‘Eaters’ recruits make Collegiate Baseball’s Top 30

The UC Irvine baseball team’s recruiting class has been ranked

24th by Collegiate Baseball. UCI is one of three Big West schools to

be recognized in the top 30 with Cal State Fullerton (No. 2) and Long

Beach State (28th) also being honored. Georgia Tech took top honors.

Top 30 teams slated to meet Irvine this season are Arizona (10th),

USC (12th), Baylor (13th), Arizona State (14th), Hawaii (19th) and

Santa Clara (30th).

For the Anteaters, ten freshman, two juniors and a sophomore make

up the 13-man recruiting class. Irvine finished 33-26 overall and

14-10 in the Big West in its first season back from a 10-year hiatus

last year.

“We are thrilled that this group of players is on campus and will

be joining us in our second season,” UCI Coach John Savage said. “We

believe there are a number of players who will make an immediate

impact on our program. The 10 freshmen along with the transfers,

combined with all of the returning players, will strengthen the

future of UC Irvine Baseball.”

Savage’s recruiting class features the following players:

* Kris Krise, a 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher out of Crescenta

Valley High. He earned a 7-3 record and struck out 60 in his junior

year. He was also a member of the 2001 Dodgers and Angels Elite

Teams, as well as the 2001 USA Baseball Team.

* Mark Wagner, from Mayfair High, participated in the 2000 USA

Junior Olympics and the Mickey Mantle World Series. The 6-0 catcher

was Georgia’s Super 7 Series MVP and was honored with the Big Stick

Award for his .723 hitting average.

* Matt Millett, out of East Valley Redlands High, was Chino

Tournament MVP last year. The 6-0 lefthander was also honored as one

of the top 100 baseball players in California and spent the 2001

summer with the Angels Elite Team.

* Outfielder Gary Dudrey, a 5-10 prep from Arlington High in

Riverside, ended the regular season with a .430 batting average,

while helping his team to a 20-6 record and the 2002 CIF championship

game.

* Chris Nicoll, a 6-1 righthander from Righetti High in Santa

Maria, was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 43rd round of the

2002 Major League Baseball Draft.

* Mike Davern, a transfer from UCLA, made nine appearances for

the Bruins in 2002. The 6-4 junior righthander finished the season

0-2, having pitched in 11 innings and giving up 23 hits while

striking out four.

* Infielder Matt Fisher, a California native (Northridge),

returns after two years at the University of Oklahoma where he

excelled as a second baseman. The 5-9 junior made 33 appearances for

the Sooners and contributed 12 runs on 16 hits and five RBIs to the

offense. Fisher carried a .246 batting average as well as a .951

fielding percentage, solidifying the middle infield during Oklahoma’s

postseason run.

Rounding out the UCI recruiting class are freshmen Warren Chenier

(right-handed pitcher from Mater Dei), Ryan Edell (left-handed

pitcher from Lexington High in Massachusetts), Matt Falk (utility

from Dana Hills High), Marvin Lowrance (outfielder from Wilson High

in Whittier), Kyle Ryckebosch (shortstop from Reno High) and

sophomore Adam Colton (right-handed pitcher from Southern Nevada

Community College).