‘Eaters’ recruits lauded

The 20-player UC Irvine baseball recruiting class has been ranked No. 14 in the nation by Baseball America.

The recruiting effort, spearheaded by recruiting coordinator and assistant coach Sergio Brown, consists of 14 freshmen, four junior college transfers and a pair of four-year transfers.

Baseball America also tabbed shortstop Luis Tovar, as well as pitchers Christian Bergman, Reid Suitor, Daniel Bibona, Cory Hamilton and Wes Etheridge as key recruits to watch.

Tovar, out of Kofa High in Yuma, Ariz., was named a Top 100 prospect after posting a .457 career average. He hit .492 with 43 hits, 20 RBIs and 18 stolen bases as a senior.

Bergman, from St. Francis High in La Canada, went 10-2 with a 1.54 ERA last season. He struck out 78 in 77 1/3 innings.

Suitor pitched at Torrey Pines High last season, when he posted a 1.72 ERA. He went 7-1 with five complete games, including a perfect game.

Bibona, a lefty out of Santa Margarita High, batted .429 while posting a 1.81 ERA. He struck out 69 in 46 innings.

Hamilton, out of Sheldon High in Elk Grove, was named the fifth-best prospect in the Team One West Showcase He posted a 1.89 ERA as a senior and struck out 67 in 55 2/3 innings. He threw five complete games.

Etheridge was 8-1 with eight saves and a 2.65 ERA last season at Cypress College. He was the Sunset League Pitcher of the Year as a senior at Huntington Beach High in 2003.

Larson, the Sunset League Most Valuable Player as a senior last season at Esperanza High, led the Aztecs to the league title by batting .364 with 32 hits and 21 runs.