Nov. 22, 2006
Orlando, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - One thing has held true for the UCF baseball team virtually every season: it signs a ton of talent in the offseason. That trend continued Wednesday when the coaching staff announced that seven players all signed National Letters of Intent to begin playing for the Golden Knights in 2008. Five of the recruited student-athletes hail from the state of Florida.
Orlando native and Boone High School product Cody Allen will venture onto campus next year, along with Palm Beach Gardens' Colin Arnold, Valrico's Stephen Branca, Longwood's Brennan Dobbins and Myakka City's Evan Stobbs. They will be joined by Mason Heller of Savannah, Ga., and Hunter Hill of Dallas, Texas.
Cody Allen - Orlando, Fla./Boone
Fr. - RHP/3B - 6-1/195
Allen has been a three-year starter for Boone High School, and has earned all-conference honors each season. He was listed as the top underclassman in the 2005 Academic Showcase by Perfect Game USA, both as a third baseman and as a pitcher, and the 25th top prospect in the entire country. As a sophomore, he was the starter in the state championship title game. Allen also played four years at quarterback on the Boone football team, where he has helped lead the Braves to the Class 6A Region 2 final in 2006.
"Cody Allen is one of the top players in the central Florida-area if not the entire country," said assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Craig Cozart. "He's a strong kid with a great arm and an explosive fastball at about 92-93 mph. He is a sturdy right-handed pitcher with a quality breaking ball and will have the opportunity to help the pitching staff immediately."
Colin Arnold - Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./The Kings Academy/Daytona Beach Community College
Jr. - OF - 6-3/190
Drafted in the 50th round by the Boston Red Sox in the 2005 MLB Draft, Arnold played two seasons at Daytona Beach Community College. Arnold was a FHSAA first-team all-area and all-state selection at The Kings Academy, hitting .507 with three homers, 26 RBI and 17 stolen bases his senior year. He also was named the player of the year for his district, and played in the Dick Howser All-Star Game.
"Colin Arnold is a left-handed hitting outfielder who can play some first base," said Cozart. "He has a tremendous stroke from the left side and will be able to do a variety of things offensively for us. He could hit anywhere from the No. 2 to the No. 6 hole. He will give us a lot of pop from the left-handed side for a few years."
Stephen Branca - Valrico, Fla./Newsome
Fr. - INF - 6-2/175
Branca earned first-team All-Western Conference accolades as a junior for Newcome High School, posting a .362 average at the plate, hitting two homers and stealing 13 bases. He has participated in three "invitation only" showcases sponsored by Major League Baseball. This year, Branca played in the East Coast Professional Baseball Showcase in Wilmington, N.C., the Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif., and the Florida Diamond Club Showcase in Lakeland, Fla.
"Stephen Branca is a smooth-fielding infielder who has a very mature offensive approach," thought Cozart. "He is very athletic and will give us some much-needed stability in the middle infield positions."
Brennan Dobbins - Longwood, Fla./Lake Brantley
Fr. - RHP - 6-3/195
Dobbins was rated as the No. 114 top prospect in the country by Perfect Game USA in 2005. As a junior for Lake Brantley High School, he had a 6-1 record on the rubber with a 1.91 ERA, while going .425 at the plate with 27 RBI, two homers and eight stolen bases.
"Brennan Dobbins is a big, strong, right-handed pitcher who also is a football player," explained Cozart. "He will have the chance to continue to develop. He's got three quality pitches, including a 90-91 mph fastball, and he can play a lot of different roles on our staff."
Mason Heller - Savannah, Ga./Benedictine Military/Middle Georgia College
So. - OF - 6-2/190
Heller will be play the outfield for Middle Georgia College this spring, a school that has won four junior-college national championships, a year after being redshirted. He participated in the 2006 Southeast Regional of the 18U Baseball Championship Series and the 2005 Perfect Game North 18U Baseball Championship Series. Heller graduated from Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Ga.
"Mason Heller is a very athletic junior college outfielder who hits from the right side of the plate," said Cozart. "He's a good runner with a good arm and a good feel for the game. He will provide us with a lot of depth in the outfield that we will need in the next couple of years."
Hunter Hill - Dallas, Texas/Prestonwood Christian Academy
Fr. - RHP - 5-11/190
Hill was selected by the Baseball Factory and Team One scouting department as a 2007 Preseason All-American. The accolade included an invitation to attend the All-American Tournament in Tucson, Ariz., in January 2007. He was an all-state selection and a first-team all-district honoree as a junior at Prestonwood Christian Academy, while also being named the 2006 TAPPS (Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools) District 2-5A MVP and to the TAPPS 5A State All-Tournament Team.
"Hunter Hill is a right-handed pitcher from Dallas," said Cozart. "He is a compact, strong pitcher on the hill who has a plus curveball and a fastball that will top out at about 92 mph. Hunter has a very competitive mentality and that's what separates him on the mound."
Evan Stobbs - Myakka City, Fla./Sarasota
Fr. - INF/P- 6-2/210
Stobbs helped lead Sarasota High School to the 2005 Class 6A state championship game, while being named to a third-team all-state honoree. In the semifinals of the state tournament, he cranked a two-run homer en route to a 7-0 win over DeLand. Stobbs finished his junior year with a .387 average, seven home runs and a team-high 31 RBI while batting cleanup. His grandfather, Chuck Stobbs, pitched 15 years in the major leagues (Boston, St. Louis and Washington).
"Evan Stobbs is a multi-dimensional defensive player," described Cozart. "He can play the corner infield positions, as well as in the outfield and also do some pitching. He is a big strong kid, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound guy. He's got tremendous upside offensively who will give us middle-of-the-order power. He has a solid approach at the plate, and when he gets on the mound he also has a 90 mph fastball. Evan's like two or three players all rolled up into one."
(Class listed for each player will be his eligibility when the 2007-08 season begins)
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