‘Eaters baseball adds four

UC Irvine baseball associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Pat Shine said the first early signing period recruiting class of the Mike Gillespie/Shine regime reflects quality, not quantity.

Playing catch up in the recruiting process after Gillespie was hired in late September to replace Dave Serrano, who went to Cal State Fullerton, the Anteaters have received national letters of intent from four high school seniors.

The four-player class includes a big bat in Jordan Leyland, a promising pitcher-hitter prospect in Matt Summers and two hard-nosed grinders in Scott Gottschling and Tommy Reyes.

Leyland, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound corner infielder from San Dimas High, earned second-team All-CIF Southern Section Division IV honors for the second straight season last spring. He hit .458 in 83 at-bats, with one homer, 34 RBIs and a .711 slugging percentage. He produced 14 doubles, two triples and struck out just five times while walking 11 times for a .536 on-base percentage.

As a sophomore, Leyland hit .531 with 51 hits, eight doubles, one triple and 28 RBIs.

“We are very excited to have an offensive player like Jordan in our program,” Shine said in a statement. “Jordan is arguably one of the best hitters in the [2008 graduating class from Southern California]. With his big frame and work ethic, Jordan has a great future as a college player and beyond.”

Shine said Leyland could make an immediate impact at either first or third base in 2009.

Summers, from Cactus Shadows High in Phoenix, Ariz., has potential to be a weekend starting pitcher, Shine said. Summers’ most impressive prep statistics, however, are with the bat. He hit .420 in 100 at-bats as a junior, with nine doubles, three triples, two homers, 11 walks and just three strikeouts. He slugged .630 and had an on-base percentage of .478.

On the mound, he was 2-2 with one complete-game. In 20 innings, he struck out 23, walked 12 and had an earned-run average of 4.50.

“Matt has the ability to be a legitimate two-way college player,” said Shine, who noted Summers’ fastball is above average.

Reyes, a shortstop for 2007 CIF Southern Section Division V champion Bishop Amat, adds intangibles to his notable offensive and defensive skills, Shine said.

Reyes hit .373 last season with four homers, seven doubles and one triple in 75 at-bats for the Lancers. He was also named Defensive Player of the Year in the Del Rey League and played on the USA Junior Olympic team. Reyes helped Bishop Amat go 27-4-1.

“Tommy brings tremendous upside and versatility to play any infield position,” Shine said. “Tommy’s greatest strengths, besides what he brings physically, are his character, mentality and passion for the game. He is a hard-nosed player and a great fit for [UCI].”

Gottschling, an infielder and outfielder at Villa Park High, hit .272 with 17 RBIs, seven doubles and 18 walks as a team captain for the Spartans last season. He struck out 15 times.

His resume includes a stint on the Junior Olympic team in 2005.

“Scott has demonstrated the ability to hit and drive the ball to all fields,” Shine said. “Along with his ability, Scott has great make-up and brings versatility to the team, showing equal talent in the infield and outfield.”

UCI returns 21 lettermen from the 2007 team that finished third in the College World Series. The Anteaters, led by third-team All-American Scott Gorgen and second-team All-Big West Conference returners Ollie Linton and Ben Orloff, open the season Feb. 22 with the first of a three-game nonconference series at Nevada.

— From staff reports