The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Baseball Signs Jess Davis
11/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The UAB baseball team begins to welcome in its latest recruiting class. Jess Davis (Kearney High School/Kearney, Mo.) has signed with the Blazers and will be the only incoming outfielder in this recruiting class. He is the younger brother of current Blazer Zack Davis.
“We only have two senior position players this year (Catcher Pierce Ressmeyer and Outfielder Riley McCown) so we will only sign two hitters this fall,” said UAB head coach Brian Shoop. “We are thrilled to release Jess Davis as our only incoming outfielder. We love the Davis family and have enjoyed having big brother Zack in our program the last two years. Now we could not be more excited to add Jess to our team. He is a perfect fit in every way.”
Davis plays baseball under head coach Shane Remley at Kearney and under Karl Carswell during the summer for the KC Barnstormers. He was a varsity starter as a freshman and earned All-Conference honors as a freshman and sophomore. As a sophomore, Davis batted .400 with 11 doubles, four triples, 26 RBI and 25 stolen bases. He missed his junior season due to injury, but is still rated among the top two outfield prospects in the state of Missouri by Prep Baseball Report and Perfect Game. Davis has blazing speed as he was clocked with the fastest time at the PBR Futures Games two summers ago.
Davis has also excelled on the gridiron. He owns the school record in receiving yards for a single game, season and career and is the all-time leader in receiving touchdowns for a season and career. Currently his team is in the quarterfinals of the Class 4 State Championships after scoring 55-or-more points in each contest. Davis totaled 213 yards through the air in the Bulldogs most recent victory and scored three times. Kearney is seeking its second straight state title.
Davis hails from an athletic family. In addition to his brother Zack being a current member of the Blazers baseball program, his other brother, Cole, is a quarterback for the five-time defending FCS National Champions North Dakota State. His father, Mark Davis, went to Nebraska on a football scholarship, played baseball for the Huskers from 1982-85 and then enjoyed a career as a professional from 1985-88 with the Minnesota Twins and St. Louis Cardinals’ organizations.
Additionally, Davis excels in the classroom where he boasts a 3.95 GPA.
“Jess is a great fit,” stated Shoop. “He is a speedy outfielder and we love speed in our program. A fast and outstanding defensive outfield is a must playing at spacious Regions Field. Speed is also a great asset on offense and Jess is a complete player who can hit, bunt and run the bases well. He reminds us of Jamal Austin who was an all-conference outfielder here as well as a 13th round draft pick of the Seattle Mariners.”
