Nov. 14, 2001
WACO, Texas - Baylor baseball coach Steve Smith announced Wednesday the signing of 12 players to National Letters of Intent for the 2003 season. The class is made up entirely of high school players and has been hailed by several publications as one of the nation's best signing classes.
"I am very pleased and excited to have such an outstanding group of young men elect to join the Baylor University baseball program," head coach Steve Smith said. "I feel like we accomplished all of our goals in terms of the positions that we wanted to fill, and it is gratifying to be able to sign so many players from the state of Texas."
Among Team One Baseball's top-200 players, only three schools had more committments than Baylor's four (Arizona State 10, Florida 6, Tulane 5). Thirteen of those top-200 prospects have committed to Big 12 schools (Baylor 4, Texas 4, Texas A&M 2, Oklahoma 1, Missouri 1 and Nebraska 1), the Bears signed nearly one-third of those 13.
Eleven of the Bears' 12 signees come from the state of Texas, the lone exception is outfielder Kevin Sevigny, who was ranked by Baseball America/Perfect Game as the top prospect in the state of Maine. Of the 11 Texas natives to sign with Baylor, eight were named to the Baseball America/Perfect Game Top 400 Prospects for the Class of 2002. Five of those players were ranked among the 25 best prospects in the state by Texas Baseball News: RHP Mark McCormick, RHP/SS Clint Everts, RHP Zach Golden, LHP/1B James Loney and RHP Ryan LaMotta.
"Over the past several years, our program has enjoyed a fine reputation across the country, allowing us to recruit players from a variety of places," Smith said. "The state of Texas has many great programs with outstanding coaches and players, and I am especially pleased to have so many Texas high school players signing with us at this time.
"Recruiting competition for the best players in the state of Texas is intense, and much of the credit for our making such a recruiting impact in the state of Texas this year goes to assistant coach Mitch Thompson, who has served as our recruiting coordinator for the past seven years. He does an exceptional job of evaluating players and represents Baylor University very well."
In addition to having put up excellent numbers on the field, the class as a whole also has an exceptional academic background. Six of the 12 signees qualified for academic merit scholarship as a part of their overall aid package.
Baylor concluded the 2001 season with a 37-24 record, earning a fourth-straight NCAA bid and falling just short of advancing to the NCAA Super Regional. The Bears finished fourth in the Big 12 Conference and ranked 22nd nationally.
2001 Baylor Baseball Signees
Name Pos. Ht. Wt. B/T Hometown (School)Tyler Bullock C/1B 6-2 220 R/R Fort Worth, Texas (R.L. Paschal)Clint Everts RHP/SS 6-2 170 S/R Houston, Texas (Cy-Falls)Brad Ferguson RHP 6-2 170 R/R West, Texas (West HS)Seth Fortenberry OF/LHP 6-2 175 L/L Waco, Texas (Midway HS)Zach Golden RHP 6-2 183 R/R Pearland, Texas (Pearland HS)Ryan LaMotta RHP/IF 5-11 170 R/R Sugar Land, Texas (Clements HS)James Loney LHP/1B 6-2 190 L/L Missouri City, Texas (Elkins HS)Mark McCormick RHP 6-2 190 R/R Clear Creek, Texas (Clear Creek HS)Andy Pape RHP 6-4 235 R/R San Antonio, Texas (Ronald Reagan HS)Kyle Reynolds SS/2B 6-2 160 L/R Houston, Texas (Second Baptist HS)Jake Rippee IF 6-0 165 S/R Kerrville, Texas (Tivy HS)Kevin Sevigny OF 6-0 180 S/R Springvale, Maine (Sanford HS)
Tyler Bullock, a catcher/first baseman from R.L. Paschal High School in Fort Worth, Texas, was ranked by Baseball America/Perfect Game as the No. 32 prospect in Texas and No. 257 in the country. In 2001, Bullock hit .330 with nine doubles, three home runs and 19 RBI for head coach Richard Vasquez. Those numbers earned him second-team all-district honors. Bullock was named Pashcal MVP Freshman in 1999 and District Sophomore of the Year in 2000. He played summer ball in 2001 for the Dallas Tigers and head coach Tommy Hernandez, hitting .465 with 12 doubles, nine home runs and 35 RBI. Out of uniform, he participated in National Honor Society and Student Council and volunteered with the Salvation Army. The son of Joe and Emily Bullock, Tyler comes from a baseball family, father Joe played college ball at Abilene Christian from 1977-1979. Tyler chose Baylor over TCU and UT-Arlington.
