We are continuing our player spotlight with another Terre Haute, IN native, Will Hayes. Hayes is currently a Redshirt Freshman for the Missouri University of Science & Technology Miners and is the son of Tim and Gail Hayes. He is majoring in mechanical engineering. Before he began his college career, he attended Terre Haute South Vigo High School.
While in high school Hayes was a two-year varsity starter. During his senior year he had an astonishing batting average (AVG) of .345. In his senior year he also scored twenty-two runs and had twelve runs batted in (RBIs). Hayes was also outstanding as a middle infielder with a fielding percentage (FLD%) of .974 per minerathletics.com. He was also awarded Academic All-State Honors.
His college career began in 2018 when he was redshirted. His first year of play came in this 2019 season. He has played in forty-four games and started in forty-two of those games. He currently has an AVG of .284, a slugging percentage (SLG%) of .376, and an on base percentage (OB%) of .406 during 141 at bats (AB). He has five doubles, one triple, and two home runs. He has walked twenty-seven times and been hit by the pitch four times. He has only grounded into a double play once this season in his 141 ABs. Hayes is also a speedster. He has nineteen stolen bases (SB) on twenty attempts with his game high of four SBs coming on May 3, 2019 against the Rockhurst University Hawks per minerathletics.com.
Hayes has continued to be the phenomenal fielder that he was in high school through his first year of college. At this time, he has a FLD% of .961 with only seven errors. He has seventy-nine assists (A) and ninety-four putouts (PO) per minerathletics.com. His game high of five A's came on May 10, 2019 against the Maryville Saints. He has a game high of six POs on March 3, 2019 against the Saginaw Valley State University Cardinals per minerathletics.com.
REX baseball is excited for Hayes to join the team for his first season. We look forward to seeing him put on some spectacular fielding displays this summer as he makes his hometown proud. We cannot wait for him to be in that REX blue! Go REXNation! Season tickets on sale now at https://www.rexbaseball.com/rex_tickets.php.