Boston College finishes Fall World Series

The Boston College Eagles finished up fall practice with the Sonny Nictakis World Series. The Eagles played four games with the Gold team taking all four games. The star of the series was Freshman Matt Hamlet who picked up four hits in the series including two for homers in Game 3. Tony Sanchez also picked up two homers in the series with freshman Garrett Smith going 3-3 in Game 1 of the series. A full recap of the games and boxscores are available here.

Baseball America ranks Top 25 Recruiting Classes

Baseball America has released their annual rankings of the Top 25 Recruiting Classes. Click on the respective schools for a press release about the incoming class. Thanks to UCLA for posting the entire Top 25 in a press release.

Baseball America’s Recruiting Class Rankings

Rank School
1 San Diego
2 Louisiana State
3 Oregon State
4 North Carolina
5 Auburn
6 Notre Dame
7 UCLA
8 Cal State Fullerton
9 Texas
10 Arkansas
11 Missouri
12 Vanderbilt
13 Pepperdine
14 Mississippi
15 Clemson
16 Arizona State
17 Virginia
18 Texas A&M
19 Rice
20 Miami
21 Tennessee
22 Georgia Tech
23 Tulane
24 Georgia
25 UC Riverside

Highly touted recruits have Fla. State baseball ready to reload

The Florida State baseball team has always been one of the best teams in the nation under Mike Martin in regards to recruiting. To the surprise of nobody, Martin’s 2008 class is no different.

The Seminoles have the second-best recruiting class in the nation according to Collegiate Baseball and will welcome in 20 newcomers to the team that includes 11 pitchers, of which four are left-handed, four infielders, three outfielders and three catchers.

While 15 of the ‘Noles’ 20 recruits were playing high school ball last season, five players make their way over to Tallahassee by way of transfer. Headlining the transfer class are infielders Tony Delmonico and Stephen Halford. Expect both Delmonico and Halford to contribute immediately to the team with last season’s infielders Tony Thomas, Jr. and Mark Hallberg opting out of school early for the Major League Draft.

Delmonico comes to FSU from the University of Tennessee, where he was arguably the Volunteers’ best player last season. As a sophomore, Delmonico led the team in home runs (9), RBIs (49), walks (35) and runs scored (53). Adding a productive player like Delmonico should make the losses of Thomas and Hallberg much more bearable.

Halford, meanwhile, transfers in from UNC-Wilmington. Halford played every game for UNCW at the shortstop position last season as a freshman and was outstanding at the plate, hitting .352 and scoring 52 runs while setting a freshman school record with a 12-game hitting streak

For the full story go Here.

For the FSU Release go HERE

Newcomer previews

Teams have started fall practices over the last few weeks. We have put together a list of schools that have previewed their incoming classes.

UCLA
Notre Dame
FSU
Southeast Missouri State

JMU listed among top classes

FROM PRESS RELEASE
HARRISONBURG, Va., Sept. 25, 2007 – For the second straight season, James Madison University was included in Collegiate Baseball newspaper’s list of the top baseball recruiting classes in the nation for the 2008 season.

The newspaper ranked the top 40 classes and then listed 60 other top programs in the nation. It was the second straight season that the Dukes were the only Colonial Athletic Association team to appear in the listing.

With JMU in the midst of fall workouts, head coach Joe “Spanky” McFarland commented, “We feel really good about this class. There are some quality arms out there and we feel good about what this class will bring to the table. We had three hitters win freshman All-American awards last year. This year’s class was a little pitching heavy to try to match up some good arms with the good hitters we added last year.”

Altogether nine freshmen will join the mix in 2008, including six pitchers. The new arms include three right-handed pitchers and three lefties, which should add versatility to both the rotation and the bullpen. Several have displayed the arm strength in workouts to compete on the collegiate level with a few already displaying the power to top 90 miles per hour.

