Recruiting Class Earns National Ranking
9/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
“It’s good to show everyone that the kids we have coming here were all great high school and/or junior college players,” head coach Steve Rodriguez said. “But their true value and ranking won’t come into play until they start to contribute on the field.”
Pepperdine’s recruiting class is comprised of 11 newcomers, including junior college transfers Colin Rooney (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS/Saddleback College) and Bryce Uhrig (Santa Barbara, Calif./Santa Barbara HS/Santa Barbara CC).
The freshmen are infielders Ryan Van Amburg (
Rodriguez said the size of this year’s class was about average, as Pepperdine looks to add eight to 12 players per year based on how many seniors graduate or players leave via the draft.
“The coaches (Rick Hirtensteiner and recruiting coordinator Sean Kenny) and I always have a pretty good idea what we need and are able to get the players we’re looking for,” he said.
Gates, Rooney, Humphries and Waves senior Nathan Newman (
Newman was a 10th-round pick of the Seattle Mariners. Humphries name was called by the Boston Red Sox in the 19th round, while Gates was selected in the 33rd round by the Colorado Rockies. Rooney was the Washington Nationals’ 45th-round selection.
Pepperdine lost right-handed pitcher Brett Hunter (7th –
The dynamic duo of d’Arnaud and Thames was responsible for 24 of the team’s 50 home runs and drove in over a quarter of the Waves’ runs with 109 RBI, but Rodriguez doesn’t seemed too concerned about filling the hole on offense.
“We have about 90 percent of our lineup coming back from last season, many of whom are going to be big contributors and help us get better as a team,” he said. “Plus, a lot of the guys in our incoming class can come in and play right away. They’re part of a very athletic and talented group.”
Collegiate Baseball’s top 40 and also receiving votes rankings can be found by clicking here.
