USF Baseball Inks 15 Recruits For 2007-08 Season

[Brad]

Courtesy USF SID Office

USF Baseball Inks 15 Recruits For 2007-08 Season

TAMPA, Fla. (Dec. 6, 2006) – The University of South Florida baseball staff has signed 15 recruits to National Letters of Intent for the 2007-08 academic year, head coach Lelo Prado announced Wednesday.  

Prado’s first recruiting class at USF is made up of nine pitchers, three infielders and three outfielders. The class of 2007-08 includes: Chris Jones, (LHP), Gaither High School, Tampa, Fla.; Randy Fontanez, (P), Oviedo High School, Oviedo, Fla.; Junior Carlin, (P), Riverview High School, Riverview, Fla.; Yoandy Barroso, (OF), Miami Springs High School, Miami, Fla.; John Koscso, (3B, OF), Jesuit High School, Tampa, Fla.; Zach Pietrzyk, (P), Bloomingdale High School, Valrico, Fla.; Kevin Quackenbusch, (P), Jesuit High School, Tampa, Fla.; Garrett Trezona, (P), Gulliver Prep High School, Miami, Fla.; A.J. Regoli, (OF), Palm Beach Central High School, Wellington, Fla.; Efrain Nieves, (P), Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School, Caguas, Puerto Rico; Stephen Hunt, (1B/LHP), Jesuit High School, Tampa, Fla.; Derrick Stultz, (RHP), Wharton High School, Tampa, Fla.; Todd Brazeal, (IF/OF), Chamberlain High School, Tampa, Fla.; Denny Almonte, (OF), Florida Christian High School, Miami, Fla. and Rey Navarro, (SS), Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School, Caguas, Puerto Rico.

“This recruiting class fills all of the needs that we have here at USF,” Prado said. “It’s the best recruiting class we’ve ever had. We’ve got great pitching, great power, great arms, and we are very excited about the group we have coming in. Along with the guys we already have here right now, these are the kind of guys we want in our program.”

Coach Prado, along with assistants Lazer Collazo and Bryant Ward have inked 13 players from the state of Florida and two from Puerto Rico.

“The job that Lazer and Bryant did after getting here in mid-July, with the signing period right around the corner, was great,” Prado said. “They convinced these players that what we are going to build here is going to be special, and that we have the dream of going to Omaha.”

Within the class are five players from the 2007 “Baseball America High School Top 300, including two in the top 100. Outfielder Regoli and right-handed pitcher Quackenbusch are listed in the top 100 at No. 65 and No. 78, respectively. Third baseman Brazeal is the 112th-best in the country while short stop Trezona is ranked at No. 121. Almonte, an outfielder and short stop, earned the 291st spot on the national list.  

“On paper, this is the best recruiting class I have ever signed as a head coach, now they have to come here and do their job,” Prado said. “Our ultimate goal here is to recruit the best players, and Lazer and Bryant have done a great job of being out on the streets, to make sure this happens. I think any baseball guy in this state and around the country is talking about USF baseball and what is going on here.”

“Hard-nosed players are the type of players we are looking at right now,” Collazo said. “They could be either good or outstanding, it doesn’t matter to us. It’s the hard-nosed players that we are looking for to play at USF, the ones who are going to take us to the next step, which is Omaha.”

The following is a list of the 2007-08 USF baseball signees:

Chris Jones, (LHP), Gaither High School, Tampa, Fla.

Jones, a pitcher from Gaither High School in Tampa, Fla., owned a 0.98 ERA during his junior year while batting .422 at the plate. Voted the second-best high school pitcher in the county by the “Tampa Tribune”, Jones was a Western Conference first team award winner and received Gaither’s top pitcher award in 2006. As a sophomore, Jones pitched the 2005 5A state championship baseball game, earning a 0.68 ERA throughout the season. During the summers of 2004 and 2005 Jones pitched and played center field for the Colt World Series Champions in Lafayette, Ind., where he won the Colt World Series ERA award.

“Chris plays outfield, but is probably one of the best pitchers in the country,” Prado said. “He should make a major impact to our pitching staff right off the bat as a freshman. He’s another guy that we can put in the outfield if we really needed him, but he was voted second-best high school pitcher in the county, so that says a lot about the kid. Hopefully he’ll come to college, because he’s going to be a pretty good draft pick.”

