Fourteen Players Sign LOI?s To Play Baseball At UW
November 17, 2014 | Baseball
SEATTLE – Fourteen student-athletes signed letters of intent to play collegiate baseball at Washington, coach Lindsay Meggs announced today.
The recruiting class fills needs at all positions and contains players from six different states. Seven players listed as infielders, two outfielders, two catchers, two right-handed pitchers and a left-handed pitcher are all scheduled to join Washington in the fall of 2015.
Not only is the 2015 signing class large, it is talented and highly rated. Perfect Game ranks Washington's class 34th nationally and the Huskies have landed the publications 36th-overall ranked player.
“First of all I want to congratulate our associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Jason Kelly, as well as assistant coaches Donegal Fergus and Tanner Swanson for what I believe is an outstanding class,” said Meggs. “Each and every one of our 2015's is first and foremost an outstanding student, and secondly talented enough to make an impression on our program the day they arrive.
“While we went heavy on position players in the 2015 class, we believe the pitching in this group will more than hold their own before it's all said and done. And this has to be the most athletic group we have brought in to date, with the type of depth we need to continue to build our program.”
THE PITCHERS
Joe DeMers (right), from Martinez, Calif., headlines the Huskies' class. Not only is he ranked 36th overall by Perfect Game and 39th overall by Baseball America, he is Perfect Game's 11th-ranked right-handed pitcher. He has represented the United States four times at USA National Team levels, earning gold medals with the U18 team in 2014 and 2013, plus 2011 as the youngest member of the U16 squad.
"I chose UW because I love Seattle and the campus and all the facilities," said Demers, who is arguably the most decorated recruit in the Meggs era. "The coaches are all on the same page and there is a great group of players coming in."
DeMers, who routinely hits mid-90s on the radar gun, was 12-2 with a 0.65 ERA in 86 innings through his junior year at College Park High School, earning numerous honors including: Bay Area News Group's East Bay Player of the Year, MaxPreps Medium Schools California State Player of the Year, Diablo Valley Athletic League Pitcher of the Year. He also walked just nine batters while striking out 94.
“Joe has a legitimate chance to be our Friday night starter the minute he steps foot on campus,” gushed Meggs. “While I've seen him sit 91-92 for the last two years, I also saw him touch 94 this summer. And while it's his fastball that gets your attention, what impresses me most is his ability to throw three pitches for strikes. In fact, while most will consider him to be a power arm, his best pitch might be his changeup.
“That being said, what really makes Joe so special goes way beyond his stuff. Joe is a great teammate and competitor. Whether Joe is on the mound that day or simply waiting for his turn to pitch, Joe is on the top step of the dugout pulling for his teammates. Every pitching staff that gets to Omaha has a Joe Demers leading the way. Joe is potentially a very high draft pick with big league stuff, but his number one goal is to get to the College World Series. Joe is a difference maker, and Joe is a Husky.”
The other right-handed pitcher in the class also happens to be the second-highest rated player among UW's signees, according to Perfect Game. Karsen Lindell (right), one of two Oregonians in the class, helped West Linn earn co-champions of the Three Rivers League in 2014. He is the 292nd ranked player nationally according to Perfect Game, No. 2 overall from Oregon, after earning first team all-league recognition.
“Karsen may have the biggest upside of any player we have in the 2015 class,” said Meggs. “This is a guy who sits at 88-91 as we speak, yet has way more in the tank. Karsen has just begun to scratch the surface and as he matures and gets stronger we believe he will develop into a legitimate Pac 12 weekend starter. Karsen is also a good athlete from a baseball family who really understands the game. And when you combine his feel for the game along with his ability to locate his fastball, Karsen has a chance to help us as soon as he gets here.”
The only other pitcher in the Huskies' signing group is left-hander Tyler Oldenberg from Boise, Idaho. He helped Bishop Kelly High School to a third-place finish at the 2014 Idaho 4A State Championship, going 6-2 with a 3.68 ERA in 38 innings. He also played in the 2014 Area Code Games for the Royals.
The chance to earn a degree from Washington, while playing in the Pac-12 was too much for Oldenberg to pass up. "It has the best education to baseball combination in the Northwest," he said.
Meggs is excited to get his lone lefty from the class onto campus in 2015 and see him compete right away for a job in the rotation.
“We think Tyler can come in here and help us immediately,” said Meggs. “He is mature enough that he won't be overwhelmed by the moment, and he is enough of a strike thrower that he could be valuable out of the bullpen. But the best thing about Tyler may be his athletic ability. Not only is he be able to make adjustments quickly on the mound, but he fields his position well and he is tough to run on. All of the above makes Tyler a great candidate to be a swing guy when he gets here.
“Regardless of his role we expect Tyler to eat up innings for us as a freshman, and it would not surprise me if he gives our weekend guys a run for their money.”
