Rogers State University Athletics

About: Banks returns to the Hill for his senior season after making four starts and pitching 21.1 innings as a junior in 2015. The Verdigris, Oklahoma product finished with a 1-2 record, as his win came in his first-career start, throwing four scoreless innings allowing only two hits with five strikeouts against Hillsdale Free Will Baptist. He took a redshirt in his first season at RSU in 2014. He joined the Hillcats after spending two seasons at Connors State College playing for Head Coach Perry Keith. Banks helped the Cowboys to a Region 2 championship in 2013, but underwent "Tommy John" surgery and took a medical hardship redshirt. He pitched more than 30 innings as a freshman in 2012 posting a 2-2 record while also hitting .290. He earned Academic All-America honors in 2013. The 2011 graduate of Verdigris High School tallied a .490 batting average during his senior season propelling the Cardinals to a state championship. He also recorded a 10-1 record on the mound with one save and a 1.53 earned run average in nearly 70 innings of work. Banks earned Most Valuable Pitcher honors from the conference and his play in the infield garnered large all-state and all-metro first-team accolades. The son of Steve and Marie Banks, he said he chose RSU "to come back home to play and be around teammates I grew up with."