FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – New Mexico State baseball head coach Rocky Ward recently announced the addition of eight new student-athletes, as each have signed National Letters of Intent to play and attend school at NM State.
The Aggies are bringing in a couple of left-hand pitchers, four right-handers, one that can also play in the outfield, a catcher and an infielder. These student-athletes come from California, Washington, Oklahoma, Oregon, Arizona and New Mexico.
“We are happy with the signing class. We filled our needs with quality baseball players and continued to get more athletic across the board,” Ward said. “We don’t lose much off of this 2011 team, but this group of new Aggies will make us much deeper and more versatile on the mound and should be able to fill the voids left by graduating seniors.”
The Aggies start the season February 12 with the Annual Alumni Game at Presley Askew Field before opening the regular-season with a three game series against Houston Baptist Feb. 18-20.
NM State Signees
(Name, Position, Hometown, Previous School)
Brennen Jacobsen, Infielder, Madera, Calif. (San Joaquin Memorial HS)
Jacobsen has played shortstop for coach Pete Dalena at San Joaquin Memorial High School in Madera, Calif. where he led his team to league championships in 2008-09. He posted a school-record for home runs in 2008. Jacobsen also played defensive back on the San Joaquin Memorial football team in 2007 and was part of the league championship team that year.
Ryan Patterson, Right-hand pitcher, Camas, Wash. (Camas HS)
(no bio information at this time)
Micheal Ormseth, Right-hand pitcher, Las Cruces, N.M. (Luna CC/Mayfield HS)
A Las Cruces native, Ormseth currently plays for Luna Community College in Las Vegas, N.M. He is the first baseball player from Luna CC to sign with a Division-I scholarship offered and has one more season with the Rough Riders before joining the Aggies in 2012. Ormseth also played this past summer in the Northwood’s Summer Collegiate League for the Rochester Honkers. Before playing at Luna CC, Ormseth was a standout at Mayfield High School in Las Cruces. He earned a spot on the North-South All-Star team and was awarded the Best Pitcher Award. He was named an all-district pitcher, while earning honorable mention honors at the state level.
Brandon Cooper, Right-hand pitcher, Roswell, N.M. (Roswell Goddard HS)
(no bio information at this time)
Bob Kraft, Left-hand pitcher, Oklahoma City, Okla. (Heritage Hall HS)
(no bio information at this time)
Patrick McMeel, Catcher, Olympia, Wash. (Western Nevada CC/North Thurston HS)
McMeel is a 2010 conference honorable mention catcher who is currently with the Western Nevada Community College. He helped his team to a 43-16 record while hitting .284 with three home runs. Before that, McMeel was a two-time second team all-state catcher for North Thurston High School in Olympia, Wash. While there he hit .390 with 35 RBI.
Matt Pechmann, Right-hand pitcher, Gresham, Ore. (Mt. Hood CC/Gresham Union HS)
Pechmann currently pitches for Mt. Hood Community College. He threw 53 innings and picked up three wins and a save while his team went 25-19 on the year. Pechmann posted a 3.69 ERA with 51 strikeouts and 24 walks. Before that, he was a standout at Gresham Union High School. He led his team to a league championship in 2008 and was named a first team all-league pitcher and a second team all-state pitcher. In 2009 his team lost in the second round of the state playoffs but Pechmann was spectacular as he went 10-0 with 60 innings pitched. That season he compiled a 0.83 ERA with 65 strikeouts and 27 walks while being named first team all-state pitcher, Mt. Hood Conference Pitcher of the Year, first team all-state pitcher and to the 2009 All-Star Series at Linfield.
Trey Higginbotham, Left-hand pitcher, Tucson, Ariz. (Ironwood Ridge HS)
Higginbotham is a lefty out of Tucson that will be used as a pitcher but can also hit the ball. While lettering the past three years at Ironwood Ridge High School, he holds the school record for most strikeouts in a game with 14. Higginbotham is hitting .333 for the Nighthawks while holding opponents to a .184 batting average.
