SHAWNEE – Key word: Buzz. And we're not just talking about recruiting. (More to come on some facility upgrades at Bobby Cox Field at Ford Park).
We'll start on the recruiting trail and the class of Bison brought in by head coach
Chris Cox, associate head coach
Cody Painter and assistant
Trace Maddux. There are some big-time offensive players coming to Shawnee for the 2025 season as well as some highly-talented arms. Over the next couple weeks, we'll look at these players coming to Bison Hill.
DJ Van Atten | Infielder | Ada, OK | Abilene Christian University
- Started his collegiate career at Southern Nazarene. He was the 2023 GAC Player of the Year and named an ABCA/Rawlings First Team All-America selection.
- Just this last season, he played at D1 Abilene Christian and dialed up nine doubles, five homers, 31 RBI and drew 22 walks.
- A proven home run hitter, he has 38 over the last three seasons.
Coach Cox's Thoughts: "A familiar face, that I'm now happy to say is in the same dugout with us. The numbers DJ put together in the GAC two years ago speak for themself. He's a mature, polished hitter who has a chance to do special things in our lineup. I couldn't be more excited at the opportunity to work with DJ."
Marcus Peters | Pitcher | Dallas, TX | Dallas College Eastfield
- Over the last two years at Eastfield, Peters appeared in 42 games with 26 starts, notched 15 wins and struck out 162 with an impressive 2.98 earned run average.
- The 6-5 righty also averaged 11.51 strikeouts per nine innings
- During the 2023 campaign, he was a First Team All-Dallas Athletic Conference honoree.
Coach Painter's Thoughts: "Marcus had a very successful two-year stint at Dallas College Eastfield. He was named an NJCAA Second Team All-American in 2024 and was also awarded the Dallas Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year. Plus, he helped his club make a run to NJCAA DIII National Championship game. Marcus is a physical presence on the mound, standing at 6-5. He has some deception in his delivery and attacks the strike zone."
Zane Bennett | Outfielder | Petaluma, CA | Santa Rosa Junior College
- During this past spring, Bennett played in 42 games, batted .283, hit 13 homers and had a slugging percentage of .555
- He also drove in 46 runs, scored 31 of his own and was named a First Team All Big-8 Conference selection.
- Posted a three-home run, 10-RBI performance against Chabot on Jan. 27.
Coach Cox's Thoughts: "Zane comes from one of the premier junior colleges in California. A corner outfielder that possesses middle of the order juice. He has physical tools, as well as competitiveness and toughness that will be a major addition to the program."
Javarian Roquemore | Pitcher | Carthage, TX | Murray State College
- Played the last two seasons at nearby Murray State College.
- Made 26 appearances, struck out 42 in 34.0 innings pitched and limited batters to a .234 average. Also notched a pair of saves.
- Struck out as many as seven batters during an appearance at Pearl River Community College back in February.
Coach Painter's Thoughts: "He will be the fourth Murray State pitcher to join us in the last three years. Javarian accrued 26 appearances with the Aggies, showing that he has swing-and-miss stuff. He also gave up less hits than innings pitched in his junior college career. Javarian has a loose, quick arm; and most importantly, the ability to throw his off-speed for a strike and as a chase pitch."
