Golloway Announces 2007 Class

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma baseball head coach Sunny Golloway announced the signing of 11 baseball players for the 2007 season to national letters of intent on Tuesday. The class, Golloway's first as the head coach at OU, features seven athletes that come from the high school ranks and four others from the junior college level.

The Sooners once again brought in talented prospects from the state of Oklahoma with four of the area's top recruits. Golloway also signed two student-athletes from California, two from Arizona and one player each from Texas, Illinois and British Columbia.

In the two previous seasons, OU's recruiting classes, under then-associate coach Sunny Golloway, were ranked among the top 10 in the nation and this year's class appears to be headed in the same direction.

“We are extremely pleased and excited about the potential of the 2007 class,” said Golloway. “We feel we have filled the immediate needs for next year's team along with adding depth to key positions. This incoming class ranks right up there, if not higher, with the previous two groups and that bodes well for the future of our program.

“I would also like to recognize the outstanding efforts of our recruiting coordinator, Tim Tadlock, and assistant coach Fred Corral for signing such a talented incoming class. Many hours of work go into each signing in order to assure that we have landed the best student-athletes to represent the University of Oklahoma and the future of the Sooner baseball program.”

A bulk of the class features six pitchers and they are right-handers Andrew Doyle (Rock Island, Ill./Alleman HS), Chad Lee (Oklahoma City/Barton County Community College), Garrett Richards (Edmond, Okla./Edmond Memorial HS) and Tyson Seng (Enid, Okla./Enid HS) and left-handers Tanner Chitwood (Sulphur, Okla./Sulphur HS) and Brandon Thomson (Gilbert, Ariz./Chandler Gilbert Community College).

Seng, who is also a talented defender, will be joined in the infield by three players including Bryant Hernandez (Oxnard, Calif./St. Bonaventure HS), Mike Gosse (British Columbia/New Mexico Junior College) and Vincent Biancamano (Glendale, Ariz./Chandler Gilbert Community College/Arizona State).

Aaron Baker (Denton, Texas/Denton HS) is the only catcher on the list and Devin Shepherd (Agoura Hills, Calif./Oxnard HS) concludes the 2007 class as the lone outfielder.

Five of the Sooners' signees (Baker, Chitwood, Doyle, Seng and Shepherd) have appeared in the Baseball America/Perfect Game USA Prospects Plus National Top 300 in the past two years.

Shepherd, ranked No. 16 on this year's list by Baseball America/Perfect Game, garnered the most valuable honors at the Third Annual Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic in August. The California native (6-4, 230) is the second highest ranked player at his position on Baseball America's list.

Seng also appears on this year's list at No. 212. The Enid, Okla., native is a multi-sport star that had potential not only to play baseball in the college ranks but also in the sport of basketball. Seng batted .407 last season and held down a 0.64 ERA and was the second-leading scorer in Class 6A basketball in the state.

“There is no doubt that this is a very talented group of athletes,” added Golloway. “The coaching staff knows that the 2007 class has the potential to lose multiple players to the draft (MLB) in June, but when you go after players that professional teams also seek, that provides your program with the talent necessary to achieve the goal of winning championships.”

The Sooners went 35-26 in 2005 and made the program's second consecutive NCAA regional appearance, a first since the 1997-98 seasons, after putting together a successful run at the end of the regular season with a 10-2 mark.

The following is a brief rundown (in alphabetical order) of the Sooners' incoming class.

AARON BAKER
C - 6-3 - 220 - L/R
Denton, Texas (Denton HS)

Very physical athlete, tremendous power from the left side of the plate
Plays for Marty Green at Denton High School
Area Code Games participant in 2005
2005 stats: .474 batting average, 4 HR, 31 RBI
Class 5-4A Offensive Player of the Year
Chose OU over Arkansas and TCU
Son of Austin and Sherri Baker

VINCENT BIANCAMANO
IF - 6-0 - 190 - R/R
Glendale, Ariz. (Chandler Gilbert Community College - Arizona State University - Cactus HS)

Fits the mold of a very offensive middle infielder
Will play for Doyle Wilson at Chandler Gilbert CC in spring of 2006
Selected in the 2004 MLB Amateur Draft by the Kansas City Royals in the 35th round
Played in 27 games and started 11 contests during his freshman year at Arizona State
Earned honorable mention All-State his senior season (.485, 3 HR, 13 RBI)
Chose OU over Clemson and Oral Roberts
Son of Vinny Sr. and Donna Biancamano

TANNER CHITWOOD
LHP - 6-3 - 220 - L/L
Sulphur, Okla. (Sulphur HS)

