Nov. 20, 2004
ORLANDO - UCF head coach Jay Bergman announced that 11 student-athletes have signed national letters of intent and will play baseball for the Golden Knights beginning in the 2006 season. The group of 11 student-athletes includes eight position players, two pitchers and one two-way player.
Six of the eight position players signed by the Golden Knights are ranked among the top 50 at their respective position in the country, according to TeamOneBaseball.com.
Giving Bergman their signatures included infielder Vinny Cucci (Winter Springs, Fla./Winter Springs), outfielder David DiNatale (Parkland, Fla./Douglas), outfielder Chadd Hartman (Windermere, Fla./Olympia), pitcher Mitch Herald (Merritt Island, Fla./Cocoa), pitcher/infielder Mitch Houck (Weston, Fla./Cypress Bay), infielder Eric Kallstrom (South West Ranches, Fla./Cypress Bay), infielder/outfielder Alex Sada (Cooper City, Fla./Cypress Bay), catcher Steven Stropp (Juno Beach, Fla./Palm Beach Gardens), pitcher Kyle Sweat (Apopka, Fla./Apopka), infielder Kiko Vazquez (Sebring, Fla./Sebring) and outfielder Shane Ynclan (Melbourne, Fla./Eau Gallie).
"This is the best group of freshmen we have signed since 1993," stated Bergman. A member of the 1993 recruiting class was Craig Cozart, who is now the recruiting coordinator for the Golden Knights. "We had quite a few needs to fill, starting with position players. Our main objective was to sign the best position players we could while also adding a couple of talented pitchers and I feel we accomplished that," added Cozart.
"Our first signing class will carry us into Conference USA," added Cozart. "These players should come in right away and contribute and hopefully will take us to the level to compete each year for the Conference USA Championship."
Nine of the 11 players participated in the Florida Diamond Club, which is an annual event hosted by the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau. The entire recruiting class also hails from the state of Florida.
Vinny Cucci
Infield
6-2, 200
Winter Springs, Fla./Winter Springs HS
Listed as the 37th-ranked third base prospect in the nation according to TeamOneBaseball.com ... two-sport star at Winter Springs ... batted .410 with nine doubles as a junior ... three-year starter on the baseball diamond ... all-county honoree last year ... top-100 football recruit in the state of Florida according to the Orlando Sentinel ... all-conference and all-state honorable mention selection in football ... will only play baseball at UCF ... father Pat coached the wrestling team at UCF from 1983-86.
Cozart on Cucci: "Vinny is a hard, tough-nosed kid. He is very strong and has good size and I see Vinny competing immediately for a spot in the lineup."
David DiNatale
Outfield
6-2, 190
Parkland, Fla./Douglas HS
Five-plus tool athlete who is rated by Baseball America as one of the top outfielders in the country ... listed as the 62nd ranked prospect in the nation according to Baseball America ... hit .493 with 39 RBI (school record and led the county), 37 hits, 26 runs, 16 stolen bases and four home runs as a junior ... played in the AFLAC All-American Baseball Classic, one of the premier showcase events in the nation ... Collegiate Baseball Pre Season All-American and was ranked the No. 1 prospect in Florida at the TeamOne Florida Tryouts ... post season honors as a junior include being Palm Beach County's Player of the Year from the Sun-Sentinel and Palm Beach Post newspaper, first team all-county and second team all-state ... hails from the same high school (Douglas) that produced UCF standouts Matt and Mike Fox ... Matt was a first round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins in the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft ... listed as the nation's 28th-ranked outfielder by TeamOneBaseball.com.
Cozart on DiNatale: "David is another signee with great size and speed. He is a player with great accolades and we look for David to come in and play any three of the outfield positions."
Chadd Hartman
Outfield
Windermere, Fla./Olympia
6-2, 200
Second team all-state class 6A selection by the Florida Sports Writers Association 2004 ... listed as the nation's 31st-ranked outfielder by TeamOneBaseball.com ... Olympia High School's career leader in hits (87), doubles (26), triples (3), home runs (7), and average (.384) ... all-conference and all-county honoree ... named one of the top 25 prospects at the East Coast Scout Games.
Cozart on Hartman: "Chadd is another player who is ranked among the top players in the nation. He has good size and is a player with good power. He has played in some of the showcases in the country and we see him stepping in right away and contributing."
