Sept. 21, 2010
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The University of San Diego baseball team's incoming recruiting class for the 2011 season has been tabbed as the No. 2 recruiting class in the nation by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. This marks the second time in four years the Toreros have received a Top-5 recruiting class, as the 2007 class was ranked No. 1 by Baseball America.
"This ranking has been a culmination of a total team effort," stated head coach Rich Hill. "Everyone in the Torero Baseball family should be extremely proud! Jay Johnson has done a fantastic job putting this class together, and he, along with Tyler Kincaid and the rest of our staff have once again put us on the national map. To be in the same breath the elite BCS conferences is quite an amazing feat."
Highlighting this recruiting class, which features five guys who have been drafted in the MLB first-year player draft, is freshman right-handed pitcher Dylan Covey, who was the No. 14 overall pick in the 2010 MLB draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. Covey was an AFKAC All-American, the 2010 Gatorade State Player of the Year in California and was a Baseball America first-team All-America selection.
Other players who were drafted in the 2010 draft include Tyler Painton, a 13th round pick of the Toronto Blue Jays, Kris Bryant, a 17th round pick of Toronto, and Michael Wagner, a 28th round pick of the Boston Red Sox. Painton was a Max Preps first-team All State selection in California, the SWYL Player of the Year and a Cal Hi Sports first-team All-State selection. Bryant, a 6-5 third baseman/first baseman, was also an AFLAC All-American, and the 2009 and 2010 Gatorade State Player of the Year for Nevada and a USA Today first-team All-American. Wagner comes to USD after being named the No. 3 player in the state of Nevada by Perfect Game, and was a three-time first-team All-Northwest Conference selection.
Also included in this impressive recruiting class are Junior College All-Americans Julian Duran from Santa Ana Community College and Corey LeVier from Cypress College. Duran was a named the 2010 Orange Empire Co-Player of the Year and a first-team All-Orange Empire selection in 2010. LeVier was a two-time first-team All-Orange Empire selection and was selected to the California Community College All Star game.
James Pazos also joins USD in 2011, after being a 40th round draft selection by the Arizona Diamond Backs in the 2009 draft. The Left-handed pitcher posted a 9-4 record with a .194 ERA in 95 innings of work while at Chandler-Gilbert Junior College. Another left-handed pitcher, Paul Paez, brings a wealth of talent to the Toreros this season after earning a 34-5 three-year career record at Bishop Amat High school and posting an impressive 355 strikeouts throughout his career. He was a two-time first-team All-State selection and the Del Rey League Pitcher of the Year in 2008 and 2010. One more player highlighting this impressive class is Max MacNabb, who was named the 2010 Avocado League Pitcher of the Year, was a 2010 first-team All-CIF San Diego selection and a two-time first-team All-Avocado selection.
