Ellsworth Community College baseball is proud to announce the signing of three of their sophomores to move on to play at the next level. Austin Wagner (Fond Du Lac, WI) will be transferring to Abilene Christian University and Luis Quinones (Luiza, Puerto Rico) and Antonio Valadez (Milwaukee, WI) will be transferring to Jackson State University.
When asked how Wagner made his decision to sign with ACU he said, "I chose ACU because they have a new coaching staff and they really want to win. They also have technology there that will help me be a better pitcher." Wagner, a left-handed pitcher for the Panthers, appeared in 13 games last year for ECC. He had three wins and two saves for the team. He had 34 strikeouts. When asked about his time and teammates at ECC he said, "My time at ECC has helped me get ready for the next two years of my education. My teammates have been with me through a lot and have helped me through some tough situations off and on the field. They have pushed me to get here and where I am now."
Quinones chose Jackson State after receiving a good offer from them as well as being a DI school. "Playing for a DI school has always been my goal and I really liked the campus and the school." Quinones was encouraged to red shirt last season to improve his game by the ECC coaching staff. "My teammates have always encouraged me and pushed me to work hard. When I thought about quitting they kept pushing me and that's helped me get ready move on."
Valadez, also a pitcher for the Panthers, made his decision to sign with Jackson State because of the culture and he felt like he fit in with the team. "I also liked the warmer weather and the coaches," he said. "ECC has helped me get ready for this next step. We play some really tough competition in our conference." Valadez played in 15 games for ECC last season striking out 23.
"I'm proud of these three student athletes," commented ECC Head Baseball Coach Travis Akre. "I enjoyed recruiting them and now seeing them achieve their biggest goal of a Division One scholarship. I couldn't be happier for them. It's an exciting time for Panther Baseball."
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Photo Caption: left to right: Luis Quinones (Jackson State University), Austin Wagner (Abilene Christian University) and Antonio Valadez (Jackson State University).