University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina Baseball Inks 14 For 2007 Season
November 28, 2005 | Baseball
Nov. 28, 2005
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - uilding on the success of some of the nation's top recruiting classes in recent years, the University of North Carolina baseball program has signed 14 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent, head coach Mike Fox announced Monday. This class will join the program in the fall of 2006 and will take the field for the Tar Heels in the spring of 2007.
Included in this class are four of the nation's top 100 overall prospects, No. 31 Matt Petition (LHP, Garden City, N.Y.), No. 42 Drew Poulk (OF, Morehead City, N.C.), No. 74 Jared Bard (RHP/OF, Charlotte N.C.) and No. 84 Mark Fleury (C, Roswell, Ga.) Additionally, Rob Catapano (Knoxville, Tenn.) is rated among the top 10 left-hander pitchers in the class.
The Tar Heels also added eight in-state products, all ranked among the top 25 in North Carolina by Impact Baseball. Infielder Kyle Seager (Kannapolis/Northwest Cabarrus) is rated No. 3 on the list, while infielder/outfielder Dustin Ackely (Walnut Cove/North Forsyth) checks in at No. 4. Poulk and Greenville D.H. Conley pitcher/third baseman Alex White share the No. 6 ranking.
The class features eight players from North Carolina and one each from Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee and Texas.
"There are several reasons why our staff is very excited about this class," said Fox. "From the baseball standpoint, this may be the deepest and most versatile class we have signed in my seven years at Carolina. They all have great makeup and character and they are certainly very talented. Academically, they are all very diligent students and serious about their schoolwork. They are all committed to obtaining a degree from Carolina.
"It is an exciting time for our program with the commitment from our athletic department on our new stadium. These kids are excited to be a part of that. This class should certainly help our current players continue and improve upon the athletic and academic tradition at Carolina."
The Tar Heels have found recent success on the recruiting trail, as the 2004 freshman class rated as the nation's best and the 2005 class ranked as high as No. 11. The 2006 freshman class was ranked No. 31 by Baseball America.
2006 NORTH CAROLINA BASEBALL SIGNEES Name Hometown High School Pos. Ht./Wt. Dustin Ackley Walnut Cove, N.C. North Forsyth IF/OF 6-0/185 Jared Bard Charlotte, N.C. Charlotte Christian RHP/OF 6-2/175 Colin Bates Naperville, Ill. Naperville Central RHP/3B 6-1/170 Rob Catapano Knoxville, Tenn. Farragut LHP 5-10/170 .J. Dail Raleigh, N.C. Millbrook RHP 6-0/180 Tim Fedroff Flagtown, N.J. Hillsborough OF 5-11/175 Mark Fleury Roswell, Ga. Pope C 6-0/185 ryant Gaines Weddington, N.C. Charlotte Christian RHP 6-6/210 Ryan Graepel Greenville, N.C. Rose SS 6-1/165 Matt Petiton Garden City, N.Y. Garden City LHP 6-0/175 Drew Poulk Morehead City, N.C. West Carteret OF 6-3/180 Hunter Rome Houston, Texas Memorial P/INF 5-11/160 Kyle Seager Kannapolis, N.C. Northwest Cabarrus IF 6-0/180 Alex White Greenville, N.C D.H. Conley RHP/3B 6-3/185
SIGNEE PROFILES:
Dustin Ackley, Walnut Cove, N.C., North Forsyth, IF/OF, 6-0/185
An athletic and versatile player • Possesses great speed and power • Left-handed hitter • Ranked the No. 4 prospect in the state of North Carolina by Impact Baseball.
Coach Fox on Ackley: "We are excited about Dustin's future. He is a terrific athlete and really impressed us this summer with the way he swung the bat. We certainly believe he can make an immediate impact on our program."
