017 state championship and two runner-up finishes. He was a four-time All-State selection and County MVP. During his senior year, he hit .417 with four extra-base hits and he made two appearances on the mound with a fastball that touches 94. Hancock was named a top-400 prospect for the 2020 MLB draft.

Playing summer ball, Hancock was named to 21 All-Tournament Teams and was twice named MVP. His team played in the 18U WWBA National Championship and the Perfect Game Super 25 Championship.

Coach Gibson on Shep
"He is a dynamic two-way player, and we are excited to get him. He will come in and pitch for us and compete for a spot in our lineup, as well. He is a big, strong left-handed hitter and has a powerful right arm on the mound. He has a fastball that will climb into the low-to-mid 90s, and he will help us immediately."

DOMINIK RAMIL
Davie, Fla.
INF | 5-10| 175
Archbishop McCarthy HS
Summer Ball – Elite Squad | Florida Pokers

Ramil joins the Bears after spending his junior and senior seasons at Archbishop McCarthy High School. The middle infielder from Davie, Fla., was named to the 2019 HSBN All-District Team, 2019 Sun-Sentinel All-Broward County and received the 2019 Team Silver Slugger Award.

Ramil earned multiple honors during his high school and summer ball career. He was named a 2019 Under Armour Preseason All-American, 2019 Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American and a 2020 Perfect Game Preseason All-American (Florida Region). During his six years of summer ball, Ramil was named to six Perfect Game All-Tournament Teams.

Coach Gibson on Dominik
"Dominik is an outstanding athlete that comes to us from Archbishop McCarthy High School. He is a slick-fielding infielder, who can play any of three infield positions. He is a great student-athlete and he will add to the program in all areas on campus."

GARETT DELANO
Callahan, Fla.
OF/RHP | 6-2| 205
West Nassau HS | Brown
Summer Ball – Jacksonville Warriors

Delano, a Callahan, Fla. native, joins the Bears as a graduate transfer after playing at Brown for three seasons. During the shortened 2020, Delano started three games on the mound and appeared in 12 games as a left fielder or designated hitter. He led Brown with 18 innings pitched and 16 strikeouts and scored a team-high nine runs with two multi-hit games.

Over his career at Brown, Delano amassed a career batting average of .259 (118-for-455) with 16 home runs. His best season at the plate came in 2019 when he hit .289 with six home runs and 25 RBI, all career-highs. On the mound, Delano struck out 119 in in 171 innings, earned eight wins and picked up one save. Over his first two years, he made 37 appearances out of the bullpen before moving to the starting rotation during his final year at Brown.

Delano was a four-year member of the West Nassau High School baseball team. Playing for Coach Kyle Fleming, he was a shortstop and pitcher who helped lead the team to District Championships in 2013 and 2015. He earned All-County MVP and All-State honors.

Coach Gibson on Garett
"I am excited about adding Garett to our club for the 2021 season. He will bring a lot of experience and maturity as he has played three full collegiate seasons. He will be able to help us on the mound and at multiple positions in the field. Not only is he an outstanding player, but he is an excellent student. He comes from a great university. He will help our club on and off the field."

MATT GANNON
Skillman, N.J.
LHP | 6-7| 210
Montgomery HS | Northwestern
Summer Ball – All-Star Baseball Academy

Gannon comes to Mercer from Northwestern University, where the Skillman, N.J. native made 35 relief appearances and 15 starts on the mound. The six-foot-seven left-hander recorded 52 strikeouts in 77 innings pitched.

He picked up his first collegiate victory on April 24, 2018, against UIC when he came out of the pen and pitched a scoreless inning. Three days later, he went 1.1 innings against Penn State to pick up his second straight victory.

In the shortened 2020 season, Gannon made three appearances and pitched 2.1 innings with four strikeouts. He fanned three against Omaha in his first appearance of the season.

Prior to attending Northwestern, Gannon was a member of the Montgomery High School baseball team for three years. He played summer ball with the All-Star Baseball Academy.

Coach Gibson on Matt
"I am glad to have Matt joining our club. He is a big, strong, powerful left-handed pitcher who can pitch in many roles. He can be a matchup guy or a starter, and he will come in here and decide what role he will take for us. He is another great piece to add to a championship club.

ANTONIO BROWN
Vernon Hills, Ill.
INF | 5-9 | 170
Vernon Hills HS
Summer Ball – Top Tier Baseball

Brown comes to Mercer from Vernon Hills High School in Vernon Hills, Ill. During his freshman season of high school, Brown was promoted to the varsity team, and he started for the Cougars for the next three years.

During his junior season, Brown was named an All-Area Player as he hit .325 with seven extra-base hits, eight RBI and 27 runs scored. After getting on base, he tallied 23 stolen bases, and had a total of 35 stolen bases during his first three years on the varsity team. During his time at Vernon Hills, he earned the CSL Sportsmanship Team Award, All-Conference, and All-Region honors and was named Team MVP.

Along with playing at Vernon Hills, Brown played summer ball with Top Tier baseball on the program's top squad. With the summer club, he helped his team win the St. Louis Gamers Invitational.

Coach Gibson on Antonio
"I am excited to have Tony join our team. He is an explosive athlete with a high ceiling and will continue to develop as a player. He comes from an athletic family. Off the field, he is a great student. We can't wait to get him on campus and see what he can bring to our club."

SPENCER BORGEL
Powder Springs, Ga.
LHP | 5-9 | 170
Hillgrove HS
Summer Ball – East Cobb Astros

Borgel, a left-handed pitcher, comes to Macon from Hillgrove High School. The five-foot-nine pitcher helped Hillgrove to three region championships from 2016-2018. Additionally, he was named to the 2018 Perfect Game High School Showdown All-Tournament Team.

Borgel played summer ball with the East Cobb Astros, helping the team win the 2020 18U Battle of the Southeast. He also participated in the 2019 17U Perfect Game East Cobb Invitational, 2019 18U Perfect Game East Cobb Invitational, 2018 WWBA Underclass World Championship, 2018 16U Super 25 National Championship and 2018 16U Perfect Game World Series.

During his time with East Cobb, Borgel was named a 2018 and 2019 Perfect Game Preseason Underclassman All-American and 2020 Perfect Game Preseason All-American. He earned All-Tournament honors at six different tournaments, including the 2020 Perfect Game High School Showdown and 2019 WWBA 18U National Championship.

Coach Gibson on Spencer
"This is another quality arm we have added to the pitching staff. Not only is Spencer a great athlete, but he is a great student. He is a left-handed pitcher who can run the ball in the upper-80s to lower-90s with a breaking ball to go with the fastball. We are excited to add him to the team and see how he can help."

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