Oct. 12, 2004

Columbia, S.C. – The University of South Carolina baseball recruiting class has been ranked ninth in the nation by Baseball America. It is the second publication to rank the Carolina baseball recruiting class in the Top 10 for this year. Collegiate Baseball also ranked South Carolina ninth in the nation. The University of South Carolina baseball team has put together five consecutive classes ranked in the Top 10 in the nation.

This year’s class for South Carolina features 14 players including nine players from the state of South Carolina. It combines seven high school signees along with seven junior college signees with six players previously selected in the MLB Draft.

The last eight recruiting classes at South Carolina have all been ranked in the Top 25. The 2003 class tied for first in rankings by Collegiate Baseball, the 2002 class ranked eighth with 2001 finishing 10th and the 2000 group also ranked eighth. The 1997 Gamecock class ranked 17th along with the 1998 and 1999 classes that were both 11th.

South Carolina is one of three SEC teams in this year’s Dandy Dozen compiled by Baseball America. LSU ranks sixth and Alabama ranks 10th.

2004 SOUTH CAROLINA BASEBALL SIGNEES

Chris Brown
– 2002 Major League Baseball Draft Pick — 41st round; Minnesota Twins
– Two-time Sun Coast Conference First Team
– 2004 second team Florida JC All-State
– Sophomore year of junior college batted .375 with five HR and 12 doubles
– Freshman year of junior college batted .337 with 12 doubles, five triples, three HR and 24 RBI as well as 20/20 in stolen bases
– Played in the 2003 Florida JC All-Star Game in Winter Haven, Fla.

Andrew Crisp
– 2004 Major League Baseball Draft Pick – 35th round; Baltimore Orioles
– Starting shortstop at Riverside HS – 2003 & 2004 Class AAA State Championship Team
– Two-time All-State honors
– Three-time All-Conference selection
– Senior year of high school he hit .350 with four HR
– Junior yer of high school batted .375 with six HR and 38 RBI
– Competed in 2003 Big League World Series; squad won national title

Trey Delk
– Two-time AAA Region IV Player of the Year as a junior and senior
– Earned All-State honors as a senior
– Posted a 7-2 record with a 1.17 ERA and 89 strikeouts as a senior
– Went 6-1 with 80 strikeouts and three walks in 44 innings pitched as a junior
– Hurled 59 innings and finished with a 6-3 record with 89 strikeouts as a sophomore
– Member of Beta Club and National Honor Society; ranks 21st in class of 269 students

Joey Friddle
– 2003 Major League Baseball Draft Pick – 30th round; Pittsburgh Pirates
– Two-time first team All-Conference honors at Young Harris
– Hit .364 as a sophomore with five HR, 32 RBI and 57 stolen bases in 65 attempts; second most in JC
– Hit .327 as a freshman with one HR and a nation-leading 52 stolen bases in JC
– Region Tournament MVP as a freshman and was named to All-Tournament Team
– Recently competed on Junior College National All-Star Team in the USA-China Friendship Series in Beijing

Neil Giesler
– 2003 Major League Baseball Draft Pick – 37th round; Chicago White Sox
– 2002 Major League Baseball Draft Pick – 29th round; Chicago White Sox
– Two-time All-Panhandle Conference
– Named twice to Florida Community College Athletic Association Team (FCCAA)
– Two-time FCCAA All-Academic Team
– Batted .432 with seven HR and 32 RBI as a sophomore; set a new single-season school record at Okaloosa
– Batted .417 with six HR and 43 RBI in first year at Okaloosa Walton CC, batting average was seventh highest in FCCAA, also had 14 doubles on the season.
– NJCAA All-District honoree as a freshman
– Played in the 2003 Florida JC All-Star Game in Winter Haven, Fla.
– Recently competed on Junior College National All-Star Team in the USA-China Friendship Series in Beijing

Brad Hocking
– Went 10-0 with a 0.97 ERA in 58 innings pitched with 83 strikeouts and 12 walks as a junior
– Member of 2003 and 2004 SC AAA State Championship Team
– Named to 2003 National Baseball Coaches Association District III Team
– 2003 SCBCA and High School Sports Report AAA State Player of the Year
– Named to World Wood Bat Association Underclassman All-Tournament Team (Ft. Meyers, Fla.)
– Currently first in his class at Riverside HS and finished with a 1450 SAT
– Active member of National Honor Society and Key Club
– Has served with Boys and Girls club and Meals on Wheels ,br>

Jeff Jeffords
– 2004 Major League Baseball Draft Pick – 32nd round; Baltimore Orioles

Brent Marsh
– Posted a 5-0 record with six saves and a 1.10 ERA in 2004 season
– As a freshman went 4-1 with 14 saves and a 0.83 ERA
– Marsh’s 20 career saves set a Tallahassee CC school record
– Two-time Florida All-State and All-Conference honors at Tallahassee CC
– Named FCCAA Fireman of the Year after freshman season
– Signed with Florida State out of high school/redshirted and transferred to Tallahassee CC

Ian Paxton
– Batted .307 with eight HR and 45 RBI as a sophomore at Gulf Coast CC
– All-Panhandle Conference as a sophomore; team went on a 26-game winning streak
– Competed at Sophomore Showcase

Wynn Pelzer
– Played in South Carolina-North Carolina Select Game
– As a junior had 71 strikeouts in 41 innings pitched with a 2.56 ERA
– Four-time All-Region selection

Craig Thomas
– Named to South Carolina AAAA All-State team as a senior, junior and sophomore by SC Sports Report
– Earend All-Region honors as a sophomore, junior and senior
– Region Player of the Year as a senior; Finalist for Mr. Baseball
– Posted an 8-3 record with a 2.00 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 64 innings pitched as a senior
– Finished junior season with a 6-1 record, one save and a 1.58 ERA, tallied 64 strikeouts in 57 2/3 innings pitched
– Member of 2003 and 2004 South Carolina AAAA State Runner-Up team – Played for South Carolina Diamond Devils; 18’s won 2004 World Wood Bat Association national championship; was tournament MVP
– A Wendy’s Heisman Nominee as a senior
– Member of National Honor Society & National Beta Club, ranks 10th in a class of 512 at Lexington HS, 1300 SAT
– SC Junior Scholor and listed with Who’s Who Among American High School Students

Cory Vanderhook
– 2003 Major League Baseball Draft Pick – 42nd Round; LA Dodgers
– 2002 Major League Baseball Draft Pick – 25th Round; Seattle Mariners
– 2004 MVP and earned All-Conference honors as a sophomore
– In 2004 hit .335 overall and .370 in conference with two HR and eight doubles
– 2004 squad at Golden West won conference title for the first time and finished fifth in state of California

Chris Warner
– Competed in 2004 AAA Wooden Bat Summer League; batted .400
– 2004 Western New York State Player of the Year
– Helped high school squad to sixth place finish in state; hit .530 with eight HR and school record 41 RBI
– Two-time All-State and All-Region selection
– Three-Time All-Conference selection

Brandon White
– SC High School Sports Report 2003 South Carolina AAAA Player of the Year
– Finished 2003 season as a junior with a 11-2 record, 0.90 ERA and 133 strikeouts
– Member of AAAA South Carolina 2003 State Championship team
– Two-time All-State and All-Region honors in 2003 and 2004
– Finished 2004 season as a senior with a 7-4 record