ST. LOUIS – Saint Louis head baseball coach Darin Hendrickson has announced the addition of Sean Frontzak, Ryan Lefner and Aaron Stone to the 2016 roster.
“These three, along with the rest of our incoming class, bring a drastic improvement to our pitching staff,” Hendrickson said. “We are excited to have them join the Billikens as student-athletes.“
Frontzak comes to Saint Louis from Montini Catholic in Lombard, Ill. The tall right-handed pitcher features a three-pitch mix with fastball, change-up and curveball and a maximum velocity around 87 mph. As a senior, Frontzak posted a 2.95 ERA over seven appearances.
“Sean will be expected to compete for a spot this fall with a three-pitch mix and great upside,” Hendrickson said. “He is from a good prep program, has pitched against fierce competition and is an excellent student.“
Lefner pitched for the JSerra Lions, ranked as one of the top high school teams in the nation with a season record of 24-2. He started in the two top national tournaments as ranked by MaxPreps; the National High School Invitational in North Carolina and the Boras Classic Championship at Cal State Fullerton, allowing one run in each. He was selected for the Trinity League 2015 Senior All Star team, was named a Perfect Game Preseason All-American top 150 player from the 2015 All-Region pool and a player to watch by the Scott Boras Foundation. Ryan earned the Cy Young Award at JSerra two years in a row and had a 2015 season ERA of 1.53.
“Ryan comes from the top California program and one of the best in the country,” Hendrickson said. “He has a lot of upside and comes from the very best competition. The rest of the staff and I think Ryan is a flat-out winner.”
Stone is a prep standout from Palmyra (Mo.) High. He is a left-handed pitcher who features a fastball that touches 87 mph. Stone was named Player of the Year for the Clarence Cannon Conference after going 7-2 with a 0.69 ERA, 123 strikeouts and 21 walks in 60 1/3 innings. In his senior season, he had two no-hitters and a 46-inning scoreless streak.
“Aaron provides us with a much-needed lefty,” Hendrickson said. “His numbers are very impressive, and he possesses an above-average breaking ball to go with a mid-80's fastball. Aaron will be counted on to be a big lefty for our future.”
