ECU Baseball Inks Seven in Early Period
December 01, 2003 | Baseball
"We're very pleased with the group of young men we've signed at this time," assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Allen Osborne said. "All of these guys have the tools that we look for to fit into our program and they should be able to step in and fill some voids for us in 2005."
Woods Fines, Ryan Peisel and Brad Stephenson headline the signing class. All three players participated in the East Coast Professional Baseball Showcase this past summer in Wilmington, N.C.
Fines, a right-handed pitcher from Pittsboro, N.C. and Northwoods High School, is the only instate player to sign with the Pirates in the early period.
Peisel, a first baseman from Marietta, Ga., helped Lassiter High School to a region championship last spring. He led Lassiter and Cobb County in home runs with 10. He played summer league ball with East Cobb baseball. He helped East Cobb to the Junior and Senior Perfect Game World Wood Bat Championships this past summer in Fla. He was named Most Valuable Player of the 18-under Perfect Game Tournament and to the All-tournament team at the AAU Junior Olympic. He also earned all-county honorable mention from the Atlanta Journal Constitution and Marietta Daily Journal.
Stephenson, a catcher from Chesapeake, Va., is a senior at Great Bridge High School where he hit .465 with 28 RBI and four home runs during two seasons. He also added seven stolen bases. He played for the New Jersey Twins during the fall and summer. He was selected to take part in the Select Fest at Rutgers University, Area Code Tryout in Harrisburg, Pa., and the Perfect Game World Wood Bat Tournament in Jupiter, Fla.
The remainder of East Carolina's commitments include T.J. Hose, Chad Jennings, Dale Mollenhauer and Harrison Eldridge.
Hose, a right-handed pitcher from Hagerstown, Md., earned all-state honors as a junior at North Hagerstown High School last season. As a junior, he posted a 1.87 ERA and finished the season with a 5-2 record with one save after striking out 66 batters in 52 1/3 innings. He was named first-team All-county, All-MVAL and All-area. Hose played summer ball for the Mid Maryland Red Sox and finished the 2003 season with a 0.00 ERA through 25 innings, striking out 53 batters and recording 15 saves. He played in the Perfect Game World Wood Bat Tournament.
Jennings is a right-handed pitcher from Laurel, Md. who is a senior at Riverdale Baptist. He played summer league ball with Hose.
Mollenhauer, a shortstop from Gibsonia, Pa., earned all-state honors as a junior at Pine Richland High School. He also played fall and summer league ball for the Mid-Atlantic Rookies.
ECU's final out-of-state signee is Eldridge. An outfielder from Knoxville, Tenn., Eldridge hit lead-off for the defending Class AAA state champions Farragut High School. He hit .446 as a junior and set the Tennessee single-season record for runs scored (75).
The Pirates open the 2004 season Feb. 13 in Greenville against UNC Asheville. ECU plays 12 straight games at home including games in the first annual Keith LeClair Invitational Tournament.
