Baseball Signs 16 for 2010 Season

Nov. 14, 2008

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma baseball head coach Sunny Golloway announced the 2010 signing class on Friday during the early signing period. The 16 student athletes that signed National Letters of Intent are set to join the Sooners next fall.

The OU coaching staff inked 10 high school players, including four Oklahoma products, and six players from the junior college ranks. The Sooners concentrated on adding players to all areas of the field as the signing class features eight positions players and eight pitchers, including five left-handers.

Overall, 11 of the recruits are rated by Perfect Game Crosschecker as prospects for the 2009 MLB Draft.

"This is one of the better classes that we have recruited at the University of Oklahoma," said Golloway. "However, we have to wait and see how the draft affects the status of the players next fall when they report to campus. In years past, we have lost on average, 35-40 percent, of our recruits to the draft and if we can hold on to a majority of this group, it has a chance to be a very good class."

The signees from Oklahoma feature some of the best prep stars from the state in Brandon Bargas (LHP) and Austin Kirk (LHP/1B) from Owasso High School, Jarek Pritchard (OF) from Charles Page H.S. and Ryan Gibson (LHP) from Yukon H.S.

Rounding out the group of high school recruits are six talented players from the state of Texas with Abel Baker (C/1B), the brother of current Sooner Aaron Baker, from Denton H.S., Drew Harrison (1B) from Waxahachie H.S., Jordan John (LHP) from Calallen H.S., Chad Kettler (SS) from Coppell H.S., Jack Mayfield (SS) from Del Rio H.S. and Drew Verhagen (RHP) from Heath H.S.

The Sooners' junior college recruits include Danny Black (INF/OF) from Feather River C.C. (Calif.), Anthony Collazo (LHP) from Howard College (Texas), Rickey Eisenberg (OF) from Cypress College (Calif.), Zach Neal (RHP) from Howard College (Texas), Eric Ross (OF) from Grayson College (Texas) and Bobby Shore (RHP) from Palomar College (Calif.).

"We've added a little bit of everything at every position," added Golloway. "This is a very deep class and one that should help replace spots on our roster next year after graduation and the draft. We are extremely excited about the potential of this group and what they can bring to the table in 2010."

View the bios below to learn more about each OU recruit listed in alphabetical order:

BRANDON BARGAS
Owasso H.S. | Owasso, Okla.
LHP | L/L | 5-7 | 165

• 2008 Stats: (5- 0) 5 saves w/ a 0.68 era 41IP / 62 K's
• Coached by Larry Turner
• Named to All-Frontier Conference
• Helped lead team to 2008 Oklahoma 6A State Champs
• 2008 Summer: Played for the Midwest Nationals
• Also recruited by: Oklahoma State, Missouri, Arkansas, Wichita St., Kansas

ABEL BAKER
Denton H.S. | Denton, Texas
C/1B | S/R | 6'1" | 185

• 2008 Class 5-4A Defensive Player of the Year
• Coached by Marty Green
• Ranked #151 by Perfect Game Crosschecker for the class of 2009
• 2009 Perfect Game draft projection: (4th - 10th round)
• Recruited by: TCU, Texas State

DANNY BLACK
Feather River C.C. - Roseville, Calif.
INF/OF | L/R | 6-2 | 170

• 2008 Stats: .376 avg., eight triples, 34 RBI, 33 SBs
• Coached by Terry Baumgartner
• 2008 First Team All-Golden Valley Conference
• 2009 Perfect Game draft projection: (Low rounds)
• Recruited by: Oregon, UNLV, Santa Clara, Cal St. Sacramento

ANTHONY COLLAZO
Howard College | Big Springs, Texas
LHP | L/L | 5-10 | 205

• 2008 Stats: 10-2 in 62 innings ... 4.93 ERA and 96 Ks
• Coached by Brit Smith
• Ranked fourth in the country (NJCAA) with 1.548 Ks per   inning (96 Ks/ 62 IP)
• Recruited by: Texas Tech, Nebraska, Baylor, TCU, Missouri, New Mexico, Arizona

RICKEY EISENBERG
Cypress College | Cypress, Calif.
CF | R/R | 6-0 | 200

• 2007 Stats: .299 avg.
• Coached by Jeff Pickler
• Received Medical Redshirt in 2008
• Recruited by: UC Irvine, Long Beach St., Oregon, UNLV

RYAN GIBSON
Yukon H.S. | Yukon, Okla.
LHP | L/L | 6-3 | 215

• 2008 Stats: 7-2, 2.92 ERA in 60 innings pitched
• Coached by Kevin James
• 2008 Summer: Chicago White Sox Scout Team (Area   Code Games)
• 2009 Perfect Game draft projection: (11th-25th round)
• Recruited by: Oklahoma State, Arizona, Wichita State,   Baylor, Arkansas

DREW HARRISON
Waxahachie H.S. | Waxahachie, Texas
1B | R/R | 6-4 | 250

• 2008 Stats: .504 avg. 19 2Bs, seven HRs, 43 RBI
• Coached by Tracy Woods
• 2008 Texas 4A State runner-up
• 2008 Summer: Played for the Dallas Tigers, coached by   Tommy Hernandez
• PG Crosschecker: ranked No.1 207 class of 2009
• 2009 Perfect Game draft projection: (11th - 25th round)
• Recruited by: Texas, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Texas A&M, TCU