Jared Bard, Charlotte, N.C., Charlotte Christian, RHP/OF, 6-2/175
rother of current Tar Heel Daniel Bard • One of the top prospects in the state of North Carolina both as a pitcher and outfielder • Ranked the No. 16 prospect in the state by Impact Baseball • Ranked the No. 74 prospect in the nation by Team One Baseball • Played in the prestigious East Coast Professional Showcase • Coached by Greg Simmons at Charlotte Christian.
Coach Fox on Bard: "Jared has great makeup and instincts for the game. He comes from a great high school program. He has had a great fall on the mound and he is very versatile. He has a great future as a pitcher and an outfielder."
Colin Bates, Naperville, Ill., Naperville Central, RHP/3B, 6-1/170
Regarded as one of the top prospects in the state of Illinois • Ranked the No. 10 prospect in Illinois by The Prep Baseball Report • All-conference and all-city (Chicago) selection out of Naperville Central High School.
Coach Fox on Bates: "Colin is a great athlete as well as a great student. He has a power arm and a plus breaking ball. With his body and athleticism he will only get better. He has a very bright future a head of him."
Rob Catapano, Knoxville, Tenn., Farragut, LHP, 5-10/170
Regarded as the top left-handed pitcher in the state of Tennessee and ranked among the top ten left-handed pitchers in the country • Participated in the prestigious East Coast Professional Showcase, as well as the Perfect Game National Showcase • Pitched Farragut High School to back-to-back state championships and has a career record of 26-2 with a 1.02 ERA.
Coach Fox on Catapano: "What we love about Rob is that he is a winner. He has great makeup and a great mound presence. He loves to compete. He comes from a great high school program at Farragut and Rob has helped pitch them to back-to-back state championships. Rob was also excited about the commitment our athletic department is making toward baseball. He is excited about pitching in our new stadium. He could've gone anywhere, but he was passionate about being a Tar Heel."
B.J. Dail, Raleigh, N.C., Millbrook, RHP, 6-0/180
A right-handed pitcher with a high upside • Possesses a great breaking ball to go along with his power arm • Pitches for Harry Jones at Millbrook High School • Rated the No. 22 prospect in the state of North Carolina by Impact Baseball.
Coach Fox on Dail: "B.J. is an athlete. We like him as a pitcher mostly. He has a breaking ball that can be very good. With his body, athleticism and work ethic we feel B.J. has a bright future for us. He grew up a Tar Heel fan."
Tim Fedroff, Flagtown, N.J., Hillsborough, OF, 5-11/175
A left-handed hitting outfielder with speed and power • Participated in the prestigious Perfect Game National Showcase.
Coach Fox on Fedroff: "Tim was a highly-recruited outfielder. It was his dream to come to Carolina. He was very emotional and passionate about his desire to attend Carolina. He brings us a great deal of athleticism and speed. He also has some pop in his bat. He will be an exciting player to watch in a Tar Heel uniform."
Mark Fleury, Roswell, Ga., Pope, C, 6-0/185
An athletic left-handed hitting catcher from the prestigious East Cobb baseball program • Rated the No. 84 prospect in the country by Team One Baseball • Also ranked the No. 4 catcher in the country by Team One • His 2005 East Cobb Yankee team won the Connie Mack national championship
Coach Fox on Fleury: "Mark is very athletic. He has a very strong arm and he has pop in his bat, but what we like about Mark the most is he plays so hard. He plays the game 100 miles an hour and he plays the game with passion. He will be a great addition to our program."
Bryant Gaines, Weddington, N.C., Charlotte Christian, RHP, 6-6/210
A two-sport star at Charlotte Christian, where he also plays football • Rated the No. 25 prospect in North Carolina by Impact Baseball • Also a Shrine Bowl nominee as a tight end in football • Teams with Jared Bard to form one of the top high school pitching rotations in state.
Coach Fox on Gaines: "Bryant is a big, strong right-hander that comes from a great high school program. He pitched very well this summer. He has a power arm and possesses great movement on his pitches. Bryant will be a great addition to our program."
