FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
Head coach Craig Cozart has announced the signing of the largest recruiting class in High Point baseball history, inking 15 student-athletes during the NCAA early signing period to join the High Point baseball program next fall. The Panthers signed players from a variety of states led by Florida with four, followed up by North Carolina and New York with three apiece.
“We are very excited with the development of our first ever recruiting class here at High Point University,” said head coach Craig Cozart. “An incredible amount of work in a short period of time was done to make this class a reality. The credit has to go to our recruiting coordinator Coach Peters with the assistance of Coach Wallace. Their aggressive approach with this class combined with the academic and athletic momentum here on campus allowed us to sign the highest level of student-athlete. The talent of this class will gel nicely with the players we have returning next year and allow us to continue to take steps toward building a nationally competitive program. We welcome these quality student athletes to the High Point family and anticipate great things from them in the future.”
Following up on what Cozart said was recruiting coordinator Bryan Peters who was happy that so many quality players decided to further their academic and playing careers at High Point. “This is a very important recruiting class for a few reasons. Number one, it is our first recruiting class, so it is something we wanted to set the standard for the new perception and expectations that we have for this program. Secondly, we have twelve seniors on this year’s team so we have a lot of gaps that needed to be filled for next year. That also gave us a lot of room to bring in this many new guys. We feel we set the tone for years to come with the quality and depth of this year’s class.”
Below is a list of the 15 commitments the Panthers have received followed by the thoughts of Peters.
Jared Avidon – RHP – Indian Hills High School – Oakland, N.J. – 6’2, 190 lbs.
“He comes in and gives us a legitimate arm right away. He has a chance to compete for a lot of innings including a starting rotation spot during the weekend. He is not one of your stock right-handers; his velocity is high and has an assortment of pitches including good off-speed pitches. With a little more of experience and work in the fall, he will have the opportunity to be an impact arm for us. With his credibility and name out in the recruiting ranks, he is one of the marquee players in this year’s class for us.”
• 8th ranked prospect in New Jersey by Perfect Game Cross checker
• Group 3 draft pick which projects him to be drafted in the 11th – 25th range
• Ranked 214th nationally
Matt Coutcher – LHP – Trinity Christian High School – Warwick, R.I. – 6’4′ 190 lbs.
“A big left-hander who gets up in the upper-80’s with no doubt 90+ mph potential with his frame and physically develops more. He possesses an above average changeup that can win in any league right now. His breaking ball has made tremendous strides recently and we know once he gets on campus it will only get better. We have a top notch left handy pitcher who has been at all the most prestigious recruiting events so he is another player recognized on the national recruiting circuit. He will come in and establish himself as a really strong presence in our pitching rotation.”
• Ranked 145th prospect in Florida by Perfect Game Cross Checker
• Group 4 draft pick, which projects him to be drafted in the 25th round and up
• Ranked 1,050th nationally
Anthony Frisina – Catcher – Rutherford High School – Rutherford, N.J. – 5’9′ 165 lbs.
“He is your baseball rat who is a little limited in stature but makes up for that with his tenacity, determination, energy and enthusiasm. He is the kind of kid you need on your team to set the tone in terms of toughness and its attitude; a really strong offensive catcher, who performs well in the clutch and is determined to win. These are the qualities we want to foster in our players and he will step on campus and bring all of that right away.”
Scott Glover – Catcher – Charlotte Christian High School – Monroe, N.C. – 6’2′ 205 lbs.
“He probably is the best pure hitter in our class, just flat out hits. When he swings, he hits it, he doesn’t chase bad pitches or swing and miss; he uses the whole field, hits fastballs and hits off-speed pitches. He is a good pure hitter and you add that he is left-handed and you have a nice commodity. As a catcher, he is really good receiving, blocking, calling the game and intelligent. He possesses good baseball aptitude and we feel he is going to be an asset to us in a lot of ways, but he comes to us as a pure hitter.”
• Ranked 41st prospect in North Carolina by Perfect Game Cross Checker
• Group 4 draft pick, which projects him to be drafted in the 25th round and up
• Ranked 991st nationally
Ertugral “T” Gonen – OF – Cocoa High School – Cocoa, Fla. – 6’4′ 190 lbs.
