FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
Courtesy of USF Media Relations
TAMPA, Fla.–University of South Florida head baseball coach Lelo Prado has announced the signing of six high school recruits to National Letters of Intent for the 2009-10 academic year.
The class of 2009-10 includes: Chase Greene, INF, West Boca Raton High, Boca Raton, Fla.; Chad Taylor, SS/P, Jefferson High, Tampa, Fla.; Jimmy Falla, OF/1B, Jesuit High, Odessa, Fla.; Nick Lockwood, SS, Jesuit High, Tampa, Fla.; Ray Delphey, OF/P, Alonso High, Tampa, Fla.; Austin Adams, P, Zephyrhills High, Zephyrhills, Fla.
“I think every one of these guys could help us get to where we want to go, and that’s to win a BIG EAST Championship and get to Omaha,” said Prado. “Every one of them is very talented. Hopefully we can get them here on campus first, and then once they’re here, hopefully they can become the players we think they can become.”
Four of the players hail from Tampa, including two from Jesuit, and one each from Jefferson High and Alonso High. The current USF roster has four players from Jesuit, two from King High and one from Sickles, Wharton, Chamberlain and Tampa Catholic, as well as seven other players from the Bay area.
“We have great baseball right here in this area, but that’s not saying that we won’t bring in somebody from out of state,” said Prado. “We have great baseball players right here and if we want people to support the program, we want to recruit the best local kids.”
Chase Greene, INF, West Boca Raton High, Boca Raton, Fla.
A middle infielder from Parkland, Fla., Chase Green is ranked as the 237th-best player in the country, according to the Perfect Game. Throughout his career, he has been invited to play in the Perfect Game (PG) National Showcase, Florida Diamond Club – where he ran a 6.49 second 60 yd. dash, the fastest at the event, the Miami All-Star game and the Under Armor Preseason All-American Showcase.
Prado on Greene: “He’s one of the fastest guys I’ve ever seen. He can do a lot of things; he can play infield, outfield, and he is probably one of the fastest guys in the state of Florida, so he’s just going to bring so much to our club. He reminds me a lot of Boomer Whiting, whom I had at Louisville. He is that kind of player. He can make things happen and he has a chance to be a big impact player for us as a freshman.”
Chad Taylor, SS/P, Jefferson High, Tampa, Fla.
A four-year varsity starter at Jefferson High in Tampa, Chad Taylor was a first team All-Western Conference selection in 2008. The honorable mention All-Hillsborough County honoree hit .350 in 60 at bats, with seven doubles and eight RBI in his junior season. Along with scoring 10 runs, he was 7-7 stealing bases. On the mound, Taylor posted a 0.553 ERA in 12.2 innings, allowing only four hits and one run while recording one win and a pair of saves. He made one start and struck out 21 batters. Taylor is the No. 872nd-ranked prospect in the county by Perfect Game.
Prado on Taylor: “Chad Taylor is another one; he can pitch, and he can play infield or outfield. He’s another guy that’s done a great job at his high school and has potential to be just a great player. He is a good player right now and he can do a lot of things for us. He is like Chase and some other guys, in that he can play anywhere on the field.”
Jimmy Falla, OF/1B, Jesuit High, Odessa, Fla.
At 6-3, 210-pounds, Jimmy Falla slugged .667 with five home runs and eight doubles last season for Tampa Jesuit. In 84 at bats, he collected 33 hits and 31 RBI, posting a .393 batting average. Falla, who helped lead the Tigers to a 20-7 record, was recognized as a second team all-state player in 2008. He was selected to both the St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Tribune Hillsborough County teams, as well as the St. Petersburg Times all-Suncoast squad. Following his high school season, Falla played summer ball with the Florida Bombers, who won the World Wood Bat Association National Championship.
Prado on Falla: “Jimmy is going to be a power guy. He’s big and strong, and has the potential to hit a lot of home runs. He will probably play first and outfield, but he just has some raw power, and he has a chance to be a very good power hitter in college baseball.”
Nick Lockwood, SS, Jesuit High, Tampa, Fla.
An Under Armour Preseason All-American in 2008, Nick Lockwood is a shortstop for Tampa Jesuit where he collected 23 hits and drove in 16 runs in 2008. He posted a .413 slugging percentage with five doubles, three triples and a home run. A perfect 9-for-9 stealing bases, Lockwood also had a .352 on base percentage and scored 24 runs. Following the summer of 2008, he was honored as an Area Code All-American and is currently the No. 284th-ranked prospect in the country by Perfect Game. Nick is the brother of current USF outfielder Ryan Lockwood, who was the Collegiate Baseball News National Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American for the Bulls in 2008.
Prado on Lockwood: “Lock is like his brother. He is going to be able to play the infield; second, shortstop and third. If I needed him to go in the outfield he could do that as well. He is a great player and can do a lot of things. He is a great guy to have in the lineup to hit-and-run, bunt and do things like that; things we like to do. He’s getting bigger, stronger, and better since the first year we were here. Seeing him develop every year, I think his best days are ahead of him and he’s going to be a special player here.”
Ray Delphey, OF/P, Alonso High, Tampa, Fla.
Ranked the No. 285th prospect in the country by Perfect Game, Ray Delphey is an outfielder and pitcher from 6A Alonso High in Tampa. As a junior, Delphey, who helped the Ravens to a 21-4 overall record in 2008, drove in 20 runs from 18 hits, including four doubles and two home runs. He drew nine walks and recorded a .341 on base percentage. As a pitcher, he posted a 5-2 record with one shutout. He started eight games, striking out 57 batters in 39.1 innings.
Prado on Delphey: “The sky is the limit with Ray; he can definitely pitch, he can play outfield, and he has a great arm. The biggest thing with Ray is hopefully he will be on campus the first day of school. He has been throwing the ball great so far, and he will pitch a lot this year for his high school team. It’s good-and-bad. Good because he’s one of the best pitchers in the state of Florida and bad because a lot of people are going to see him pitch. He has the potential to be the number one starter on a Friday night in a program.”
Austin Adams, P, Zephyrhills High, Zephyrhills, Fla.
Junior pitcher/third baseman Austin Adams batted .319 and recorded a 1.98 ERA for the Zephyrhills Bulldogs last season. At the plate, Adams had 23 hits, including five doubles, a triple and a home run, while driving in 13 runs. He also scored 19 times and drew 22 walks. He had a .484 on base and a .458 slugging percentage. He earned a pair of wins on the mound, collecting 35 Ks in 24.2 innings. He only allowed seven earned runs and one extra-base hit during his junior campaign. The Perfect Game positions Adams, who is 6-2, 165 pounds, as the No. 539th-ranked prospect in the country.
Prado on Adams: “Austin is another one with a great arm. He has a chance to really, really fill in and get bigger and stronger. He is another guy that has a great arm and has potential to be a great player as long as he steps foot on campus. He has a chance to be another weekend starter for us.”
Coach Lelo Prado is in his third season at the helm of the USF Bulls baseball program. In his two seasons in Tampa, Prado has produced back-to-back nationally ranked recruiting classes and played in the BIG EAST Conference Championships in both campaigns with the Bulls.