Mitch Herold
Left-handed pitcher
Merritt Island, Fla./Cocoa
6-1, 195
Two-year performer at Cocoa High School ... 2-1 with a 2.52 ERA as a junior ... 32 strikeouts in 25 innings ... one save ... allowed just 21 hits in 25 innings of work ... 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Cozart on Herold: "Mitch is a good sized left-handed with good movement on his pitches. He throws a good slider and is a great competitor.
Mitch Houck
Infield/Left-handed pitcher
Weston, Fla./Cypress Bay
6-2, 195
All-region selection by the American Baseball Coaches Association ... one of 13 players in the southeast region named to the team ... .493 batting average with three home runs and 36 RBI at first base ... 4-1 record on the mound ... Cypress Bay, pitched no-hitter in state title game ... allowed one run and struck out 11 batters to lead Cypress Bay to the state championship ... will see time both in the infield and on the mound at UCF.
Cozart on Houck: "We see Mitch playing both in the infield and on the mound. He has a lively arm and can also handle the bat well."
Eric Kallstrom
Infield
Southwest Ranches, Fla./Cypress Bay
5-11, 175
Listed as the nation's 65th-ranked middle infielder by TeamOneBaseball.com ... ... hit .400 with four home runs, 19 RBI and 12 stolen bases ... among the county leaders in all four categories.
Cozart on Kallstrom: "Solid player who you can put in the field and you know will contribute. Eric does all the little things including hitting behind the runner and also has some pop in his bat. He is a solid fielder and gives us options in the infield.
Alex Sada
Infield/Outfield
Cooper City, Fla./Cypress Bay
5-11, 185 - Cypress Bay
Played last season at Westminster Academy (Ft. Lauderdale) ... ranked as high as No.2 in the nation ... versatile athlete who was a starter at second base, third base, left field and center field ... .330 batting average ... all-county honoree.
Cozart on Sada: "Alex is another player with plenty of versatility., He can hit anywhere in the lineup and we can see him filling plenty of roles for UCF."
Steven Stropp
Catcher
Juno Beach, Fla./Palm Beach Gardens
6-2, 210
Listed as the 29th-best prospect at the Perfect Game National Showcase ... led Palm Beach County with eight home runs in 2004 ... tied for third in the county with 24 RBI ... .349 batting average as a junior ... all-conference and all-area honoree ... third-team all-state selection.
Cozart on Stropp: "Steve is a strong catcher with good size. Defensively and offensively he has the skills to step in immediately and produce."
Shane Ynclan
Outfield
Melbourne, Fla./Eau Gallie
6-2, 200
Ranked No. 34 on the top 100 list of outfielders in the nation according to TeamOneBaseball.com ... led Eau Gallie in hitting with a .431 average ... also had six doubles, three triples, two home runs and 13 RBI ... named to the Florida Today All-Space Coast team ... class 5A third team all-state honoree according to the Florida Sports Writers Association 2004.
Cozart on Ynclan: "Shane is left-handed hitting outfielder with a great bat and good glove. He always makes good contact with the bat and should be another player who can contribute right away.
Kyle Sweat
Right-handed pitcher
Apopka, Fla./Apopka
6-4, 195
AAU standout for Chet Lemon's Juice, one of the premier AAU teams in the nation ... attended the Florida Diamond Club ... clocked at 90-91 with a good curve ball and changeup ... part of an AAU team that won the state championship four years in a row including a season-ending record of 113-2 ... project able prospect with a high ceiling.
Cozart on Sweat: "Kyle is a big, strapping right-hander from Apopka. He has plenty of potential and projects as an excellent prospect. He throws from the high 80s to low 90s and is a tremendous competitor."
Kiko Vazquez
Infield
Sebring, Fla./Sebring
6-4, 235
Listed as the No. 11 prospect in the nation at first base according to TeamOneBaseball.com ... imposing athlete with plenty of power ... .355 batting average with five home runs as a junior ... all-county first baseman ... team MVP as a junior ... defensive player of the year as a sophomore at first base.
Cozart on Vazquez: "Kiko has had a great showing ... He will hit in the middle in the order and has power to all fields. He will be a solid addition to the lineup and should compete immediately for a spot in the lineup.