Aug. 22, 2005
ATLANTA – Nine freshmen, including two who were selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft in June, and one junior college transfer arrived on campus and attended their first classes Monday. In addition, three Yellow Jackets return for their senior season after passing up professional opportunities.
In all, head coach Danny Hall, associate head coach Bobby Moranda and recruiting coordinator/assistant coach Josh Holliday welcomed 10 newcomers and 21 returning players in preparation for the start of fall practice in the first week of October.
“It’s a big relief,” said Hall, who is Tech’s winningest coach with 529 wins in 12 years at the school. “You work very hard to recruit guys that you think can continue the great tradition here. In today’s times you have to recruit them early on to sign them to a National Letter of Intent, but once you sign them you have to make sure they get to school. Coach Holliday and Coach Moranda have worked extremely hard on this class.”
Freshmen pitchers David Duncan (New Richmond, Ohio), a 14th round selection by the Minnesota Twins, and Chris Hicks (Alpharetta, Ga.), a 35th round selection by the Texas Rangers, both turned down professional offers and elected to enroll in school. The Yellow Jackets did not lose an incoming freshman to the MLB in 2005.
“David Duncan and Chris Hicks had to consider their options with professional baseball versus going to school,” said Hall. “They chose the path of school, and we are excited about getting both of those guys in here.”
The rest of Tech’s newcomers include a junior college transfer in outfielder Wally Crancer (Riverside, Calif.), and seven freshmen – pitcher Josh Sullivan (Little Rock, Ark.), catcher Jason Haniger (Santa Clara, Calif.), first baseman Luke Murton (McDonough, Ga.), middle infielders Russell Harben (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Nick Wenderoth (Marietta, Ga.) and outfielders Jay Dantzler (Alpharetta, Ga.) and Chris House (Marietta, Ga.).
“We are very excited about our entire class,” said Hall. “We feel like we answered a lot of needs with this group, and we’re ready to get to work in fall practice.”
Also returning to Tech for the start of fall semester classes are three players who were drafted or received free agent offers but decided to return to Tech for their senior season – all-Atlantic Coast Conference outfielders Steven Blackwood (.336, 5 HR, 65 RBI in 2005) and Jeff Kindel (.359, 6, 65), and catcher Andy Hawranick (.293, 4, 36).
“We’re getting three really good players in the ACC that had professional offers in the summer but decided to come back to school,” said Hall. “Anytime you can get three seniors of that caliber back in your program, it is going to help you. They have a lot of experience playing in our league, and all three are outstanding players.”
Ten returning pitchers give Tech a deep and talented pitching staff for the 2005 season, as players who accounted for 38 of 45 wins and 457 of 574.2 innings pitched in the Yellow Jackets’ run to the 2005 Atlantic Coast Conference championship. Included in that group of returnees are juniors Blake Wood (10-1, 3.13), Tim Gustafson (6-2, 3.33), Ryan Turner (7-3, 3.31) and Lee Hyde (7-4, 4.68), and sophomore Matt Wieters (3-3, 2.85, 6 saves).
Offensively, Tech returns eight starters in the field, including five players who earned all-ACC honors in 2005 Blackwood, Kindel, sophomore third baseman Wes Hodges (.397, 9, 51), senior second baseman Mike Trapani (.327, 2, 24) and catcher/first baseman Matt Wieters (.366, 10, 68). Also returning are Hawranick, junior first baseman Whit Robbins (.265, 5, 40) and sophomore center fielder Danny Payne (.284, 3, 40, 24 SB).
The Yellow Jackets are coming off a 45-19 season in 2005, winning the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season and tournament championships. Tech advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals and finished the season with a No. 10 national ranking.
