College Sports Signing Ceremony

Thirteen student-athletes from Jesuit High School's Class of 2020 signed with the college of their choice Wednesday (Nov. 13) at an early morning signing ceremony in the Multi-Purpose Room at Jesuit. Included in that group are 10 members of Jesuit’s 2019 State Championship baseball team.

Family, friends, and coaches packed the MPR for the special event, with the total of 13 signees believed to be the largest in school history at one signing ceremony. Jesuit president Fr. Richard C. Hermes, S.J. and athletic director Terry Rupp '84 first addressed the signees, encouraging them to take what they've learned at Jesuit with them to college, and to continue to strive for excellence in their lives as 'Men for Others.' The signees Wednesday were:

Ethan Basile – Northern Iowa – wrestling
Zach Board – North Florida – soccer
Alex Bryant – Holy Cross – baseball
Joe Casale – Adrian College – baseball
Justin Clark – West Virginia – baseball
Aidan Gingell – Belmont Abbey – wrestling
Bennett Lee – Tulane – baseball
Josh Mallitz – Ole Miss – baseball
Camden Minacci – Wake Forest – baseball
Henry Politz – Holy Cross – baseball
Tripp Russo – Adrian College – baseball
Jonathan Shoop – Butler – baseball
Turner Thompson – Tulane – baseball

Gingell and Basile are part of a surging Jesuit wrestling program that placed second in the 2A State Tournament this past spring. Basile was the individual State Champion at 145 pounds, going 60-0 last season, and he heads to a Northern Iowa program that competes in the Big 12 Conference, placed 13th at the NCAA Tournament this spring, and boasts the 184-pound National Champion, Drew Foster.

Board was selected an Allstate All-American following a junior season in which he scored 13 goals to help Jesuit soccer to a 22-3 record, national ranking, and berth in the State Semifinal. He has been a starter since his freshman season, helping Jesuit to a 70-12-1 record in that time while tallying 31 goals and 21 assists.

The 10 baseball signees all were a part of Jesuit’s historic run to the school’s 5th baseball title last season. The Tigers came from behind with 2 outs in the last inning of the Region Semifinal, then rallied again in the 4-3 State Championship win over Dunedin, capping a 27-5 season with a Top 15 national ranking from multiple media outlets.

Minacci and Lee were two of the top players in Florida last season. Minacci, a right-handed pitcher, was recognized as the Class 6A State Player of the Year after going 12-1 with a 1.12 ERA. Lee, a catcher, missed the State playoffs with an injury but still led the Tigers in average (.442), OPS (1.354), doubles (13), triples (7), and home runs (3).

Six of the 10 baseball signees will be college teammates, at Holy Cross (Politz and Bryant), Tulane (Lee and Thompson), and Adrian College in Michigan (Russo and Casale). Right-handed pitchers Clark and Mallitz were instrumental in Jesuit's title run, with Clark starting the championship game (4 IP, 0 ER) and Mallitz coming on in relief in both the semifinal and championship games at State. Thompson notched the final out in the title game with a K, setting off the euphoric championship celebration, and Shoop, an elite defensive outfielder, scored Jesuit's final run in the championship game win.

This is the first of four signing ceremonies at Jesuit this school year, occurring on the first day of the NCAA’s fall signing period. The winter and spring signing ceremonies will take place in February and April, respectively, plus the football-only signing date on Dec. 18. Each year about 20-30 Jesuit student-athletes sign Letters of Intent to participate in college athletics.

Please view below a photo sideshow from Wednesday's ceremony, and a video.