“He slipped under the radar, not a lot of people know about him. He is a tremendous presence on the team and the lineup just based on his stature. He has all the tools; he can run, has arm strength, going to bring bat speed and power. We basically have all of the tools, a lot of ability, big physical presence. He can play all three outfield positions which is a great asset after losing some of our impact players from this year’s team, we are very confident he can step in and fill one of those roles. When you put all of his tools together, you really have a dynamite player, very draftable, his future in pro ball is eminent and we feel he is going to be a big impact on our team and our future.”
Mike Gragillia – OF/1B – North Mecklenburg High School – Cornelius, N.C. – 6’5′ 205
“Another guy who has been quiet in terms of the recruiting buzz, but as soon as you lay eyes on him, he demands respect. He obviously will hit for power and be in the middle of the lineup. He is an intelligent hitter to go with a powerful, good left-handed stroke that is a good combination. He has arm strength and will be a corner outfielder. We are excited not only about watching him take batting practice, but the changes the opposition will make in their philosophy when he comes to the plate.
Zach Hale – RHP – Lake Mary High School – Longwood, Fla. – 6’4′ 185 lbs.
“The epitome of a pitcher. He will probably be the easiest pitcher any of our catchers will ever catch. He doesn’t miss a spot with any of his pitches. He can throw all three for strikes and at any time in the count. He is polished, poised and projectable. He can have success at this level because he can throw any pitch at anytime. He will be able to locate and as his stuff improves, his level of success will only increase, but he can win as is right away. You could close your eyes and catch him when you are in the bullpen.”
Brian Johnson – RHP/OF/3B – Edgewater High School – Orlando, Fla. – 6’0′ 195 lbs.
“He is a legitimate two-way player. He is going to have a chance to compete as a corner outfield or third base with his bat. He has a thick trunk, a strong kid who has gap to gap power with potential to develop into a power threat. He has a good approach at the plate. As a pitcher, same trunk strength, thick legs, strong lower half is really going to help him on the mound. Can develop into a real power pitcher in the upper-80’s. Has a consistent average college slider that is only going to get better. Both myself and Coach Cozart are both excited to work with him. When you have a kid like this who is as physically strong as he is, you only know as he gets more polished, there is so much projection there it is exciting to get to work with him. It is not often you have a chance to get an immediate impact player as both a position player and pitcher and Brian certainly is one of those kids.
• Ranked 121st prospect in Florida by Perfect Game Cross Checkers
• Group 4 draft pick, which projects him to be drafted in the 25th round and up
• Ranked 784th nationally
Michael Mercurio – SS – Kennedy Catholic High School – Brewster, N.Y. – 6’0′ 165 lbs.
“The best way to describe him is just a solid baseball player. He just can play the game. He knows how to play defense, how to hit, how to run the bases, how to play the game according to the game and probably his best asset and we are most excited about is that he knows how to win and he demands nothing less. He comes to the park everyday with his best and to beat you. Again they are all characteristics and qualities in players that we need here, that we desire here and that we will try to foster here ourselves. He has baseball in his blood; his dad has been a player, coach and scout and he has an older brother who is a division I player currently. He will bring the winning attitude and being clutch when needed.”
• Ranked 13th prospect in New York by Perfect Game Cross Checkers
• Group 3 draft pick which projects him to be drafted in the 11th – 25th range
• Ranked 615th nationally
Steven Roche – RHP – Iona Prep High School – Yonkers, N.Y. – 6’2′ 190 lbs.
“He is the physical, dominating type of pitcher that we needed to top off this class. He comes in here with the best projectable velocity, already in the low 90’s consistently. Has a quick arm, dynamic, has a great presence. His slider has improved and will be a legitimate pitch in college. His best days are still ahead of him and the ceiling is unlimited. We can’t wait to see the things that Coach Cozart can do with him. He is going to have top-end stuff with a bulldog mentality which is a phenomenal recipe for success.”
• Ranked 5th prospect in New York by Perfect Game Cross Checkers
• Group 3 draft pick which projects him to be drafted in the 11th – 25th range
• Ranked 222th nationally
Jaime Schultz – RHP/OF – Maple Hill High School – Castleton, N.Y. – 5’11’ 175 lbs.