JORDAN JOHN
Calallen H.S. | Corpus Christi, Texas
LHP | L/L | 6-2 | 190

• 2008 Stats: 11- 1, 1.47 ERA, 85 2/3 IP, 125 Ks
• Coached by Steve Chapman
• 2008 Texas State Champs
• 2009 Perfect Game draft projection: (low rounds)
• Recruited by: Arkansas and TCU

CHAD KETTLER
Coppell H.S. | Coppell, Texas
SS | S/R | 6-1 | 190

• 2008 Stats: .396 avg., 13 2Bs, 4 HRs, 28 RBI, 11 SBs      • Coached by Don English
• 2008 Summer: Played for Dallas Tigers, coached by Tommy Hernandez ... Texas Rangers Scout Team (Area Code)
• PG Crosschecker: ranked No. 57 class of 2009
• Sixth highest player ranked in the state of Texas
• No. 1 ranked shortstop in the state of Texas
• Baseball America: ranked # 74 in the top 100 of 2009
• 2009 PG draft projection: (1st - 3rd round)
• Recruited by: Texas, LSU, Texas A&M, Arizona St., TCU

AUSTIN KIRK
Owasso H.S. | Owasso, Okla.
LHP/1B | L/L | 6-1 | 205

• 2008 Stats: 7- 0, 1.40 ERA, 67 Ks in 45 innings
• .477 avg. 15 2B's, 4HR's, 36 rbi's
• Coached by Larry Turner
• All-Frontier Conference
• District 6 All-District Team BCA
• 2008 Oklahoma 6A State Champs
• 2008 Summer: Played for Sandlot Baseball Scout Team   ... Chicago White Sox Scout Team (Area Code Games)
• 2009 Perfect Game draft projection: (11th- 25th round)
• PG Crosschecker: ranked No. 153 class of 2009
• Recruited by: Wichita State, Arkansas, Baylor, Missouri, Kansas, Oral Roberts

JACK MAYFIELD
Del Rio H.S. | Del Rio, Texas
SS | 5-10 | 170

• 2008 Stats: .372 avg., seven 2Bs, six homers, 19 RBI
• Coached by Gene Flores
• 2007 and 2008 First Team All District 28-5A
• 2009 Perfect Game Draft projection: (low rounds)
• Recruited by: UT San Antonio, Houston, Texas State

ZACK NEAL
Howard College - Big Springs, Texas
RHP | R/R | 6-2 | 190

• Coached by Brit Smith
• 2008 stats from Sam Houston State: 3-2 in 46 2/3 IP,   eight BBs and 32 Ks as a freshman
• Pitched in the 2008 regional versusTexas
• 2009 PG Draft projection: (low rounds)
• Recruited by: Texas Tech, Nebraska, Baylor, TCU

JAREK PRITCHARD
Charles Page H.S. | Sand Springs, Okla.
OF | L/L | 6-0 | 195

• 2008 Stats: .420 avg., eight HRs, 35 RBI, 25 SBs
• Coached by Bill Hutson
• 2008 Summer: Played for Sandlot Baseball Scout Team ... Chicago White Sox Scout Team (Area Code Games)
• 2009 PG Draft projection: (11th - 25th round)
• Recruited by: Oklahoma State, Baylor, Stanford, UCLA,   Kansas, Arkansas, Coastal Carolina

ERIC ROSS
Grayson C.C. | Denison, Texas
OF | L/L | 5-9 | 160

• 2008 Stats: .333 avg., 15 2Bs, 30 RBI, 21 SBs
• Coached by Dusty Hart
• 2008 NJCAA National Champs at Grayson C.C.
• Recruited by: Texas A&M, TCU, So. Mississippi

BOBBY SHORE
Palomar College -- San Marcos, Calif.
RHP | R/R | 6-1 | 180

• 2008 Stats: 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA in 65 IP (24 BB, 65 Ks)
• Coached by Buck Taylor
• Palomar Pitcher of the Year
• All-Pacific Coast Conference Honorable Mention
• 2007 at Oceanside High School: 11-1 with a 2.03 ERA
• Avocado League Pitcher of the Year
• North County Times Player of the Year
• First Team All CIF San Diego Selection
• Recruited by: Oregon, Fresno State, Long Beach State, San Jose State, Santa Clara
• Pitched for the Oceanside All-Stars in the 2001 Little League World Series and lost 1-0 in the semifinals vs. Bronx, N.Y. (Danny Almonte's one hitter)

DREW VERHAGEN
Heath H.S. | Rockwall, Texas
RHP | R/R | 6-5 | 215

• At Heath H.S.: Won 9 games in 2007 and 2008 with   78Ks in 58 IP
• Coached by Greg Harvey
• 2007 and 2008 First Team All-District 10-4A
• 2007: Voted Underclassmen of the Year in District 10-4A
• 2008 Summer: Member of the Dallas Tigers, coached by   Tommy Hernandez
• 2007 Played in the Perfect Game AFLAC Game for juniors
• PG Crosschecker: ranked No. 161 class of 2009
• 2009 PG Draft projection: (11th - 25th round)
• Baseball America ranked No. 7 prospect at the WWBA Fall Championships in 07'
• Recruited by: Texas, TCU, Oklahoma State, Arizona   State, Arkansas

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