Saint Louis head baseball coach Darin Hendrickson has announced the addition of Jake Garella (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) and Aaron Patton (Monett, Mo./Monett/Crowder CC) to the 2017 Billikens.
Garella comes to SLU after a standout prep career at Edwardsville High School in Edwardsville, Ill., where he recently set the single-season batting average record. He led the Tigers with a .570 batting average (third in the St. Louis area), .610 on-base percentage (eighth in St. Louis) and an .850 slugging percentage (sixth in St. Louis). Garella was second in the St. Louis area with 16 doubles in his senior season. He is a versatile defender, seeing time at third base, shortstop, left field, right field and pitcher. On the mound, Garella was 6-1 with a 0.19 ERA, 47 strikeouts and a 0.66 WHIP in 37.7 IP.
“Garella is a versatile, athletic player who can play a variety of positions and will hit for power,” Hendrickson said. “He comes from one of the top programs in Illinois and has been battle-tested. He will primarily serve as a position player for us and brings a winning background to our team. He has the chance to be a solid hitter at our level right away.”
Patton is a 6’5” left-handed pitcher from Crowder College in Neosho, Mo. He made 16 appearances (14 starts) as a sophomore for Crowder, recording a 7-4 record with 104 strikeouts in 85 innings pitched and five complete games. Against Jefferson College on May 13, Patton threw seven innings with a career high 12 strikeouts and only one walk.
“Patton is a strike-throwing lefty who commands three pitches and played for a great program,” Hendrickson said. “He will compete for a starting-rotation spot next season. Patton is expected to provide leadership on the mound and a veteran presence for us being a left-handed starter. I am excited to see him grow even more as a player.
Both Jake and Aaron are excellent students and people who will represent Saint Louis University baseball very well on and off the field,” Hendrickson said.