Coach Collazo agrees, saying, “He is probably one of the top left handers in the nation. Here is a guy who can come in right now, as a senior in high school, and pitch for us. Not only does he have the physical ability, but he’s also got the mindset. Here is a kid who is very aggressive on the mound, we are very fortunate to have him.”

Randy Fontanez, (P), Oviedo High School, Oviedo, Fla.

Fontanez, a pitcher from Oviedo High School, throws 88-90 miles per hour and tops out at 93-94 mph with an 80-mph 12-to-6 breaking ball. In 2006, he held a 1.66 ERA, striking out 38 batters in 38 innings pitched. He held a 4-2 record while posting the top ERA among 6A District 3 schools in the state of Florida. Fontanez also led all players with 24 RBI, batting .319 in 30 games played.

“Randy is another guy that there is no doubt in my mind, at the end of the year will be one of the top 300 players in America,” Prado said. “He is a guy that we can win big in college baseball with, because he has an incredible arm.”

“This kid will lead this program,” Collazo said. “He is one of those Omaha players, like Chris Jones and Junior Carlin, who are not conference, regional or super regional players – these are Omaha players.”

Junior Carlin, (P), Riverview High School, Riverview, Fla.

Carlin, a pitcher from Riverview, Fla., batted .375 with 12 RBI and 11 runs scored for Riverview High School in 2006. He led the team with seven doubles and finished the 2006 campaign with a .484 slugging percentage. Carlin compiled a 3-2 record on the mound for the Sharks, registering 3.39 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 10 and one-third innings to lead his team to the 6A District 8 championship game.

“This guy is one of the top pitchers in Tampa,” Prado said. “His best days are ahead of him because he’s going to get physically bigger and stronger. You’ll hear a lot about him this year because he can flat-out pitch. He is a great addition.”

“He is a guy that is a sleeper, not only a sleeper as a pitcher but he’s also the third-hole hitter at Riverview High School,” Collazo said. “He has the total package, whether Coach Prado wants to use him at center field and as a hitter or as one of our weekend starters.”

Yoandy Barroso, (OF), Miami Springs High School, Miami, Fla.

Barroso started in right field as a junior at Miami Springs High School where he hit .400 with a home run, 19 RBIs and 17 doubles. He also had five outfield assists during the season. His numbers earned him all-Dade County second team honors. He has been invited to play in a number of highly-touted showcases this year in North Carolina and Florida, and has participated in local professional scout workouts. His summer team, the All-American Prospects, won the national championship in Marietta, Ga.  

“Yoandy is one of those guys who is a fighter and has the opportunity to be a great outfielder here,” Prado said. “He could be a guy who can come in as a freshman and supply some of that power we are looking for. He’s a great kid who has the chance to be special, he’s going to be good.”

“You have to be one of the top in the nation to play for the All-American Prospects,” Collazo said. “Only 21 or 22 athletes play for that team, and he was one of the top players on that team – the starting right fielder – the whole summer. He has an incredible arm, probably one of the top five in the nation from the outfield.”

John Koscso, (3B, OF), Jesuit High School, Tampa, Fla.

Koscso is a Hillsborough County second team player for Jesuit High School, who has played in the state final four baseball tournament twice. Batting .395, striking out only five times in 94 at bats as a junior, Koscso was an honorable mention all-Suncoast baseball team member. He played for the 17U All-American Prospects, who won the Perfect Game World Wood Bat Association National Championship in East Cobb, Ga., last summer. Koscso gets it done in the classroom as well, as a member of the National Honors Society, Spanish Honors Society and the National Society of High School Scholars.

“He is a fine young man, the kind of baseball player we want in our program,” Prado said. “Jesuit High School has been one of the powers here in Hillsborough County for years, and he’s going to be one of the reasons they have a good season. This guy is the total package. He works hard and he’s a good athlete who can do it all. We’re excited to have him.”

“He’s one of the top players with the all-American Prospects” Collazo said. “He plays for the fifth-best summer league team in the country, which has some of the best players in the nation, not just from Florida.”

Zach Pietrzyk, (P), Bloomingdale High School, Valrico, Fla.

Entering his fourth year at Bloomingdale High School in Valrico, Fla., Pietrzyk led his team in innings pitched (61), strikeouts (71), shutouts (2) and pick-offs (5), while compiling a 2.95 ERA in 2006. Pietrzyk was selected to the 2005 PG National Underclass Prospect team in 2005 and was on the top 10 prospect list for the 2005 PG Sunshine East Showcase. A member of the 2005 19-and-under national AAU championship team (Brandon Blaze), Pietrzyk pitched for the Central Florida Renegades during the summer of 2006.

