NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion baseball head coach Chris Finwood announced the signing of 10 players to NLI's this week, as eight incoming freshmen and two junior college transfers will join the Monarchs for the 2017 baseball season.
"First of all, I want to thank our assistant coaches, Karl Nonemaker and Mike Marron, for all the energy and hard work they put into developing the relationships necessary to sign a class of this magnitude and talent-level,” Finwood commented. “Most people don’t realize that a lot of these relationships go back two or three years, so it’s a long road that culminates in these young men signing to become Monarchs. I also would like to thank our former pitching coach and current head coach at Norfolk Academy, Tim Lavigne, for his work in helping us get a few of these really talented local pitchers. With eight high school players and two junior college players, this is a well-rounded class. A number of these young men have won state championships in the last two seasons. I’m very proud of the character of these young men, and they are all very good students. We also feel like we got the very best players in the Tidewater area at their position in shortstop Carson Henry, left-handed pitcher Corey Klak, and right-handed pitcher Michael Blanchard. We are all happy to officially welcome them to our Monarch family!"
Complete ODU Baseball Fall Recruiting Class:
Devon Adams- C- 5’11 180-South Riding, Va. (Paul VI Catholic)
A native of South Riding, Virginia, Adams earned first team All-Washington Catholic Athletic Conference honors while representing Paul VI Catholic High School. He also was named a second-team All-Virginia Independent School Athletic Association honoree.
Finwood on Adams: “Devon plays in an outstanding high school program at Paul VI for Coach Jeff Nolan. He is a very athletic catcher who can hit. We needed a catcher in this class and Devon was the perfect fit.”
Kyle Battle- OF- 6’1 175- Glen Allen, Va. (Glen Allen)
A Glen Allen, Va. native, Battle started in the outfield for the Glen Allen Jaguars, helping the team win the state championship as a junior. He registered a .412 batting average last year, including six doubles and four homeruns. At the conclusion of his junior campaign, Battle racked up the awards, earning first team All-Conference, All-Region, All-State and All-Metro laurels. He was also a standout in the classroom and picked up VHSL first team academic honors.
Finwood on Battle: “Kyle helped Glen Allen High School and Coach Dave Savino win a state championship last year. He is a tremendous athlete who can play all three outfield positions. He projects to be a middle of the order hitter.”
Michael Blanchard- RHP- 6’6 175, Suffolk, Va. (Nansemond River)
Blanchard went 5-1 in 36 innings as a junior at Nansemond River. He struck out 41 batters and had a 2.21 ERA.
Finwood on Blanchard: “Michael plays in a very good high school program for Coach Mark Stuffel at Nansemond River. He is one of the top right-handed pitchers in the region. He throws from a low ¾ angle and projects to be a very versatile college pitcher.
Zack Eggers-LHP- 6’1 170 Flower Mound, Texas (Flower Mound)
While playing for Flower Mound High School in Texas and representing the Dallas Mustangs in the summer, Eggers was named to the All-Tournament Team in Perfect Game Jupiter and was also named to the Top Prospect Team at The Perfect Game Underclass South showcase in Houston in 2014. He is also a black belt in Martial Arts.
Finwood on Eggers: “Zack is a left-handed pitcher for Flower Mound High School in Texas. Zack is a mid-80s lefty who can really pitch. He is very projectable and has a bright future ahead of him.”
Carson Henry- INF- 6’1” 180- Virginia Beach, Va. (Greenbrier Christian)
A native of Virginia Beach, Henry has started at shortstop for Greenbrier Christian High School in Chesapeake since his sophomore season. In 2015, he hit .377, led his squad in RBIs and helped Greenbrier Christian capture the 2015 State Championship.
Finwood on Henry: “Carson helped Greenbrier Christian win a state championship for coach Gary LaVelle. He is an advanced defensive player with fantastic leadership abilities. He can play all 3 infield spots well.”
Corey Klak- LHP- 6’4” 175- Chesapeake, Va. (Western Branch)
Klak, a Chesapeake, Va. native, has had two very good years for Western Branch high school. He went 10-1 on the mound his junior season and was an all-conference selection. As a sophomore helped lead his Western Branch High School team to a Regional Championship, taking down nationally ranked Cosby High School in the process. The team advanced to claim the State Championship after defeating Chantilly in the title game. Klak was voted by the league as the Rookie of the Year as a sophomore and was named to the All-Conference second team for pitching and was voted as the team’s Most Improved Player as a junior.
Finwood on Klak: “Corey plays for one of the best programs in the East Region for Coach Roland Wright. He helped them win a state championship in 2014. He is a very projectable lefty who throws a lot of strikes.”
Vinnie Pasquantino- 1B- 6’4” 210 Midlothian, Va. (James River)
Pasquantino comes from Midlothian, Va. where he was a member of the James River High School varsity squad. The 6’4” standout first baseman hit an incredible .537 as a junior with five homeruns, en route to earning first team All-Region 6A South and first team All-Metro honors.
Finwood on Pasquantino: “Vinnie was our first commitment in this class. He plays for an outstanding program for Coach Pete Schumaker at James River. He is a big left-handed hitting first basemen who is a plus defender. He projects to be a middle of the order hitter.”
Joe Strzelecki- RHP- 6’3 215- Boynton Beach, Fla. (Polk CC)
Strzelecki joins the Baseball Monarchs from Polk Community College where he threw 27.2 innings as a freshman. He accumulated a 3.15 ERA, while striking out 28 batters last season. He attended Santaluces High School in Boynton Beach, Fla. and was a first team All-Conference selection along with MVP as a catcher and batted .386 as a senior.
Finwood on Strzelecki: “Joe is a converted catcher and pitches for Coach Al Corbeil at Polk CC in Florida. He is a low 90s right-hander with a good breaking ball. Joe should compete for innings immediately.”
John Wilson- LHP- 6’ 170-Hampton, N.J. (North Hunterdon)
An all-state pitcher from North Hunterdon High School in Pittstown, New Jersey, John Wilson finished his junior campaign with an unblemished 7-0 record en route to leading his team to its first county championship since 1999. Wilson garnered first team All-Conference, All-Area, All-County and All-West Jersey accolades in both his sophomore and junior seasons. Additionally, he was named Skyland Conference Pitcher of the Year and Hunterdon County Democrat Player of the Year in 2015.
Finwood on Wilson: “Johnny is the son of Minnesota Twins scout, John Wilson. He is an ultra-competitive lefty with very good stuff. He was one of the top left-handed pitchers in the Northeast.”
Jared Young- INF- 6’1” 180- Prince George, British Columbia, Canada (Connors State College)
Young grew up in Prince George, British Columbia where he played baseball and hockey at Kelowna Secondary School. During his freshman year at Minot State University, Young hit a team leading .398 with 25 extra base hits en route to earning NSIC All-Conference and Central D2 All-Region.
Finwood on Young: “Jared plays for Coach Perry Keith at Connors State CC in Oklahoma. He is a left-handed hitting infielder who we think can really hit. He projects as a middle of the lineup bat.”