The right-handed pitchers include J.C. Menna (Tinton Falls, N.J./Red Bank Catholic), Kevin Munson (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring), and Turner Phelps (Roanoke, Va./Lord Botetourt). The southpaws consist of John Mincone (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills East), Alex Valadja (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Catholic), and James Weiner (Charlottesville, Va./St. Anne’s-Belfield). A seventh pitcher, redshirt freshman Trevor Knight (Charlottesville, Va./St. Anne’s-Belfield) was expected to be JMU’s closer a year ago before missing the season with an injury.

The Dukes have also added three infielders in David Herbek (Haymarket, Va./Battlefield), McKinnon Langston (Tallahassee, Fla./North Florida Christian), and Alex Oliver (Lebanon, N.J./North Hunterdon). In addition, Menna could also factor into the mix in the infield and Munson could see time behind the plate at catcher.

McFarland added, “Last year ended with Kurt Houck, Justin Wood, and Kyle Hoffman in the rotation. Those three have weekend experience, but several of these young guys will compete for those spots. All of the pitchers are pushing each other right now, which makes it fun. This group of freshmen is probably the best stable of arms as far as pure arm strength that we’ve had since the early 2000s when we had guys like Jared Doyle, Dan Meyer, Chris Cochran, Mike Trussell, and Adam Wynegar.”

The 2008 JMU squad will be young with 10 freshmen and 10 sophomores, including players who have redshirted. They will be joined by six juniors and just three seniors. The Dukes went 22-31 last year and finished in ninth place among 11 teams in the CAA with an 11-17 record.

As far as having the top class in the CAA for the second straight season, McFarland said, “Baseball goes in cycles at this level. I think that we’re reaping some benefits of winning the CAA regular season two years ago. I also think the idea that we’re getting a new stadium has added to the interest in our program as well. Coach [Jay] Sullenger heads up our recruiting and he has done a nice job.”

USF Baseball class ranked 43rd

FROM PRESS RELEASE
TAMPA, Fla. – Head Coach Lelo Prado and the University of South Florida baseball coaching staff were honored by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper on Tuesday with the 43rd-best baseball recruiting class in the country.

“This rank is a good start,” said Prado. “I think this recruiting class will lay the foundation for great teams in the future and I think it is going to be one of many great recruiting classes. We have picked up some great freshman and some good junior college kids. I am very pleased with the players we have brought in, and I feel very good about where the program is headed.”

Prado, along with assistants Lazer Collazo and Bryant Ward, added 28 newcomers to the 2008 USF squad, including 17 freshmen and 11 transfers.

“Lazer and Bryant did a great job with this recruiting class – they both worked their tails off,” said Prado. “They wanted their first spring recruiting class to be pretty high in the rankings. I thought we’d be ranked a little higher than that, but it is what happens during the season that really counts. We are working toward our ultimate goal, and that is to win conference championships, get to regionals and be a program that is there every year.”

The staff has recruited what looks to be one of the best-ever for USF, a lineup that includes four players selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, two NJCAA National Champions, a pair of players from the California State Championship Final Four team, an FCCAA State Champion, prospects ranked by Baseball America and a high school all-American.

“The key to us is making sure the young guys get the system fast and play at a high level early. If they do, then we are going to be fine,” said Prado. “I think these new guys are going to have great careers.”

The MLB draft included four incoming Bulls in left handed pitcher Stephen Hunt (Tampa, Fla./Jesuit HS), LHP Junior Carlin (Riverview, Fla./Riverview HS), right hander Derrick Stultz (Tampa, Fla./Wharton) and outfielder Brian Hobbs (Marietta, Fla./Chipola JC). Hunt was USF’s highest selection when he was taken by Oakland in the 17th round. The Red Sox picked Carlin in the 29th round, then selected Stultz in the 38th round. In 2006 Hobbs was selected by the Angels in the 41st round.

Hunt, who pitched in the Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif., is an honorable mention all-county player for JHS. The LHP and first baseman was the defensive player of the year for JHS and an all-county selection by the St. Pete Times.

Carlin was a 2007 Hillsborough County All-Star game participant and in 2006 led the Riverview team to the 6A District 8 championship game.

At 6-3, 220-pounds, Stultz was an honorable mention all-county player for Wharton High after transferring from Gaither High the previous season. He went 1-0 with a 5.25 ERA for the Cowboys last season, striking out 19 batters in 12 innings. Stultz also pitched in the Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif.

