NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State baseball coach Claudell Clark announced on Tuesday the signing of seven recruits who will join the team for the 2009-10 athletic season, bringing his current recruiting class to 11 players.
Of the seven latest recruits, five are primarily pitchers, one is an outfielder, and one is a catcher who can also pitch. All seven are from the talent-rich state of Virginia, and six are from the Hampton Roads recruiting hotbed.
“We are very excited about the signing of seven impact players from some of the top high school programs in the area as well as the state of Virginia,” Clark said. “The signing of six quality pitchers will address our most important need for the 2010 season. By adding depth to our pitching staff and building on an already strong offensive attack, we will be able to elevate our program to the championship level.”
The recruits are as follows:
Robbie Brownschidle, 6-0/180, RHP/1B, Yorktown, Va./Grafton HS
Stats/Honors: Brownschidle got off to a 2-1 start with a 2.63 ERA through the Clippers' first nine games. As a junior, he batted .406 with five homers and 26 RBI, and also went 5-0 with a 2.36 ERA on the mound. Brownschidle was a first-team All-Bay Rivers District and All-Region I pick, as well as an honorable-mention all-state selection as a junior.
Clark's Comments: “Robbie has the maturity and experience on the mound to log some quality innings in relief as a freshman. Robbie's biggest asset is his control, although he possesses the arm strength to go right after hitters on this level. We will also give Robbie a chance to prove himself at the plate because of his offensive success in high-school.”
Joel Himan, 5-10/185, RHP, Woodbridge, Va./C.D. Hylton HS
Stats/Honors: Himan had a 0.70 ERA through his first 10 innings this season for C.D. Hylton. He was a second-team All-Cardinal District selection as a junior after posting a 2-3 record and a 2.43 ERA. Himan, who was also a standout quarterback for Hylton, was named to the all-district football second team as a senior.
Clark's Comments: “Joel has the ability to come in and make an immediate impact on our pitching staff. He has an outstanding slider as well as an above-average fastball. As a freshman, we will monitor his workload carefully, but will try to move him into a starting role as soon as possible.”
Trevor Hinson, 6-1/190, RHP, Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial HS
Stats/Honors: Hinson was 3-1 with a 0.64 ERA and 25 strikeouts through his first 21.2 innings for FC. He was also batting .341 through 12 games. Hinson was 2-2 with a 3.36 ERA and also batted .344 as a junior.
Clark's Comments: “Trevor is a fierce competitor who should be an immediate help to our bullpen. He throws strikes on a consistent basis and has the ability to keep hitters off balance. He has good arm strength and has shown the durability in high school to potentially throw a lot of innings at the collegiate level.”
Raymond Morton, 6-3/195, RHP/C, Chesapeake, Va./Greenbrier Christian Academy
Stats/Honors: Morton is batting .515 this season for GCA. He has one home run and 14 RBI, and also has been an effective relief pitcher for the Gators.
Clark's Comments: “Raymond will join the program with the potential to be an effective reliever as well as a quality left-handed hitting catcher. Because of his sheer size and athleticism, we will give him the opportunity to develop at both positions, to see how he can best help the ball club in the future.”
Taylor Reeves, 6-5/220, RHP, Chesapeake, Va./Three Rivers CC (Mo.)/Great Bridge HS
Stats/Honors: Reeves, who is redshirting this season at Three Rivers, struck out 35 in 33 innings of work as a freshman at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. He posted a 4-2 record with a 3.05 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 36.2 innings as a senior at Great Bridge High School in 2007.
Clark's Comments: “Taylor has the experience and maturity to make quality starts right away. We feel like his above-average arm strength and ability to throw his off-speed pitches in any count make him a candidate for a starting role.”
Richard Salter, 6-4/175, LHP, Virginia Beach, Va./Cox HS
Stats/Honors: Like Hinson, Salter is one of the top pitchers in the Beach District. He began the year 6-0 with one save and a 1.86 ERA. He struck out 42 and walked just five in his first 35 innings. Salter was an honorable mention all-district selection as a junior, when he went 5-2 with a 3.18 ERA.
Clark's Comments: “Richard is a very competitive athlete who has pitched successfully in a number of key games in high school. He has good command of his pitches and challenges opposing hitters. He is another one of our young pitching recruits who we will try to move into a starting role because of his live arm and his advanced feel for changing speeds.”
James Taylor, 5-8/175, OF, Virginia Beach, Va./Greenbrier Christian Academy/Kellam HS
Stats/Honors: Taylor, who transferred to Greenbrier Christian prior to this baseball season, has had an accomplished athletic career. So far this season, he is batting .553 with two home runs, 29 runs scored and 13 stolen bases. At Kellam, Taylor was a first-team all-district baseball player as a junior in 2008. As a senior on the Kellam football team, Taylor was the district Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-Tidewater pick after rushing for 1,590 yards and 13 TDs.
Clark's Comments: “James comes to us with a strong arm, great speed and instincts. He has good power for his size, and should be able to hit for a high average due to his advanced feel for recognizing pitches. We also expect him to be a major stolen base threat. He will be one of our most exciting players who will compete immediately for time in the outfield.”
These seven join four early signees to give the Spartans 11 signed recruits for next year. That group or early signees includes right-handed pitcher Greg Abetz (Norfolk, Va./Granby HS), first baseman/outfielder Shane Hoggard (Hampton, Va./Bethel HS), catcher Ryan Montgomery (Prince George, Va./Prince George HS) and infielder Sammy Serafine (Chesapeake, Va./Greenbrier Christian). Clark said that additional signees are possible in the coming weeks.
