Andrew Berroth (Goodyear, AZ/Millennium) signed a National Letter of Intent to play baseball at Georgia Southern University, head coach Rodney Hennon announced. The left-handed pitcher is the 12th recruit GSU baseball signed for next spring.
Berroth lettered three years at Millennium HS, earning First Team All-Region, All-West Valley and Honorable Mention All-State accolades his senior year. He finished his varsity career with a 15-8 record and broke school records for wins, strikeouts and innings pitched.
He was named in 2004 by Baseball Factory and last spring by Puma to their respective Preseason All-America team. Last year Berroth played on the Arizona Diamondbacks scout team.
“We’re very excited to have Andrew join our team. He has proven his durability and that he knows how to win a game, setting those pitching records at Millenium High School,” said Hennon. “I think Andrew will be a great addition to our baseball program.”
2005-06 Georgia Southern Baseball Recruits
C Griffin Benedict (Dunwoody/St. Pius)
P Andrew Berroth (Goodyear, AZ/Millenium)
P Austin Chambliss (Bloomingdale/South Effingham)
P A.J. Gilbert (Marietta/Kell)
C Thomas Hatcher (Roswell/Roswell)
P Cletus Jessup (Darien/Glynn Academy)
C Dustin Johnson (Davisboro/Washington County)
C Barry Loucks (Simpsonville, S.C./Mauldin)
OF Matt Miller (Canton/Woodstock)
P Blake Nation (Brooks/Starr’s Mill)
IF Brian Pierce (Roswell/Roswell)
IF Chris Shehan (Strasburg, PA/Lampeter-Strasburg)
College of Charleston
Charleston, S.C. ? The College of Charleston baseball coach John Pawlowski announced Thursday the signing of pitcher Graham Godfrey, pitcher Curtis Dowling and infielder/outfielder Jedd Cordisco, bringing to 12 the number of signees by the Cougars for the 2006 season.
Godfrey (R/R, 6-2, 195, Birmingham, Ala.) was named first team All-American by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Godfrey, who played at Wallace State Community College, finished 2005 with an 8-1 record, one save and the nation’s third best ERA at 0.93.
Godfrey struck out 88 and walked just 22 in 77.2 innings of work over 14 games. He allowed just 50 hits and a .170 opponent’s batting average. He earned Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) first team all-conference honors and was the ACCC Tournament MVP.
Dowling (R/R, 6-0, 165, Irmo, S.C.) played for Coach Ray Canady at Irmo High School. Dowling was 5-3 with a 1.34 ERA over 42 innings of work. He struck out 62 and walked only 12. He was named his team’s MVP and named to the North/South High School All-Star team.
Cordisco (R/R, 6-1, 205, Pittsburgh, Pa.) prepped at Hampton High School and was named his team’s MVP and to the WPIAL All-Star team. Cordisco hit .583 with five homers and 30 RBI.
The College of Charleston baseball team finished the 2005 season ranked 22nd by Collegiate Baseball, 24th by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and 25th in the Sports Weekly/ESPN Top 25 Coaches' Poll.
Charleston, which ended the season ranked for the 32nd consecutive week, claimed its second straight Southern Conference title with a 27-3 league mark. The Cougars, who participated in the Clemson Regional, won a school and SoCon record 48 games this spring (48-15).
Here’s a look at the Cougars’ complete list of signees for the 2006 season:
Jedd Cordisco, 6-1, 205, R/R, INF/OF
Pittsburgh, Pa./Hampton High School
Hampton High School ... .583 batting average ... 5 homers ... 30 RBI ... WPIAL All-Star ... team MVP.
Curtis Dowling, 6-0, 165, R/R, P
Irmo, SC/Irmo High School (Coach Ray Canady)
Irmo Stats ... 5-3 record ... 1.34 ERA ... 42 innings pitched ... 62 strikeouts ... 12 walks ... team MVP ... North/South High School All-Star.
