Baseball Announces 2009-2010 Signees
 Ron Torgalski |
"The coaching staff is very excited to have these five young men join our program," said Torgalski. "With this class we were not looking for big numbers but quality players and I really feel like we accomplished that as a program. We identified our immediate needs early and recruiting coordinator Jim Koerner did a terrific job of addressing our needs".
A 6-3 shortstop/third baseman, Baldock, has won two Canadian National Championships. As a sophomore, Baldock, batted .488 for the Ottawa-Nepean Canadians, coached by Don Campbell. This past summer, Baldock hit above .500 while sending 10 over the fence. Torgalski speaks very highly of Baldock's size and potential, "Alex is a big physical athlete with a tremendous upside. He has the potential to be a middle of the order hitter for us. He has a great work ethic and is an outstanding student-athlete"
Black is a 6-2 left-handed pitcher who played for Dave Erne at Hilton High School in Rochester, New York. During his sophomore year in 2007, Black was named to the all-county second team followed by being named to the first team in his junior campaign, the same year he was named the Section V Finals MVP. "Gavin is one of the top left-handed pitchers in the state. He will definitely make an immediate contribution to our program," said Torgalski.
Joining the Bulls' recruiting class is Lindenmayer, a 6-0 left-handed pitcher from Penfield High School where he played for Mike Sinnott. While at Penfield, Lindenmayer was an all-county first team selection, posting an 8-2 record, 0.71 ERA and 131 strikeouts. In 2008, Lindenmayer played in the Empire State Games, leading the West to a 5-1 victory in their first game by pitching a two-hitter with no earned runs and striking out seven. "Alex has very good mound presence and shows command of three pitches. He has the ability to be a front line arm for us," said Torgalski.
Murphy is a 6-0 catcher from West Monroe, NY where he played at Central Square High School for Kyle Brown. Last season, Murphy posted a .510 batting average, 41 hits, three home runs, nine walks, a .551 on-base percentage and struck out only six times, all evidence of his rating as a top 10 hitter in the Syracuse, NY area. Torgalski is impressed with Murphy's maturity behind the plate, "Murph is a tremendous athlete who is a very good catch and throw guy. A great leader, he has shown the ability to handle a pitching staff. Offensively, he will add some power to the lineup".
As a 6-4 right-handed pitcher, Travers, will bring experience to UB transferring from Cerro Coso Community College, where he was selected as first team All-Foothills Conference pitcher. Coached by Dick Adams at CCCC, Travers posted a 5-4 record, pitching 76 innings, striking out 57 while only walking 19 as a freshman. “We are looking for Darren to come in and compete for a weekend spot immediately. With losing five senior pitchers, we thought it was very important to bring in a junior college pitcher to provide leadership for the younger players. Darren has a chance to be a very good MAC [Mid-American Conference] pitcher,” said Torgalski.
In evaluating the players in this class, Torgalski believes these athletes are both strong in their abilities on the field as well as in the classroom. "This class is filled with student-athletes who have had great success in the classroom and on the field. We look forward to working with these young men as we continue to push toward the top of the MAC".
The Bulls will open their 2009 season on the road in Williamsburg, VA as they take on William & Mary and Iona on Friday, February 20.
2009-2010 Baseball Signees
Alex Baldock, SS/3B, R/R, 6-3, 195 lbs., Nepean, Ontario (St.Joseph's High School, coach Don Campbell)
Gavin Black, LHP, 6-2, 175 lbs., Rochester, NY (Hilton High School, coach Dave Erne)
Alex Lindenmayer, LHP, 6-0, 170 lbs., Penfield, NY (Penfield High School, coach Mike Sinnott)
Tom Murphy, C, R/R, 6-0, 175 lbs., (West Monroe, NY/Central Square High School, coach Kyle Brown)
Darren Travers, RHP, 6-4 190 lbs., (Nashville, TN/Cerro Coso CC, coach Dick Adams)
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