Head Coach Steve Smith on Bullock: "Tyler has exceptional physical strength and size. He has good power at the plate and an outstanding throwing arm. He is also a very good student."
Clint Everts is one of several Baylor players ranked by the pundits as among the best in the state and nation. Team One Baseball ranked Everts as the No. 51 prospect in the nation, while Baseball America/Perfect Game ranked him as the No. 55 prospect in the nation and No. 9 in Texas. Texas Baseball News ranked Everts No. 5 in the state. As a junior in 2001, Everts hit .341 with six doubles, two triples, three home runs and 23 RBI for coach Brent McDonald at Cy-Falls High School in Houston, Texas. On the mound, Everts was 7-1 with a 1.26 ERA, striking out 70 hitters in 44.2 innings. For his efforts, he was named first-team all-district in 2001. Everts played summer ball with coach Mike Neff's Columbia Angels, who traditionally are among the best in the state. Everts was selected for the 2000 USA Junior Olympic Youth Team, the 2001 USA Junior Olympic Tournament of Stars trials, and for the 2001 Texas Ranger Area Code Team. Everts' family has strong Baylor connections, step-grandfather Paul Spivey, step-uncle Steve Spivey, step-cousin Katherine Spivey and brother Chris Everts all attended Baylor. The son of Craig and Diana Spivey, Clint chose Baylor over Arizona State, LSU, Texas, Texas A&M and Rice.
Head Coach Steve Smith on Everts: "Clint is a tremendous two-way player. He brings great athleticism to the mound with both an outstanding fastball and breaking ball. Additionally, he is a switch hitter with the ability to play any of the infield spots and is a very good runner as well."
When right-handed pitcher Brad Ferguson joins the Bears in 2002, he won't have far to go, Ferguson played his high school ball at West High School in West, Texas, just north of Waco. The hard-throwing righthander was 12-3 as a junior in 2001 for head coach Rich Fontenot, striking out 157 batters and compiling a miniscule 0.48 ERA in 88 innings. When not on the mound, Ferguson played in the outfield, hitting .417 with four home runs, 28 RBI, 16 stolen bases, and a .514 on-base percentage. In his first three years on the mound at West HS, Ferguson put together a career record of 32-7 with a 1.48 ERA and 344 strikeouts. As a freshman in 1999, he was named first-team all-state as a pitcher. Two years later, he was named a second-team all-state pitcher, first-team Central Texas Super Centex and District 17-3A MVP. Ferguson was the top starter and also played outfield for the West Trojan 2001 District, Bi-District and Area Champions. He played summer ball for Gary Lacy and the Waco Cardinals, where he was a teammate of Baylor signee Seth Fortenberry and an AAU Junior Olympic Medalist. Ferguson also lettered in basketball and track. Away from sports, he has participated in student council and National Honor Society and ranks in the top 10 percent of his class. The son of Larry and Lois Ferguson, Brad chose Baylor over Texas A&M, Stanford and UT-Arlington.
Head Coach Steve Smith on Ferguson: "Brad has had a great high school career and continues to get better. He has good size and three quality pitches. He is an exceptionally mature young man who I believe will fit in very well here."