Ryan Graepel, Greenville, N.C., Rose, SS, 6-1/165
A standout shortstop from one of the top high school baseball programs in the state • Rated the No. 21 prospect in the state by Impact Baseball • Member of the American Legion state champions Post 39 out of Greenville, NC. • Also a member of 2004 4A state high school champions.
Coach Fox on Graepel: "Ryan is a winner. He gets big hits, he makes big plays and he is one of those kids who always seems to be in the right place at the right time. He is a steady, fundamentally sound player that will be a great addition to our program."
Matt Petiton, Garden City, N.Y., Garden City, LHP, 6-0/175
One of the premier left-handed pitchers in the country • Ranked one of the top 20 prospects in the prestigious East Coast Professional Showcase • Ranked No. 31 prospect in the nation by Team One Baseball • Ranked as the No. 62 prospect in the nation by Baseball America.
Coach Fox on Petiton: "Matt was very highly recruited by many great programs. He is a very polished pitcher that throws three pitches for strikes. He also possesses a great pick-off move. Matt can be as good as Matt wants to be. He has the potential to be a weekend starter for us, and we are counting on Matt to make an immediate impact."
Drew Poulk, Morehead City, N.C., West Carteret, OF, 6-3/180
One of the top prep outfielders in the country • Ranked as one of the top 20 prospects in the prestigious East Coast Professional Showcase • Ranked the 42nd overall prospect in the country by Baseball America • Ranked the No. 6 prospect in the state by Impact Baseball • Possesses speed, power, and a strong throwing arm.
Coach Fox on Poulk: "Drew is one of the best athletes we have recruited to North Carolina. His potential is unlimited. He has great power and he can really run and throw. He comes from a great baseball family and he has the potential to do great things for our program."
Hunter Rome, Houston, Texas, Memorial, P/INF, 5-11/160
A great athlete out of Houston, Texas • Also plays quarterback for Memorial High School • Possesses a strong arm, good speed and great leadership qualities • First-team All-District (5A) selection in Houston • Recently has come on as a standout pitching prospect.
Coach Fox on Hunter: "Hunter is one of those kids that we recruited out of our camp. He showed great desire, commitment and dedication to the game. He also has a passion for being a Tar Heel. We love his competitive drive and his leadership qualities. He will be a great addition to our program."
Kyle Seager, Kannapolis, N.C., Northwest Cabarrus, IF, 6-0/180
A standout infielder out of Northwest Cabarrus High School • One of the all-time leading hitters in the state of North Carolina • Ranked the No. 3 prospect in the state of North Carolina by Impact Baseball • Participated in the prestigious Perfect Game National Showcase.
Coach Fox on Seager: "Kyle is a coach's dream that typifies what a student-athlete at North Carolina is all about. He is an outstanding student, plays the game hard and has been extremely successful both on and off the field. He is a very talented infielder that can really swing the bat. We are excited to have Kyle coming to Chapel Hill."
Alex White, Greenville, N.C, D.H. Conley, RHP/3B, 6-3/185
A standout pitcher/third baseman out of D.H. Conley High School • One of the top prep baseball players in the state of North Carolina • Ranked the No. 6 prospect in the state of North Carolina by Impact Baseball • Member of the State Champion Legion Post 39 and also a member of the State 4A Champions at Conley High School • Also a standout out basketball player.
Coach Fox on White: "Alex is a great athlete who we worked extremely hard to recruit to Carolina As a pitcher, he pitches to both sides of the plate, has a power fastball and a good breaking ball. He possesses great mound presence. As an infielder, he his very athletic and has pop in his bat. We feel he can help us at both positions. What is neat about Alex is that he didn't grow up a Tar Heel fan but throughout the recruiting process, Carolina became more exciting to him as he learned about the University. He became excited about the new stadium and was thrilled when he learned of the academic reputation that our University has. Alex should be an immediate contributor to our program."
