Friday, February 14, 2020

Eastern Kentucky Head Coach Edwin Thompson was on the 2000 Harrisonburg Turks team that won the VBL Championship. Once he began his coaching career he has sent players to Harrisonburg in hopes that his players enjoy their experience playing for the Turks in the Valley League as he did. This year Garret Simpson and Kendal Ewell will join the Turks family.

Garret Simpson is a freshman right-hand pitcher from Mt. Washington, KY. A tall lanky 6-0 160 pounds, Simpson earned first team all-state honors as a senior at Bullitt East High School in 2019. He went 10-2 with a 1.31 ERA and one save, while hitting .402 with a home run and 28 RBIs . Simpson was named to the all-district team, the all-region team, was region player of the year and named to the all-district tournament team while helping the Chargers to a 33-8 record and a district championship as a senior. He was chosen third team all-state as a junior in 2018 after going 7-2 with a 1.27 ERA and a .283 batting average. He was also picked to the all-district, all-district tournament and all-region teams as a junior.

Kendal Ewell is a freshman outfielder from Calumet City, IL. The right-hander is 5-11 and 207 pounds. Ewell was drafted in the 40th round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies. As a senior at Marist High School he hit .385 with 11 doubles, seven home runs, 41 RBIs and 34 runs scored. He earned all-conference and offensive player of the year honors his senior season while leading the Redhawks to a 26-11 record a regional title and a sectional championship. Ewell batted .325 with eight doubles, four home runs, 22 RBIs and 21 runs as a junior.