UL – University of Louisiana Head Baseball Coach Tony Robichaux announced Saturday his program’s 2009 National Letter of Intent signing class, which includes six accomplished athletes from the baseball breeding grounds of Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, California, and Arizona.
The class will join the Ragin’ Cajuns for the 2009-10 academic year and play their first season of baseball in 2010. The class includes five pitchers and one position player, to deepen the team’s options in the rotation and the bullpen.
“We have a young team in terms of position players, and we’re only losing a couple over the next year” said Assistant Coach Anthony Babineaux. “But we always need to have good quality arms to send out to the mound, especially with five of this year’s seniors being pitchers.
“We think that we have really addressed that need with this class. We feel very good about the student-athletes we’re bringing in next year.”
The class includes hometown sensation Colton Daigle, a right-handed pitcher out of Acadiana High School in Lafayette. Last season, Daigle posted a perfect 7-0 record with a 2.68 ERA and spent the summer months with the Louisiana All-Stars.
Also straight out of high school is right-handed pitcher Chase Traffica of Birmingham, Ala. In his career, Traffica was named to the Birmingham News All-Metro Team and All-Shelby County Team. He posted a 6-2 record with four saves and a 1.13 ERA in last year’s campaign. Invitations to the Perfect Game National Showcase and U.S. Junior Olympics Trials capped his notable career.
The Cajuns will also welcome four junior college transfers in right-handed pitcher Joey Satriano, of Houston, Texas, shortstop Kevin Lovelace, of Escondido, Calif., left-handed pitcher T.J. Geith, of Peoria, Ariz., and right-handed pitcher Ryland Parker, of Splendora, Texas.
Satriano arrives from McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas. He participated in the Texas-New Mexico Junior College All-Star Game after striking out 64 batters in 72 innings with a 4.38 ERA for McLennan last year.
Lovelace transfers in from Central Arizona College in Coolidge, Ariz., following a campaign in which he was named Region 1 MVP of the NJCAA national tournament. He helped lead led the Vaqueros to a third-place finish in the NJCAA World Series.
Geith comes to Louisiana by way of Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College. At SCC, he pitched in 71 innings, earning 59 strikeouts and finishing with a 4.01 ERA. His efforts earned him a spot in the Arizona Junior College All-Star Game. As a senior at Sunrise Mountain High School in Escondido, Calif., Geith earned first-team all-region honors and participated in the 5A Senior All-Star Game.
Parker, transferring from Angelina College in Lufkin, Texas, joins Louisiana after making eight appearances as a reliever for the Roadrunners, while compiling a 1-0 record in 15 1/3 innings with 12 strikeouts.
RaginCajuns.com
Vermilion & White Announces Early Signing Class
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