TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizona Baseball head coach Chip Hale today announced the Wildcats 2024 signing class, consisting of 14 exceptional players from the high school and college ranks.

The Wildcats 2024 signing class — which includes four of Arizona's top 12 prep players, four Perfect Game National Showcase participants, four Area Code Games participants, and more — is expected to join the Wildcats in Tucson next August.

"Our 2024 signing class is one that I am particularly proud of," Hale said. "This incoming class of players have excelled on the field, in the classroom, and as young men their entire careers and we are excited to have them join us in Tucson. Our focus on recruiting the state of Arizona has never been more clear than with this class, one that includes a handful of our home state's top talents. These 14 outstanding student-athletes will complement our current roster perfectly and help set us up for long-term success."
 

Name	Position	Previous School	Hometown
Ryan Anderson	RHP	Minooka Community HS	Shorewood, Ill.
Smith Bailey	RHP	Mountain Ridge HS	Peoria, Ariz.
Jackson Forbes	INF	Mountain Ridge HS	Peoria, Ariz.
Gunner Geile	OF	IMG Academy	Tucson, Ariz.
Nate Gray	RHP/1B	Pima CC	Queen Creek, Ariz.
Vinny Hudson	RHP/SS	Orange Lutheran HS	Hacienda Heights, Calif.
Anthony Lira	1B	Oakmont HS	Citrus Heights, Calif.
Mathis Meurant	INF	Cochise College	Vaires-sur-Marne, France
Nate Novitske	INF	Foothill HS	Pleasanton, Calif.
Mason Russell	LHP	Casteel HS	Queen Creek, Ariz.
Tyler Russell	OF	Casteel HS	Queen Creek, Ariz.
Kansai Sugimoto	RHP	Yavapai College	Kyoto, Japan
Kade Thompson	C	Casteel HS	Gilbert, Ariz.
Salvador Valenzuela	LHP	Nogales HS	Nogales, Ariz.

Career highlights and superlatives on all 14 members of the Wildcats 2024 signing class can be found below, listed alphabetically.
 

Ryan Anderson  |  RHP  |  Minooka Community HS  |  Shorewood, Ill.

• 2022 and 2023 Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American
• Perfect Game Top 500 player
• Four-time Perfect Game All-Tournament Team selection
• As a sophomore in 2022, went 6-3 with a 2.97 ERA and 41 strikeouts

 

Smith Bailey  |  RHP  |  Mountain Ridge HS  |  Peoria, Ariz.

• No. 89 ranked player and No. 24 ranked RHP nationally by Perfect Game
• No. 6 ranked player and No. 1 ranked RHP in Arizona by Perfect Game
• 2023 Perfect Game All-American Classic and National Showcase participant
• 2023 Perfect Game National Showcase Top Prospect Team honoree
• 2022 and 2023 Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American
• Four-time Perfect Game All-Tournament Team selection
• 2023 Area Code Games participant (Cincinnati Reds)
• As a junior in 2023, went 10-1 with a 1.41 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 64.2 innings

 

Jackson Forbes  |  INF  |  Mountain Ridge HS  |  Peoria, Ariz.

• No. 12 ranked player and No. 2 ranked shortstop in Arizona by Perfect Game
• 2023 Perfect Game National Showcase participant
• 2022 and 2023 Perfect Game Underclass All-American
• Four-time Perfect Game All-Tournament Team selection
• Perfect Game Top 450 player
• As a junior in 2023, hit .309 with 20 runs, seven extra-base hits, and 23 RBI across 30 games
• 2023 Area Code Games participant (Cincinnati Reds)

 

Gunner Geile  |  OF  |  IMG Academy  |  Tucson, Ariz.

• No. 7 ranked player and No. 2 ranked outfielder in Arizona by Perfect Game
• Perfect Game Top 200 player
• 2023 Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American
• Five-time Perfect Game All-Tournament Team selection
• Across parts of two varsity seasons and 49 games at Salpointe Catholic HS in Tucson, hit .291 with 43 runs, 21 extra-base hits, and 36 RBI
• Stole 17 bases in 32 games as a junior at Salpointe

 

Nate Gray  |  RHP/1B  |  Pima CC  |  Queen Creek, Ariz.

