Baseball Welcomes New Bears to Class
8/27/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Aug. 27, 2002
WACO, Texas - The Baylor baseball program welcomed 14 new players to campus this week as fall classes began Monday.
Eight of the players beginning class this week were named to the Baseball America/Perfect Game Top 400 Prospects for the Class of 2002, led by three incoming freshmen who were ranked among the 25 best prospects in the state by Texas Baseball News: right-handed pitcher Mark McCormick, right-handed pitcher Zach Golden and right-handed pitcher Ryan LaMotta. McCormick (11th round, Baltimore Orioles) and shortstop Kyle Reynolds (50th round, Arizona Diamondbacks) were selected during the amateur draft in June but elected not to sign.
Three of the 14 players chose Baylor this summer: Chase Gerdes, an outfielder/left-handed pitcher from Uvalde High School in Uvalde, Texas; Russell Reichenbach, a left-handed pitcher from L.D. Bell High School in Hurst, Texas; and Jason Thompson, an outfielder/left-handed pitcher from Trinity High School in Euless, Texas.
Also entering classes were previously-announced signees Tyler Bullock, Brad Ferguson, Seth Fortenberry, Andy Pape, Jake Rippee, Kevin Sevigny and Blake Womble.
Noticeable among those not beginning class were Major League Baseball first-round draft picks Clint Everts, selected fifth overall by the Montreal Expos, and pitcher/first baseman James Loney, taken with the No. 19 overall pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Loney signed with the Dodgers in June, while Everts signed with the Expos just last week.
Joining Everts and Loney among those signing pro were Baylor underclassmen Mike Huggins (Baltimore Orioles), Paul Richmond (Toronto Blue Jays) and Paul Thorp (New York Yankees). The three seniors-to-be were each drafted in June and decided to bypass their senior seasons to enter the professional ranks.
