2009 Commitments List

Chad Morgan, Paul VI C/UT, to Va. Tech

Joe Mantiply, Tunstall, LHP, Virginia Tech

VT, LSU and South Carolina have added other commits from the 09 class, we have reports on those on our site, www.virginiapreps.rivals.com

Patrick Scoggin, Douglas Freeman P, to Va. Tech

Tyler Webb, Northampton P, to South Carolina

Reed Gragnani, Mills Godwin SS, to UVA. (Prior reports of his committing to another school were apparently in error.)

Through the grapevine

Whit Mayberry P St. Stephens/St. Agnes to UVA

Per Virginiapreps.com:

Mike Kent, West Springfield RHP, to Clemson

Their website definitely shows a who's who of baseball around the area.

http://www.canesbaseball.net/index.html

Jeff Petty started Hurricanes North as an outgrowth of the Hurricanes program that has rivaled the Dirtbags in NC for some time. His team has been around for maybe 3-4 years now.

At this point, there are not that many options for high level travel play. You either link up with the Braves, the Hurricanes, or perhaps one of the few scout teams. Others crop up from time to time, but so far these are the ones that are showing staying power from year to year.

The Hurricanes did combine squads to head to Jupiter last fall, getting in for the first time. That makes them, like the Braves and the scout teams, one of the top squads a player should look into before choosing one. Jupiter is far and away the most important travel tournament for a HS player, but you have to be on a team that gets in -- the field is limited.

There's more talent around here than there are vehicles to get them all out there. Most of the squads just mentioned are pretty well stocked as a result.

We have all sorts of travel teams at the youth level -- probably too many in some ways -- but we could probably use a few more high level travel teams for high school players.

Many 2009 prospects are now considering college offers, while many others are waiting for their first or additional offers. If you know of a 2009 prospect that might benefit from some additional publicity, shoot as an email (VaPreps@aol.com). We are looking for baseball prospects to feature on our site, which is read by college coaches from programs up and down the East Coast!
Additionally we have just updated our 'prospect listings' for the classes of 2009, 2010 and 2011...

Check out the top prospect listing

If you know of additional prospects that should be considered for our listings, please contact us at the email address listed above.

Thanks!

I certainly appreciate the exposure you're trying to give the players in the state, but I'm a little curious how these lists are put together. It just strikes me as a bit odd that you can have TEN "top prospects" in the class of 2009 from a single school and then have TEN MORE "top prospects" in the class of 2010 from the SAME SCHOOL. I mean many of these "top prospects" won't even be playing for the varsity team at their school. Aren't you worried that your listing will lose a lot of its credibility with 20 kids listed from the same school?

I was wondering the same thing. There is a kid listed for 2011 that hasn't even stepped on a varsity field yet. I think what Virginia Preps does for high school sports is awesome, but some of the picks for prospects make me wonder how they got on there.....

quote:

Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
We have all sorts of travel teams at the youth level -- probably too many in some ways -- but we could probably use a few more high level travel teams for high school players.

The Va Wildcats will be extending our teams to include 15U, 16U and 17U next year. With the success of our lower age groups, we feel we have the coaching staff that has the knowledge and connections to properly showcase VA's talent.

Back on subject:

VaPreps reports that Jacob Mayers, Hanover's RHP/3B/1B, has committed to University of Richmond.

And though we don't have a 2010 thread yet, so has his younger brother, C/OF Eric Mayers.

quote:

Originally posted by Midlo Dad:
Back on subject:

VaPreps reports that Jacob Mayers, Hanover's RHP/3B/1B, has committed to University of Richmond.

And though we don't have a 2010 thread yet, so has his younger brother, C/OF Eric Mayers.

That's interesting....good for both guys.

I was checking out that Hurricanes site and found the following additions not previously noted:

Ryan Burgess, Steward School OF/LHP, to Radford

Chad Morgan, Paul VI C/Ut., to Va. Tech

Bryn Renner, West Springfield UT, to North Carolina

People from the canes have told me Renner is playing quarterback for UNC and will try to walk on for baseball

That could make him the only "full ride" guy at Boshamer!

Maybe if he wants to be a back up quarterback, but if he intends to be a starting qb, I would think he would have to attend spring football practice.

Is there a precedent (in the last 5 years or so) for any high level Div 1 football qb (ACC, SEC, Big 10, Pac 10, Southwest) playing baseball for his college?

I don't know about QB, but Jeff Samardzija WR from Notre Dame also pitched for their baseball team, and he was drafted by the Cubs.

If I remember correctly, Stanford had a QB that pitched as well.

I'm fairly sure that Renner is only going to play football at the college level considering that I don't believe he is playing serious summer ball this year.

I think Russell Wilson red shirted in football last year, but should be a 2-sport guy this year (Collegiate grad, now at N.C. State).

