Baseball Reveals 2010 Roster
12/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MALIBU, Calif. - Of the 35 players comprising Pepperdine Baseball's 2010 roster half of them have yet to don a Waves' uniform in the springtime. This list of 18 newcomers includes three transfers, five returning redshirts and 13 true freshmen.
The Pepperdine coaching staff hit the recruiting trail a bit harder than usual after losing 15 student-athletes following the 2009 season, but it brought in a number of talented prospects that can immediately help in 2010 or beyond.
Freshmen Joe Sever (San Jose, Calif./Bellarmine College Prep) and Zachary Vincej (Saugus, Calif./Saugus HS) can help fill holes in the middle infield left by Denny Duron and Bryce Mendonca, 6-3 rookie Sam Meyer (Los Altos, Calif./Saint Francis HS) is projected to be a fitting replacement for incumbent Ryan Heroy (Henderson, Nev./Green Valley HS) at first base, while pitchers Alex Najera (Anaheim Hills, Calif./Canyon HS), Daniel Patrick (Jupiter, Fla./Jupiter HS) and Cory Jones (Simi Valley, Calif. (Simi Valley HS) could show up either in the bullpen or making weekday stars as part of their first collegiate season.
"Joe Sever has really impressed us at the plate, so we are looking to him to play immediately," head coach Steve Rodriguez said. "Sam Meyer consistently hit the ball hard all fall and Zach Vincej played really well on defense and should see significant playing time. Danny Patrick, Alex Najera and Cory Jones were all very impressive and should play a vital role for us on the mound."
Sever, a second baseman, showed off his bat and glove during last month's Blue and Orange World Series. In game two, he blasted a leadoff home run off senior Robert Dickmann (Woodland Hills, Calif./Notre Dame HS), and in game three, he made a leaping catch of a line drive and doubled up the runner diving back into second base.
Vincej is listed as a shortstop, but played around the infield during the three-game intrasquad series and did not commit a single miscues through six chances. At the plate, he led Orange with a .500 batting average, scored two runs and provided a team-high four RBI.
Najera, Patrick and Jones earned substantial work on the mound. Jones struck out a series-high seven batters in his game-three start while Patrick was solid through 4.2 innings for Orange in game one. Najera relieved Cole Cook (Los Angeles, Calif./Palisades Charter HS) for Blue in game two and struck out three batters in four-plus innings of work.
One of the best hitters coming out of the fall was UCLA-transfer Chris Amezquita (La Mirada, Calif./Servite HS), who blasted two home runs and scored four runs as part of a 5-for-11 series (.455). However, due to new NCAA regulations regarding Division I transfers, Amezquita won't be allowed to play spring ball until 2011 - when it's time for him to take over for senior Colin Rooney (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza HS) at the hot corner.
The two remaining transfers on this year's roster hail from the junior college ranks. Infielder Harrison Kain (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks HS) played two years at nearby Moorpark College, and prior to that was a high school teammate of Matt Bywater (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Thousand Oaks HS). Outfielder Floyd Given (Rohnert Park, Calif./Rancho Cotate HS) comes to Pepperdine from Sacramento City College, which he helped lead to a conference and regional title behind a .343 batting average.
Four of the five returning redshirts will be making their official team debuts. This group includes senior Emanuel Sifuentes (La Puente, Calif./Bishop Amat HS) and sophomore class members Leo Fletes (Oceanside, Calif./Rancho Buena Vista HS), Mike Hole (Vancouver, B.C./Saint George's School) and Casey Rhoades (Thousand Oaks, Calif./Westlake HS).
Sifuentes has been with the Waves since 2007 but has only a few games of experience under his belt due to injuries. Fletes, Hole and Rhoades all hooked up with Pepperdine last fall, with Fletes sometimes serving as a bullpen catcher.