Graham Godfrey, 6-2, 195, R/R, P
Birmingham, Ala./Wallace State-Hanceville Community College (Coach Randy Putman)
Wallace State ... 8-1 record ... 0.93 ERA (3rd lowest in the nation) ... 14 games ... 88 SO ... 22 walks ... 77.2 innings ... .170 opponent’s batting average ... first team NJCAA All-American.
College of Charleston
Charleston, S.C. -- One of the most highly celebrated recruits in Miami Hurricanes baseball history, catcher Alex Garabedian (pronounced Gara-bee-dian), has transferred to the College of Charleston, Cougar coach John Pawlowski announced on Wednesday.
Garabedian (6-0, 228), a Miami native, hit .255 with three homers and 29 RBI, playing in 49 of Miami’s 61 games this past season. He helped the Hurricanes to a 41-19-1 record. Miami won the Coral Gables Regional with a 3-0 record before dropping a Super Regional matchup at Nebraska.
Garabedian was selected in the seventh round of the 2004 Major League Draft by the New York Yankees. He was also named first team All-American catcher by Collegiate Baseball and Street & Smith’s magazines. Baseball America magazine ranked Garabedian as the second-best catching prospect and the 33rd-best overall prospect nationally.
Garabedian played for Joe Weber at Christopher Columbus High School, starting at catcher all four years for the Explorers. Garabedian hit 30 career home runs while batting over .400 his final three years of high school. He helped lead Columbus to the 2003 6A State Championship. Garabedian hit .443 as a senior (2004) with 10 home runs, 13 doubles and 38 RBI while drawing 24 walks. He threw out 20-of-22 runners at second base and 3-of-3 at third base. As a junior, he hit .435 with nine home runs and 32 RBI.
He was named to the 2003 AFLAC All-American team, the top catcher in Florida by TeamOne Baseball, second-team All-State catcher and first-team All-Dade County. As a sophomore (2002) Garabedian earned second-team All-Dade County honors after hitting .414 with seven home runs and 42 RBI. During his freshman season he hit .325 with four home runs and 22 RBI while collecting eight doubles and drawing 15 walks. He was named third-team All-Dade County catcher.
Tulane, LSU and Texas were among a number of schools that Garabedian considered once he received his release from Miami in June.
The College of Charleston baseball team finished the 2005 season ranked 22nd by Collegiate Baseball, 24th by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and 25th in the Sports Weekly/ESPN Top 25 Coaches' Poll.
Charleston, which ended the season ranked for the 32nd consecutive week, claimed its second straight Southern Conference title with a 27-3 league mark. The Cougars, who participated in the Clemson Regional, won a school and SoCon record 48 games this spring (48-15).
Here’s a look at the Cougars’ complete list of signees for the 2006 season:
Jeff Beliveau, 6-0, 175, L/L, LHP/OF (prounounced Bell-i-voe)
Johnston, RI/Bishop Hendricken High School (Coach Ed Holloway)
High School Honors ... 2004 first team All-State, MVP of High School State Championship Tournament ... rated the #16 high school LHP and the #126 player in the country according to TeamOne Baseball ... as a senior, was 10-0 with a 0.71 ERA ... hit .390 as an outfielder ... was Rhode Island Gatorade Player of the Year ... helped team to 3rd straight state title.
Michael Browder, 6-1, 165, R/R, OF
Summerville, SC/Summerville HS (Coach Bert Bazzle)
High School Stats ... .370 BA as a junior ... led team in hits and stolen bases/Hit .475 with 11 HR for ProLevel Sports this summer and fall ... named all-conference in 2005 and played in the North/South All-Star game.
Larry Cobb, 5-9, 185, R/R, INF/OF
Bradenton, FL/Manatee Community College (Coach Tim Hill)
Stats at Manatee ... .325 BA with eight HR and 15-15 stolen bases All-Suncoast Conference Player, Florida Junior College All-Star ... hit .378 in 2005 ... 39-42 in stolen bases ... 67 RBI ... Defensive Player of the Year for Florida junior colleges.
