Oct. 4, 2002

Columbia, S.C. –
Collegiate Baseball announced its rankings of top recruiting classes in the nation with this year’s newcomers at South Carolina ranked eighth in the nation. This is South Carolina’s third consecutive top ten recruiting class.

The Gamecocks bring in 14 newcomers for next season, including 2002 Gatorade South Carolina Player of the Year and 17th round selection of the Cubs, Forrest Beverly (Conway, S.C.), eighth round MLB draft selection of the Diamondbacks, Ryan Mahoney (Patterson, N.Y.), NJCAA first team All-American Hank Parks (Spartanburg Methodist JC/Easley, S.C.) and all-state South Carolina selections Trey McDaniel (Brookland-Cayce HS/W. Columbia, S.C.), Steven Tolleson (Dorman HS/Spartanburg, S.C.) and Zach Reeves (Easley HS/Easley, S.C.).

2002 SOUTH CAROLINA BASEBALL SIGNEES

Forrest Beverly LHP 6-3 205 Conway HS/Conway, S.C.

– 17th round MLB Draft selection by the Chicago Cubs
– 2002 Gatorade South Carolina Player of the Year
– Named Mr. Baseball by the S.C. High School Sports Report
– Named 2002 Toast of the Coast Player of the Year
– Competed in the North Carolina-South Carolina Challenge;
– pitched two innings and struck out four, allowing no runs and no hits
– Finished with a 7-3 record in 2002 with a 0.81 ERA, and 120 strikeouts in 60 innings
– Earned an 8-1 record in 2001 in 44 2/3 innings pitched with 72 strikeouts, 21 walks allowed and a 3.13 ERA
– Pitched for South Carolina Diamond Devils in Fall of 2001 finishing with a 6-0 record in 27 innings pitched
– With Diamond Devils, struck out 43 batters and allowed eight walks with a 0.26 ERA
– Participated in 2001 East Coast Professional Showecase

Sadry Cafe’ OF R/R 6-0 191 Lake Sumter Community College/Orlando, Fla.
– Florida Junior College All-Star
– Injured a large portion of the 2002 season but batted around .290 with eight home runs
– Played in the Clark C. Griffith Collegiate League over the summer and batted .333
– Last Fall, hit .482 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI
– Batted .297 with seven home runs and 35 RBI in 2001 for Lake Sumter

Michael Campbell P/OF L/L 6-0 173 Handley HS/Winchester, Va.

– Pitched and played outfield in high school
– As a senior batted .450 with four home runs and 25 RBI; as a pitcher had a 10-0 record with a 1.06 ERA
– 2002 State of Virginia Player of the Year; also earned District and Region Player of the Year honors
– Named All-Metro Greater Washington D.C. Player of the Year
– Participated in 2001 East Coast Professional Showcase
– Played in the 2001 Virginia Commonwealth Games
– Batted .421 with 24 hits and 14 RBI as a junior in 2001 season

Nick Gardiner OF R/R 5-10 209 San Jose City College/San Jose, Calif.

– 2002 California Junior College All-American batting .360 with 15 home runs, 14 doubles and three triples
– Competed in the California Junior College All-Star Game
– Batted .412 with 17 doubles and three home runs in 2001 season earning second team All-Conference

Conor Lalor RHP 6-4 206 Houston HS/Germantown, Tenn.

– 44th Round MLB Draft selection by the Arizona Diamondbacks
– Recorded 16-4 career record in three seasons at Houston HS
– As a junior finished the season with a 1.50 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 38 innings
– Named Top 10 prospect at the Team One National Showcase
– Participated at the 2001 East Coast Professional Showcase

Ryan Mahoney C L/R 6-4 222 Carmel HS/Patterson, N.Y.

– Eighth Round MLB Draft selection by the Arizona Diamondbacks
– Batted .502 as a senior with five homers, six triples and eight doubles, also scoring 35 runs and had 29 RBI
– All-League MVP and All-Section first team
– Earned New York second team All-State honors
– Played this summer for the Bayside Yankees, an all-star traveling squad
– As a junior in 2001 he batted .507 with seven home runs and 31 RBI
– Participated in the Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif. in the summer of 2001

Trey McDaniel 3B/1B L/R 6-3 235 Brookland-Cayce HS/West Columbia, S.C.

– All-State in 2002 by SC High School Sports Report
– Played this summer on U-18 team from Savannah that won the national championship in Florida tourney
– Helped lead B-C to the lower-state finals as he batted .430 with nine home runs and 40 RBI
– Also played this summer with the SC Diamond Devils baatting .529 in 27 games with nine homers, 38 RBI
– Batted .467 as a junior with five HR and 33 RBI
– As a sophomore batted .415 with eight doubles and four homers as B-C won state championship

Hank Parks 1B R/R 5-11 224 Spartanburg Methodist JC/Easley, S.C.

– NJCAA first team All-American honors in 2002 batting .382 with 25 home runs and 80 RBI
– JC Region 10 Player of the Year
– Batted .383 with 59 hits and 62 RBI in 2001 season with 13 doubles and 11 home runs

Zach Reeves LHP 5-10 165 Easley HS/Easley, S.C.

– Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball High School All-American
– As a senior posted a 9-2 record with a 0.81 ERA, 97 strikeouts in 56 innings pitched and walked only 14
– SC High School Sports Report All-State
– Also earned All-State honors from SC Baseball Coaches Association
– Played two seasons for SC Diamond Devils

B.J. Richmond OF/1B L/L 6-3 183 South Point HS/Belmont N.C.

– Earned All-State honors in North Carolina and was named All-Area by Charlotte Observer & Gaston Gazette
– Batted .375 as a senior with seven home runs and 30 RBI
– Also received All-State honors as a junior in NC with at .370 batting average and seven home runs

Steven Tolleson INF R/R 5-9 165 Dorman HS/Spartanburg, S.C.

– Earned All-State honors as a senior batting .439 with 15 doubles and 10 home runs
– Stole 29 of 29 bases and was never thrown out in his high school career, stealing 86 of 86 bases
– Nominated for SC Gatorade Player of the Year
– Batted .449 with 53 hits in 2001 season
– Played for South Carolina Diamond Devils batting .408 with six doubles, three triples and two home runs
– Also earned All-State honors as a junior

Bryan Triplett INF R/R 5-11 172 Spartanburg Methodist JC/Leesville, S.C.
– NJCAA third team All-American in 2002
– Batted .412 in 2002 with 75 runs scored, 19 doubles, 11 home runs and 58 RBI
– Also finished the 2002 season with a .676 slugging percentage
– Batted .330 in 2001 with 18 doubles, four home runs and 45 RBI
– Earned All-State honors as a senior in high school in 2000 and was a North/South All-Star

Bobby White LHP 6-3 1/2 227 Spartanburg Methodist JC/N. Augusta, S.C.

– 2001 39th Round MLB draft selection by the Detroit Tigers
– Posted an 8-2 record in 2002 with a 3.43 ERA, four complete games and 57 strikeouts in 60.1 innings
– Compiled an 11-2 record in 2001 with a 2.88 ERA in 78 innings with 74 strikeouts and 26 walks

Walker Whitley RHP 6-6 212 Rose HS/Greenville, N.C.

– Two-time All-Conference selection with a 5-1 record as a senior and a 1.81 ERA
– North Carolina Scholar Athlete
– Finished with a 5-0 record for American Legion team, helping squad advance to third round of playoffs
– Daily Reflection first team All-Area