Tall, physical power with a left-handed arm
Coached by Jerry Sanford at Sulphur HS
Led team to state championship in 2004 and runner-up finish in 2005
2005 stats: led state with 113 strikeouts and went 8-2
Played in the summer for Burkburnett Black Sox coached by Don Patty
Chose OU over Oklahoma State and Missouri
Son of Fred and Pam Chitwood

ANDREW DOYLE
RHP - 6-3 - 205 - R/R
Rock Island, Ill. (Alleman High School)

Very athletic, physical, potential weekend starter
Plays for Chris Lemon at Alleman HS; also the starting quarterback for the football team
Led baseball team to regional championship in 2005
2005 stats: Made 17 appearances (12 starts), struck out 79 over 62 innings pitched
Area Code Games participant in 2005
Chose OU over Notre Dame, Illinois, Georgia Tech and Tennessee
Son of Peter and Laurie Doyle

MIKE GOSSE
IF - 5-9 - 170 - L/R
Pitt Meadows, B.C. Canada (New Mexico Junior College)

Outstanding hitter that will bat for high average
Plays for Ray Birmingham at New Mexico JC
Led team to junior college national championship in 2005
2005 stats: .468 batting average, 7 HR, 78 RBI, 24 2B, 6 3B
Honored as an all-region infielder last season
OU was first choice
Son of Mike and Susan Gosse

BRYANT HERNANDEZ
IF - 5-9 - 161 - R/R
Oxnard, Calif. (St. Bonaventure HS)

Outstanding defensive infielder, hits for average
Coached by Raul Camacho at St. Bonaventure HS
Area Code Games Participant in 2005
2005 stats: .410 batting average, 28 runs, 16 stolen bases
Chose OU over Cal State Fullerton, USC, UCLA, LSU, Georgia Tech and Texas A&M
Son of Albert and Cecilia Hernandez

CHAD LEE
RHP - 6-3 - 190 - R/R
Oklahoma City (Barton County Community College - Putnam City HS)

Made great strides in last year with velocity, has developed into a power pitcher
Coached by Mike Warren at BCCC in Kansas
Played for Steve Wisely at Putnam City North
2005 stats: 11 appearances - six starts, 2-2 record, 29 strikeouts in 29.1 innings pitched
Chose OU over Oklahoma State and Missouri
Son of Preston and Cathy Lee

GARRETT RICHARDS
RHP - 6-3 - 185 - R/R
Edmond, Okla. (Edmond Memorial)

Great control pitcher with high ceiling
Coached by Kyle Roberts at Edmond Memorial HS
2005 All-Edmond Second Team
2005 stats: 2.97 ERA, 8-5 record, 106 strikeouts, 27 walks
Chose OU over Wichita State
Son of Tommy and Terri Richards

TYSON SENG
IF/RHP - 6-0 - 165 - R/R
Enid, Okla. (Enid HS)

Exceptional all-around athlete, will compete for multiple starting positions
Plays for Scott Baugh at Enid HS, also stars on the basketball team
Led Enid Legion Team to first ever World Series Championship in 2005, coached by Bill Mayberry
2005 high school stats: .407 batting average, 22 stolen bases, 0.64 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 43 innings pitched
2005 summer stats: .325 batting average, 10-1 record with 2.48 ERA
Chose OU over Oklahoma State and Wichita State
Son of Tom and Julie Seng

DEVIN SHEPHERD
OF - 6-4 - 230 - R/R
Agoura Hills, Calif. (Oxnard HS)

Possibly best high school outfielder in the country, five-tool player
Coached by Alfred Tarazon at Oxnard HS
2005 Aflac All-American Game MVP
2005 stats: .444 batting average, eight doubles, four HR, 18 RBI
Invited to try out for USA National Team in 2004, competed in USA Baseball Junior Olympics
Chose OU over UCLA, USC, LSU, Georgia Tech and Miami
Son of Stephanie Hall

BRANDON THOMSON
LHP - 5-11 - 190 - L/L
Gilbert, Ariz. (Chandler Gilbert Community College - Gilbert HS)

Left-handed arm with power, will likely be drafted high in June
Plays for Doyle Wilson at Chandler Gilbert Community College
Selected in the 2004 MLB Amateur Draft by the San Diego Padres in the 15th round
2005 stats: 8-1 record, 2.20 ERA
Member of the 2004 Connie Mack World Series All-Tournament Team
Chose OU over Clemson, Arizona and Arizona State
Son of Lynn and Peggy Thomson

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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