6/19/2002
WASHINGTON, D.C. ? Head Coach Pete Wilk announced the signing of nine high school student-athletes and one transfer, including five pitchers, three infielders, a catcher and an outfielder, for the fall 2002 semester. The freshmen will serve to replenish the team?s talent after the graduation of seven players last spring.
Recruited position-players Tim Jones (Morristown, N.J./Morristown), Matt Rasmussen (Sandy, Utah/Bingham), Danny Gronski (Sammamish, Wash./Skyline), and Ryan Craft (West Palm Beach, Fla./Benjamin) will look to improve the squad?s offense, bringing in an impressive blend of size, speed and skill.
Jones, a 33rd round pick by the New York Mets in June's MLB draft, hit .292 with three homeruns last season for Morristown High School. Standing 6?3? and boasting 4.9-second 40-yd. dash speed, Wilk expects Jones to be a major contributor both on the field and at the plate. ?Tim brings much needed speed and athleticism into our program,? Wilk said. ?He should help us out immediately in the outfield and in the lineup.?
Rasmussen, a middle-infielder, will compete for a starting job at Georgetown after twice earning All-State Honors at Bingham High School. ?Matt brings a good glove, outstanding approach, and a good bat to our program,? Wilk said.
Gronski and Craft will add support at the corners, with Gronski, a third baseman, coming to the Hilltop after hitting .424 with three homeruns last season, and Craft posting a .365 average and two homeruns. ?Danny brings solid defense, a strong throwing arm, and a powerful bat to our lineup,? Wilk said. Adding, ?Ryan brings size and power to the plate, something we?ve been lacking in the past.?
Stephen Burns (West Chester, Penn./Malvern Prep.), Scooter Bernoskie (Holmdel, N.J./Holmdel), Scott Gehring (Baltimore, Md./Gilman) Andrew Dargen (Edmond, Okla./Edmond North) and Warren Sizemore (Hamilton, Ohio/Ross) comprise Georgetown?s new crop of freshmen hurlers.
Sizemore, a three-sport athlete at Ross Sr. High School, posted a record of (6-1) with a 1.73 ERA and 3 saves last season. At 6? 3? and 190 lbs., Sizemore is a power-pitcher, with an 88-mph fastball and a sharp overhand curve in his repertoire. ?Warren?s a big kid with a world of potential,? Wilk said. ?He has a chance to get some quality innings in his first year.?
Dargen, a right-handed pitcher and infielder, fresh from an American Legion State Championship in Oklahoma, was named All-Edmond, All-Metro and was an honorable mention All-State Selection from perennial 6A power Edmond North. He finished the spring with a 5-1 record and hitting .429. In addition to his time on the mound, he should provide depth in this year?s infield.
Bernoskie is another standout among the bunch, having used his 86-mph fastball to register a (7-3) record last season for Central New Jersey State Champion Holmdel High School. ?Scooter comes from an outstanding program, and brings a good fastball and quality breaking stuff,? Wilk said.
Gehring will also vie for time on the mound this year. He ended his senior campaign striking out 10.5 batters per nine innings and boasting a 1.53 ERA. He was an All-County selection his Junior year at the Gilman School.
Burns rounds out the freshman recruiting class. His 7-3 record coupled with his 1.43 ERA was good enough to earn him co-MVP honors in the Inter-Academic League at Malvern Prep. He also struck out 10.5 batters per nine innings along with hitting .396.
When asked about Burns and Gehring, Wilk replied, ?Both players will have a chance to make significant contributions to this year?s pitching staff with a starting role not out of reach for either.?
Andrew Cleary (Bellmont Hill, Mass./Stanford University), a catcher/outfielder, is transferring in from Stanford University this year. After a very successful high school career at Belmont Hill in Massachusetts and a year with the Cardinal, Andrew will, according to Wilk, ?bring a big time power bat as well as versatility to the Hilltop.? He will enter GU as a sophomore after playing on the Stanford team that made it to the NCAA World Series in Omaha.
Georgetown concluded its 2002 season with a record of (9-47, 2-24 BIG EAST).