Redshirt freshman Ricky Villarreal (Edinburg, Texas/Edinburg HS) pitched well this past summer in Hawai'i and again in the fall, making him another ideal candidate for the starting rotation. Villarreal helped the Waimea Waves post the league's best regular season record at 25-10 after striking out 20 batters in 36.1 innings pitched. At the Blue and Orange World Series, he pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief and earned the victory in game two.
Despite a heavy influx of newcomers, a strong corps of players still remains from last year's 31-23 campaign. Power-hitting corner infielders Heroy and Rooney are back to anchor the middle of the lineup as is leadoff man/centerfielder Brian Humphries, who hit well above .300 down the stretch and swiped eight bases.
The Waves are also experienced behind the plate with senior Trent Diedrich (Fresno, Calif./Bullard HS) back from injury, and sophomore Nate Johnson (Camarillo, Calif./Camarillo HS) eager to build on last year's offensive numbers, which included five home runs and 24 RBI.
Johnson threw out 24 percent of opposing baserunners, and during the summer was named a Prospect League All-Star for the Danville Dans.
Sophomore Aaron Gates (Villa Park, Calif./Orange Lutheran HS) could be considered a prime candidate for one of the corner outfield positions vacated by All-WCC first team selection Nate Simon and David Harris.
Gates was a Northwoods League All-Star this past summer for the La Crosse (Wis.) Loggers, for whom he batted .375 (6-for-16) with two home runs and five RBI through four playoff games. During the regular season, 'Gator' hit .283 at the plate with six round-trippers and 30 runs driven in. On the mound, he delivered a 3.50 earned-run average with 29 strikeouts.
Other outfield candidates among last year's returners are sophomores Tyler Brubaker (Saugus, Calif./Saugus HS) and Ryan Van Amburg (Campbell, Calif./St. Francis HS).
As a freshman last season, Van Amburg appeared in 31 games with 19 starts and split time between right, left and DH. He batted .260 on the year, clubbed two home runs and drove in 28 runs.
Brubaker also made a few outfield starts last year and hit .211 with a solo home run and five runs scored. This past summer, he batted .303 for the Waimea Waves and was ranked among the Hawai'i Collegiate Baseball League's top-five leaders in slugging percentage (.484), runs scored (29), RBI (27) and total bases (59).
Around the infield, redshirt sophomore Miles Silverstein (Bell Canyon, Calif./Calabasas HS) has the most experience among returning players and batted .273 through 27 games. Most of his starts were made during a three-week span in which Duron was out with a broken finger.
Lots of questions surround Pepperdine's pitching corps beyond the status of starters Cook and Bywater. These hurlers are essentially a lock for the weekend rotation after combining last year for 13 wins, an ERA of 3.64, and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 29:9.
Gates could handle a starting or relief role if he continues to build on his 2009 numbers. He finished the year with a 3-3 record and struck out 43 batters through 44 innings pitched.
Dickmann appears to be over his injury, which wiped out all of his 2009 season with the exception of one start. Dickmann is a strong contender to either be a weekend starter or the team's replacement for Dodger draft pick Nick Gaudi at closer.
However, that specific relief role remains unfilled and Rodriguez says it could stay that way until Opening Day.
"It could be any number of guys right now (to fill that position)," he said. "This will probably be a last minute decision."
The bullpen finds itself in a difficult position since only two relief pitchers with any experience from last year - Keven Inman (Bakersfield, Calif./Garces HS) and Brad Jesernig (Olympia, Wash./Capital HS) - are returning. Neither was particularly dominating last spring but they appeared to turn the corner with their New York summer league club.
Jesernig was a NYCBL All-Star and converted eight saves with 10 strikeouts through 12.0 innings pitched and a 3.38 ERA. He also led the Saratoga Phillies with 14 appearances out of the bullpen and completed four shutout victories. Inman finished second to Jesernig with 13 appearances and pitched of 3.2 innings of scoreless relief with three strikeouts in a first-round playoff series vs. the Glen Falls Golden Eagles.
Pepperdine's 2010 season begins Feb. 19 with a 6:30 p.m. game at Long Beach State's Blair Field.
