Hanke, Sellers Sign With Crowder

Photo by Rick Peck McDonald County High School graduate Jaime Hanke (bottom, center) is flanked by his parents Bill and Gayle Hanke as he signs a letter to play baseball at Crowder College. Back row, left to right: Nick Martin, MCHS baseball coach, and sisters, Julie Grimes and Johnica Hanke.
Photo by Rick Peck McDonald County High School graduate Jaime Hanke (bottom, center) is flanked by his parents Bill and Gayle Hanke as he signs a letter to play baseball at Crowder College. Back row, left to right: Nick Martin, MCHS baseball coach, and sisters, Julie Grimes and Johnica Hanke.

Not only is Crowder College getting the top half of the McDonald County Mustangs baseball team's pitching rotation, the Roughriders are also getting the Mustangs' top hitter.

Jaime Hanke and Tyler Sellers both recently signed letters of intent to play baseball at the local junior college.

"It's exciting to be able to play college baseball," Hanke said. "I like Crowder because they develop players very efficiently and they win."

Hanke said he has been playing baseball for 16 years, starting T-ball at the age of three. For most of those 16 years, the right-hander has been a position player as well as a pitcher. At Crowder, Hanke will be a position player, playing both of the corner spots on the infield.

He led the Mustangs last year with a .413 batting average, with 31 hits in 27 games, including three home runs. In addition to leading the team in all three of those categories, he tied for the team lead in RBIs with 17.

As a pitcher, Hanke had a 4-5 record with a 2.55 e.r.a. He led the Mustangs in innings pitched, allowing 14 earned runs in 48 innings.

Hanke was named first team All-District and All-Conference following the 2017 season.

"It was great playing baseball at McDonald County," Hanke said. "It was a good, family environment. It's part of me. I want to thank my family and my coaches for everything."

Sellers is known in Mustang baseball jargon as a "PO" or pitcher only.

This past year he was 1-5 on the mound, but 17 of the 40 runs scored on the 6-6 right-hander were unearned, giving him an ERA of 3.86.

He struck out 54 in 41 and two-thirds innings, but walked 39 and hit eight.

"It feels really great to sign with Crowder," Sellers said. "It couldn't get any better. Crowder is a good school and has everything I want. They have good coaches and are great at baseball. I have my best chance to be successful there. I want to thank my family for always supporting me and the coaches at McDonald County. Coach Martin (head coach Nick Martin) helped me to get where I need to be and coach Bergen was a great pitching coach."

Sellers received the Most Improved, Top Prospect and Most Strikeouts awards while at MCHS.

"Hanke has been a four-year starter and contributed a lot as a freshman," Martin said. "He is very knowledgeable about the game. He had a great high school career. He swings the bat very well and will get better.

"Sellers has a very high ceiling. He is 6-6 with long arms and clearly hasn't reached his potential. He has a good, live arm with a great change up. He will work hard and get challenged every day to find a spot in the rotation."

Martin said both players will be missed off the field as much as on the field at McDonald County.

"Both of these guys were four-year players and naturally they will be missed on the field," Martin said. "But they will be missed off the field as much or more. They were great leaders and role models for the younger kids. They led by example. I wish them the best."

Sports on 07/13/2017