Tuesday, May 16, 2006
BLUE HOSE BASEBALL ANNOUNCES SPRING SIGNING CLASS
CLINTON, S.C. —Robert Anders, Matt Bedenbaugh, Micah Black, Jesse Harmon, Mason McVerry, Zach Snipes, and Charles Waddell have signed to play baseball at Presbyterian College announced today by head baseball coach Elton Pollock.
Anders, a 6-0, 160 lb shortstop from Greenville, S.C., plays for Brad Rollins and Greenville High School. This season, he hit .485 at the plate to go along with a pair of homeruns and earned All-Region honors. As a junior, Anders helped lead his team to the state championship and All-Region honors.
“A highly recruited middle-infielder, I am looking for Robert to come in and make an immediate contribution to our defense. He is a natural shortstop and has the ability to hit for both power and average. He will compete for a starting position this fall.”
Bedenbaugh, a 6-3, 195 lb pitcher/third baseman from Lexington, S.C., plays for coach Tommy Mishoe at Lexington High School. This spring he hit .295 with six homeruns, 20 runs scored, and 21 RBI to go along with a .628 slugging percentage. On the mound, Bedenbaugh compiled a 4-3 mark with a 2.27 ERA, while earning All-Region honors and was nominated for the Wendy’s National High School Heisman Award.
“Matt is a tough hard-nosed right-handed pitcher/third baseman who will compete for playing time as a freshman,” said Pollock. “He joins senior shortstop John Berrian and junior outfielder Casey Carlson as the latest addition Lexington High School. With his sidearm delivery and above average fastball, Matthew could make an immediate impact on the mound. I am anxious to see where he stacks up with our current guys.”
Black, a 6-4, 185 lb pitcher/outfielder from Iva, S.C., plays for coach Kirby Winstead at Prince Avenue Prep. He is hitting .477 at the plate with four homeruns and has a .558 on-base percentage. On the mound, he has compiled a 4-2 mark with a pair of saves this spring. During the summer, Black has been a member of the Carolina Rattlers AAU team that has won six consecutive state championships (1999-2001 Babe Ruth; 2002-04 USSSA).
“I am extremely excited to have Micah Black on a member of the 2006 PC Baseball recruiting class. Micah has tremendous upside and will compete for playing time on the mound and in the field as a freshman. He is the first recipient of the Curtis Bell Scholarship and we are excited about what he brings to our program both academically and athletically.”
Harmon, a 6-1, 165 lb infielder/pitcher from Newberry, S.C., plays for coach Art Boozer at Newberry High School. He is a three-time All-Region selection and as a junior, Harmon was named to the All-State team after posting a team-best .421 batting average.
“Jesse Harmon will make an immediate impact for the Blue Hose next spring. With his above average fastball and the ability to change speeds, I am confident Harmon will compete as a starter on the mound. Also being a solid left-handed hitter with power to all fields and good range defensively, he will be called upon to play the middle infield. I am excited to have Jesse on board.”
McVerry, a 5-9, 175 lb catcher from Charlotte, N.C., plays for Greg Simmons at Charlotte Christian School. He helped lead his team to a state championship in 2005 and has posted a .300 batting average since his sophomore season. McVerry has caught over 100 games in his high school career and earned all-conference honors.
“Mason is a solid defensive catcher who has shown the ability to drive the baseball to the gaps. His soft hands and quick feet really make him an asset to our team. He will add much needed depth to our catching position. Mason will compete for playing time as a freshman.”
Snipes, a 6-4, 200 lb infielder/pitcher from Belton, S.C., plays for Steve Williams at Belton-Honea Path High School. He is a three-time all-region selection and was selected to play in the North/South All-Star Game. As a senior, Snipes compiled a 7-0 mark on the mound with a 1.58 ERA and 51 strikeouts. For his high school career, he has a 19-4 mark on the mound and a 2.15 ERA.
“Zach Snipes, a local product from Belton-Honea Path, is the prototypical college right-handed pitcher. Zach has a good fastball and a very good breaking ball. His success on the mound at the collegiate level will come from his ability to fill up the strike zone and force contact from hitters. I look for Zach to compete for playing time as a freshman.”
Waddell, a 6-0, 175 lb shortstop from Travelers Rest, S.C., plays for Brian McKitvick at Travelers Rest High School. This spring, he hit .404 at the plate and was named to the all-region team. As a junior, Waddell led his team in every major statistical category and hit .398 at the plate en route to all-region honors.
“David Waddell will add much needed depth to our injury plagued middle infield. He has good range and handles the bat extremely well. I am excited to have David on board and look forward to watching him develop and succeed at this level.”
The seven spring signees join Joseph Hammond of Lilburn, Ga. and Travis McConnell of Indian Land, S.C. who signed with the Blue Hose in November as the program’s recruiting class for 2006.