Southeastern Louisiana University
FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
HAMMOND – Looking to capitailze on the momentum of its second consecutive 30-win season, the Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team added one of its most promising recruiting classes under head coach Jay Artigues when eight highly-touted recruits signed National Letters of Intent during the NCAA’s early signing period to join the Lions in 2010.
The eight-member class includes six Louisiana high schoolers, a Mississippi junior college product and a North Dakota native.
“I’m ecstatic about the class we’ve brought in,” Artigues said. “I want to give a lot of credit to (pitching coach/recruiting coordinator) Justin Hill and (assistant coach) Matt Riser for bringing in such high-caliber student athletes.”
Fulton, Miss. native Mat Cox joins the Lions from Meridian Community College where the 6-2, 210 right handed pitcher impressed the Lion coaching staff with his competitiveness and control of the strike zone. In addition, Cox proved to be equally capable in the class room, earning Phi Theta Kappa honors at MCC.
Hammond native Ryan Downing will stay in town for his college career. The St. Thomas Aquinas High School product hit .430 with four home runs in his junior season en route to first team all-state and district MVP honors.
Chad Fortenberry, a native of Pearl River, will head to Southeastern after concluding his senior season at Northshore High School. Fortenberry, whom the Lion coaching staff ranks among the top defensive catchers in the state, also proved to be an offensive force at Northshore, hitting .400 with 17 doubles, six home runs and 40 RBI as a junior.
South Terrebone High School shortstop Brock Hebert will also look to continue putting up stellar numbers when he arrives in Hammond next fall. The Bourg, La. native was a first-team all-distrtict selection last season after hitting .430 with 21 extra-base hits (12 doubles, eight triples, one home run) and impressed the Southeastern coaching staff with athleticism and toughness.
Lutcher High School southpaw Jordan Hymel comes to the Lions after earning first-team all-district honors as a junior. Hymel, a native of Gramercy, La., has built a reputation as a proven winner at Lutcher and will look to continue that success at Southeastern.
Stefan Lopez, a dual threat right handed pitcher/third baseman combo, could help the Lions on two fronts. The New Iberia native piled up huge numbers at New Iberia Senior High en route to earning all-state, first team all-district, District MVP and all-acadian team honors. As a junior, Lopez hit .478 with 12 Doubles and eight home runs at the plate, while totaling six wins with a 3.27 ERA to go along with 99 strikeouts in just 68.1 IP for an impressive 13.04 K/9.0 IP mark on the hill.
Tanner Lorenz, a Harvey, N.D. native whose father Gregg was the 1977 first-round amateur draft selection of the Cincinnati Reds, comes to Southeastern after leading Iowa Western Community College to a junior college world series appearance in 2008. Lorenz, a 6-7, 240 right handed pitcher gives the Lions another power presence on the mound.
Rounding out the early signing class for the Lions is Mandeville native Matt Pittari. The Fountainbleau High School southpaw earned all-district honors as a junior and impressed the Lion coaching staff with good command and a sharp slider.
“We were able to address a lot of specific needs,” Artigues said. “We added five pitchers, including some of the best high school arms in the state as well as some junior college arms who can push the rotation and compete for weekend spots, and we were able to bolster our infield as well.”
Southeastern Baseball 2008 Early Signing Period Recruiting Class
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Name: Mat Cox
Position: RHP
School: Meridian Community College
Hometown: Fulton, Miss.
Jay Artigues Says: “Mat comes from a strong juco program. He’s very competitive and can pitch in a big game. He has three pitches that he can throw for strikes at any time and has great command. He’s also a tremendous student and will be a great fit for our program.”
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Name: Ryan Downing
Position: SS
School: St. Thomas Aquinas High School
Hometown: Hammond, La.
Jay Artigues Says: “Ryan is a hard worker and is extremely knowledgeable about the game. He was coached by John Stephenson who was the head coach at Southeastern and was also a coach for the Chicago White Sox, so he’s learned a lot about the game in addition to putting up some very big numbers.”
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Name: Chad Fortenberry
Position: C
School: Northshore High School
Hometown: Pearl River, La.
Jay Artigues Says: “Chad is one of the top defensive catchers in the state. He receives, blocks, catches and throws the ball as well as anyone. He can swing the bat pretty well too. He can come in and compete for playing time right away.”
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Name: Brock Hebert
Position: SS
School: South Terrebone High School
Hometown: Bourg, La.
Jay Artigues Says: “This kid is extremely tough. Brock is a very hard-nosed ballplayer. He is a true shortstop who has tremendous actions and good leadership skills. He’s a kid who can step in and compete for time right away in the middle infield.”
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Name: Jordan Hymel
Position: LHP
School: Lutcher High School
Hometown: Gramercy, La.
Jay Artigues Says: “Jordan is a lefty who is used to winning. He consistently throws in the upper 80’s from the left side. He throws hard, he throws strikes and he’s extremely competitive. He’s the type of pitcher who can compete for time on the mound right away.”
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Name: Stefan Lopez
Position: RHP/3B
School: New Iberia Senior High School
Hometown: New Iberia, La.
Jay Artigues Says: “Stefan is one of the most talented players we’ve ever signed. He’s a dual threat guy. He swings the bat very well and throws hard. He’s put up big numbers on the mound. He’s also a good student and has a chance to be a very special player for our program.”
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Name: Tanner Lorenz
Position: RHP
School: Iowa Western Community College
Hometown: Harvey, N.D.
Jay Artigues Says: “Tanner pitched very well at a division one juco. He’s has that big 6-7, 240 pound body and a big powerful arm. His father played in the Reds’ organization so he has baseball in his blood. He’s extremely competitive and he can compete for time right away.”
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Name: Matt Pittari
Position: LHP
School: Fountainebleau High School
Hometown: Mandeville, La.
Jay Artigues Says: “Matt has shown great command. He has a tremendous slider and he pitches to both sides of the plate. He gives us another dependable left handed arm. His command is so good he can compete immediately for us.”
