Recruiting Class Ranked 10th by Baseball America
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami’s 2018 recruiting class was ranked the 10th-best nationwide by Baseball America, the publication announced Wednesday.
The group, ranked as the fourth in the ACC, continues a longstanding trend of top recruiting classes arriving on campus; Miami’s 2017 class was rated eighth, its 2016 group was ranked No. 13, its 2014 group was ranked No. 20, its 2013 class was ranked sixth and its 2012 newcomers were ranked ninth.
“I am very excited about the possibilities of this class,” head coach Gino DiMare said. “It has great potential and hopefully with hard work and development, over the next three years they will prove to be a top-10 type of class.”
Three members of the class were selected in the 2018 MLB First-Year Player Draft; catcher Adrian Del Castillo was taken by the Chicago White Sox in the 36th round, while infielder Anthony Vilar was picked in the 37th round by the Chicago Cubs and right-handed pitcher Slade Cecconi was selected in the 38th round by the Baltimore Orioles.
Cecconi (No. 79), left-handed pitcher/utility JP Gates (No. 133) and Del Castillo (No. 196) were all ranked among Baseball America‘s top 200 recruits.
Baseball America rates infielders Cal Conley, Luis Tuero and Vilar, as well as outfielders Jordan Lala and Chad Crosbie, among the top position players in Miami’s incoming class. Cecconi and Gates are joined by junior college transfers Tyler Keysor and Mark Mixon as pitchers Baseball America anticipates will be factors in 2018.
Miami’s incoming class features 11 freshmen and three junior college transfers.
“We are extremely excited about the group we were able to get in,” assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Norberto Lopez said. “This marks back-to-back top-ten classes in the country. Our excitement comes from the fact that we were able to add both impact players on the mound and to our lineup. We are hopeful that our young talent continues to develop and make significant contributions on the field.”
See below for Baseball America‘s full top-25 recruiting class rankings:
2018 Top 25 Recruiting Class Rankings
1. Louisiana State
2. Vanderbilt
3. Florida State
4. Louisville
5. Florida
6. UCLA
7. Texas A&M
8. Texas
9. Clemson
10. Miami
11. Virginia
12. Mississippi State
13. Arizona
14. Southern California
15. Alabama
16. Cal State Fullerton
17. Auburn
18. Texas Tech
19. Florida International
20. Texas Christian
21. South Carolina
22. North Carolina
23. Kentucky
24. Illinois
25. Coastal Carolina
