UCLA, USD, and Hawaii Providing Prep Recruits
May 9, 2013 - West Coast League (WCL)
Wenatchee AppleSox News Release
(Wenatchee, WA)-A group of top recruits from UCLA, University of San Diego, and the University of Hawaii will gain experience in Wenatchee this summer before beginning their college careers. Infielder Gosuke Katoh and outfielder Brett Stephens of UCLA, outfielder Hunter Mercado-Hood, infielder Trae Arbet, and right-handed pitcher C.J. Burdick of USD, along with first baseman Jake Bauers of the University of Hawaii will join the AppleSox.
"All of these guys are supremely talented. We have had a lot of success over the years with players straight out of high school. We run the risk that we might lose them to the MLB Draft, but it's a risk worth taking," said AppleSox head coach Ed Knaggs.
Katoh, out of Rancho Bernardo High School in Poway, CA, is ranked as the No. 1 high school second baseman in the country by Perfect Game USA. He is also ranked No. 203 on Perfect Game USA's list of the top 300 prospects eligible for the 2013 MLB Draft. He was the Palomar League Player of the Year and a first-team All-CIF San Diego Section selection in 2012.
"He is a dynamite infielder who is incredible defensively. He is a guy that we have heard about for a long time and we expect him to be an impact player on our team this summer," said Knaggs.
Stephens is also a California product from Campolindo High School in Moraga. He is ranked No. 421 on Perfect Game USA's list of top 500 2013 High School Prospects. A talented multi-sport athlete, in football he led his high school to the 2011 NCS Division III championship and a runner-up finish in the Division III State Championship as the team's quarterback.
"He fits the mold of many of the UCLA recruits that we have had before, which means he is an excellent athlete who has a very bright future ahead of him," said AppleSox head coach Ed Knaggs.
Mercado-Hood is a senior at De La Salle High School in Brentwood, CA. The future Torero is batting .407 with 22 runs scored in his final season as a prep player.
Arbet is ranked No. 74 on Baseball America's list of the top high school prospects. As a junior at Great Oak High School in Temecula, CA, he was named an All-Southwestern League second team selection after hitting .352.
Burdick is a San Diego native that will get to play close to home for the Toreros. The 6-foot-5 hurler has been dominant for Serra High School on the mound this spring, posting a 8-1 record with a 0.72 ERA.
"We have had a long relationship with the University of San Diego," said Knaggs. "They always bring in very talented recruiting classes and we look forward to having these future Toreros contribute for us this summer."
Bauers, a University of Hawaii recruit from California, is in his final season at Marina High School in Huntington Beach. The powerful left-handed hitting first baseman had a .462 batting average last season as a junior.
"He has really developed over his last couple years of high school and the coaches at the University of Hawaii were really excited to land him," said Knaggs.
The AppleSox open the 2013 season at home on June 5th with a three-game series against the Corvallis Knights in a rematch of the 2012 West Coast League Championship Series.
• Discuss this story on the West Coast League message board...
West Coast League Stories from May 9, 2013
- UCLA, USD, and Hawaii Providing Prep Recruits - Wenatchee AppleSox
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
