The University of Dayton department of athletics would like to recognize the seniors of our spring sports not given the opportunity to have a traditional Senior Recognition due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first installment of a series honoring the senior student-athletes who were not given the same spotlight as in previous years with our own version of a Senior Tribute.  
 
Dom Coconcelli:
Our first senior is Dom Coconcelli. The Irwin, Pa. native arrived at Dayton four years ago and has stayed with the program. He made two appearances on the mound during his freshman year against Miami (Ohio) and Toledo totaling 2.1 innings. In 2018, the left-handed specialist made 22 appearances, which tied for the team lead. In those five innings on the mound, he struck out three.

Comments from Head Coach Jayson King:
"Dom was a guy that made a difference with his attitude and work ethic on a daily basis.  Another guy that moved the program forward by the little things that he did and who he was."

Tate Hagan:
Next up is Tate Hagan. The outfielder from Tallahassee, Fla. came to Dayton as a freshman in 2017, appearing in 52 games and starting 44 of them. He hit .255 in those games with four home runs and 25 runs batted in. He hit his first career home run on Feb. 19 of that year against Furman and a week later hit two more home runs against Georgetown. His sophomore year he appeared in all but one game and hit another four home runs while making the A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll. He was given that same honor his junior season while finishing with a .286 batting average, which was the second-highest on the team. In the shortened 2020 season, Hagan hit two home runs, one of which came in his home town at Florida A&M.

Comments from Head Coach Jayson King:
"Tate transitioned to a starter last year and did a tremendous job. He got his chance and made the most of it."

Brantley Johnson:
Brantley Johnson is up next. Another four-year Flyer, Johnson began his freshman year as a starter and tied for the team lead with 46 starts. He finished with 20 runs batted in and hit his first career home run on May 18 against La Salle and led the team with 129 assists defensively. He started 43 games during his sophomore campaign and hit .267. He played in 20 games during his junior year, having his best game against George Mason on April 21 where he went 3-5 with two doubles and two runs scored. He appeared in three games during the shortened 2020 season going 5-10 in those games. He drove in four runs against Northern Kentucky on March 8 and scored a run.

Comments from Head Coach Jayson King:
"Brantley did a great job filling in when we needed him.  He was very reliable and consistent in his work and approach to the game.  He improved greatly from year to year in the program."

Will Sheats:
Will Sheats arrived from Delgado Community College in 2019 and made his impact on the mound appearing in nine games for a total of seven innings. On March 27 he pitched two hitless innings, striking out three and finished the season with six strikeouts. This season he made one appearance in the last game of the season against Morehead State striking out one in 0.2 innings in that game.

Comments from Head Coach Jayson King:
"Will worked very hard to make a difference on the field and in our program."

Jeff Steuck:
Another four-year Flyer is Jeff Steuck. The Kenosha, Wis. native recorded his first hit in 2018 at Arkansas and made his first career start on March 25 against USC Upstate and appeared in 19 games during his sophomore year. Steuck was named to the A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll during that campaign and made seven more appearances during his junior season. He made two more appearances during his shortened senior campaign and was hit by a pitch in his last home plate appearance on March 8 against Northern Kentucky.

Comments from Head Coach Jayson King:
"Jeff is the guy behind the scenes that made our program better.  He was selfless and dedicated in his work way beyond the box score."

Connor Wilson:
Connor Wilson has also been at Dayton all four years. His freshman year he appeared in 28 games and made 14 starts. In those appearances he stole four bases and recorded his first career hit on March 19 against Ball State. He improved upon those numbers in 2018 appearing in 29 games and batting .259 with five stolen bases while also being named to the A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll. He appeared in 45 games during his junior season and hit his first career home run on April 12 against Richmond. The Wayne, Pa. native would hit a second home run on the season and stole five bases in six attempts while hitting .246. In the shortened 2020 season, Wilson reached base in his only plate appearance, drawing a walk against UNCW.

Comments from Head Coach Jayson King:
"Connor made major strides in his career.  Injuries limited him last year from having the breakout year that we all were waiting for but he found a way to make a difference regardless."

Takahiro Yamada:
Takahiro Yamada will round out the first segment of seniors on Dayton Baseball. The four-year Flyer started 11 games as a freshman while appearing 35 in 2017. He recorded his first career hit on Feb. 25 at USC Upstate and hit .203 on the season. He improved upon that hitting .291 in 47 games during his sophomore year, which ranked second on the team. He started 45 of those games and hit his first career home run on March 16 at Ball State. He finished the season with three home runs and 23 runs batted in. In 2019 he started 47 games and appeared in 50, hitting .263 on the season while also drawing 32 walks. He made three appearances in 2020 hitting .250 and going 1-2 against Morehead State.

Comments from Head Coach Jayson King:
"Taki showed great versatility for us as a starter at multiple positions and made major contributions to the program as we moved it all forward."