Kevin Ferreira, 5-8, 165, L/R, OF (pronounced Fa-rare-ra)
Naples, FL/Pensacola JC (Coach Bill Hamilton)
Freshman Stats at Pensacola JC ... .380 BA/.460 OB%/30-32 stolen bases ... Florida Junior College All-Star ... named to the first team all-state tournament squad.
Joey Friddle, 5-11, 192, R/R, OF
Travelers Rest, S.C./Young Harris JC (Coach Rick Robinson)/Transfer from South Carolina
High School Honors: Batted .491 in 2002 ... four-year home run total was 25 ... two-time all-conference selection ... named to 2002 North-South All-Start team ... earned all-state honors in 2002 as a senior ... 2005 at USC: .257 with eight RBI in 40 games ... 6-6 stolen bases ... 21 runs scord and three doubles.
Alex Garabedian, 6-0, 228, R/R, C
Miami, FL/Christopher Columbus High School (Coach Joe Weber)/Transfer from Miami (FL)
High School Honors ... 2004: selected in the seventh round of the by the New York Yankees ...1st team All-American catcher by Collegiate Baseball and Street & Smith’s magazines ... Baseball America magazine ranked Garabedian as the second-best catching prospect and the 33rd-best overall prospect nationally2003: AFLAC All-American ... top catcher in Florida by TeamOne Baeball ... 2nd team all-state and 1st team all-Dade County ... 2002: 2nd team all-Dade County ... 2001: 3rd team all-Dade County ... 2005 at Miami: hit .255 with three homers and 29 RBI, playing in 49 games.
Keith Hill, 6-1, 170, R/R, C
Abbeville, SC/Abbeville High School (Coach Mark Smith) High School Stats ... hit .449 as a Jr./All-State catcher/two-time Abbeville HS MVP ... invited to play in the 2004 Perfect Game National Showcase.
Brenden Stines, 6-2, 175, R/R, RHP/Utility
Granger, IN/Penn High School (Coach Greg Dikos)
High School Stats: 9-1/2.14 ERA/62 IP/78K as a junior ... ranked as the #60 RHP and #196 player in the country by TeamOne baseball.
Russ Tomlinson, 6-1, 175, R/R, RHP
Columbia, SC/Dutch Fork High School (Coach Al Berry)
High School Stats ... 1-0 with three saves as a junior/2005 Puma Pre-Season All-America Team ... listed by TeamOne Baseball as one of the top 30 prospects in the South.
Appalachian State
BOONE, N.C. ? Appalachian State University head baseball coach Chris Pollard announced Friday that outfielder/right-handed pitcher Brian Kramer has committed to join the Mountaineer baseball program for the 2006 season.
Kramer, a 6-1, 185-pounder from Fairfax, Va. helped lead W.T. Woodson High School to its first-ever district championship in 2005. He earned all-district honors as a junior and senior and earned varsity letters all four years of his prep career. He also played club baseball for the prestigious Virginia Barnstormers, playing against some of the best competition on the East Coast. He was coached at Woodson by Chris Warren.
A three-sport athlete, Kramer helped Woodson advance to the regional finals in football last fall, while also competing in wrestling. He was active in his school and community as a member of the Woodson Leadership Council.
With the addition of Kramer to its incoming class, Appalachian has secured commitments from 15 newcomers to join the program in the fall.
Georgia Southern
STATESBORO, Ga. ? Georgia Southern head baseball coach Rodney Hennon announced that Austin Chambliss (Bloomingdale/South Effingham) has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Eagles next season.
Hennon signed Chambliss as a pitcher but thinks he’s talented enough to make future contributions with his bat as well. He played at South Effingham HS for coach Tony Kirkland.
Chambliss was a member of the 2004 Chain Baseball 17-Under team. He helped his team win the Southeastern regional championship and place third in the 18-Under USSSA World Series.
