Rutgers Baseball Signs Four
Dec 01 | Baseball
PISCATAWAY, NJ - The Rutgers baseball program has signed four high school seniors to National Letters of Intent during the 2004 early signing period, head coach Fred Hill announced today. The class is comprised of right-handed pitcher Kyle Bradley (Red Bank, NJ), right-handed pitcher Matt Giannini (Watchung, NJ), left-handed pitcher Dennis Hill (Hillsdale, NJ) and outfielder Luis Feliz (New Brunswick, NJ). All four will attend Rutgers next fall and join the program for the 2006 season.
'All four of these young men fill a need in our program and have a chance to help right away,' said Hill.
Bradley, a 6-2, 220-pound senior at Red Bank Catholic, came on strong this summer as a member of the Red Bank American Legion team. Bradley posted a 6-1 record for Red Bank with a 0.28 ERA, striking out 53 with just four walks in 35.1 innings of work. He was also selected to play in the Monmouth vs. Ocean County American Legion All-Star game and is expected to be the ace at Red Bank Catholic this season. He selected Rutgers over St. John's, Seton Hall, East Carolina and Villanova.
'Kyle is a young player with a great upside,' said Hill. 'He is a three-pitch pitcher who possesses an excellent fastball and competes well.'
Giannini, a 6-4, 220-pound senior at Watchung Hills, went 9-1 as a junior in 2004 for the Group IV, Section II Champions. A four-year member of the varsity team, Giannini was an All-Conference, All-Area and Third Team All-Group IV pick this past spring. He started his varsity career with three wins as a freshman. He is also an accomplished basketball player at Watchung Hills, where he averaged 17 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as a junior, earning All-County and All-Area honors. His older brother, Chris, is a sophomore on the football team at Mulhenberg. Giannini chose Rutgers over Seton Hall.
'Matt is an excellent athlete and outstanding baseball player,' said Hill. 'In addition to his great size, he also has an excellent fastball and command of all his pitches. He has the makings of a fine college pitcher.'
Dennis Hill, the younger brother of current RU outfielder Ryan Hill, is a 5-11, 185 southpaw from Pascack Valley High School. He struck out 214 hitters over 174 innings last year, covering his high school, summer and fall seasons, and registered 28 pickoffs. He posted a 15-game winning streak while compiling a 20-4 aggregate record with a 2.00 ERA, including an 11-0 mark in American Legion play this summer. In the state playoffs vs. Lenape Valley, he allowed just two hits and two walks in 10 innings, striking out 12, and threw a no-hitter this summer vs. Westwood with 12 strikeouts, picking off all three batters he walked during the game. He is a two-time All-League and All-Bergen County selection and led his Legion team to a fourth-place finish in the state. Hill chose Rutgers over Delaware, Seton Hall and St. John's.
'Dennis is a polished left-hander who comes from a baseball family,' said Hill. 'He was outstanding in high school and during the summer and has command of three pitches. He will fit in very well on our staff.'
Feliz, a 6-1, 175-pound outfielder, hit .534 last season for New Brunswick with seven doubles, seven triples, 11 home runs and 41 RBI, while swiping 26 bases. He was a Third Team All-State selection as well as a First Team All-County, All-Group II and All-Division pick. Also a three-year standout in basketball, he will run track this winter, competing in the sprints.
'Luis has had an outstanding high school career already at New Brunswick,' said Hill. 'He has a chance to step right in and contribute. His skills and athleticism fit into our program extremely well.'
The Scarlet Knights open their 2005 season on Friday, Feb. 18 at William & Mary. RU will play 23-straight road games to start the season, traveling to Georgia Tech, Old Dominion, Miami and the University of Minnesota, among others. The home schedule kicks off with a three-game series vs. defending BIG EAST Champion Notre Dame on April 2-3.