Although Hobbs was selected in the 41st round of the 2006 MLB Draft, he opted to return to Chipola Junior College in 2007 for his second season with the Indians. The squad won the NJCAA National Championship, with Hobbs batting .320 with four home runs and 21 RBIs. Hobbs had eight home runs the prior season. At 6-2, 230 pounds, he stole 10 bases with his 6.8 speed. Prior to Chipola, Hobbs was a two-time all-state player for Arundel High in Preston, Md.

Transfers

Catcher Trey Manz joined Brian Hobbs on the 2007 Chipola College NJCAA National Championship team. During the title season, Manz batted .315 with nine home runs and 50 RBI in 55 games. For his performance, he was named to the First Team Panhandle Conference Squad. The left handed hitter was an All-Bi-City player for Shaw High School in Columbus, Ga.

Junior middle infielder Jeremy Malmendier and junior first baseman Brandon Smith helped Sacramento City College to the Final Four of the California State Championships in 2007.

Batting .351, Malamendier earned second team all-conference honors while leading his team to a 19-5 record and a first-place finish in the BIG 7 Conference. Malmendier produced 52 hits, including 10 doubles and one triple while driving in 25 RBI. He posted a .432 slugging percentage and scored 36 runs as a sophomore at Sac City.

Smith helped Sac City to a 35-15 record by batting .299, driving in 25 RBI and collecting 70 total bases in 45 games. Smith had 53 hits, including nine doubles and four triples, while scoring 35 runs in his second season with the Final Four team.

Outfielder Chris Rey batted .403 with two home runs and 36 RBI last season, leading Miami Dade College to the FCCAA State Baseball Championships. A former Gulliver Prep standout, Rey earned first team all-state and all-conference honors while at Miami Dade. As a high school junior, he hit .349 and drove in 18 runs, earning second team All-Dade honors. He also played quarterback on the Gulliver football squad.

Outfielder Ryan Lockwood transferred to USF after taking a red shirt year while at the University of Florida last season. He earned second-team all-state honors as a senior at Jesuit, hitting seven home runs and 30 RBI. He has played in both the Cape Cod and Coastal Plain summer baseball leagues in the past. A four-year letterwinner at Jesuit, Lockwood helped the Tigers to the final four of the state tournament all four years of his prep career. The three-time all-county selection appeared on the Watch List for the Rawlings Defensive Player of the Year. In 2005 he represented the East team at the prestigious Baseball Express Cape Cod High School Classic in Wareham, Mass. While competing for the All-American Prospects, his squad claimed the 17-and-Under World Wood Bat Association (WWBA) Championships at East Cobb in Marietta, Ga. He also participated in the East Coast Professional Showcase.

Eric Baumann was a catcher and designated hitter for Duke during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Baumann, from Armwood High in Seffner, Fla., played in nearly 60 games with the Blue Devils in two seasons. As a freshman he saw action in 28 games, starting nine. He recorded a .510 slugging percentage overall and 1.154 percent in ACC games. He was a designated hitter his sophomore season, making 23 starts. Prior to Duke, Baumann was the runner-up in the Perfect Game World Wood Bat Championship in 2001 with Team Florida USA and won the USA Baseball Junior National Olympic National Championship the same year. In the summer of 2002, he led Team Florida USA in home runs.

Catcher Cory Johnson played in seven games for Liberty University (Va.) last season, recording a .375 batting average. A graduate of The King’s Academy, Johnson was a second-team all-area player twice and honorable mention as a sophomore.

Teddy Kaufman is a walk-on who was used as a situational reliever at Miami last season as he continued his recovery from Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow in fall 2004. Kaufman was a standout pitcher at Miami Killian, with a 1.25 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 73 innings as a junior before his injury. He missed his senior year at Killian and redshirted the 2006 season at Miami as he recovered from his injury. Kaufman helped lead Killian to the state championship game in 2004.

