This a time of transition for Concord Baseball.
The Mountain Lions have bid farewell to a seven-member senior class featuring All-Americans Greyson Schram and Donovan Huffer, and have a new coach, with Andrew Wright taking the helm from Kevin Garrett after 15 successful seasons.
But the program is not standing still.
CU has taken a step into the future with its latest recruiting class. Concord signed two players last fall (http://www.cumountainlions.com/news/2009/11/30/BSB_1130091403.aspx?path=baseball), and Wright has announced nine new players to join them.
“Aside from their exceptional athletic ability, this group possesses the type of work ethic and character that has been the backbone of this program for so many years,” Wright said. “I’m looking forward to getting them into our system and seeing their development and contributions over the next few years.”
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TIM BANCELLS IF Hereford HS/Parkton, MD
“Tim is an exceptional young man, with a great work ethic and a great knowledge of the game. Having spent his life around professional baseball, Tim has been exposed to some great baseball. He is very athletic and has very good actions in the infield. He is a good contact hitter and can run, which are a couple of things that will fit well in this program.”
NATHAN BROWN RHP/IF Gate City HS/Gate City,VA
“Nathan has a lot of potential to develop into a good player for us. He is a strong young man with a great build and good athleticism. He comes from a great family and possesses the type of work ethic we look for in this program. We are excited to see Nathan develop in our program.”
MATT CLARK OF
Vauxhall Academy of Baseball/Woodstock, NB, Canada
“We’re very excited to have a player of Matt’s caliber in our program. He has all of the tools to be successful at this level, and he comes from a great family. He brings a wealth of experience to the program, having spent time with the Canadian Junior National Team.”
ZACH CLOXTON OF/LHP Nitro HS/Cross Lanes, WV
“Zach is very athletic and has a great frame. I’m looking forward to seeing his contributions to this program over the next four years. He comes from one of the best high school programs in the state and knows how to play the game. “
JACOB MAYS LHP/OF Frederick CC/Charles Town, WV
“Jacob is an exceptional athlete who can be an impact two-way player for us. He comes from an exceptional junior college program; Coach Rodney Bennett does a great job up there and we’re looking forward to having Jacob contribute here as much as he has up there.”
CLAY RIGGLEMAN OF/LHP Nitro HS/Cross Lanes, WV“Clay comes from a good family with some baseball lineage (his father played shortstop at WV State). He is a very athletic young man with excellent actions and very quick feet. He hits well from the right side and can get up on the mound and pitch, which makes him even more valuable.”
RAPHAEL SANCHEZ IF/OF/C Lee HS/Springfield, VA
“Raphael is a great kid and comes from a great family. As the son of a former professional baseball player, he knows the game and possesses a lot of the tools to be successful at the college level. He has a great work ethic and is very passionate about the game. We look forward to seeing Raphael develop of the next few years.”
RYAN WEATHERHOLTZ RHP Osbourn Park HS/Manassas, VA
“Ryan is an exceptional young man, who is very disciplined and has a great approach. He is very polished for a high school pitcher and throws a lot of strikes. We are excited to have Ryan join our program.”
JUSTIN WILLARD LHP
Northern Oklahoma College-Enid/Brampton, ON, Canada
“Justin is a tremendous addition to our pitching staff. He has an excellent frame and good velocity. He has been exposed to a lot of good baseball and knows how to pitch. We are looking forward to Justin contributing to our program for the next two years.”
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Andrew Wright: “These young men, along with Bret Blevins and Dylan Rios, who signed last fall, will be a big part in the continued success here at Concord University.”