The Youngstown State baseball program has added a pair of transfers, right-handed pitcher Cade Negley and first baseman Trevor Wiersma, to its 2019 signing class, Head Coach Dan Bertolini announced on Thursday.
Negley, who was a sought-after recruit coming out Butler, Pa., joins the program after spending his freshman campaign at Santa Clara University in 2018. The YSU coaching staff expects Negley to be a major contributor to the team's pitching staff right away in 2019.
Wiersma, a native of Vancouver, British Columbia, comes to YSU by way of Division II Concord University in West Virginia, where he was a standout for the Mountain Lions over the past three seasons. He is expected to serve as a key bat in the middle of the team's order, filling a major need for a left-handed hitter.
Information on both of the student-athletes who have signed with the program is available below:
Cade Negley
RHP | 6'2 | 210 | Butler, Pa. | Butler Senior High School | Santa Clara
Highlights: As a freshman at UC Santa Clara, appeared in 18 games out of the bullpen and started once on the mound at Cal... Earned the win against Utah as he threw five shutout innings of relief in an extra-inning victory... Finished the season with a 1-0 record and ranking fourth on the team in appearances... Also recorded a save against Sacramento State... At Butler Senior High School in Pennsylvania, earned all-section honors as both a designated hitter and as a pitcher... Was named first-team all-section at Class AAAA by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as a junior... Was a second-team all-section pick as a sophomore... Struck out 45 batters in 40 innings while allowing a .215 batting average as a senior... Named to the 2017 Rawlings-Perfect Game pre-season underclassman honorable mention list... Was also a 2016 Rawlings-Perfect Game pre-season Atlantic region honorable mention selection... Earned three letters in baseball and two in basketball... Parents are John and Heston Negley... Graduated from Butler Senior with Honors and Distinction for having a GPA over 4.3... Plans on majoring in accounting at YSU.
Coach Bertolini on Negley: "We are excited to welcome Cade to the Youngstown State Baseball Family. Cade gained valuable experience at Santa Clara last season as he was able to pitch against some of the top college programs in the West. Cade was a highly sought-after prospect in Pennsylvania in high school, and we are so glad he decided to come back home and represent YSU. He has an above average fastball, great feel for his secondary pitches and the composure and command to be a weekend arm for us this season."
Negley on choosing YSU: "I chose YSU because of the family feel it gave me. I am excited to start my journey at YSU."
Trevor Wiersma
1B | 6'3 | 225 | Vancouver, British Columbia | West Vancouver Secondary | Concord
Highlights: Played in 145 games and made 140 starts over three seasons at Division II Concord University... Batted at least .320 in all three seasons and hit eight home runs as both a sophomore and junior... Was named the Mountain East Conference Freshman of the Year in 2016, and he was a First-Team All-MEC selection as both a freshman and sophomore... Was an Honorable Mention All-MEC pick as a junior... Hit .362 with four home runs, 18 doubles and 49 RBIs as a redshirt freshman in 2016... Followed that up with a .331 average, eight home runs and 49 RBIs as a sophomore... Overcame a slow start in 2018 to hit .323 with eight homers... Batted .386 over his final 88 at bats of the season... Parents are Sandy and Jill Wiersma... Will work toward his Master's in Business Administration at YSU.
Bertolini on Wiersma: "Trevor had an outstanding career at Concord under Coach Garrett. He not only excelled on the baseball field, but he was also a standout in the classroom. We were really looking for a left-handed, middle-of-the-order-type hitter, and Trevor fits our need perfectly. Trevor's maturity and leadership qualities make him the type of player who will make an immediate impact in our lineup."
Wiersma on choosing YSU: "YSU is the perfect place for me to continue my athletic and academic career. The baseball program and campus in general is on the rise and I can't wait to be a part of it. I am extremely excited to join such a promising program while also getting a tremendous graduate education."