“We saw Zach at a camp here, the first week we were here,” Prado said. “He has a great arm and I think his best days are ahead of him. I think when he comes here and works with Coach Collazo that he’s going to be an even better pitcher.”

“I think he’ll help us out in the future.,” Collazo said, “I expect him to have a good season this year.”

Kevin Quackenbusch, (P), Jesuit High School, Tampa, Fla.

Quackenbusch, who “Baseball America” touts as a nationally ranked prospect, is a 2006 honorable mention all-Hillsborough County player. He earned a 7-2 record last season, pitching 58 and two-thirds innings, including 88 strikeouts, 16 walks and a 1.93 ERA. A member of the All-American Prospects, Quackenbusch has attended the PG National Showcase, the Florida Diamond Club Showcase and the Tournament of Stars in Joplin, Mo., where USA Junior National Baseball Team tryouts were held. The 2006 Baseball Express Cape Cod All-American threw a no-hitter against Lake Wales High School and has been on the academic honor roll four years at Jesuit.  

“When we first got here, people told us Kevin has one of the best arms in this town,” Prado said. “With Lazer as his pitching coach, what you see now with him is not what you are going to see after three years. He’s got a great opportunity. This guy is going to be special, and he’s definitely going to be an impact player as a freshman.”

“Quackenbusch is a guy who has been playing outstanding baseball all of his life, especially the past couple of years during the summer,” Collazo said. “He is definitely one of the top players in the state of Florida, and probably one of the top players in the nation. He’s another guy who is going to be a big-time contributor for us.”

Garrett Trezona, (P), Gulliver Prep High School, Miami, Fla.

Trezona, a pitcher, is a varsity starter at Gulliver Prep High School in Miami, Fla. Trezona was a member of the Gulliver state championship team in 2004 and received the outstanding pitcher award in 2005. He is ranked as one of the highest young prospects by “Baseball America”.

“This guy is going to be even better when he gets to college just because he had arm surgery after his junior year,” Prado said. “I think we’ll see his better days in college. He’s a competitor, a great kid. He works hard and is a good student in the classroom. He’s going to be another one who helps this program get to where we want to go.”  

“I coached Garrett at Gulliver and as a freshman and sophomore and he was our No. 1 or No. 2 pitcher at the time,” Collazo said. “He is about 6-foot-2-inches, 215-pounds and he is fully built. He is a big-time bulldog who can come in as a set-up guy or especially as a closer because he has that power breaking ball.”

A.J. Regoli, (OF), Palm Beach Central High School, Wellington, Fla.

Regoli batted .400, including 14 hits, three of which were home runs, along with two triples, in 14 games with the 18U All-American Prospects in 2006. He tallied eight RBI and 10 runs scored in 35 at-bats. Regoli, who crushed a ball 492 feet in a home run derby, is ranked No. 95 on the Scouts.com Top 100.  

“A.J. has got unbelievable power that we are desperately looking for,” Prado said. “He should step in and help us as a freshman.”

“Regoli is one of the most highly-recruited outfielders from the state of Florida,” Collazo said. “Miami was after him big time, especially toward the end of the recruiting period. It was between Miami and USF, and of course he chose the Bulls, especially because his father attended USF.”

Efrain Nieves, (LHP), Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School, Caguas, Puerto Rico

Sixteen-year-old Nieves will arrive on USF’s campus as a solid 17-year-old player. A student of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School, the left-hander throws 86-88 mph, topping out at 91mph.  

“Efrain Nieves is a total package,” Prado said. “He is rated the No. 2 pitcher in Puerto Rico. When you’re rated the No. 2 pitcher in Puerto Rico, you have got to be good.”

“Here’s a kid that has got everything,” Collazo said. “When you talk about true pitchers, he’s a pitcher. He has a true breaking ball, a slider, a change up and a fast ball.”

Stephen Hunt, (1B/LHP), Jesuit High School, Tampa, Fla.

Stephen Hunt, a first baseman and left-handed pitcher from Tampa, Fla., was the defensive player of the year for Jesuit High School and an all-county selection by the “St. Pete Times”. Hunt hit three home runs with 14 RBI and 19 runs scored last season.  

“Stephen is one of the best defensive first basemen I have ever seen,” Prado said. “This guy is going to help us on the mound getting lefties out. He also plays a great first base, so that is going to help us on the defensive side.”