Right handed pitcher Andrew Salgueiro, a transfer from Louisville, made 16 appearances for the Cardinals last season, posting a 4.50 ERA with two wins. Salgueiro struck out 20 opponents in 18 innings for UofL, who played in the 2007 College World Series. In 2006 he made 14 appearances as a true freshman, seven of which were in conference play. While at Gulliver Prep in Miami, Salgueiro was honored as an all-Dade County and all-conference player. He played in the 2004 North/South all-star game and the Perfect Game National Tournament.

Catcher Ryan Garcia batted .349 at Brevard Community College in 2007, collecting 21 RBI from nine doubles and one home run his freshman season. In high school, Garcia batted .360 with six home runs his junior season and tallied 20 RBI while batting .357 as a senior. Garcia, who only played one season at Brevard, will have three years of eligibility with the Bulls.

Freshmen

A top 300 player from Chamberlain High School, Todd Brazeal is a third baseman and outfielder that should make an immediate impact for the Bulls. Ranked 112 by Baseball America, Brazeal was a three-time all-county selection and was selected to the All-Saladino tournament team as an infielder. As a freshman in 2004, Brazeal was selected to the “Tampa Tribune” All-Hillsborough County (second team) baseball squad.

Right handed pitcher Kevin Quackenbusch, who Baseball America touted as a nationally ranked prospect, was a 2006 Baseball Express Cape Cod All-American. A member of the All-American Prospects, Quackenbusch has attended the PG National Showcase, the Florida Diamond Club Showcase and the Tournament of Stars in Joplin, Mo., where USA Junior National Baseball Team tryouts were held. Quackenbusch, who was a 2007 all-state player for Jesuit HS, posted a 9-4 record and a 1.40 ERA with 1-2 strikeouts in 70 innings his senior season. The Hillsborough County All-Star pitched a no-hitter in both his junior and senior years.

Pitcher Zach Pietrzyk, FACA District 13 Class 5A Player of the Year, comes to USF from Bloomingdale High School in Valrico, Fla. Pietrzyk is an honorable mention Louisville Slugger High School All-American, as well as a first team All-Hillsborough County and first team All-Western Conference player. Pietrzyk was selected to the 2005 PG National Underclass Prospect team in 2005 and was on the top 10 prospect list for the 2005 PG Sunshine East Showcase. A member of the 2005 19-and-under national AAU championship team (Brandon Blaze), Pietrzyk pitched for the Central Florida Renegades during the summer of 2006.

Infielder John Koscso batted .525 with five home runs and 41 RBI his senior year for Jesuit High School in Tampa. The Class 4A, District 13 player of the year, Koscso was a first team honoree for the all-state, All-Sun Coast and All-Hillsborough County teams. He played for the 17U All-American Prospects, who won the Perfect Game World Wood Bat Association National Championship in East Cobb, Ga.

Kyle Eastham, a freshman pitcher/outfielder from Riverview High in Florida, posted a 7-4 record for the Sharks in 2007, earning all-conference accolades. He held a 2.15 ERA in 52 innings while striking out 75 opponents. At the plate, Eastham batted .441 with 30 hits and 20 RBI, including nine doubles, one triple and three home runs, for a .735 slugging percentage. He attempted and stole three bases his senior season.

Michael Anzivino is a right handed pitcher from Gulliver Prep in Miami, Fla. Anzivino played for the Florida Legends Baseball Club in 2007, where he was 1-1 with two saves and one complete game.

Freshman Randy Fontanez joins the Bulls from Oviedo High School, where he was a second team all-conference pitcher and a first team all-county shortstop. Fontanez recorded a 1.11 ERA with 81 strikeouts in 75.2 innings his senior season. Fontanez also played for the Florida Legends Baseball Club in 2007, making five appearances and picked up one victory in 8.2 innings.

Middle infielder Tommy Bates joins the Bulls from Westminster Academy in Ft. Lauderdale. A varsity team captain, Bates batted .350 with one home run, stole 25 bases and posted a .989 fielding percentage his senior season.

Ian MacGeorge and Doug Wagner are fresh off their 2007 FHSAA 4A State Championship season with Bishop Moore High School. MacGeorge is a 6-foot 4-inch outfielder from Altamonte Springs, Fla., and Wagner is a 6-foot 1-inch right handed pitcher from Maitland, Fla.

