Nov. 17, 2016 SPOKANE, Wash.--Gonzaga baseball head coach Mark Machtolf announced that Matthew Henckel, a sophomore at Tacoma Community College, has signed a National Letter of Intent for the 2018 season.
| Matthew Henckel | LHP | Gig Harbor, Wash. |
| Henckel joins the Zags from Tacoma Community College, joining current Zags Jake Vieth and Justin Vernia as Titans who've moved onto Spokane. In 2016 as a freshman, Henckel posted a 2.63 ERA with three wins in eight starts, striking out 43 batters in 51 innings. For that performance, he was named to the 2016 NWAC Sophomore Showcase. In high school, he led Gig Harbor to a third place finish at the 2015 State Championships. As a senior, his 0.79 ERA and 67 strikeouts earned him team MVP and First Team All-Narrows League honors. The year before, Henckel played for the Kansas City Royals in the Area Code Games. He was on Baseball Northwest's Class of 2015 Top Prospect List for the state of Washington coming out of high school. Why Henckel chose Gonzaga: "Gonzaga offers a balance of academics, athletics, faith, and a culture that has a strong sense of community. The coaching staff genuinely cares about their players' development on the field as well as in the classroom." Coach Machtolf on Gonzaga: "We are very excited to add Matthew Henckel to our program. Adding a polished junior college left hander to our class really will help bolster the pitching staff. Matthew is a great fit both athletically and academically." |  |
Henckel is the seventh player to sign an NLI with Gonzaga baseball. McKabe Cottrell, Mason Martin, Mason Millett, Carsen Negrete, Austin Pinorini, and Michael Spellacy also make up Gonzaga's 2017 signing class.
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