“In my 20 years of coaching, he is one of the top 10 left-handed pitchers that I’ve seen with an outstanding hard slider,” Collazo said. “That’s what really got me with Stephen Hunt. He’s not going to over power you, but at the same time, he’s got an outstanding breaking ball that he can use as a punch-out pitch. He’s a kid who is going to be a situational guy for us both playing first base, pitching and as a situational left-handed pitcher.”

Derrick Stultz, (RHP), Wharton High School, Tampa, Fla.

Stultz, a pitcher who transferred to Wharton High School from Gaither High School last season, has an 88-91mph fastball, a 12-to-6 breaking ball and a change up that will help the Bulls. He went 1-0 with a 5.25 ERA for the Cowboys last season, striking out 19 batters in 12 innings.  

“I think Derrick is one of the guys who is a sleeper in this whole class,” Prado said. “This guy is going to come on this year. He didn’t pitch a lot last year, but I really believe after this season, everybody will know about Stultz. He’s going to be a great pitcher this year and a great student. This guy is already on the map, scouts have seen him this summer, and we feel he is going to make a huge impact at USF.”

“Stultz will be the biggest surprise in the state of Florida and maybe even the United States,” Collazo said. “He is a bulldog when it comes to the mental side of pitching and the aggressiveness that a pitcher needs at this level. He’s got every attribute to be a big-time contributor for us next year.

Todd Brazeal, (IF/OF), Chamberlain High School, Tampa, Fla.

A top 300 player from Chamberlain High School, Brazeal is a third baseman and outfielder who hit .388 with 16 RBI in 2006, both second-best on the Chiefs’ team. During that season, Brazeal was selected to the All-Saladino tournament team as an infielder. As a freshman in 2004, Brazeal was selected to the “Tampa Tribune” All-Hillsborough County (second team) baseball squad.

“Todd Brazeal is a big, strong kid who can flat out hit,” Prado said. “Wherever we play him, he’s going to do a good job. It’s unbelievable where this guy can go, third base, outfield or first base. What I think we are going to see out of this kid in the future is going to be special. He is another guy that we needed and we got. We are very happy to have him.”

“Todd is a horse,” Collazo said. “He’s a kid that once he stands there at the plate, is going to scare a couple of pitchers due to his body size. At 6-foot-4-inches and 200 pounds, he’s a big boy. He can play first, third or left field. He’s got a great attitude and he is a hard-nosed player.”

Denny Almonte, (OF), Florida Christian High School, Miami, Fla.

Denny Almonte is one of the top players for the Florida Bombers, a participating team in the World Wood Bat Championship (WWBC). In high school, Almonte helped guide the Florida Christian Patriots to a 21-8 record in 2006.  

“Almonte is the kind of kid who comes to a program and helps you get to Omaha,” said Prado. “Plain and simple, he’s that kind of impact player.”

“You’re getting the complete package when it comes to Denny Almonte,” Collazo said. “His arm, strength, speed and body type make him the complete package. He’s the top player in south Florida, one of the top players in the state of Florida, and one of the best all across the nation. He’s one of the players that Coach Prado is definitely going to make sure is starting in center field.”

Rey Navarro, (SS), Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School, Caguas, Puerto Rico

Navarro, the top shortstop in Puerto Rico, is a member of the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy and High School WWBA World Championship team. The right-handed hitter is said to possess all of the legitimate, draftable tools at shortstop.  

“He’s just a great player,” Prado said. “He’ll help us immediately in the middle of the infield.”

“You’re talking about a player who, right now, defensively-wise, can play AA pro baseball,” Collazo said. “He’s got a ways to go with the bat, but he is the number one rated Puerto Rican shortstop. You can’t say more about that.”

The 2007 USF baseball season will begin Friday, Feb. 9 when the Bulls take on High Point in Game One of a three-game weekend set at Red McEwen Field. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m.

[Jewbull]

I am stoked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Omaha Bound

[Brad]

And if not, will the world be coming to an end?  That Scott Kuykendall can surely write up a story.

[Kyle]

I'm really excited about USF baseball for the first time ever.

[Wags]

Let's get excited about the upcoming season, too, not just the recruits coming in... we need to increase attendance and the general atmosphere at games. I went to several last season and was one of the few people in the stands.

CLP said this pitching staff is the best group of arms he's ever had, and that's not even counting in Daniel Otero from Duke, who is coming in the spring.