JMU baseball announces four newcomers as fall signees

JMU baseball head coach Spanky McFarland announced today the addition of four new student-athletes to the program after each signed a national letter of intent during the NCAA fall signing period.

“First and foremost, we really like these kids as people,” offered McFarland on his group of newcomers. “They are good character kids, leaders in their schools and leaders on their teams. That’s great and a good fit for us. Second is they’re all athletic. They do some things better than other things, but, to a man, they’re all athletic. “

The new student-athletes include three from Virginia. The group features two left-handed pitchers and two infielders. They officially signed their intent letters during a team-held event on Saturday, Nov. 16 in which all four players were present.

Tucker McCoy, LHP, 5-11, 170, L/L, Penn Laird, Va./ Spotswood
McCoy, a versatile athlete excelling at both baseball and basketball for all four years with the Blazers, is a two-time First Team honoree on the Valley All-District awards while also collecting All-Region accolades as a junior. He was dominant on the mound as a junior with a 7-2 record, a 1.66 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings. At the plate, he hit .324 with six doubles.  McCoy is also a three-time First Team All-District selection in basketball with over 1,000 career points entering his senior season.

Kyle McPherson, IF, 5-11, 190, R/R, Chesapeake, Va./ Western Branch
One of the top-ranked collegiate prospects in the state according to Perfect Game and VaPreps scouting services, McPherson brings highly-touted defensive skills along with good offensive potential to Harrisonburg.  His sophomore year brought him honors including runner up for offensive player of the year with a .443 batting average. He led the South Eastern District in batting average as a freshman at .488. The Bruins have gone 42-10 in his three years in the program.

Brad McKay, 3B/C, 6-3, 190, R/R, Midlothian, Va./ Cosby
McKay continues a line of Diamond Dukes hailing from Cosby High School near Richmond (Jake Lowery, Bradley Shaban). The two-time All-Academic Team and All-District Team honoree has led the Titans to three consecutive Dominion District championships heading into his senior campaign. As a junior, Cosby reached the state quarterfinals. He has competed as the starting quarterback for the Titans as a senior. 

Andrew Scarpelli, LHP, 5-9, 140, L/L, Lewisberry, Pa./ Trinity
The lone out-of-state signee from near Harrisburg, Pa., Scarpelli is the second left-handed pitcher of the class. He posted a 1.70 ERA as a junior while collecting First Team All-Star honors in the Capital Division of the Mid Penn Conference. His travel squad was champion of the Lancaster Barnstormer Classic and finished second at the Sports at the Beach event.