The Rhode Island Devils Baseball Club recently held a college signing ceremony for a handful of its senior players as they are moving to the next level.

Signing their college papers were: Justin Odsen (Southeastern Illinois); Anthony Mena (Assumption); Malaquias Fernandez (Mass Maritime); Elvis Santos (Eastern Nazarene); Kyler Lorenz (Dean); Carlos Merejo (Central Connecticut); Angell Garcia (Dominican University); Jayven Alexandre (RIC); Jatin Patel (Anna Maria).

Devils coach Joe Coelho was proud of this class, which he believes is the best that the program has ever fielded.

“You’re looking at a lot of time put in. It’s a lot, but it has been worth every second. The kids are beyond grateful for what we do. It’s a special thing. We’ve had a lot of great players come through our program and to have so many great kids in this class, it’s unbelievable,” Coelho said. “I feel like this was the start of a new era for what we want to do and what we want to achieve. It’s not about the level, it’s about the home. If you want to play college baseball, we will find you a home. We will find you a place that fits.”

Coelho and his fellow coaches have been dedicated to seeing their players reach the college level. In order to do so, they have stressed to the player the importance of now only reaching their peak performances on the field, but staying focused off the field and in the classroom. This year’s class will see kids play in Division I, II, and III in colleges throughout the country.

“These kids are smart and are using everything that they have on social media. They work hard and they’re smart. We have a lot of great players in this state. You can do it all, you can throw 90 (miles per hour) but you need to work hard on the field and in the classroom, too. To get a scholarship, you need to be the full package, and we make sure to push that,” Coelho said. “The talent is there and the kids are working hard. Kids in the state love the sport and you are seeing our guys playing all over the country.”