Michael Franzese pitched for Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Calif., before heading to Tampa for his freshman season with the Bulls. The right hander was 9-1 with three saves his senior season and as a junior recorded five saves and an 8-2 record.

Prior to USF, freshman Josh Slawson was a left handed pitcher for Miami Killian High School.

A local product from Sickles High School in Tampa, freshman Andrew Longley will add depth to the Bulls’ catchers. Longley, his team’s captain, earned the SHS Golden Glove award in 2007 by fielding .992. He also recorded a .320 batting average as a senior.

Jordan McGillis is one of six newcomers not from the state of Florida. The infielder from Evansville, Ind., batted .393 and posted an on base percentage of .609 his senior season at Memorial High School.

The Bulls officially start the fall season at Red McEwen Field on Monday, Oct. 8.

2007 HS All-American Team

The College Baseball Blog recently came across the 2007 National High School Baseball Coaches Association All-American teams. The two teams are filled by tons of 2007 draft picks but two names stick out in Ben Klafczynski and Matt Harvey. Ben Klafczynski did not sign a pro contract out of high school and opted to attend Kent State University to play under Scott Stricklin. He is expected to make an immediate impact with the Flashers and should compete for Conference Rookie of the Year. Harvey will be attend the University of North Carolina in the fall after being drafted in the third round but could not come to terms with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He is expected to compete for a starting spot in the weekend rotation in 2008. The full list of All-Americans is available here.

LSU Takes 2008 CB Recruiting Title

Coach Paul Mainieri and Recruiting Coordinator Terry Rooney took home the title of #1 Recruiting Class of 2008. The Collegiate Baseball title was unsurprising as Coach M (in his first year at Baton Rouge after a successful stint in South Bend) and Coach Rooney had assembled a massive class including 12 Freshman and 7 JuCos, including several All-Americans.

The future is certainly looking bright for LSU, which is seeking to restore its position as one of the top programs in the country.

This was the 25th ranking of recruiting classes by Collegiate Baseball. The full release can be found here.

The list of top classes goes as follows:

Rank Team Recruits

1. Louisiana St. 19

2. Florida St. 20

3. Oregon St. 16

4. Notre Dame 14

5. UCLA 11

6. Cal. St. Fullerton 16

7. North Carolina 12

8. Arizona St. 17

9. San Diego 18

10. Texas 17

11. Washington 16

12. Auburn 14

13. Virginia 16

14. Oklahoma St. 18

15. Vanderbilt 13

16. Georgia 14

17. Rice 12

18. South Carolina 13

19. Missouri 16

20. Miami, Fla. 8

21. Clemson 10

22. Stanford 13

23. Georgia Tech. 11

24. Arizona 9

25. Mississippi 17

2008 Recruiting Classes finalized

The MLB Draft deadline was last week so many NCAA teams are releasing their recruits for the 2008 season. We have compiled a list below of press releases from Monday.

Arizona State
Oklahoma
Richmond
Mercyhurst
Texas A&M (Thanks to Aggiebaseball.net)

Texas brings in 16 for 2008

This is the list and below I added some info on some of them.
Name, Pos.; Hometown (School)
Brandon Belt, LHP/OF; Lufkin, Texas (San Jacinto College)
Bobby Buckner, 2B/SS; Boise, Idaho (Boise)
Garrett Clyde, RHP/IF; Humble, Texas (San Jacinto College)
Runey Davis, OF; Georgetown, Texas (Georgetown)
Kawika Emsley-Pai, C; Bothell, Wash. (Jackson)
Cole Green, RHP; Coppell, Texas (Coppell)
Kevin Keyes, OF; Pflugerville, Texas (Connally)
Lee Johnson, LHP; Round Rock, Texas (Round Rock)
Connor Rowe, OF; Georgetown, Texas (Georgetown)
Chance Ruffin, RHP; Austin, Texas (Lake Travis)
Cameron Rupp, C; Plano, Texas (Prestonwood Christian)
Tant Shepherd, 3B/OF; Flower Mound, Texas (Flower Mound)
Marcus Tackett, RHP/IF; Tulsa, Okla. (Oral Roberts University)
Stayton Thomas, RHP; Corsicana, Texas (Corsicana)
Casey Whitmer, RHP; Kilgore, Texas (Florida State University)
Brandon Workman, RHP; Bowie, Texas (Bowie)

Runey Davis (OF, 6-0, 178)

-Ranked No. 11 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
-Clocked at 6.67 in the 60 at the Texas Rangers Area Code Games tryout.