THE CATCHERS
The Huskies will add a couple of highly-touted catchers to the roster in 2015. Willie MacIver is the 69th ranked catcher, while David Irvine (right) is ranked 91st by Perfect Game. MacIver is teammates with DeMers at College Park High School, where he hit .362 with 63 hits and 37 RBI in 2013 and '14. He was third-team All-East Bay.
"I chose UW because of the top-notch facilities, the great academics and the coaching staff along with players made me feel like UW was the perfect fit," said MacIver.
Likewise, Meggs feels MacIver is a perfect fit at Washington.
“While Will got our attention as a catcher, at the end of the day we are excited about Will because he is a baseball player,” said Meggs. “Will is the guy who takes the extra base, drives in the winning run, and can play just about anywhere on defense. While Will is going to begin his Husky career behind the plate, I wouldn't be surprised to see him hit is way onto the field at first base or in the outfield. Will can lead off an inning and he can get a two out hit. Will is the guy you want up with runners in scoring position and the game on the line. He is a baseball player and he is a gamer. Will MacIver is going to be a great Husky.”
Irvine is a left-handed hitting catcher out of Roseburg High School in Oregon. He was honorable mention Oregon 6A All-State in 2012 and 6A Southern Oregon Hybrid second-team all-league in 2014 and is the state's fifth-ranked overall player by Perfect Game. He is very excited for the opportunity to move north and play his collegiate baseball.
"I chose UW because of the great coaching staff," Irvine said. "It's a great academic school, the facilities are awesome, and it's in Seattle."
“David is a left handed hitting catcher who can also play both corner outfield positions and come off the bench late in the game as a pinch hitter," added Meggs. "David understands the game and is athletic enough to find a way at the end of the day to help you win a baseball game. Whether David stays behind the plate or challenges for at bats as an outfielder, he plays the game hard and can take a good at bat with the game on the line. As David continues to grow and get stronger, David could also compete for consistent at bats in the DH spot. One way or another, David will help us,” said Meggs.
THE INFIELDERS
Among the Huskies seven infielder signees, two are ranked in among the nation's top 500 players. AJ Graffanino is 79th according to Baseball America and 450th nationally by Perfect Game, 11th overall in the state of Arizona, while Dallas Tessar is 488th nationally, 74th from the state of California.
Graffanino (right), who is the son of former Major Leaguer Tony Graffanino, is a switch-hitting shortstop from Northwest Christian High School in Peoria, Ariz. He batted .461 as a junior with 76 hits and 25 RBI.
“AJ is just beginning to scratch the surface oaf what I believe will be a long baseball career. The son of former big league infielder, AJ has a great feel for the way the game should be played and he already plays defense like a Pac-12 veteran,” said Meggs.
“As AJ continues to mature and get stronger, the bat will catch up and then Husky fans are going to see the complete package in the middle of our infield. Obviously AJ has the pedigree we all look for but that is not his best quality. The best thing about AJ is the way he works. This guy lives and breathes it every day. He wants to go to Omaha, he wants to be a high draft pick, and he wants to play in the big leagues. And from what I've seen, I will not be surprised if he does all three.”
Tessar is a shortstop from Chaminade Prep in Simi Valley, Calif. He had a .276 average as a junior. His brother, Brando, just wrapped up his college career for Oregon.
“Dallas (right) is a talented kid who can do a lot of things on the baseball field,” said Meggs. “However the best thing about Dallas is that he is a winner. Whether he is up to bat with the game on the line or standing at shortstop with the tying run on second base, you want the game decided by Dallas Tessar. Dallas is a high energy guy whose attitude, personality and work ethic are contagious.
“Don't get me wrong this guy can play,” continued Meggs. “He is a talented middle infielder who could end up hitting in the three-hole. However, even if he couldn't play a lick I'd want him in my program because Dallas is the guy you want in your foxhole. Lucky for us he is a player, and a good one. Husky baseball fans will love Dallas Tessar because from the minute he gets here, he will be in the middle of everything.”
The Huskies also received a pair of commitments from in-state infielders. Jack Johnson from Roosevelt HS in Seattle and Zach Needham from Puyallup HS both decided to stay close to home to play out their college careers. Needham plays second base and shortstop for the Washington 4A State Champion Vikings. He is ranked as Washington's No. 19 prospect in the Baseball Northwest State Rankings.
“Zach has proven that he can play virtually any position on the infield which will give us some immediate depth as he continues to develop as a hitter,” said Meggs. “While Zach is athletic enough to play on both sides of the infield, we see him developing into a middle of the order left-handed hitting third baseman with RBI potential. Zach has a good swing with good feel, and with his frame he may end up being one of our stronger guys. Zach is a baseball rat who loves the game and will continue to get better, and with his upside his best days are definitely ahead of him.”
