Hatfield signs with Vincennes University

By Neil Grant, OCTN Sports

Ohio County High School senior catcher Eli Hatfield has signed a grant-in-aid to continue his baseball career at Vincennes University, becoming the latest Eagle to advance to the collegiate level. The signing ceremony took place during OCHS’ annual Meet the Players dinner in the school cafeteria.

Hatfield, the son of Larry and Kim Hatfield, has been a three-year varsity contributor for the Eagles. The 6-foot-1 catcher played under former head coaches Ben Everley and Zach Gledhill and now enters his senior season under new head coach Ted Hill.

During his junior campaign, Hatfield posted a .284 batting average, recording one home run and five doubles while striking out just nine times in 67 at-bats.

Gledhill, who coached Hatfield from middle school through his junior year, praised his work ethic and leadership.

“Eli Hatfield is a coach’s dream,” Gledhill said. “He is the type of player that will be in the hitting facility or in the weight room without anyone pushing him to do so. I will never forget Eli running miles around the track before or after practices to work on his speed and endurance. The fact that he is the largest player on our team and would always compete with our fastest players in conditioning meant a lot to me.”

“He has been a leader on this Eagles team since he was a freshman. He is, in my opinion, one of the best defensive catchers in the state, and he has an unlimited amount of pop in the box. Vincennes has a great player and an overall outstanding kid coming their way.”

Hill echoed those sentiments as he prepares for his first season leading the Eagles.

“Eli is a tremendous talent in all phases of the game of baseball,” Hill said. “He’s the first one in and the last one out of practices. You can go by the field on off days and he’s out there putting in extra work when nobody is looking. There’s a reason he will play at the next level. It’s not by accident. I’m looking forward to working with him this year and watching him lead our team.”

Vincennes University is a public two-year institution competing in NJCAA Division II as a member of the Mid-West Athletic Conference. The Trailblazers are coached by Chris Barney, with assistance from Greg Burton and Frank Ragle, and play their home games at Jerry Blemker Field.

The program is known for developing talent for advancement to four-year programs. Vincennes currently holds a 10-15 overall record this season, including a 4-4 mark in conference play.