“He basically is the super athlete. He was a three-sport star in high school and will be a legitimate two-way player for us. He will play in the outfield and have one of the best arms for us. He can run, very, very athletic, can play all three outfield positions and a good enough of an athlete to project as a good hitter on our level. On the mound, he isn’t the biggest, but he has the fierceness, competitiveness and the stuff. He will reach the low-90’s now, his breaking ball is good right now with the chance to get better. He can field his position and hold runners. He is going to be a real good college player both as a position player and pitcher.
• Ranked 6th prospect in New York by Perfect Game Cross Checkers
• Group 3 draft pick which projects him to be drafted in the 11th – 25th range
• Ranked 333th nationally
Steven Schils – RHP – Cocoa High School – Cocoa, Fla. – 6’2′ 190 lbs.
“What you have with Steve is a pitcher. He can pitch with great baseball aptitude. He has arm strength and velocity with at times a devastating slider and a playable change-up, so that gives him three good pitches. Between the ears, he has what it takes to be extremely successful here. We expect him to be a rotation guy, a weekend starter.
• Ranked 74th prospect in Florida by Perfect Game Cross Checkers
• Group 3 draft pick which projects him to be drafted in the 11th – 25th range
• Ranked 431st nationally
Zach Tessier – C/3B – Bishop O’Connell High School – Sterling, Va. – 5’11’ 185 lbs.
“Tessier is an enigma. When you first see him, he doesn’t strike you as a phenomenal baseball player. It takes more than one time to go see him play, but the more you go see him play, you realize that the guy can play. He can play defensively both at third and behind the plate. He can hit and will be anywhere from a three-hole to seven-hole hitter. He has gap power with plate discipline and coverage. The most surprising thing with him is how easy he plays defense. What we are projecting is that he can go behind the plate and make it look easy. He can receive, throw and throws accurately, block while virtually being young behind the plate. Most of his time has been at third base so we are excited about his chance to work with Coach Wallace. His abilities will only improve and has a good chance to be an impact player behind the dish for us. We are excited he slipped enough under the radar that we were able to add him to our class.”
Wes Torrez – RHP – Naperville High School – Naperville, IL. – 6’4′ 180 lbs.
“He is an embryo. He is graduating young and is young when it comes to pitching. His physical maturity is still young although that is hard to say when a pitcher is 6’4′ already but he has so much room to grow and improve. The things about him now are that his best days are ahead of him, he doesn’t have a lot of wear and tear on his arm and body; he has unbelievable pitching intelligence and aptitude. I believe that comes from his dad who has had a long and extensive pro career. He is going to be phenomenal to work with. The strides and improvements he makes are unlimited and he is the type of kid that you know will leave so much better than when he came. That is only because he has that type of mentality and will work to improve. He has unlimited potential.”
Kyle Wigmore – SS – Sanderson High School – Raleigh, N.C. – 6’0′ 170 lbs.
“We were surprised he was still available. He did not get a lot of exposure under the prestigious summer teams and we were glad he was still around when we got to see him. He can play second, short and third. He is going to step in as a freshman and not get beat with anything. Velocity can’t beat him, strength can’t beat him, is durable enough to handle the long season because he is physical. He has bat speed, strength, good hands, good feet, arm strength. He will be a dream to work with in terms of his development and that being said, he can come in and be an impact player which is good.
“The pride we have in this class at this point is only matched by the pride the kids have in High Point University and the enthusiasm is only making us more excited as a whole coaching staff stated Coach Peters. People are talking about HPU around the country with the student-athletes we have been able to land who love talking about selecting High Point as their school of the future. The future is here for us now.”
This year’s version of the baseball team concludes its fall season this upcoming weekend with the Black and Purple World Series. Game 1 is set for Saturday, November 22 at 12:00 p.m. Game 2 will take place on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. and the finale will be played on Monday at 6:00 p.m. The games are open to the public and are free of charge. For fans unable to attend, live stats will be available so you can follow your favorite Panthers. The 2009 season gets underway for HPU on February 20, when they host Dayton in the first regular season game under first-year head coach Craig Cozart.