Cole Green (RHP, 6-1, 195)

-Ranked No. 1 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
-Second-team THSCA Class 5A All-State selection as a pitcher in 2006
-Selected District 6-5A Most Valuable Player in 2006.

Kevin Keyes (OF, 6-3, 205)

-Ranked No. 7 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
-Selected second-team Class 4A All-State
-Texas Rangers Area Code Team member each of the last two years
-Played in 2006 AFLAC All-American Game.

Connor Rowe (OF, 6-0, 170)

-All-District 15-5A selection as an outfielder in 2006
-All-Centex honorable mention as a junior.

Chance Ruffin (RHP, 6-1, 175)

-Went 5-3 with four complete games, one save, 84 strikeouts and a 1.27 ERA in 49.2 innings in district play in 2006
-Earned second-team all-district and Lake Travis HS Big Play Award as a junior
-Garnered all-district honorable mention and LTHS Big Play Award as a sophomore

Tant Shepherd (3B/OF, 6-0, 195)

-Ranked No. 16 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
-Class 5A All-State honorable mention as a third baseman in 2006
-First-team All-District 8-5A choice as an infielder in 2006
-Hit .454 with 11 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 28 RBI and 22 stolen bases as a junior
-Texas Rangers Area Code Team member in 2006
-Won 2006 AABC-Mickey Mantle World Series title as a member of the Dallas Tigers
-Hit .437 with 14 doubles, four triples, seven home runs, 47 RBI and 18 stolen bases for the Dallas Tigers in 2006.

Stayton Thomas (RHP, 6-0, 165)

-Ranked No. 18 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
-First-team All-District 14-4A selection as a pitcher in 2006
-Class 4A All-State honorable mention in 2006.

Brandon Workman (RHP, 6-4, 215)

-Ranked No. 24 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
-Named a Louisville Slugger All-America honorable mention as a pitcher in 2006
-A Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association first-team Class 3A All-State choice as a pitcher in 2006
-Second-team Class 3A All-State selection as a designated hitter in 2006
-Tabbed District 6-3A Most Valuable Player as a junior
-Logged an 8-1 record with a 0.94 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 67.1 innings as a junior
-Selected as a first-team District 6-3A pitcher in 2005
-Named a Class 3A All-State honorable mention by the Texas Sports Writers Association
-Posted a 9-4 record with a 1.39 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 80.2 innings as a sophomore.

Bobby Buckner (2B/SS, 6-1, 175)

-Son of former major leaguer Bill Buckner
-Selected to play in 2006 Mariners Cup
-Washington Nationals Northwest Area Code Team participant in 2006
-Rated the No. 3 Class of 2007 prospect at Perfect Game USA Sunshine West Showcase

Cameron Rupp, Prestonwood. Sr., C

-Rupp hit .654 with five home runs and 53 RBIs for Prestonwood, which finished the regular season undefeated but lost to Dallas Christian in the TAPPS 5A state championship.
-Rupp won the home run derby at the High School All-American Baseball Game in Albuquerque, N.M., this month. Rupp then doubled and had an RBI batting cleanup in the West’s 12-1 win.

Lee Johnson, pitcher, Round Rock

-Johnson, a 6-foot-6 right-hander who has signed with Texas, saw only marginal action last year as a spot hitter as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. But opponents saw for the first time this season what he can do on a mound: throw a 93-mph fastball.

-Johnson starred this year as the Dragons’ closer — went 2-1, notching five saves, posting a 0.32 ERA and striking out 32 in 212/3 innings. He allowed just one earned run during the regular season.