One of the Bears' four two-way signees, Seth Fortenberry will come to Baylor as an outfielder/pitcher. In 2001, he hit .311 with four doubles, seven home runs, 30 RBI and seven stolen bases for coach Tom Gladney's Midway High School team in Waco, Texas. The same season, the left-handed Fortenberry went 7-3 with a 1.79 ERA, striking out 85 batters in 54.2 innings. He was selected first-team all-district and honorable mention all-state as an outfielder in 2000. During the summer, Fortenberry played ball for Gary Lacy's Waco Cardinals, where he was a teammate of fellow Baylor signee Brad Ferguson and an AAU Junior Olympic Medalist. Fortenberry also earned three letters in football at Midway. The son of Jeff (a Baylor graduate) and Becky Fortenberry, Seth chose Baylor over Texas A&M, Tulane and Rice.
Head Coach Steve Smith on Fortenberry: "Seth is an outstanding two-sport athlete with good speed and size. He projects very well physically and could develop into a dual position player as a left-handed hitting outfielder and a left-handed pitcher. I am so proud to have central Texas players like Brad and Seth who have followed our program so closely over the years and will now get the opportunity to make their own mark."
Zach Golden is a right-handed pitcher from Pearland, Texas, where he was coached by Tony Thompson at Pearland High School. Ranked as the No. 11 player in the state by Texas Baseball News and No. 147in the nation by Team One Baseball, Golden was 0-4 as a junior despite compiling a 1.21 ERA with 58 strikeouts in just 46 innings. With a high-80s/low-90s fastball, good movement and a solid breaking pitch, Golden walked just 17 in those 46 innings for a strikeout-to-walk ration of 3.41-to-1. In three of his four starts, he pitched nine-inning complete games. In 2001, Golden was named the Pearland H.S. Pitcher of the Year and second-team all-district. Off the diamond, he also is a three-year football letterman and a member of National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. He represented his school at Texas Boys State in 2001 and is an active member of Pearland H.S.'s PALS group, where he mentors elementary and middle school students weekly. The son of Rick and Libby Golden, Zach chose Baylor over Stanford, Rice, Tulane and Texas.
Head Coach Steve Smith on Golden: "Zach has excelled as a two-sport athlete as a pitcher and wide receiver. His athleticism, size, and arm strength make him one of the top prospects in the state on the mound."
Ryan LaMotta, a right-handed pitcher/infielder, will join Baylor from Clements High School in Sugar Land, Texas, where he played for head coach Herb Espinosa. A consistent high-80s thrower, LaMotta has excellent movement on both his fastball and curveball. As a junior in 2001, he was 8-3 with a 1.31 ERA with 131 strikeouts in 70.1 innings. That, after compiling an 11-1 record with an ERA of 0.95 as a sophomore. In addition to his feats on the mound, LaMotta hit .352 with 11 doubles, three home runs, 20 RBI and seven stolen bases. Those combined numbers led to numerous honors, including first-team all-district, second-team all-Greater Houston and first-team preseason all-Greater Houston. Texas Baseball News ranked LaMotta as the No. 23 prospect in the state, Baseball America/Perfect Game placed him at No. 40 in Texas and No. 315 nationally. LaMotta played summer ball on the Houston Kyle Chapman team coached by Mike Rutledge with Baylor signees James Loney, Mark McCormick and Kyle Reynolds that won the 2001 Palomino World Championships. He also has experience playing at the USA Team Trials and the USA Baseball Tournament of Stars in Joplin, Mo. The son of Chuck and Karen LaMotta, Ryan chose Baylor over Texas A&M, Houston and Texas.
Head Coach Steve Smith on LaMotta: "Ryan is a definite as a pitcher and also a potential infielder. He is a very polished pitcher already with a reputation as a great competitor. He is also an exceptional student."
