Posted: Mar 10, 2020
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara baseball announced the 10th member of the 2020 recruiting class, Skylar Hales, an athletic two-way player from Reno High in Reno, Nevada.
"My ambition is to obtain an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from a highly ranked university and play baseball for a Division I team, and Santa Clara met both of these objectives," said Hales. "I know several people in Reno who attended Santa Clara, including my best friend's dad, who spoke highly of his experiences there, and also my high school baseball coach, Pete Savage.
"I was particularly impressed with the Bronco coaching staff. Coach Karcich has been instrumental in helping me make my decision, as his dedication and efforts to show that he cared by answering all my questions, made me want to be a part of the team. Coach Filter is one of the best pitching coaches in the country and I am eager to learn from him and improve my pitching skills under his direction. Both coaches have emphasized that they are committed to building an energetic, winning baseball team at SCU, and I am excited to be part of the team."
The right-handed hitting and throwing pitcher/first baseman helped lead the Huskies to a runner-up finish in the 2019 state championships on the diamond. He was named first-team all-league relief pitcher, limiting opponents to a .201 batting average. At the plate, he hit .318 with a .427 on-base percentage last spring.
The 6-foot-4 Hales also competed on the hardwood being named team captain for the 2019-20 season where he averaged 12.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. As a junior, he was named second-team all-league.
"Skylar is an incredible two-sport athlete out of Reno High School which is one of the top programs in Nevada. We are extremely excited about the athleticism he will be bringing to the Bronco Boys. He is a dual-threat in that he pitches and plays first base and we are excited to get him on campus to develop him in both aspects of his game," said Broncos head coach Rusty Filter.