Rio Grande News
Adena High School baseball standout Kirk Yates is surrounded by family and coaches after signing with Rio Grande
Thu, May. 17, 2012 - [Baseball]
Rio Grande Sports Information
FRANKFORT, Ohio - University of Rio Grande head baseball coach Brad Warnimont has announced the signing of Adena High School standout Kirk Yates for the 2013 season.
Yates has played a major role in a successful 2012 season for the Warriors, which continues Friday night with a Division III district semifinal matchup with Minford. Yates is batting .414 with five doubles, a triple, four home runs and 32 runs batted in. He's also scored 33 runs to go along with 12 stolen bases, a .512 on-base percentage and a .686 slugging percentage.
Yates has been equally impressive on the mound for Adena, which is coached by his father, Ed.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound right-hander sports a 7-1 record with two saves and miniscule earned run average of 0.84. In 11 appearances, nine of which are starts, he's authored five complete games and allowed just six earned runs in 50 innings, piling up 66 strikeouts in the process.
"Obviously, Kirk is a dual-role player who can help us out on the mound as well as in the role of a position player," Warnimont said. "His post-season accolades and honors speak for themselves. He's a versatile athlete - he was the quarterback on their football team - and we expect him to have an immediate impact."
Yates, who plays in the outfield for the Warriors when he's not pitching, was recently named the Scioto Valley Conference Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. He is a three-time all-SVC first team honoree after being named second team all-conference as a freshman.
Yates is also a three-time first team all-district selection and was recently named a 2012 Mizuno All-Ohio honoree. He was also an All-Ohio pick by the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association in 2011. The OHSBCA has yet to announce its 2012 All-Ohio team.
"I'm glad that I get the chance to play at the next level and I'm excited to play for Rio Grande," Yates said. "Playing college baseball has been a goal of mine my whole life."
Yates, who plans on majoring in business management, also drew interest from West Virginia State University and Mount Vernon Nazarene University before finally deciding on signing with the RedStorm.
"I can play a number of different positions, but I still think I need to improve on my hitting and my infield," he said. "My goal is to continue to be successful and to help keep the program successful."
"He's a very talented young man and we're happy to have him," added Warnimont. "We fostered the Rio family with his signing. His Mom and Dad are both Rio alums and it was nice to be able to keep Kirk in the family. We think he's going to be a real asset to our program."
Yates' father, Ed, played baseball at Rio Grande, while his mother, Shelia, is a former volleyball player at URG. His sister, Kirsti, currently plays softball at Shawnee State University.
FRANKFORT, Ohio - University of Rio Grande head baseball coach Brad Warnimont has announced the signing of Adena High School standout Kirk Yates for the 2013 season.
Yates has played a major role in a successful 2012 season for the Warriors, which continues Friday night with a Division III district semifinal matchup with Minford. Yates is batting .414 with five doubles, a triple, four home runs and 32 runs batted in. He's also scored 33 runs to go along with 12 stolen bases, a .512 on-base percentage and a .686 slugging percentage.
Yates has been equally impressive on the mound for Adena, which is coached by his father, Ed.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound right-hander sports a 7-1 record with two saves and miniscule earned run average of 0.84. In 11 appearances, nine of which are starts, he's authored five complete games and allowed just six earned runs in 50 innings, piling up 66 strikeouts in the process.
"Obviously, Kirk is a dual-role player who can help us out on the mound as well as in the role of a position player," Warnimont said. "His post-season accolades and honors speak for themselves. He's a versatile athlete - he was the quarterback on their football team - and we expect him to have an immediate impact."
Yates, who plays in the outfield for the Warriors when he's not pitching, was recently named the Scioto Valley Conference Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. He is a three-time all-SVC first team honoree after being named second team all-conference as a freshman.
Yates is also a three-time first team all-district selection and was recently named a 2012 Mizuno All-Ohio honoree. He was also an All-Ohio pick by the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association in 2011. The OHSBCA has yet to announce its 2012 All-Ohio team.
"I'm glad that I get the chance to play at the next level and I'm excited to play for Rio Grande," Yates said. "Playing college baseball has been a goal of mine my whole life."
Yates, who plans on majoring in business management, also drew interest from West Virginia State University and Mount Vernon Nazarene University before finally deciding on signing with the RedStorm.
"I can play a number of different positions, but I still think I need to improve on my hitting and my infield," he said. "My goal is to continue to be successful and to help keep the program successful."
"He's a very talented young man and we're happy to have him," added Warnimont. "We fostered the Rio family with his signing. His Mom and Dad are both Rio alums and it was nice to be able to keep Kirk in the family. We think he's going to be a real asset to our program."
Yates' father, Ed, played baseball at Rio Grande, while his mother, Shelia, is a former volleyball player at URG. His sister, Kirsti, currently plays softball at Shawnee State University.
