Head coach Loren Hibbs and the Charlotte 49ers add seven players in the early signing period to the 2010 squad.
FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
Charlotte, N.C. – Seven players, including five in the Charlotte area, represent the first wave of signees for Charlotte Baseball in the early signing period, announced by Loren Hibbs and the 49ers coaching staff.
Infielder Shane Basen, second baseman and outfielder Michael Green, infielder Jim Lyerly, pitcher Sean Pope, pitcher Cory Roberts, outfielder Zachary Semenza and pitcher Corbin Shive all are part of the commitments to the Niners for the 2010 season.
“We are excited about our initial signing class and feel as though we signed guys who are athletic and fit our program,” said Hibbs.
“We stayed within our philosophy of recruiting to our projected needs without over recruiting. Our emphasis remains in the Charlotte metro area and expands to cover the entire state of North Carolina. We also tapped in to other areas of the country where we have had past recruiting success.”
Shane Basen is a local product from nearby Marvin Ridge High in Union County. The Charlotte native and infielder is also an excellent basketball player and played several positions throughout the World Wood Bat Association National Championships in 2008. He played for the South Charlotte Panthers last summer.
“Basen is one of the better athletes in the Charlotte area and can play multiple positions,” said Hibbs.
Michael Green is a second baseman and outfielder who played his high school baseball at Thomas Dale High in Richmond, Va., and played summer ball for former Richmond Spiders Coach Ron Atkins. He was all-Region in baseball last spring and in football this fall.
“Green is athletic and provides us with a speed-type left-handed hitter,” said Hibbs.
Jim Lyerly will become the third sibling to play for the Niners in the past three seasons (joining the Lanes and Steedleys) when he joins older brother Rob next season. Lyerly, a Piedmont High product, is an infielder from Indian Trail, N.C. He was a participant in the State Games of North Carolina and is listed as a top-50 player in the state by Impact Baseball.com. He played for the Charlotte Heat over the summer.
“Lyerly is a solid player that will create competition at multiple infield spots,” said Hibbs.
Sean Pope is a right-handed pitcher from nearby North Mecklenburg High, joining former Vikings Shane Brown, Alan Parks, Sam Pierce and Zach Rosenbaum as Niners in a four-year span. A top-30 player in the state at Impact Baseball and Perfect Game Crosschecker.com, he also participated in the NC State Games and played his summer ball for the Dirtbags. He is nationally ranked at Perfect Game.
“Pope improves every time we see him throw and has been to our camps for multiple years,” noted Hibbs.
Cory Roberts is a right-handed pitcher and another local product, as he attends Olympic HS in the south Charlotte area. He was listed as a top-45 player in North Carolina by Impact Baseball and PGCrosschecker as well as a nationally-ranked player by PGCrosschecker. He participated in the State Game of North Carolina and was the Conference Player of the Year of the Queen City Conference.
“Roberts is a bit of a “sleeper” but has a quality arm and competes,” noted Hibbs.
Zachary Semenza will transfer in from Colby Community College in Kansas following his sophomore season next spring, where he hit .333 and stole eight bases as a freshman outfielder. The Great Falls, Mont. native is another in a line of players found in the Kansas Junior College system that have contributed to the success of the team.
“Semenza is a physical, left-handed hitter who runs well for his size,” said Hibbs of the outfielder.
Corbin Shive is another right-handed pitcher and will come to the 49ers from East Rowan High School, which is a school that will be listed as the high school of four Niners in the past three seasons. Shive is a top-25 player in the state by Impact Baseball and also is nationally ranked by Perfect Game Crosschecker. He was a State Games participant and an all-Conference player, leading ERHS to the 2008 State Championship series. Like Roberts, he played for the South Charlotte Panthers in summer ball action.
“Shive really competes and has quality stuff,” said Hibbs.
Though nearly two-thirds of the team hails from North Carolina, Charlotte currently has players from eight other states across the country
“It is a credit to our assistant coaches, our former players and our current players that we can return, year after year, to the same areas and recruit quality student-athletes. That continuity has played a major part in our program success over the past 17 years. This initial class should continue to help us maintain a quality program in the years to come.”