Let's go back to the question about the 10 2009 Top Prospects from one school and 10 2010 Top Prospects from the same school (including players who have not yet played HS varsity baseball). How do we determine that a kid is a prospect if he has never played HS varsity baseball before? Speed, velocity, strength. . . Even if a current 2010 who had not played varsity ball was at the top of the meter in all of these (and he'd be very unusual if he were), there are 100 different factors that come into play in determining baseball success. So how does that kid become a Top Prospect? And if a school is THAT stacked, with 20 Top Prospects, how does it lose a game?

I looked at the lists and could not tell who you are talking about. I did notice that some kids on the list are listed twice, so make sure you're not counting them twice.

I think VaPreps simply takes nominations from their sources in the area to develop a master list, then later will attempt to gather evaluations from some sources they deem reliable to rank their top however many.

Some folks may be a bit overly aggressive in nominating their players. But I can't find any school on the list with 20 players named.

Anyway, we've veered pretty far off the thread topic at this point. Maybe you should post your question on a VaPreps message board?

Hurricanes web site reports that Bradley Shaban, Cosby 2B/SS, has committed to James Madison.

Isaac, as usual, is talking about PVI. They have 10 2009 and 10 2010's on the 2009 and 2010 lists, however, all but one of them have not yet seen any significant varsity action at PVI. That's not a knock on these kids, as PVI had a very strong class of seniors in 2008, so many of these juniors and sophs, if they had stayed at their home public schools, would have earned high school varsity honors already.

These kids must be nominated based on the potential they've demonstrated in non varsity action, fall and summer travel teams, and various showcases. I'm sure there are coaches, players, and parents at many public high schools in the areas that wish these kids had stayed with their local public programs.

It's interesting that other than Chad Morgan, who is signed at VT, the other two PVI kids who deserve to be on the lists based on their 2008 PVI play would be Tyler Costello (2010) and Lance Veeder (2011). Where are they?

The challenge PVI has going forward is whether or not they can keep bringing in as many quality kids as they have the past few years and keeping them all happy. A high number of the 2008 group were 3 year starters, so many of the 2009's sat for their soph and junior years. For most of the 2010's, it will be the same. In the extreme, can you get 9+ seniors placement into college programs year in year out? Is practicing against the older guys but waiting your turn to see the field until you are a senior worth it? Is it worth going to a PVI for two years to see if you can get limited time as a junior and then maybe significant time as a senior? Many are doing it, but time will tell.

quote:

Is there a precedent (in the last 5 years or so) for any high level Div 1 football qb (ACC, SEC, Big 10, Pac 10, Southwest) playing baseball for his college?

Josh Fields, he played QB for Oklahoma State and played 3rd baseball for the baseball team. While he was the starting QB OSU beat instate rival OU 1 or 2 times.

Many of you now know Josh Fields as a Chicago White Sox player now, playing 3rd base when Joe Crede gets a day off or is on the DL

I would think John Elway and Joe Namath would qualify for that status. Dan Marino was also an outstanding baseball prospect at one time, but I don't know if he played at Pitt or not.

Now, can we keep this thread on point?

Johnny Bladel, Stone Bridge OF, to James Madison

Jake Matthews, LHP who has been at James River but is transferring to Powhatan, has committed to Liberty.

Back to Paul VI - at last check they had nine members of the 2008 class sign scholarships - so it would not be unreasonable that there might be 10 underclassmen (or more) at the school that could end up being college recruits.

The listing on our site is for 'potential college prospects' which is fairly wide swipe for listing of prospects in Virginia....

Josh Richardson '09 Greenbriar Christian and Richmond Braves National '10 has committed to the Liberty Flames

Spartan/VaPreps: I did not have insight into the fact that this was PVI. But last year's group would seem to have been unusual. 9 Div I quality players on one team. And they still did not win their Conference Tournament (though they did win the WCAC regular season title). Their rising group certainly has talent, but if Chad Morgan and Tyler Costello are missing from the list, it must be because they are already committed or something. Morgan is going to Va Tech. Costello has had offers, I think, as a pitcher, from Div I schools. After that, there are some very, very good rising seniors and juniors with the talent to play college baseball. It is a great program, but I don't think they can keep up a 9 Div I players per year pace.

Talked to two local dads today who were (figuratively) passing out cigars:

Blake Hauser, Manchester RHP, to VCU -- a big coup for VCU as Blake, following his PG National performance, was sifting offers from all over the country!

Miles McQuaig, Midlothian RHP, has committed to VMI

Reported on Virginiapreps.com message board:

Ryan Farrar, Atlee LHP, to VCU

quote:

Originally posted by tcw_17:
Through the grapevine

Whit Mayberry P St. Stephens/St. Agnes to UVA

You are a baseball player.
I don't know how to play and its rules.
I am a cricket player. I know only cricket.
you are a baseball professional. so please me help how to play.
------------------------
Virginia Drug Addiction

What does any of that mean?

As for St Stephen's player, seriously--UVA to play baseball? I missed him last year when I saw them play.

I think he meant...on a cricket schollie!!

There was some hype talk about Mayberry throwing 90+. He showed mid/upper 80's at PG National. But I hear he has a plus slider and is a serious prospect. Serious enough for UVA to snatch him up.