Bellevue signs southpaw Vinson
LHP Jayden Vinson (Portland, Ore./Mt. Hood CC) has signed a letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic careers at BU beginning in the fall.
BELLEVUE, Neb. -- Bellevue University baseball coach Duane Monlux announced today the signing of Jayden Vinson (Portland, Ore./Mt. Hood CC) to a letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic careers at BU beginning in the fall.
Vinson, a 5-11, 175-pound southpaw, comes to BU from Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Ore. He played two seasons for the Saints, earning first team all-NWAC South Region honors this past year after reaching the NWAC Championship Game.
After seeing limited action during his freshman season, Vinson turned in an elite season this past spring. Despite a 4-4 record on the mound, he posted a miniscule 1.37 ERA. He struck out 51 in 52.2 innings across 11 appearances (9 starts) and issued just 16 walks while opponents managed to hit a meager .230 off him.
Coach Monlux on Vinson:
"We really needed to add some additional left-handed pitching to our staff and we feel that Jayden will do great things for us in the future. He had a really good sophomore campaign for Mt. Hood, earning first team NWAC South Region honors, He is a low-to-mid 80's arm that really fills up the strike zone. Jayden averaged about a strikeout an inning and only walked 16 batters in 52 innings on the mound this past season. We are thrilled to be having him join the Bruin family this fall."
Vinson joins the previously announced Brady Toth (RHP, Boise, Idaho/Columbia Basin College), Jace Wessels (RHP, Clarkston, Wash./Columbia Basin College), Danny Spongberg (OF, Omaha, Neb./Southeast CC), Steven Elsner (1B/OF, San Francisco, Calif./College of Marin), and Nick Johnstone (C, Brisbane, Australia/South Suburban College) in the Bruins' 2023 recruiting class.
Bellevue is coming off a 2023 season in which the program reached the Avista NAIA World Series for the 16th time in program history. During the campaign, the Bruins posted a 48-10 overall mark, going 25-3 in conference play while sweeping both the NSAA Regular-Season and Tournament titles. BU parlayed the league's lone automatic bid into the program's 25th NAIA National Tournament Appearance, hosting their fifth Opening Round at Don Roddy Field and defeating Oklahoma City in the Championship Game to reach the Avista NAIA World Series for the third time in four seasons.