Posted: Nov 14, 2018
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara baseball added quality depth up the middle and to the pitching staff with its 2019 recruiting class, including three preseason underclassmen All-Americans among five prospective student-athletes that signed National Letters-of-Intent. Broncos head coach Rusty Filter made the announcement.
After bringing in a class of over 20 signees in his inaugural class a year ago, Filter and his staff signed an USA Baseball National Team center fielder, a power hitting catcher, a two-way left handed hitting/right-handed pitching prospect, and two right-handed pitchers for the 2019 class.
"We signed a smaller class this year after addressing every position with the current crop of freshmen and the junior college transfers that are on campus this fall. This 2019 class will fill some key spots that we think will open through graduation and the MLB draft. My staff and I feel they are all very good players that should compete for playing time right away," said Filter.
Coleman Brigman, a 2018 Rawlings-Perfect Game Second Team Preseason Underclassmen All-American, from Valley Christian High in nearby San Jose is expected to make an immediate contribution with his bat and speed at center field.
The brother of current Bronco freshman infielder Dawson Brigman, the younger Brigman played on the 15U USA baseball national team that won the bronze medal in the World Championships in 2016. He was also selected to the 2018 Oakland A's Area Code Team and to the underclassmen roster of the 2017 team.
Eamonn Lance, a 6-foot-1 catcher from Sir Francis Drake High in San Anselmo, Calif., belted 11 home runs as a junior, tied for the third most round trippers in the state last season. The Marin County Athletic League MVP adds versatility with his ability to play the outfield.
Two-way prospect Cole Kitchen from El Camino Real Charter High in Woodland Hills, Calif. adds a left-handed hitting presence in the lineup and the right-handed thrower will provide depth on the mound. Kitchen was named 2018 Rawlings-Perfect Game Underclassmen All-American High Honorable Mention.
The Bronco staff nabbed a pair of right-handed pitchers from out of state in Jared Feikes and August Souza. Feikes hails from Lakeside School in Seattle, Wash. where he was named 2018 Rawlings-Perfect Game Underclassmen All-American High Honorable Mention as well to the 2018 Kansas City Royals Area Code Team. Souza from Reno High in Reno, Nev. was selected to the 17U Trosky National Team and is a Perfect Game top 500 nationally ranked player.
Filter praised the efforts of assistant coaches Jon Karcich and BK Santy.
"Both my assistants do a great job. Coach Karcich and Coach Santy have an unbelievable work ethic in finding players that fit the program's mold as far as gritty type of players that play the game hard. They both did a really nice job. It was a total team effort," said Filter.
Beginning the week of November 19, the Broncos will highlight one signee per week. The first of those signees is Coleman Brigman.
The signees will join the Broncos in the fall of 2019.
