FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
LAS VEGAS – UNLV baseball received signed national letters of intent from a pair of student-athletes who will enroll at UNLV next fall and be ready to play during the 2010 season for the Rebels, head coach Buddy Gouldsmith announced Monday.
Bryce Miller of Cosumnes River College in Sacramento, Calif., and Sean Silva of Clovis (Calif.) West High School are the two additions to the Rebel roster, and both are two-way players who could see playing time on the mound and in the field.
"The recurring theme of the athleticism can be seen in both signees as we bolster our depth around the field," Gouldsmith said. "Injuries have plagued us and left us thin on both the mound and in the field the past three years, and our recruiting under the direction of Dave Martinez has taken major steps toward preventing that reoccurrence."
Miller, who prepped at Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton, Calif., spent two years at Cosumnes and was a first team All-Big 8 Conference selection as a utility player during his sophomore season. He went 7-5 with a 3.97 ERA in 15 appearances on the mound, including 11 starts, striking out 45 and walking 21. Miller also hit .264 (23-87) to go with four doubles, a home run and 17 RBI for the Hawks.
"Bryce was recruited primarily to compete on the mound but he also fields everything that is hit to him at third base," Gouldsmith said.
Silva is a left-hander who went 11-1 with a 1.69 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 78.2 innings of work during his senior campaign on his way to being named the Tri-River Athletic Conference Co-Player of the Year. Silva also hit .341, lead his team with 34 runs scored and also drove in 25 in earning second team all-state honors by Cal-Hi Sports.
"Sean is an extremely competitive player who meshes with our philosophy of recruiting baseball players that pitch," Gouldsmith said. "He has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success as a two-way player and he will get an opportunity to enjoy that same success at UNLV. He comes from a talent-rich central valley in California that the addition of Jeff Prietoto our staff has opened up for us."
