May 29, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - UCF baseball's recruiting class for next year was already ranked No. 7 in the country, and the program solidified that ranking when the Orlando Sentinel released its All-Central Florida Baseball Team Thursday. Knight signee D.J. Hicks (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lake Brantley) was tabbed as the Sentinel's player of the year, while fellow recruits Anthony Figliolia (Winter Springs, Fla./Winter Springs) and B.J. Zimmerman (Kissimmee, Fla./Osceola) joined Hicks on the first team.
Hicks guided Lake Brantley to the Florida 6A state championship this year, serving as an instrumental two-way player for the Patriots. After starting his career as an infielder, he joined the pitching staff as a senior and proceeded to go 5-0 including a win over Miami Goleman in the state semifinal and added a save in the title game vs. Lake Worth Park Vista. At the dish, Hicks batted .475 with 13 dingers. In 2007, he was selected a Class 6A all-state honorable mention by hitting .485, and a Louisville Slugger High School Preseason All-American.
A righthander out of Winter Springs High School, Figliolia finished his senior year with a 0.51 ERA. He went 7-2 on the hill and limited opposing batters to a .151 average. Figliolia tossed five complete games with three shutouts, striking out 59 in 68.2 innings. Offensively, he hit .278 and scored a team-high 23 runs. During his junior year, Figliolia had a 1.42 ERA and fanned 24 in 19.2 innings.
Serving as an outfielder for Osceola High School, Zimmerman amassed a .507 average while banging out five homers and driving in 35 runs to help his team reach the Class 6A state regional semifinals. He recorded a .431 batting average as a junior, leading the Kowboys with a .542 on-base percentage and a .538 slugging percentage.
For more information on the 2008 UCF baseball program, head to www.ucfathletics.com. Also check out UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.