On the mound last summer Chambliss was 2-0 with a 2.94 ERA. He fanned 13 without issuing a walk in 11 innings. Showing he can swing the bat, Chambliss hit .310 with two doubles, one triple and 17 walks. He scored 19 runs and drove in 17.
He joins a Georgia Southern team that was the Southern Conference runner-up during the regular season and tournament. The Eagles finished 38-20 overall, 18-11 in the SoCon. Those 38 victories equal the ninth most in GSU history.
“We very excited about the addition of Austin to our program. He’s a very talented baseball player and a fine young man. We feel like he has the ability to contribute to our program as a pitcher and possibly a hitter,” said Hennon.
Elon
ELON, N.C. -- Elon University baseball coach Mike Kennedy today announced that Donny Jobe (Vero Beach, Fla./Manatee CC/Sebastian River HS) has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Phoenix for the 2006 season.
Jobe, a middle infielder/outfielder, has claimed all-conference distinction during his time at Manatee Community College where he helped the squad reach the top of the polls in the state of Florida in 2005. Jobe helped Manatee to a 41-12 record in 2005 when he batted .360 with 55 runs scored, 19 RBI and six steals. This season he also tallied nine doubles, three triples and three homers for a slugging percentage of .476. In his two seasons at Manatee, Jobe scored 83 runs, drove in 36 and swiped nine bases.
Donny is the son of Don and Debbie Jobe.
Elon University is an NCAA Division I member of the Southern Conference. League members who sponsor baseball include: Appalachian State, College of Charleston, The Citadel, Davidson, East Tennessee State, Elon, Furman, Georgia Southern, UNC Greensboro, Western Carolina and Wofford.
Wofford
The Wofford baseball team has announced the signing of outfielder Sam Bridgeman from St. Augustine, Fla., to a National Letter of Intent.
Bridgeman is the only four-year starter in the history of the Menendez High School program. A career .300 hitter, he is the Menendez all-time leader in hits, doubles and walks.
Bridgeman's two-run double plated the go-ahead runs in Menendez's 3-2 win over Daytona Beach Seabreeze in a District 7-4A quarterfinal-round playoff game last week.
Bridgeman received All-County honors as a sophomore and junior as well as a coaches' award. Prior to his sophomore year, he was rated as one of the top five players in his class in Northeast Florida by the Florida Times-Union.
A three-year academic letterwinner, Bridgeman was selected to play for the North Florida Stars Wooden Bat Scout Team. He batted .500 (35-of-70) with 10 doubles, two triples and 26 RBI for the Jacksonville Warriors in 2004.
Wofford
The Wofford baseball program and coach Steve Traylor have announced the signing of righthanded pitcher Geoff Taylor from Aiken, S.C., to a National Letter of Intent.
Taylor, who scored 1490 on his SAT, was the ace of the South Aiken pitching staff the last three years and led the high school this spring to its first-ever appearance in the state playoffs. He compiled a 1.59 ERA with 84 strikeouts in just over 70 innings.
Taylor is a projected All-Region selection this season and a two-time team Most Valuable Player. He has also been a Defensive MVP for South Aiken.
"When we knew we needed a good pitching performance to have a chance at winning, we threw Geoff," South Aiken coach David List said. "He has come along great, especially considering he went against everyone else's ace most games.
"He is a hard worker and one of those guys who will do whatever is needed to get better. He runs on his own and knows how to get ready for his games."
Taylor was instrumental in his 2004 18U CABA Wood Bat World Series team earning a fourth-place finish. In 2003, he helped lead his squad to a second-place finish at the 18U International Traveling Team Wood Bat World Series.
"I am excited to be going to a Division I school to play," Taylor said. "It was a dream of mine and Wofford has a great academic program which will provide me a well-rounded education."
Wofford
The Wofford baseball program has announced the signing of pitcher Whitner Kennedy to a National Letter of Intent.
