Home 2010 Season Coverage2010 Recruits Campbell Signs Seven In Summer Recruiting Period

Campbell Signs Seven In Summer Recruiting Period

by Brian Foley
0 comment

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE

PAYRKXSKPHXKFZA.20090221213420 BUIES CREEK, N.C. — As the fall practice schedule gets underway at Taylor Field the Campbell baseball program welcomes 16 newcomers including seven that have come to the team as a result of the summer recruiting period.  These seven new Fighting Camels are expected to make an immediate impact in the Campbell lineup this season.

Four junior college transfers highlight the summer recruiting for the Fighting Camels including two pitchers who helped their squads reach the postseason, including one who made an appearance in the Junior College World Series.

Starting off the Fighting Camel recruiting is Ben Brown who comes to Campbell after helping Iowa Western Community College to back to back NJCAA Division I World Series appearances.  Last year, Brown a 6’0” RHP from Omaha, Neb., posted a 7-2 record for the Reivers with 55 strikeouts and 20 walks in 58.1 innings pitched. 

Goff on Brown

“Ben is a quality young man that has been a proven winner in his first two years of pitching at the junior college level.  He brings invaluable experience to our staff after leading his team to the NJCAA World Series the past two seasons.  He is also an outstanding student and should have a key role on our pitching staff this spring.”

Joe Wagstaff will join the Fighting Camels after two years at Louisburg College.  The 6’6” RHP posted 63 K’s and only 23 BB in 59.1 IP for the Hurricanes, leading them to the Region X Tournament Finals.  Wagstaff, a Zebulon N.C., native, had an outstanding summer with the Battle Creek Bombers of the prestigious Northwoods League.  He posted a 4-3 record with 43 Ks and only 19 BB in 60.1 IP.

Goff on Wagstaff: “Joe is a big, strong right-handed pitcher that had an outstanding career at Louisburg College.  He adds a tremendous winning attitude to our staff and will be a great role model for the younger guys to follow.  Joe is another great academic student athlete that will throw a lot of innings over the next two years.”

Corey Carver will come to Buies Creek after two years at Pitt Community College.  The 6’2” RHP from Fuquay-Varina, N.C. had an outstanding sophomore campaign until it was shortened by a hand injury.  Carver posted a 0.61 ERA with 12 Ks and only 3 BB in 14.2 IP, while limiting opposing hitters to a miniscule .140 batting average.  He compiled a 3-0 record with 3 saves while combining for 2 shutouts.

Goff on Carver: “Corey is a very competitive pitcher that throws a lot of strikes, and competes in the zone.  He has had two very successful years at Pitt Community College, and we look for him to add some needed depth to our staff.  He is on of the guys that you want on the mound in a tough situation.  We are excited to have him in our program.”

Frank Zier is a sophomore from Frederick Community College in Maryland and will join the Campbell pitching staff after an successful freshman campaign.  The 6’3” RHP from Frederick, Md. went 5-0 with 28 Ks and 9 BB in 33 IP, earning him second team All-NJCAA Region XX honors.  Zier helped lead the Cougars to their forth straight 30-win season, posting a 32-18 record in 2009.

Goff on Zier: “Frank is a very athletic power pitcher that has a chance to become a dominant arm on our pitching staff.  He has a very good fastball that, with hard work, will help him develop into a top pitcher in the Atlantic Sun.  He should make an immediate impact in his first year as a Fighting Camel.”

Along with the touted junior college transfers the Fighting Camel baseball squad welcomes two pitchers who come straight from the high school ranks in Ryan Mattes and Clinton Ingram.

Ryan Mattes, a 6’7” RHP, comes to Buies Creek from Cox High School in Virginia Beach, Va., where he helped lead them to 22 wins and a regional championship in 2009.  Mattes registered 10 wins on the mound and 3 saves, while earning second team All-District and All-Tidewater.

Goff on Mattes: “Ryan is another great player from the state of Virginia that, in our program, has a bright future on the mound.  With his great frame, and his tremendous work ethic, Ryan has the chance to become an outstanding pitcher before he leaves here.  He also follows suit as being another high academic student, fitting the mold of so many other guys in this recruiting class.”

Clinton Ingram, a 6’4” RHP from Greensboro, N.C., arrives at Campbell from Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, N.C..  He helped lead Wesleyan to the 2008 North Carolina state championship, and back to the state finals in 2009.  He and teammate and fellow Campbell commit, Logan Self, were the backbone of the Wesleyan pitching staff on their run all the way back to the state finals his senior year.

Goff on Ingram: “We feel that Clinton is a young man that has a lot of potential as a pitcher in our program.  We are excited about his future of becoming a top arm here at Campbell, and in the Atlantic Sun.  Clinton is also has proven to be a winner in the classroom as well as on the field.”

The Fighting Camels also welcome a utility player from the junior college ranks in Alan Denman.

Denman, the 6’3, 1B/OF, originally from Beaver Falls, Penn., led the USC-Sumter Fire Ants to a 52-11 record by hitting .390 with 17 2B, 12 HR, 47 RBI, and stealing 14 bases.  He helped the Fire Ants to the NJCAA Division I Super-Regional in only their second year as a program, and was named All-Region X, All-Tournament team, and earned the Rawlings National Gold Glove at first base in 2008.

Goff on Denman: “Alan is a very versatile player that will give us some different options in the spring.  He is a very aggressive player that will excel in our offensive system.  We look for him to be able to step right in and pick up some of the offensive production that we lost to graduation last year.  With increase in strength, and his experience, we feel like Alan could be an impact player in our conference.”

These 7 highly recognized recruits join Noah Zipko, Matt Marksberry, Kyle Brandenburg, Logan Self, Blake Boyce, Ben Fish, David Rivera, Matt Sergey, and Cameron Nelson to make up the 16-member recruiting class.

The Fighting Camels started the fall practice schedule on Labor Day and will continue throughout October; and has scheduled scrimmages throughout, with the first one on September 11th.  The fall schedule continues with Scout Day on October 14th, Parents Day and the intersquad World Series Game 1 and 2 on October 17th, World Series Game 3, 4 and 5 will follow October 19th-21st.

You may also like