[FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][FONT=Arial]FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][FONT=Arial]Tuesday, December 16, 2008[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][FONT=Arial]Contact: Ryan Rose, Charlotte 49ers Media Relations[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][FONT=Arial]Diamond Niners Add Seven in Early Signing Period to 2010 Charlotte Baseball Squad[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][FONT=Arial]CHARLOTTE[/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Arial][SIZE=2][FONT=Arial] – [/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]Seven players, including five in the Charlotte area, represent the first wave of signees for Charlotte Baseball in the early signing period, announced by Loren Hibbs and the 49ers coaching staff.
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[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Infielder Shane Basen, second baseman and outfielder Michael Green, infielder Jim Lyerly, pitcher Sean Pope, pitcher Cory Roberts, outfielder Zachary Semenza and pitcher Corbin Shive all are part of the commitments to the Niners for the 2010 season.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]“We are excited about our initial signing class and feel as though we signed guys who are athletic and fit our program,” said Hibbs.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]“We stayed within our philosophy of recruiting to our projected needs without over recruiting. Our emphasis remains in the Charlotte metro area and expands to cover the entire state of North Carolina . We also tapped in to other areas of the country where we have had past recruiting success.”[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Shane Basen is a local product from nearby Marvin Ridge High in Union County . The Charlotte native and infielder is also an excellent basketball player and played several positions throughout the World Wood Bat Association National Championships in 2008. He played for the South Charlotte Panthers last summer.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]“Basen is one of the better athletes in the Charlotte area and can play multiple positions,” said Hibbs.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Michael Green is a second baseman and outfielder who played his high school baseball at Thomas Dale High in Richmond , Va. , and played summer ball for former Richmond Spiders Coach Ron Atkins. He was all-Region in baseball last spring and in football this fall.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]“Green is athletic and provides us with a speed-type left-handed hitter,” said Hibbs.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Jim Lyerly will become the third sibling to play for the Niners in the past three seasons (joining the Lanes and Steedleys) when he joins older brother Rob next season. Lyerly, a Piedmont High product, is an infielder from Indian Trail , N.C. He was a participant in the State Games of North Carolina and is listed as a top-50 player in the state by Impact [URL=http://baseball.com/]Baseball.com[/URL]. He played for the Charlotte Heat over the summer.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]“Lyerly is a solid player that will create competition at multiple infield spots,” said Hibbs.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Sean Pope is a right-handed pitcher from nearby North Mecklenburg High, joining former Vikings Shane Brown, Alan Parks, Sam Pierce and Zach Rosenbaum as Niners in a four-year span. A top-30 player in the state at Impact Baseball and Perfect Game [URL=http://crosschecker.com/]Crosschecker.com[/URL], he also participated in the NC State Games and played his summer ball for the Dirtbags. He is nationally ranked at Perfect Game.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]“Pope improves every time we see him throw and has been to our camps for multiple years,” noted Hibbs.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Cory Roberts is a right-handed pitcher and another local product, as he attends Olympic HS in the south Charlotte area. He was listed as a top-45 player in North Carolina by Impact Baseball and PGCrosschecker as well as a nationally-ranked player by PGCrosschecker. He participated in the State Game of North Carolina and was the Conference Player of the Year of the Queen City Conference.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]“Roberts is a bit of a “sleeper” but has a quality arm and competes,” noted Hibbs.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Zachary Semenza will transfer in from Colby Community College in Kansas following his sophomore season next spring, where he hit .333 and stole eight bases as a freshman outfielder. The Great Falls , Mont. native is another in a line of players found in the Kansas Junior College system that have contributed to the success of the team.[/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]“Semenza is a physical, left-handed hitter who runs well for his size,” said Hibbs of the outfielder.[/SIZE][/FONT]
Metro beat me to it. good read indeed.
Story on Zack Semenza in the [B]Great Falls Tribune (Montana)…
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[URL=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=:ePkh8BM9E2IRYipIFWIFWmLACaLKgRTMIrCVGWCLYHYYCbyaI7HlSM7Be38MckXVbkTa_GJjLkpNBgDMThHS/0-0&fp=4949b93a504e82b2&ei=qFxJSZHFB4rGMpv1_LoN&url=http%3A//www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20081217/SPORTS/812170317&cid=0&usg=AFQjCNGVXGrqV7fqop8S0xIKtgkvK5RsSg]Semenza signs with Division I Charlotte[/URL][/SIZE] [/B]
Here’s another story on John Hamilton…not in the original press relase though
[B]Cleveland Plain Dealer:[/B]
[URL=http://highschoolsports.cleveland.com/news/article/-482615708/strongsville-pitcher-john-hamilton-accepts-scholarship-from-north-carolina-charlotte][COLOR=#551a8b]Strongsville pitcher John Hamilton accepts scholarship from North-Carolina Charlotte[/COLOR][/URL]
not to be negative but it doesnt sound like we are capitalizing on the sucess and new facilities with big time recruits.
not to be negative but it doesnt sound like we are capitalizing on the sucess and new facilities with big time recruits.
hard to say. lets see if any of these kids get drafted June 6, they all could get drafted. keep in mind you can sign kids thru July. you don’t offer the early signing- except to legit kids.
I did notice a major uptick in more local kids, that tells me the facility is already working. 5 yrs ago they didn’t waste their time chasing legit talent locally, because all they heard was “I wanna play in the ACC.” Apparently the locals now want to play under these lights.