Johnson is the state's 14th overall player according to Perfect Game after hitting .343 with two home runs and 11 RBI in 22 games last season. He also is versatile in where he can play on the field.
“Jack is a proven defender who could literally play any position on the infield,” said Meggs. “Jack has good actions at short but I can see him helping us all over the infield. Jack is one of those guys who can impact the game on defense because things slow down for him when he's out there. He understands the value of the routine play and he knows how important that is to us. Jack will contribute offensively because he is a good situational hitter who understands the game. However I think his best days offensively are down the road. With his frame he has a lot of room to get stronger and when he does he will be fun to watch.”
Rounding out the Huskies class of infielders are Karl Kani (right) from Sherman Oaks, Calif., Blake Burton from San Juan Capistrano, Calif. and Peyton Lacoste from Louisiana. Kani, who plays for Cathedral HS, is the 79th-ranked player from California, sixth among third basemen, according to Perfect Game. Whether he stays at third base when he gets to Washington will be determined down the road.
“Karl caught our attention the first time we saw him because of how explosive he is on offense and how versatile he is on defense. Offensively Karl puts pressure on the defense the instant he steps in the batter's box. He is a plus runner who will be a good fit at the top of the batting order. Karl can play all three infield positions and he would be a good fit on either side of the infield. However the way he runs, he would be electric in center field. Regardless of where we play him, Husky fans will enjoy watching him fly around the bases.”
Burton is ranked 105th in the state, 10th overall at third base. Coach Meggs feels that he could wind up at third or first, but he is most excited about his potential with the bat.
“Blake is a corner infielder from one of the most prolific high school baseball programs in Southern California, Mater Dei High School,” said Meggs. “We are excited about Blake because of his upside offensively. We see Blake as a legitimate middle of the order threat that will drive in runs on a consistent basis. Blake needs to get bigger and stronger like all young hitters his age, but when he does he is capable of doing some damage at Husky Ballpark. We are excited to see Blake compete this year in maybe the best high school baseball conference in California. Another positive thing about Blake is that when he gets to the Diamond on Montlake, he will be battle tested.”
Lacoste (right) plays third base for St. Paul's HS in Covington, La., where he is the state's 21st-ranked player. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder was the state's representative in the Power Showcase Home Run Derby in 2014 and was named to the Perfect Game All-Tournament 18U Team.
“Peyton is a right-handed power-hitting corner infielder who we believe has the chance to drive in runs consistently in the Pac 12 Conference. Peyton has shown big time power as a high school hitter in Louisiana, and we think that his power will be a great fit in the middle of our batting order. Peyton can hold his own defensively at both corner spots on the infield but make no mistake about it, this is an offensive guy. We were looking for some right handed power to add balance to what we believe will be a very athletic top of the order, and Peyton will be a nice fit in that role. If this guy settles in the way we hope, he will be driving balls into the lake on a regular basis,” said Meggs.
THE OUTFIELDERS
The only players listed as outfielders in the class are a pair of Washingtonians. Peter Perkins from Bellevue, Wash., attends Bear Creek High School and plays for Overlake/Bear Creek. He was first team all-state in 2014 and the Emerald City League co-MVP. He has hit .471 during high school with 82 hits and 80 RBI. He is Washington's No. 8 prospect according to Baseball Northwest and ranked 20th by Perfect Game.
“Peter is a right-handed power-hitting first baseman/corner outfielder who we were attracted to because he has a chance to drive in runs,” said Meggs. “Peter is raw and a work in progress but he also has a great work ethic, plays hard and he is physical. Peter is likely to be a late bloomer but I know he loves to work so I can see him helping us down the road. When this guy figures it out, he is physically capable of doing some damage.”
Rex Stephan (right) is a left-handed hitting outfielder from O'Dea HS in Seattle. He is the 19th ranked player in Washington according to Perfect Game. In 26 games for O'Dea in 2014 he hit .377 with a home run and 14 RBI.
“Rex grows on you for all the right reasons,” said Meggs. “He is a left-handed hitter with some juice who can run. And Rex plays hard. He turns singles into doubles and doubles into triples. We are working hard offensively to find guys who can apply pressure every time they step in the batter's box and Rex is one of those guys. He will force the defense to play fast catch and that creates problems every time he gets on first base. We love the fact that he can not only go from first to third on a base hit, but he can also hit a double in the gap to clear the bases. Rex can play all three outfield spots but will likely settle in as a corner outfielder. Keep your eye on this guy as he will be tough to keep off the field.”
Meggs summed up his class in the following manner: “Because we are the University of Washington, Husky Baseball will always be about graduating our players. However it is just as much about the road to Omaha, and preparing them for professional baseball. And with the recent success we've had in the area of facilities and player development, I think this class will have a chance to experience all three.”
