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Thursday - November 17, 2005
National Signing Day
According to Texas Baseball News magazine (as reported by the Statesman), the Longhorns have signed seven of the state's top 25 high school recruits. Quote:
The most-prized signees are pitchers Jordan Walden (Mansfield High) and Brandon Belt (Lufkin Hudson), though both could end up signing with major-league teams after being drafted in June.
The Longhorns lost second baseman Robby Hudson, All-America shortstop Seth Johnston and third baseman David Maroul -- the Most Outstanding Player at the 2005 College World Series -- to pro baseball, which made recruiting infielders a priority for Texas.
Josh Prince, the younger brother of former UT outfielder Dooley Prince, will help in this area as will Sanford, Fla., signee Marcus Lemon, the son of former major-league outfielder Chet Lemon.
Other notables who signed include McCallum center fielder Kyle Lusson and outfielder Clint Stubbs, the younger brother of Texas junior center fielder Drew Stubbs.
I have to say that I like reading news that a kid from the Austin area or the younger sibling of a former player has chosen to come to UT. I think that says something good about the program.
And, here's the link to the TexasSports.com press release about all of the signings: Baseball inks 12 during early signing period.
I decided to go looking around and found a few stories about some of the latest crop of signees:
- Dodgeball contest staged in Angleton by Matt Tasler (The Facts) - this story has nothing to do with the signing but is, in part, about signee Taylor Hammack and is kinda funny so...I'm going with it
- Brandon Belt: Belt signs with Longhorns by Josh Havard (Lufkin Daily News)
- Besides being a good baseball player, Blake Williams is the quarterback for the Sweeny Bulldogs who were in the Texas State 3A playoffs:
- Sweeny advances to playoffs with win (The Facts)
- Sweeny ready for challenge by Matt Tasler (The Facts)
- Bulldogs sent home by Joel Luna (The Facts)
- Marcus Lemon (sadly, it sounds like he'll probably go pro):
- High-school ballplayers sign with colleges by Joe Williams (Orlando Sentinel)
- Eustis baseball star Lemon has it all -- on and off the field by Joe Williams (Orlando Sentinel)
- Here's his USA Baseball Junior National Team profile
- Opportunity, Demands Explode For Youth Players by Alan Matthews (Baseball America)
- Carmine Giardina (another signee from Florida who probably won't come to Texas):
- Durant ace opts for Texas by Keith Niebuhr (St. Petersburg Times)
- Golden Options by Rozel A. Lee (Tampa Tribune)
- Russell Moldenhauer:
- As a sophomore in 2004, Russell Moldenhauer was the Player of the Year on the Texas Sports Writers Association All-State Baseball Team for Class 4A (link). Oddly enough, for 2005, he "only" made 2nd Team honors (link).
- He made the 2005 "Louisville Slugger's" HS All-American Team as multiple position player...C/RHP (link).
Hook 'em!
Posted by Joanna at 10:05 PM