By: Chad Beattie
BOCA RATON – Looking to get back to the post-season, Lynn University baseball head Coach Rudy Garbalosa announced the signing of 11 players for the 2011 squad. Six players hail from Palm Beach and Broward counties, one comes from Tampa, two will arrive from California and another two call New York/New Jersey home.
“I know we have a great group of guys coming in next year,” said assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Donovan O’Dowd. “These players have talent, experience, passion for the game and most importantly they are all really good character kids. We look forward to having them and pursuing another national championship.”
Leading the class is California’s Eric Petter. Drafted in the 35th round in this year’s Major League Baseball amateur draft and signed by the Cleveland Indians out of El Camino College, Petter was 13-0 with a 2.12 earned-run average and 127 strikeouts on the mound while batting .330 with 18 doubles, eight home runs and 48 runs batted in. He was named the South Coast Conference and California State Player and Pitcher of the Year in leading the Warriors to a SCC title and the school’s first California NJCAA appearance.
JC Menna becomes the latest addition to join the Fighting Knights from Brookdale Community College. Others in the past few seasons have included Joe Arminio, Paddy Matera and Kevin Rickert. Menna, a 14th round draft pick and signee by the Oakland Athletics, posted a 6-3 mark on the mound with a 1.52 ERA and 64 K’s for the Toms River, N.J., school to earn First Team NJCAA First Team All-America honors in addition to his First Team All-Garden State Conference and All-Region XIX accolades. The staff ace helped the Jersey Blues to a No. 9 national ranking and a berth in the NJCAA Tournament.
Pitchers Eric Rice and Kyle Wolfe, along with outfielder Alex Bello, will join the Blue & White from nearby Palm Beach State College. Rice was a 25th round draft pick and signee by the Chicago Cubs after going 7-1 with 52 strikeouts and a 3.20 ERA and earning First Team All-Southern Conference and Second Team All-State Florida. Wolfe mirrored his teammate’s performance with a 6-2 mark, 3.30 ERA and 55 K’s while Bello batted .384 with 34 RBIs, 10 doubles, three triples and 10 stolen bases.
Both Wolfe and Bello garnered First Team All-Southern Conference recognition and the trio helped their school to their first conference championship since 1984 and a No. 2 state ranking heading in to the Florida State Tournament.
Joining the bevy of incoming players with postseason experience is Austin Smith of State College of Florida-Manatee. He batted .305 with 11 doubles, four home runs, 29 RBIs and 36 stolen bases in helping his squad to a No. 3 national ranking and Suncoast Conference and Florida Community College Athletic Association titles.
A pair of Broward College players round out the South Florida connection to LU. Anthony Boza looks to be the next great first baseman for the Fighting Knights and brings with him some gaudy numbers. He hit .411 for the Seahawks with 17 doubles, five home runs and 36 RBIs to earn First Team All-Southern Conference honors. Teammate Kyle Radziewski played every inning at shortstop while batting .343 with eight doubles and 25 runs batted in.
The final player from Florida arrives from Hillsborough CC. Andrew Virgili excelled in the field and the mound where he hit .347 with three bombs and 31 runs batted in while displaying a power pitcher mentality with 37 K’s in relief.
Phil Mannelly and Jason Beaumont round out the contingent of players arriving in Boca Raton. Mannelly earned First Team All-Golden Valley honors and helped Feather River Community College to a conference crown with a .373 batting average, 16 doubles, 35 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. Beaumont led Monroe CC to a Western New York Athletic Conference title after going 6-3 with 39 strikeouts and a 4.10 ERA.
Lynn University went 16-37-1 and 6-18 in the Sunshine State Conference this past year and graduated seven seniors.