By Staff
ECU Sports Information
GREENVILLE — Three junior college players and 10 high school seniors have committed to play baseball at East Carolina University in 2012, head baseball coach Billy Godwin announced today. The latest group of standouts will enroll at ECU in the fall of 2011 and will take the diamond for the Pirates in 2012.
The class, which includes an AFLAC All-America and Under Armour All-America selection, is made up of seven pitchers (John Allen, Jharel Cotton, Dylan Dickens, Ryan Gupton, Jeff Hoffman, David Lucroy and Shawn Morimando); three two-way players (Tyler Bolton, Rookie Davis and Nick Thompson); two catchers (Geno Escalante and Cameron Gallagher) and an infielder/outfielder (Jay Cannon).
“Our coaching staff is extremely excited about this group of young men,” said Godwin. “This recruiting class is deep in pitching. We have the chance to lose 75 percent of our innings in 2011. This group of pitchers will be expected to help us compete immediately when they step on campus in August.
“We added depth behind the plate and brought in guys that are athletic and can play multiple positions at a high level. Recruiting is about addressing your needs that will compliment the players returning. The talent in this class is as good as any we have assembled during my tenure at East Carolina. I look forward to working with these young men as they will strive to help the Pirates win championships and play in OMAHA.”
John Allen – LHP – 6-4 – 180 – Kerr-Vance Academy (Creedmoor, N.C.)
Helped the Spartans to a three-year record of 67-19 including the 2010 2A EPIC state title under coach Dave Cline.
Tyler Bolton – 3B/RHP – 6-4 – 195 – Kerr-Vance Academy (Wake Forest, N.C.)
Nine-time letterwinner for the Spartans (baseball/4, basketball/3 and soccer/2) … Teammate of fellow ECU signee John Allen.
Jay Cannon – INF – 6-1 – 186 – Brunswick Community College (Angier, N.C.)
Batted .331 (56-for-169) as a freshman … Named second-team all-region after helping the Dolphins to a 34-17 record.
Jharel Cotton – RHP – 6-0 – 189 – Miami Dade College (St. Thomas, Virgin Islands)
Earned second-team All-Southern Conference honors as a freshman … Posted a 4-2 record on the mound with a 2.77 ERA, which ranked third in the state … Fanned 62 and walked 22 in 61.2 innings.
Rookie Davis – 1B/RHP – 6-5 – 225 – Dixon High School (Sneads Ferry, N.C.)
Named Under Armour All-American as a junior … Led the Bulldogs to three-consecutive Coastal Plain Conference Championships, two-straight Touchstone Classic titles and the 2010 Eastern Regional crown.
Geno Escalante – C – 5-11 – 205 – Chipola Junior College (Fairfield, Calif.)
Transferred to Chipola JC in the fall of 2010 from Cal State Fullerton … Played 13 games (two starts) for the Titans in 2010.
Cameron Gallagher – C – 6-3 – 210 – Manheim Township High School (Lancaster, Pa.)
Earned AFLAC All-America honors in 2010 after batting .477 with 10 home runs, eight doubles and 27 RBI … Three-year letterwinner … Helped the Blue Streak and coach Bill Sassaman to a three-year record of 54-17, which included a pair of sectional championships (2008, 2010).
Ryan Gupton – RHP – 6-4 – 190 – D.H. Conley (Winterville, N.C.)
Two-year letterwinner for coach Jason Mills … Named Vikings Most Outstanding Pitcher as a junior … Sported a 2.66 ERA as a sophomore with a 6-4 record in 10 starts.
David Lucroy – RHP – 6-3 – 205 – Umatilla High School (Umatilla, Fla.)
Four-year letterwinner for the Bulldogs … Named team captain as a junior for coach Keith Walsh … Has posted a 10-5 overall record on the mound … As a sophomore was 3-3 with a 3.95 ERA in 11 games.
Shawn Morimando – LHP – 6-0 – 173 – Ocean Lakes High School (Virginia Beach, Va.)
Four-year lettermen for the Dolphins … Named team captain as a junior for coach Gary Spedden … Helped the Dolphins to a 47-23 three-year record, which included a pair of Beach District Tournament crowns (2008, 2010) and a regular season district title (2010).
Nick Thompson – INF/RHP – 6-1 – 195 – Western Branch High School (Chesapeake, Va.)
Five-time letterwinner (baseball/3, swimming/2) … Helped the Bruins to a 54-20 three-year record under coach Roland Wright … Owns a 24-5 three-year record on the mound including a perfect 5-0 ledger in post-season play.