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The Golden Gopher baseball program has added two members to its signing class for the 2016 season. Terrin Vavra (Menomonie, Wis.) has signed a National Letter of Intent, and Riley Smith (Broke Arrow, Okla.) has signed an Acceptance of Admission. Both will be eligible to join the team in the fall of 2015.



Smith and Vavra join previous signees Eddie Estrada, Ben Humbert , Jordan Kozicky , Nick Lackney , Cole McDevitt , Ben Mezzenga and Jake Stevenson . Click here to read more about the rest of the signing class.



"Terrin and Riley are great additions to the 2015 recruiting class," head coach John Anderson said. "They are outstanding students and multi-tool players, and they will help fill our needs in the infield with the loss of four seniors. Terrin and Riley also have the versatility to play other positions on the diamond, which is a big plus.



"Their athleticism and their strong academic backgrounds made them a great match for our university and baseball program. Our coaching staff was also drawn to Terrin and Riley because of their strong desire to join our program and help us carry on the storied history and tradition of Gopher baseball."



Terrin Vavra (Menomonie, Wis./Menomonie) -- IF | 5-11 | B/T: L/R

Vavra is currently playing his fourth season of varsity baseball for Menomonie. He is the Mustangs' starting shortstop and one of their top pitchers. Vavra hit .397 as a sophomore and .405 as a junior. He batted .414 in 2012 as the first Menomonie freshman to start every varsity game in a season. He has earned Big Rivers Conference honors every year, and claimed All-District I second-team recognition in 2013 and honorable mention in 2014. Vavra's father, Joe, is currently the Minnesota Twins bench coach. Terrin's older brothers Tanner and Trey both played college baseball and are currently in the Twins' minor league system. Vavra is an A honor roll student who also played hockey for Menomonie.

Vavra: "I am extremely excited to join the Gophers' baseball program. The history, the level of competition, the athletic and academic opportunity here are unbeatable. On top of that it is very close to home which was also important to me and my family. The collection of all these things makes the University of Minnesota the best fit for me."



Riley Smith (Broken Arrow, Okla./Bishop Kelley) -- IF/C | 6-0 | B/T: R/R

Smith helped the Comets win their regional championship and finish as Oklahoma Class 6A state runners-up in 2014 after a 2013 quarterfinal appearance. He was named to the Tulsa World All-Metro Second Team as a second baseman after hitting .330 with a .454 on-base percentage and 13 stolen bases. In 2013 he batted .460 with a .556 OBP and 17 steals and was named Tulsa World All-Metro and Oklahoma All-State Honorable Mention. Through 25 games this year, Smith leads his team with a .385 average, .450 OBP, 21 steals and 31 runs. He has also played for the Burkburnett (Texas) Blacksox and been selected to play for Team Oklahoma in the 2013 USA Baseball Midwest Trials and the 2014 Sandlot Scout Team. Smith, a National Honor Society member, has a 4.23 GPA. His family has previous ties to Minnesota, as his sister, Kylie, and brother-in-law, Aaron Fortunato, were gymnasts for the Gophers. Smith's older brother, uncle, father and grandfather (1951 College World Series) were all catchers for Springfield College (Mass.).

Smith: "I have seen firsthand, through my sister, the value of a U of Minnesota education and am very excited to represent a baseball program with such a rich history and reputation."