• Set to play 2023 season at Pima Community College in Tucson
• 2023 Perfect Game Preseason All-American
• 2022 Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American
• Three-time Perfect Game All-Tournament Team selection
• Perfect Game Top 500 player coming out of Queen Creek High School

 

Vinny Hudson  |  RHP/SS  |  Orange Lutheran HS  |  Hacienda Heights, Calif.

• 2022 and 2023 Perfect Game Underclass All-American
• 2023 Perfect Game National Showcase participant
• 2022 Perfect Game Underclass All-American Games participant
• Four-time Perfect Game All-Tournament Team selection
• Perfect Game Top 500 player
• Across 54 varsity games, hit .380 with 29 runs, seven extra-base hits, and 21 RBI
• Has also made 14 appearances on the mound against varsity competition, posting a 3.85 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 36.1 innings

 

Anthony Lira  |  1B  |  Oakmont HS  |  Citrus Heights, Calif.

• No. 15 ranked first baseman nationally by Perfect Game
• No. 2 ranked first baseman in California by Perfect Game
• 2022 and 2023 Perfect Game Underclass All-American
• Six-time Perfect Game All-Tournament Team selection
• Perfect Game Top 500 player

 

Mathis Meurant  |  INF  |  Cochise College  |  Vaires sur-Marne, France

• Played the 2023 season at Cochise College, hitting .329 with 33 runs, 16 doubles, four triples, and 43 RBI
• No. 16 ranked European player in his class by Perfect Game

 

Nate Novitske  |  INF  |  Foothill HS  |  Pleasanton, Calif.

• 2022 and 2023 Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American
• Seven-time Perfect Game All-Tournament Team selection
• Perfect Game Top 500 player
• Across 61 varsity games, hit .288 with 30 runs, 10 extra-base hits, and 24 RBI

 

Mason Russell  |  LHP  |  Casteel HS  |  Queen Creek, Ariz.

• No. 81 ranked player and No. 10 ranked LHP nationally by Perfect Game
• No. 3 ranked player and No. 2 ranked LHP in Arizona by Perfect Game
• 2023 Perfect Game National Showcase participant
• 2023 Perfect Game National Showcase Top Prospect Team honoree
• 2022 and 2023 Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American
• Four-time Perfect Game All-Tournament Team selection
• Across 28 varsity appearances, has gone 6-6 with a 2.82 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 96.2 innings
• As a sophomore in 2022, posted a 2.87 ERA and struck out 77 batters in 53.2 innings
• 2023 Area Code Games participant (Cincinnati Reds)
• Brother, Tyler Russell, also part of Arizona's 2024 signing class

 

Tyler Russell  |  OF  |  Casteel HS  |  Queen Creek, Ariz.

• 2022 and 2023 Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American
• Four-time Perfect Game All-Tournament Team selection
• Has logged time in 59 varsity games across two seasons, hitting .270 with 21 runs, six extra-base hits, and 21 RBI
• Perfect Game Top 500 player
• Brother, Mason Russell, also part of Arizona's 2024 signing class

 

Kansai Sugimoto  |  RHP  |  Yavapai College  |  Kyoto, Japan

• Played 2023 season with Yavapai College, going 1-1 with three strikeouts in six innings across four games
• Prepped at Blyth Academy in Canada
• No. 9 ranked player from Canada by Perfect Game coming out of high school
• 2022 Perfect Game Preseason All-American
• 2021 Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American

 

Kade Thompson  |  C  |  Casteel HS  |  Gilbert, Ariz.

• 2022 and 2023 Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-American
• Three-time Perfect Game All-Tournament Team selection
• Across 78 varsity games in three seasons, has hit .316 with 11 runs, 13 extra-base hits, and 33 RBI
• As a junior in 2023, hit .358 with six extra-base hits and 16 RBI in 30 games
• Career .989 fielding percentage on 474 total chances behind the plate

 

Salvador Valenzuela  |  LHP  |  Nogales HS  |  Nogales, Ariz.

• Across 22 varsity appearances in two seasons, has gone 14-2 with a 1.05 ERA and 143 strikeouts in 93.1 innings
• As a junior in 2023, went 5-2 with a 1.53 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 11 appearances
• As a sophomore in 2022, posted a perfect 9-0 record with a 0.59 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 11 appearances
• Perfect Game Top 500 player
• 2023 Area Code Games participant (Cincinnati Reds)