Buckeye signs with Baseball Lions

T.J. McIntosh is eleventh player to sign

Quick-draw catcher brings strong arm to SAGU

WAXAHACHIE, Texas -- Southwestern Assemblies of God University has announced that TJ (Timothy Joseph) McIntosh has signed his binding national letter of intent to become a student-athlete this school year.

Jonathan Shockley, the head coach of the Lions baseball team, was able to steer the standout high school catcher away from Briar Cliff University. He had been offered a scholarship to play for the Sioux City, Iowa based NAIA college.

McIntosh graduated from San Antonio’s Byron P. Steele High School, which is located in Cibolo, Texas. He was a three-year letterman for the Knights under veteran head coach David Smith.

At 6’0, 160 pounds, McIntosh earned All-District 25 as a catcher during his senior season. The Class 5A Knights went 15-17 that year. He is one of five players from the team who are now playing college baseball.

Known for his defensive prowess behind the plate, the right-hander threw out 57% of those attempting to steal a base against Steele.

In fact, his “pop time” (the length of time between the ball hitting his mitt and his throw popping the shortstop’s glove at second) was consistently timed at 1.9 seconds.

“TJ has the makings of a solid catcher,” pointed out Coach Shockley. “He’s smart and plays well when the pressure is on.”

“He is a good student (3.7 GPA),” he continued, “and he has a strong upbringing with the Assemblies of God as well.”

Born in Dayton, Ohio, the “Gem City,” SAGU may have signed their future catcher if he develops into a gem as expected, according to Shockley. While he caught in 30 of their 32 games, TJ can also play the outfield where his accurate arm is a weapon.

McIntosh, who bats left-handed, sported a .306 batting average in his final year for the Knights. In the line-up he primarily hit #3, ripping eleven extra-base hits and driving in 16 runs. His line-drive style includes a penchant for drives in the gap.

Of his highlights was hitting .400 during district play.

McIntosh was in the Valley View Independent School District (Germantown, Ohio – near Dayton) his entire life prior to his family moving to San Antonio. “I’m a huge Buckeye” fan, proclaims T.J.

His parents are Tim and Margaret. He has an older sister, Brandi, and a younger brother, Doug.

As for his studies at SAGU, he plans to major in Secondary Education with an emphasis in History.

“I loved the small college feel and atmosphere of SAGU,” McIntosh explained. “I have heard nothing but good things about Southwestern.”

“I learned about SAGU from a few people at my church who are alumni. So I began looking into their baseball program.”

“Being a Christian school was a big factor in coming here,” he added. “Plus, it seems Coach Shockley has the baseball program moving in the right direction. I hope I can contribute to help keep it going.”

About SAGU baseball

SAGU is a Division I member in both the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA).

This year, 44 players from 28 NAIA schools were drafted by 24 of Major League Baseball’s 30 teams.

The Lions compete in the Red River Athletic Conference, which has 15 NAIA adherents. The league has long been associated for outstanding hitting and solid baseball programs.

The #1 ranked in the nation this year, LSU-Shreveport (54-6 record), hails from the RRAC.

SAGU will begin playing their home games on their new campus field this year.

They open an 8-week fall camp on September 24, which will include an Alumni Game and a weeklong World Series of intra-squad games.

The regular season commences in late January. The team will play a 30-game itinerary, which is posted on-line. The top six teams qualify for the RRAC post-season tournament.

McIntosh is the eleventh player to commit to the Lions, a team that graduated nine seniors in the spring. Coach Shockley hopes to sign more student-athletes this month.

Contact: Mark “Link” Warde, SAGU Sports Information Director, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at 469-658-2847.