Huskies Add Four Transfers For 2016
June 02, 2015 | Baseball
SEATTLE – The Husky Baseball team has signed four junior college transfers for next season, head coach Lindsay Meggs announced Tuesday.
The four position players – Francis Christy, Alex Galgano, MJ Hubbs and Gage Matuszak – each hail from different states. They will join a group of newcomers that includes 14 previously signed high school seniors.
Galgano (Seattle, Wash.) is a right-handed utility player that spent the last two seasons at Bellevue College after playing high school ball at Archbishop Murphy in Everett.
Galgano was 2015 First Team All-NWAC after hitting .359 with one home run, 13 RBI and scoring a team high 23 runs in 23 games. He also hit .441 with 12 runs batted in as a freshman.
“Alex is a gamer that will do anything to get on the field and is the guy you want up with the game on the line,” said Meggs. “Alex has the confidence to step in right away and I have no doubt that he can handle Pac-12 pitching.
“This guy is a grinder.”
Galgano was a three-year letter winner at Archbishop Murphy and was three times named to the All-Cascade League first team. He hit .420 as a senior in 2013 and helped his team to the Washington 2A State Championship game.
Christy (Petaluma, Calif.) was the CCCAA (California Community College Athletic Association) Player of the Year, as well as first team All-American after helping Palomar to the CCCAA State Championship Final Four in 2015. The left-handed hitting catcher hit .326 and tied for the state lead with 11 home runs.
“Frank has big-time power and can step in immediately and be a legitimate middle-of-the-order guy in the Pac-12,” Meggs said of Christy, who also ranked third among California community college players with 52 RBI.
“Frank will drive in runs the minute he shows up here and his presence in the lineup will make everyone better.”
Christy is the third catcher from Palomar to join the Huskies. B.K. Santy played at Washington in 2011 and 2012, while Zach Bonneau just completed his sophomore season in 2015.
Christy played for Casa Grande High School before arriving at Palomar, where he earned first team Pacific Coast Athletic Conference in 2014 as a freshman. He was the 2013 North Bay League Player of the Year and was a 37th round draft pick by the Oakland Athletics after his senior year.
Left-handed hitting Gage Matuszak will join the Huskies after playing first base last year for Feather River CC in Quincy, Calif. The 6-foot-2, 245-pounder from Sandy, Utah spent 2013 and 2014 at the University of Utah before joining Feather River.
He led the entire state of California last season with 23 doubles and hit .394 overall in 44 games with five home runs and 53 RBI.
“Gage is your prototypical left-handed hitting first baseman who knows how to drive in runs,” said Meggs. “While Gage can drive the ball out of the park on occasion, we like him because he is an accomplished left-handed hitter who is also good around the bag.”
Matuszak redshirted the 2013 season at Utah and did not play in 2014 due to injury. He played high school baseball for Brighton.
Outfielder MJ Hubbs (Cave Creek, Ariz.) joins Washington after two years at Central Arizona CC. He was 2014 First Team All-ACCAC after leading his team with a .348 average, including 64 hits, 11 home runs, 15 doubles, five triples and 60 RBI in 52 games.
“MJ is a corner outfielder that knows how to hit and has the makeup to step in here immediately and compete for front line at bats,” said Meggs.
“MJ plays hard and has an edge to him that I think will create some energy the minute he steps on the field.”
Hubbs was the Phoenix Player of the Year and first team All-Section and All-state as a junior and senior for Pinnacle High School. He hit .494 as a senior and .431 as a junior.
Here are complete bios for each of the four new players:
Francis Christy –Petaluma, Calif. (Casa Grande/Palomar)
6-1, 215, C/OF, L/R
Palomar CC
Played for Coach Buck Taylor … named CCCAA Player of the Year as well as 1st Team All American … helped Palomar to a 37-8 record, the CCCAA State Championship Final Four – where they finished third – and as high as No. 2 in the National Community College Baseball rankings … hit .326 with 11 home runs, 52 RBI, 43 runs and was 10 for 12 in stolen bases … his 11 homers tied for the state lead and his 52 runs batted in were the third most in California … was 1st team Pacific Coast Athletic Conference in 2014 after hitting .345 with 12 doubles, 9 home runs and 47 RBI.
Casa Grande HS
2013 Rawlings Second Team All-American … North Bay League Player of the Year as a senior after hitting .423 with 41 hits in 97 at bats, including 6 home runs, 9 doubles, 30 runs and 19 RBI … All-Regional First Team … Perfect Game 2012 Underclass Third Team … Max Preps Medium School All-California team … drafted in the 37th round by the Oakland Athletics in 2013.
Alex Galgano – Seattle, Wash. (Archbishop Murphy/Bellevue CC)
5-10, 200, C/OF, R/R
Bellevue Community College
Played for Mark Yoshino … First Team All-NWAC North Division in 2015 after he hit .359 with one home run, 13 RBI and team highs 23 runs, 21 walks and OPS of 1.038 in 23 games ... played 11 games, hitting .441 with 12 RBI as a freshman.
Archbishop Murphy HS
Was a three-year letter winner playing for coach Stan Taloff … three-time First-Team All-Cascade League and Second-Team All-2A State honors as a senior … helped Archbishop Murphy to the state championship … hit .420 as a senior … also lettered three years in football, helping the team finish state runners-up two times … earned First-Team All-Cascade League twice and was First-Team All-2A State … played summer ball for Taylor under Husky volunteer assistant coach Tanner Swanson.
MJ Hubbs – Cave Creek, Ariz. (Pinnacle/Central Arizona CC)
5-10, 180, OF, R/R
Central Arizona CC
2015 First Team All-ACCAC … hit team-best .348 average with 64 hits, including 11 home runs, 15 doubles, 5 triples and 60 RBI in 52 games … also scored 44 runs and was 7-of-9 stealing bases … same Community College that MLB players such as Ian Kinsler, Rich Harden and Scott Hairston attended … played for coach Anthony Gilich.
Pinnacle HS
Graduated from Pinnacle HS in 2013 … three-year starter for the Pioneers at centerfield and second base … was first team All-Section and All-State as a junior and senior … Phoenix Player of the Year … American Family Insurance All-USA Arizona team … hit .494 as a senior with 4 homers, 7 triples, 6 doubles, 32 runs and 30 RBI … hit .431 with 7 HRs, 10 doubles, 24 runs, 19 RBI as a junior … played for Coach John Casey … appeared in the Connie Mack World Series in 2011 for the Arizona Firebirds … played for the Arizona Rays at the World Wood Bat Championships in Jupiter, Fla. in 2011 and 2012.
Gage Matuszak – Sandy, Utah (Brighton HS/Utah/Feather River CC)
6-2, 245, INF, L/L
Feather River CC
As a sophomore at Feather River CC in Quincy, Calif. he hit a team-high .394 (63 for 160) in 44 games and helped his team to a 32-12 overall record in the CCCAA (California Community College Athletic Association) and 22-3 in the Golden Valley division ... earned Golden Valley MVP honors and led the team with five home runs, 23 doubles and 53 RBI … his 23 doubles led the entire state of California ... was 7 for 9 in stolen base attempts ... had an on-base percentage of .526 and a slugging percentage of .631 … played for coach Terry Baumgartner.
University of Utah
Did not play in 2014 due to injury and redshirted in 2013 … played for the Redding Colt 45s in the Far West League during the summer of 2013, earning an all-star nod.
Brighton HS
Was second team all-state as a senior … 2012 Perfect Game second team All-Region … hit .439 with four triples as a junior.
