Dan Spencer (Courtesy of Texas Tech Media Relations)
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech Athletics and first-year head baseball coach Dan Spencer are pleased to announce the 2009-10 signing class that features three junior college and six high school players that will become Red Raiders in the fall of 2009.
The signing class is the first for Spencer as he took over the program this past summer and will coach his first game as Tech’s new skipper this spring. Assistant coaches Trent Petrie and Ed Gustafson served as Tech’s lead recruiters to assemble a group that consists of six players from Texas, one from Oklahoma, one from Washington and one from Canada.
“We are very excited about this group and what they will bring to the table,” said Head Coach Dan Spencer. “We addressed areas where we needed a lot of help especially with left-handed arms and young infielders.”
The following is a breakdown of the 2009-10 signing class:
James Altobelli, Catcher, Plano, Texas
Senior at Plano Senior High School in Plano…earned all-district honors as a sophomore and junior…hit .380 last season with five home runs, eight doubles and one triple….played with the Frozen Ropes and Dallas Tigers summer league teams.
Barrett Barnes, INF, Sugar Land, Texas
Senior at Fort Bend Austin High School in Sugar Land…owns a .390 average along with 30 hits, 14 home runs, seven doubles, two triples and 12 stolen bases…played with the Houston Heat summer league team.
Zach Fowler, LHP, Texarkana, Texas
Sophomore at Texarkana Community College in Texarkana…a 2007 graduate of Liberty-Eylau High School where he was the MVP of the 2006 State Tournament and an All-State selection as a junior and senior…last season at TCC, he compiled a 5-4 record and hit .350 at the plate with 12 stolen bases…played with the Dallas D-Bats and American Legion Indians summer league teams.
Stephen Hagen, INF/OF, Lakebay, Washington
Redshirt freshman at Eastern Oklahoma State College…originally signed with Oregon State out of high school and redshirted last season with the Beavers…was the No. 5 high school player in the state of Washington in 2007 and was ranked No. 265 in Baseball America’s top 300 high school players nationwide that same year…was drafted in the 50th round of the MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics but did not sign…had a whopping .565 average as a senior along with 12 home runs and 18 doubles.
Jay Johnson, LHP, Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada
Sophomore at Prairie Baseball Academy in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada…played high school baseball at Vauxhall Baseball Academy in Vauxhall, Alberta, Canada…as a high school senior he went 4-2 with a 2.57 ERA over 36 innings of work.
Charlie Martin, INF, Rockwall, Texas
Senior at Rockwall Heath High School in Rockwall…second team all-district pick as a sophomore and first team all-district as a junior….hit .378 last season with 37 hits, 12 doubles and four triples…stole 18 bases and drew 13 walks…played with the Dallas Tigers summer league team.
Jamodrick McGruder, INF, Mesquite, Texas
A senior at First Baptist Academy…an All-State selection, newcomer of the year and first-team all district pick…has tremendous speed as he owns 44 stolen bases…played with the Dallas Panthers summer team.
Nick Popescu, UTL, Flower Mound, Texas
Sophomore at Howard Junior College in Big Spring…in high school he was a three-time all district selection, two-time all area and an All-State honorable mention pick in 2007.
Dalton von Schamann, INF/RHP, Edmond, Okla.
Senior at Santa Fe High School in Edmond, Okla…infielder and pitcher who earned All-City honors as a pitcher in 2007 and All-City honors as a third baseman in 2008….434 batting average along with 69 hits, eight home runs, 17 doubles…on the mound he owns a 2.38 ERA along with a 10-1 record…played with the Santa Fe Legion and Elk City Travelers summer league teams.
