Nine Join OBU Baseball Squad

Article Date

September 8, 2005

Oklahoma Baptist has added nine players for the 2006 baseball season, including a bevy of outfielders, a couple of infielders and three pitchers.

More players could join the team prior to the spring semester.

Danny Ruberte, Dustin Hughes and Bryan Tapley will be added to the pitching staff, with Ruberte doubling as an outfielder.

Ruberte,a senior lefty, joins the Bison after transferring from Lewis-Clark State. While at LCSC Ruberte hit .298 while driving in 23 RBIs and hitting six home runs. Ruberte also played at West Valley College.

Hughes, a junior, transfers from Ranger College. Hughes also spent time at North Central Texas and is a graduate of Jenks High School.

Tapley joins OBU from Chattanooga State. Tapley had a 4.03 ERA at Chattanooga while compiling a 2-4 record and striking out 30 batters. Tapley graduated from Brookwood High School.

Justin Ard, Josh LaTour, John Mowrey and Daniel Ellis come aboard to help in the outfield, though Mowrey can also play first and Ellis may see action as the designated hitter.

Ard, a senior, comes to Bison Hill by way of transfer from Tyler Junior College. Ard also spent time at New Mexico Junior College. While at Tyler, Ard was named to the All-Conference team and was also named to the All-Region and All-American teams. In 2001 Ard the Houston Astros drafted Ard, but he elected to play college baseball. Ard also received Academic All-American honors at Tyler.

La Tour is a sophomore transfer from Odessa Junior College and also is a graduate of Richardson Berkner High School in Texas.

Mowrey, a junior, comes to OBU from Tyler Junior College where he hit .325 with 19 RBIs and two home runs. Mowrey was also named to the All-District team while playing at Rider High School.

Ellis rejoins the Bison squad after a stint with Seminole State Junior College. Ellis was a part of the 2003-2004 Bison squad when he hit .319 with 30 RBIs and three home runs. Ellis also spent time at the University of Kansas, College of the Desert and Bacone College.

New Bison infielders include Alex Schenck and Ryan Brown.

Schenck, a senior, comes to Bison Hill after making stops at Vernon College at University of Texas at Arlington. While at UTA Schenck hit .263 with seven RBIs. Schenck is a graduate of Amarillo High School where he was named District MVP and was named to the All-State teams his senior year.

Brown, a junior, is a transfer from Northern Oklahoma College in Enid and also played at North Central Texas. He graduated from Tulsa Union High School.