As Santa Clara baseball continues to highlight the incoming class of freshman for 2014-15, it features the second member of that group today, Michael Bono. The right-handed pitcher/third baseman currently attends Buchanan High School in Clovis, Calif., just outside of Fresno.
"I chose Santa Clara because it offers a great education and the campus as well as the area suited what I was looking for," Bono said. "I really connected with the coaching staff, and the facilities were tremendous."
While playing for Tom Donald's Buchanan Bears, the 6-foot-1, 175-pound two-way player was a part of the 2013 Tri-River Athletic Conference championship team. In summer 2012, he traveled to Australia and in summer 2011, he traveled to Japan to compete with the Fresno USA team. Bono also participated in the Area Code Games with the Northern California Region and was named to the 2013 Bay Area World Series All-Tournament Team (an event held at Santa Clara in July 2013).
"Michael is an extremely good athlete that is a prospect both as a pitcher and a hitter," pitching coach/recruiting coordinator Gabe Ribas said. "He has been up to 94 miles per hour with his fastball and is a very good player in all aspects of the game who will have a chance to compete for us right away as a pitcher and third baseman. He has all the makings of being very special for us."
Bono has made the honor roll every semester at Buchanan, and his volunteer work includes time at a children's hospital and at food banks. He intends to major in business at Santa Clara.
"Santa Clara also has a prestigious business program, which was something that caught my eye," Bono said.
"I think Michael's family values are similar to the ones that we work hard to uphold in the program," Ribas said. "Michael's dad is a West Point grad, and he has clearly had discipline in his life. His family is also very warm and supportive, and those are things that we reflect in the program. Hard work, mixed with support and belief, can take you a long way."
Bono's father, Vince, was the captain of the 1988 Black Knights ice hockey team at the United States Military Academy.
Next week's new Bronco is first baseman Jake Brodt.