Texas Baseball News ranked James Loney the No. 14 prospect in the state, and with good reason. The left-handed pitcher/first baseman put up impressive stats for coach Rick Carpenter at Elkins High School in Missouri City, Texas. As a sophomore in 2000, Loney compiled a perfect 14-0 record on the mound, striking out 119 batters in 129 innings and posting a 1.00 ERA. He followed that up with a 7-4 record in 2001, depending on a high-80s fastball, a good breaking ball and excellent command. As a slugging first-baseman, Loney hit .431 his sophomore season at Elkins with eight doubles, two triples, three home runs and 45 RBI. As a junior, he hit .379 with three home runs and 48 RBI as his team made its second straight state championship appearance. Team One Baseball ranked Loney the No. 67 prospect in the nation, while Baseball America/Perfect Game listed him at No. 147. Among the awards on his mantle are first-team all-district, All-Greater Houston and first-team all-state. Loney played with the silver medal-winning USA Junior Olympic National Team in 2000 and participated in the 2001 USA Junior Olympic Tournament of Stars. He also played with the 2001 Texas Rangers Area Code team. Loney played his summer ball for coach Mike Rutledge with Houston Kyle Chapman, where he teamed with fellow Baylor signees Ryan LaMotta, Mark McCormick and Kyle Reynolds to take the Palomino League World Series championship. Off the field, he has been active in National Honor Society and Boy Scouts. Loney comes from an athletic family, both his father, Marion, and his mother, Ann, played collegiate basketball at the University of New York-Oswego. James chose Baylor over Texas A&M, Rice, Texas and Houston.
Head Coach Steve Smith on Loney: "James is one of the best dual position players in the country with the ability to make an impact as both a left-handed hitting first baseman and a left-handed pitcher on the mound. He has very good skills as a pitcher and has legitimate left-handed power at the plate. Elkins High School has produced a number of tremendous players, including former Bear all-Americans Eric Nelson and Kip Wells."
According to the experts, right-handed pitcher Mark McCormick is the best of the bunch. Thanks to a fastball that consistently clockes in the low-90s and has topped at 95 MPH, McCormick is ranked by Team One Baseball as the No. 4 prospect in the nation (No. 8 by Baseball America/Perfect Game) and is ranked by both BA/PG and Texas Baseball News as the No. 2 prospect in Texas. At the Perfect Game World Wood Bat Showcase, Team One ranked McCormick as the No. 1 prospect out of over 1200 players who participated. As a junior in 2001 playing at Clear Creek High School in Clear Creek, Texas, he went 5-1 with a 1.56 ERA and 80 strikeouts for head coach Jim Mallory despite missing half the season with a broken hand. A member of the Team USA Junior National Team, McCormick helped lead his squad to a silver medal in Cuba. In 2001, his summer league team, Houston Kyle Chapman, won the Palomino World Championship under head coach Mike Rutledge. Joining McCormick on that team were fellow Baylor signees Ryan LaMotta, James Loney and Kyle Reynolds. The son of Bill and Lisa McCormick, Mark chose Baylor over Miami, Arizona State and Texas.
Head Coach Steve Smith on McCormick: "Mark has an outstanding arm with his fastball topping out in the mid-90s. He has good size and has been rated as one of the best high school pitching prospects in the country. Mark is a former high school teammate of current Baylor pitcher Steven White."
Right-handed pitcher Andy Pape provides an intimidating presence on the mound, standing 6-4, 235. His talent earned him a ranking as the No. 253 prospect in the nation (No. 30 in Texas) by Baseball America/Perfect Game. Pape put together a 5-4 record with a 4.04 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 52 innings as a junior in 2001 for head coach Ricky Jordan at Reagan High School in San Antonio, Texas. Playing summer ball in 2001, Pape teamed with fellow Baylor signee Jake Rippee to lead the San Antonio Hackers to a runner-up finish in the 16-and-Under National AAU Tournament. For the Hackers, Pape went 9-2 with a 2.63 ERA, striking out 82 in 69.2 innings. Pape's honors in the classroom match his on-the-field feats. An academic all-state selection, Pape was a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, was a National Merit Commended Student and an AP Scholar and is ranked No. 1 in his class. Additionally, he has been involved with Meals on Wheels and the Raul Jimenez Thanksgiving Dinner. The son of Gary and Karen Pape, Andy chose Baylor over Pepperdine, Harvard and Brown.
