12/15/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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The Coastal Carolina University baseball team and head coach Gary Gilmore have announced the signing of 10 student-athletes to letters-of-intent. The Chanticleers will welcome Bucky Wells (Surfside Beach, S.C./Socastee), Zach Bird (Eugene, Ore./Mt. Hood C.C.), Harrison Bishop (Kirkland, Wash./Edmonds C.C.), Tyler Bortnick (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor), Joseph Froelich (River Forest, Ill./Oakpark/River Forest), Bobby Gagg (Hamburg, N.J./Wallkill Valley), Phil Harnick (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield), Chris Kovacevich (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East), Brian Rorick (Trooper, Pa./Archbishop Carroll), David Sappelt (Saxapahaw, N.C./Graham) for the 2005-06 school year.
Wells, an outfielder, hit .420 with 16 doubles, seven home runs and 34 runs-batted-in his junior year at Socastee. He earned the Offensive MVP award for the Braves and was named all-state, all-region VII-4A and was a Toast of the Coast selection by the Myrtle Beach Sun News. Wells and the Myrtle Beach Junior Pelicans won the AAU 17 and under National Championship in 2004 as well as the Under-18 Triple Crown National Champions.
"Bucky is a very athletic kid," Gilmore said. "He’s a 6.8-6.9 runner and one of the best pure switch hitters in the state. Of all of the sleeper guys in the state, I think he was number one."
Bird, a righthanded pitcher, is playing his sophomore season at Mount Hood Community College in Gresham, Ore. He was a four-year letterwinner at North Eugene High School, earning first team all-state honors his senior season. He was a two-time all-league selection for the Highlanders, hitting .462 and setting a school record with 19 doubles his senior year. He also played American Legion baseball for the Eugene Pepsi Challengers for five seasons.
"Zach should be an impact pitcher for us in 2006," Gilmore said. "He is a late bloomer who is just coming on the scene. He has a plus-90 fastball with a good breaking ball."
Bishop, a righthanded pitcher, helped the Edmonds Community College Tritons go 38-9 in 2004, including a 22-2 record in league play. He went to Juanita High School in Kirkland, Wash., before going to Edmonds C.C.
"Harrison currently has an arm injury, but when he is fully recovered, he should be a number-one calibre starter," GIlmore said.
Bortnick, an infielder, was part of Mentor’s first team to make the Ohio state championship, as the Cardinals fell to Cincinnati Moeller in the finals. He was an honorable mention all-state performer as a junior and was named to the all-star teams in both the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Lake County News-Herald. Bortnick played for Team Ohio in the summer of 2005. He also has been on Mentor’s honor roll on multiple occasions.
"Tyler came to our minicamp over the summer," Gilmore said. "He has tremendous athleticism for an infielder. He reminds of a right-handed Brandon Powell."
Froelich, a lefthanded pitcher, will be a senior at Oakpark/River Forest in River Forest, Ill. He will help a team that went 12-4 in 2004.
"Joseph is the sleeper of the group," Gilmore stated. "He is a 6-5, 165-pound left hander that reminds me very much of Justin Sturge at the same development stage."
Gagg, a righthanded pitcher, was a second team all-state selection and a first team all-West Jersey and all-league honoree his junior season. He was on the second team all-league and all-West Jersey teams his sophomore season and was the Freshman of the Year in West Jersey in 2002. He earned the top prospect award at the Rutgers Selectfest in 2004 and helped the New Jersey Twins summer baseball team to a third-place finish at the 2004 Perfect Game/Baseball America Wood Bat Fall Championships.
"Bobby will be an impact righthanded pitcher," Gilmore said. "He has an 86-90 fastball, and he is a tremendous competitor. He is the consummate coaches’ on-field player."
Harnick, a righthanded pitcher, helped Hempfield to the Lancaster-Lebanon League and the District III championships his junior year and a state semifinalist in the PIAA. He had a 2.41 earned-run-average his sophomore season for the Black Knights. He was the Most Valuable Player at the Keystone Games in the summer of 2004 and is a National Honor Society member at Hempfield.
"Phil is somewhat of a sleeper," Gilmore said. "He has a plus-breaking ball and as he gets stronger, his fastball will catch up to his breaking ball."
Kovacevich, a lefthanded pitcher, went 3-3 with 44 strikeouts his junior season at Lincoln-Way East High School. During his sophomore season, he was the team’s MVP with a 7-3 record, 47 strikeouts and a 1.78 ERA. He played for the Upper Deck Cougars in the summer of 2004 and is an honor roll student at Lincoln-Way East.
"I think Chris has as a lot of upside as a high school pitcher," Gilmore said. "He’s a 6-5 lefty with an easy delivery. With strength and development, he should be a very good pro player when his college career is over."
Rorick, a righthanded pitcher, was the Most Valuable Player of the Philadelphia Catholic League his junior season at Archbishop Carroll as a pitcher and third baseman. He was a first team All-Catholic League selection and was named to the All-City team by both the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News. He went 10-0 as a pitcher his junior year and was the Carpenter Cup representative. Rorick helped his American Legion team to a place in the state championship, going 6-0 over the summer. He has earned first honors as a student at Archbishop Carroll and currently has a 4.0 grade-point-average. Rorick is from the same high school as current Chanticleer Mike Costanzo.
"Brian is a guy that was under the radar due to his success at football," Gilmore said. "He has an 86-90 fastball and we feel like he will compete for innings as a freshman."
Sappelt, an outfielder, was an all-conference selection at Graham High School his junior season. He was a second team all-American by Louisville Slugger in 2004 and hit 18 home runs in American Legion baseball over the summer.
"David reminds me of a righthanded hitting Ryan McGraw," Gilmore said. "He’s a 6.5 runner in the 60 with a big league arm and an outstanding bat. David will be an immediate impact player."
Coastal opens the 2005 season Tuesday, Feb. 15, at Campbell. Game time is at 3 p.m.
