Hurricanes Ink 10 During Fall Signing Period
Nov. 20, 2003
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — University of Miami head baseball coach Jim Morris announced the signing of 10 players to national letters of intent on Thursday to join the Hurricane baseball team in the fall of 2004.
“We feel like this class is one of the best in the country,” assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Gino DiMare said. “With a veteran team this year, we could lose a lot of players to the Major League Draft at the end of the year.
“This is a class that can step right in and carry on the tradition of Miami baseball.”
The class includes nine incoming freshmen and one junior college transfer. The group also includes five players listed in Baseball America’s top 35 high school players. Six of UM’s signees are local talent out of South Florida high schools.
“I am very pleased with this recruiting class,” Morris said. “It will fill a lot of needs for us with a lot of veteran players this year. I feel like Gino has done an excellent job of bringing in an outstanding group of players.”
Giovani Gonzalez, widely considered the best left-handed pitcher in the state and possibly in the country, inked with the Hurricanes. The 5-foot-11-inch Gonzalez is ranked as the 11th-best high school prospect nationally by Baseball America. Gonzalez is a Miami native and plays for Monsignor Pace High School.
Dexter Fowler, a native of Alpharetta, Ga., and one of the outstanding outfield prospects in the country, also inked with Miami. Out of Milton High School and 6 feet 4 inches tall and 175 pounds, Fowler is ranked 12th nationally by Baseball America. He was the MVP of the Connie Mack World Series this past summer, while playing for the champion East Cobb Yankees.
The Miami coaching staff ventured to the state of Maine to find right-handed pitching prospect Mark Rogers out of Mt. Ararat High School. The Orr’s Island, Maine, native is ranked as the 15th-best prospect in the nation by Baseball America. A talented all-around athlete, Rogers helped his high school soccer team to the state championship and is also considered one of the top high school ice hockey players in the country. Rogers was 11-2 last season with a 0.16 ERA and 158 strikeouts in 83 innings. One newspaper in Maine called Rogers the best athlete to come out of the state in 25 years.
The Hurricanes landed another outstanding pitching prospect in Hialeah’s Raudel Alfonso. The Hialeah High School product is ranked 26th nationally by Baseball America. Alfonso helped pitch Hialeah to the state championship in 2001 and 2002 and at 6 foot 2 inches tall has the makeup to be an outstanding power pitcher for the Hurricanes who tops out at 93-94 mph.
Alex Garabedian is the only catcher in Miami’s 2004 signing class. He is 6 foot 3 inches tall out of Columbus High School in Miami, where he led the Explorers to the 2003 state championship. Baseball America has Garabedian listed as the No. 2 catching prospect in the country and the 33rd best prospect overall.
Miami picked up one junior college transfer, Andy Bennett, out of Polk Community College in Winter Haven, Fla. Bennett is expected to step in at first base in 2004 for the Hurricanes.
UM landed a great athlete and possibly the best shortstop in the state of Florida with the signing of Walter Diaz out of Braddock High School in Miami. Diaz is 6 foot tall and 180 pounds and is ranked as the 123rd-best prospect nationally. Diaz helped lead Columbus High School to the state championship in 2003 before transferring to Braddock.
Maybe the most physically ready pitcher in UM’s 2004 recruiting class is Eduardo Morlan out of Coral Park High School in Miami. At 6 foot 2 inches and 200 pounds, Morlan is a power pitcher with an explosive arm that is ranked 138th by Baseball America.
Emmanuel Miguelez, out of Coral Reef High School in Miami, has the potential of becoming a quality left-handed pitcher for the Hurricanes in the future. Miguelez is considered the second-best left-handed pitcher in South Florida.
Miami made another trip to Georgia to find right-handed pitching prospect Michael Sanders out of Eagles Landing High School in McDonough, Ga. The UM coaching staff was excited to land the 6 foot 2 inch Georgia prospect that they feel has great potential to help the program in the future.
Miami opens the 2004 regular season on Friday, Feb. 13, with a three-game series against the Florida Gators at Mark Light Field. Prior to that, the Hurricanes will welcome back former players for the annual Alumni Game on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m. The Hurricanes will also play the World Series Champion Florida Marlins on Wednesday, March 3, at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla.
Call 1-800-GO-CANES for season and individual game ticket information or check out UM’s official athletic website www.hurricanesports.com for updated information on the baseball team.