Head Coach Steve Smith on Pape: "Andy is a big, strong right-handed pitcher with a good arm and an exceptional breaking ball. He has good command and is a very mature young man. He is also a tremendous student as indicated by the fact that he chose Baylor over several Ivy League schools."
Kyle Reynolds has baseball in his blood, and it shows in his talent level. Kyle Reynolds, the son of former Major League all-star Craig Reynolds, is ranked as the No. 81 high school prospect in Texas by Baseball America/Perfect Game. As a junior playing for coach Jeff Schroeder at Second Baptist High School, Reynolds hit .533 with 14 doubles, five triples, seven home runs, 41 RBI and 20 stolen bases. Those gaudy statistics earned him district MVP honors and a first-team all-state selection. Reynolds was one of four Baylor signees to play summer league ball for Houston Kyle Chapman and coach Mike Rutledge, joining Ryan LaMotta, James Loney and Mark McCormick on the Palomino World Champions. Off the field, Reynolds is actively involved in several volunteer services. His sister, Ashlyn, is currently a sophomore at Baylor. The son of Craig and Josey Reynolds, Kyle chose Baylor over Houston, Rice and Tulane.
Head Coach Steve Smith on Reynolds: "Kyle is a very polished left-handed hitting infielder with very good speed. He is a primary shortstop with the ability to play a number of other positions on the field. He projects very well physically and obviously has been very well-schooled in the game. He is also a tremendous student and a wonderful person."
Jake Rippee was the leadoff hitter in 2001 for regional finalist Tivy High School of Kerrville, Texas, where his father Steve is the head coach. At the top of the order, the younger Rippee hit .303 with 24 walks, 35 runs and 11 RBI as his team went 25-9-2. He was named first-team all-district as a second baseman in 2001, other honors included an academic all-district selection and nomination to the Texas Junior Sunbelt Team. Rippee also played three years of varsity football and one season of basketball, as a wide receiver, he earned second-team all-district accolades and was named to the Hill Country Super Team. He played summer league ball in 2001 for the San Antonio Hackers and coach Scott Mayer, where he teamed with fellow Baylor signee Andy Pape. The Hackers finished 35-10 and were runners-up for the 16-and-under AAU National Championship. For the Hackers, Rippee hit .329 with six doubles, four triples, one home run, 23 RBI and eight stolen bases while also compiling a 7-1 record and 2.32 ERA on the mound. Away from sports, Rippee was named to the Principal's Team three times and participated in the National Honor Society, D.A.R.E. and PALS. His father played collegiate baseball at Lubbock Christian, and sister Lindsey is a junior pitcher on the Texas A&M softball team. The son of Steve and Cheri Rippee, Jake chose Baylor over Texas Tech and UT-San Antonio.
Head Coach Steve Smith on Rippee: "Another outstanding athlete, Jake also excels as a receiver on his high school football team. He is a switch hitter with great speed and the arm strength to play any of the infield positions. He is also a very gifted student."
The Bears' only signee from outside of Texas, Kevin Sevigny hails from Springvale, Maine, where he has played four years of varsity baseball at Sanford High School for head coach Mark Boissoneault. According to Baseball America/Perfect Game, the switch-hitting Sevigny ranks as the No. 1 player in Maine and the No. 199 prospect in the nation. As a junior in 2001, he hit .349 with five doubles, three home runs and 14 RBI while playing an errorless center field. In 2001, Sevigny's honors included being voted team captain, playing in the Area Code Games and being named to the State High School All-Star first-team both offensively and defensively. Away from baseball, he lettered in football, playing two seasons on the gridiron. The son of Edwin and Elaine Sevigny, Kevin chose Baylor over Clemson, Oklahoma, Maine, Marist and Coastal Carolina.
Head Coach Steve Smith on Sevigny: "Kevin is one of the best players in the northeast and has competed all across the country in numerous national showcases. He has the bat speed and skills to be an exceptional hitter at this level and the arm strength and speed to play any of the outfield positions."
