BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Baseball has announced the addition of infielder Davis Sims
to the roster. A graduate transfer from Murray State, Sims earned a bachelor’s
degree in finance. He will be immediately eligible for the 2019 season as a redshirt
junior while he pursues a Master’s in Business Administration.
“We want to welcome Davis Sims and his family to Western Kentucky University and
Hilltopper Baseball. With the tremendous amount of success he has had over the past
few years both on the field and in the classroom, we are excited to have Davis join
us on the Hill,” WKU head coach John Pawlowski said. “Playing in the Cape Cod league this past summer,
Davis showed presence and poise against some great competition. This will certainly help him as
an impact player for us as we begin preparations for the 2019 season in a tough
C-USA field.”
In two seasons on the diamond with the Racers, Sims started 112 games and slashed
.333/.403/.552, with 150 hits in 451 at-bats. He racked up 46 doubles, 17 homeruns,
91 runs scored and 102 RBI, with 36 walks and 23 times hit by pitch compared to only
62 strikeouts.
Playing in Cape Cod this past summer with the Falmouth Commodores, Sims slashed
.252/.349/.449 and tied for the league lead with eight home runs. He also hit five doubles,
scored 18 runs and had 27 RBI in 41 games.
Collegiate Baseball Daily listed Sims as No. 95 in the publications Top 100 Countdown
of Division I players leading into the 2019 baseball season.
“When I decided I was going to transfer, I had several options I was considering,
but WKU just felt like it was the right fit for me,” Sims said. “Coach Pawlowski came to see me
on the Cape this summer and shared his vision on how I would fit into the program,
and I’m very appreciative of the opportunity that he has given me. Coach [Rob]
Reinstetle has been extremely helpful in making my transition to The Hill a smooth
one, and all the guys have made me feel welcome.”
As a redshirt sophomore in 2018, Sims improved his production to a .357/.434/.573
slash line and earned Second Team All-OVC honors. His 29 doubles (second in Division
I), 81 hits (70th), 130 total bases (94th) and .357 batting average (79th) lit up
the national statistic rankings. He also scored 50 runs, had 52 RBI and hit six
homeruns, with 22 multi-hit and 13 multi-RBI performances.
Sims burst onto the scene in 2017 after redshirting his first year at Murray State,
earning Ohio Valley Conference Rookie of the Year honors, as well as three Freshman
All-American nods (NCBWA, Collegiate Baseball News and Perfect Game/Rawlings).
As a redshirt freshman, Sims slashed .308/.372/.531 with 11 homeruns and a team-high
17 doubles with 41 runs scored and 50 RBI. Overall, he had 17 multi-hit and 11
multi-RBI games, while in OVC play he hit eight homeruns with 35 RBI.
The Paducah native signed with the Racers out of St. Mary High School, where he
earned the U.S. Army National Scholar-Athlete and KHSAA All-State Academic Awards.
With a .426/.528/.750 slash line for the Vikings, Sims was selected to the 2015
All-District Team.