A native of Spartanburg, S.C., Kennedy is a senior at Broome High School. He tossed a one-hit shutout over Crescent last night in an opening-round game in the state playoffs. The victory improved Kennedy's record to 7-0 with 54 strikeouts in 49 innings.
Kennedy has been instrumental in leading Broome to a No. 1 state Class AA ranking and a 10-0 region record. He tossed 11 consecutive no-hit innings earlier this season.
As a junior, Kennedy was 3-1 with a 1.16 ERA.
Kennedy was named to the All-Academic Team at the 2005 Li'L Cricket Upstate Diamond Classic.
Kennedy comes from a Wofford family. His grandfather, Robert Chapman '49, was a Terrier football player and 2003 Distinguished Service Award recipient from the Wofford Athletic Hall of Fame.
Kennedy's other grandfather, Whit Kennedy Sr., played basketball and tennis for the Terriers.
Appalachian State
BOONE, N.C. ? Appalachian State University head baseball coach Chris Pollard announced Friday that Kevin Glass (Matthews, N.C./David W. Butler), Garrett Sherrill (Kannapolis, N.C./AL Brown) and Rand Smith (Bolivia, N.C./South Brunswick) have all committed to join the ASU baseball program. With the commitments, Pollard’s initial class of newcomers at ASU now numbers 14, all of whom will join the Mountaineers in the fall.
Glass, a 6-4, 225-pound catcher/right-handed pitcher, earned first-team all-conference accolades as a junior last spring and participated in the 2004 State Games. A football standout as well, Glass collected first-team all-conference honors in both 2003 and ?04 on the gridiron. He is also a member of the Butler H.S. DREAM (Daring to Role-model Excellence as Athletic Mentors) Team, performing community service, serving as a representative at school events and promoting a drug-, tobacco- and alcohol-free lifestyle. He is coached by Kim Cousar.
Sherrill comes to Appalachian as a 6-5, 180-pound right-handed pitcher/shortstop. In addition to earning first-team all-conference plaudits a season ago, he was named Brown’s 2003-04 Male Athlete of the Year by the Charlotte Observer. A two-time all-conference selection in basketball and a three-time honoree in football, Sherrill was the 3-A North Peidmont Player of the Year on the hardwood in ?05 and the league’s Kicker of the Year on the gridiron last fall. He is coached by Empsey Thompson.
Smith, a 6-0, 175-pound, switch-hitting outfielder/infielder, also earned first-team all-conference accolades on the diamond as a junior. He took home South Brunswick’s Coaches’ Award a season ago as well and participated in the 2004 State Games. Another versatile athlete, Smith was SBHS’s offensive MVP and a first-team all-conference selection in football as a junior and senior and earned first-team all-conference recognition in basketball this past winter. He is coached by Randy Fennell.
“We are very excited to have Kevin, Garrett and Rand joining our program,” Pollard said. “In addition to being great players, they are also outstanding students and people. They will blend nicely with the 14 student-athletes who have already committed to join us when they all arrive on campus in the fall.”
Wofford
SPARTANBURG, SC -- The Wofford baseball team has announced the signing of catcher/outfielder Edward Henderson from Chesterfield, S.C.
In games through yesterday, Henderson is batting .435 with two home runs, seven doubles and 19 RBI for Chesterfield High School. He also has 12 stolen bases.
As a junior, Henderson received All-Region honors and Chesterfield's Most Improved Player Award. He hit .366 with three homers and eight doubles while driving in 26 runs.
Henderson is a three-year letterman in baseball and football.
On the gridiron, Henderson earned first-team All-Region honors as an athlete in addition to being a second-team selection at linebacker. He was named Chesterfield's Most Outstanding Running Back as a junior. He was a Team Captain his final two seasons.
Henderson was an All-District Academic Bowl team member and captain of the squad.
His father, Roger Henderson, is a 1971 Wofford graduate.