Kyle Haynes (Stafford, Va.)
FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
RICHMOND, Va. – The fall and winter months are usually the slowest part of the year for most people involved with baseball. Don’t tell that to the Virginia Commonwealth University baseball coaching staff.
The Rams announced the signings of five different players for the 2010 season during the early signing period this fall. Four of those players hail from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“As a group, it’s one of the best we’ve had in a while,” Head Coach Paul Keyes said. “The coaching staff did a great job of identifying our needs and attracting some of the best players, not only on the state level, but also the national stage. All five of these young men are not just great athletes, but great individuals that we will look to build our program around for years to come.”
Leading the group is All-State talent Blake Hauser (Midlothian, Va.) (left). Listed at 6’2”, 170 pounds, Hauser is a two-way talent who is recognized as one of the best players in the state. The Manchester High School product batted .450 last season and picked up four wins on the mound. His honors were plentiful with a spot on the All-Metro Team, First Team All-District, First Team All-Region and Second Team All-State.
Hauser’s success did not stop during the spring high school season as he was a part of the 2008 Gold Medal winning Central Team in this past summer’s Commonwealth Games. He led his Post 137 American Legion team to the 2008 State Championship and later finished third at the 2008 American Legion in World Series.
His talents are not going unnoticed as he was rated in the top 140 prospects in the country by Perfect Game USA and the fourth-best in the Commonwealth.
“Blake is an incredibly gifted athlete,” Keyes said. “He has the ability to help us in so many ways. He has a powerful arm that has been clocked in the mid-90s with an above average breaking ball that will allow him to make an immediate impact on our staff.”
Former Ram standout Craig Lopez has helped out his former squad as the current Head Coach at Mountain View High School is sending two of his players down the I-95 corridor to the Black and Gold. Right-handed pitcher Kyle Haynes (Stafford, Va.) (right) and infielder Nick Kime (Stafford, Va.) will join the Rams next season.
Haynes, a 6’2”, 175-pound right-hander, is a three-year varsity starter whose powerful arm has earned him the title of fifth-best prospect in the state by Perfect Game USA, along with 163rd in the country. He finished the 2008 campaign with a 5-2 mark and a 2.07 ERA. He tossed 44.0 innings, allowing just 40 hits while notching 50 strikeouts.
”Kyle has been one of the best pitchers in the state for the past three years,” Keyes said. “He possesses a power fastball that reaches the low-90s and the ability to mix in three quality pitches. His versatility will allow him to aid our staff in a number of different roles.”
Kime (left) , a 6’0”, 180-pounder, is a versatile infielder. He burst onto the Wildcat scene over the past two seasons with a combined average of over .355 while blasting 10 home runs, four triples and 22 doubles. He also racked up 61 RBI over that span. He, like Haynes, has been a three-year starter for the Mountain View varsity squad.
”Nick is really is the prototypical VCU baseball player,” Keyes said. “His grit, athleticism and offensive prowess as well as his versatility will allow him to hit in the middle of our lineup from the moment he walks on campus.”
The local talent continues with the addition of Ryan Farrar (Mechanicsville, Va.) (right). The 6’1” southpaw from Atlee High School posted six wins and a miniscule 1.13 ERA, while averaging more than 10 strikeouts per game. His outstanding spring earned him First-Team All-District honors as well as a spot in the 2007 and 2008 Commonwealth Games.
“A solid left-hander hurler is hard to come by, but Ryan is one of those kids,” Keyes said. “We love his upper-80s and his power breaking ball, but most of all its his ability to win games that meant the most. He is another player who will make an immediate impact for us.”
The only out-of-state addition for the Black and Gold is Derrick Raybon (Cayce, S.C.) (left). Raybon, a 6’1” 210-pound right-handed hurler, comes to the Rams via USC Sumter where he picked up six wins and a save, while posting a 2.73 ERA in 2008. The big right-hander averaged close to seven strikeouts per nine innings, while holding his opposition to an under .250 batting average.
“Derrick possesses one of the best junior college arms in the Southeast,” Keyes said. “He has a low-90s fastball and a quality mid-80s slider to go along with his bulldog mentality that will allow him to either solidify a spot in the front of our rotation or make a big impact on the back end of games.”
The 2009 Rams will begin their quest for the Colonial Athletic Association championship with a four-game set at Central Florida staring on Friday, February 22nd.
