WildcatRick
11-18-2005, 10:17 AM
The Kentucky baseball team signed its best recruiting class in years this signing period by adding 17 talented players to the fold for the 2007 season.
“This is the best class we’ve signed since we’ve been here,” said Kentucky head coach John Cohen, who saw his 2004 class ranked among the top 25 in the nation. “It is a very high caliber class, but I’m sure the major league draft will be a factor in June as always. However, to win in the SEC, you have to recruit these types of players.”
The class includes two of the nation’s top 160 players according to Baseball America, two players who participated in the 2005 USA Tournament of Stars, one former MLB draft pick and a participant in the prestigious 2005 East Coast Professional Showcase. It also includes two of the top baseball prospects in Canada and five of the players hail from the state of Kentucky.
“We’re extremely excited about this group,” Cohen said. “It is a group that has tremendous talent, work ethic and most importantly pitching depth.”
Headlining the class is Chris Walden, who is rated as the 69th best prospect in the nation by Baseball America as a two-way star for coach Mark Brunswick at Bellefontaine High School in Bellefontaine, Ohio. As a junior starting pitcher, Walden went 12-0 with a minuscule 0.39 ERA while fanning 112 and walking just 12 in 72 innings. At the plate, he hit .385 with six home runs.
“Chris has a great arm and really knows how to pitch. He has a tremendous potential, and he could be the best pitcher in the state of Ohio this year,” Cohen said.
http://www.ukathletics.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=36&url_article_id=1670 2&url_subchannel_id=&change_well_id=2
“This is the best class we’ve signed since we’ve been here,” said Kentucky head coach John Cohen, who saw his 2004 class ranked among the top 25 in the nation. “It is a very high caliber class, but I’m sure the major league draft will be a factor in June as always. However, to win in the SEC, you have to recruit these types of players.”
The class includes two of the nation’s top 160 players according to Baseball America, two players who participated in the 2005 USA Tournament of Stars, one former MLB draft pick and a participant in the prestigious 2005 East Coast Professional Showcase. It also includes two of the top baseball prospects in Canada and five of the players hail from the state of Kentucky.
“We’re extremely excited about this group,” Cohen said. “It is a group that has tremendous talent, work ethic and most importantly pitching depth.”
Headlining the class is Chris Walden, who is rated as the 69th best prospect in the nation by Baseball America as a two-way star for coach Mark Brunswick at Bellefontaine High School in Bellefontaine, Ohio. As a junior starting pitcher, Walden went 12-0 with a minuscule 0.39 ERA while fanning 112 and walking just 12 in 72 innings. At the plate, he hit .385 with six home runs.
“Chris has a great arm and really knows how to pitch. He has a tremendous potential, and he could be the best pitcher in the state of Ohio this year,” Cohen said.
http://www.ukathletics.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=36&url_article_id=1670 2&url_subchannel_id=&change_well_id=2