O'Brien Inks Six For 2009-10 Recruiting Class

Posted: Nov 17, 2008

Nov. 17, 2008

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -

Santa Clara baseball head coach Mark O'Brien revealed his 2009-10 recruiting class Monday as he announced the signing of six student-athletes to national letters of intent. The six ballplayers will attend Santa Clara University in the fall of 2009.

"We are very excited about our recruiting class," said O'Brien. "Our recruiting coordinator, Mike Zirelli, once again did a tremendous job. Chad Baum also was instrumental in identifying these players as well. This class has a combination of excellent pitching, a solid defensive core and incredible offensive potential. We are very happy with the character and work ethic of these players and, if they continue to work hard and have the proper commitment, they will make a great impact here at Santa Clara."

2009 Santa Clara Recruiting Class (alphabetical order)

Player	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	B/T	Hometown (High School)
Chris Mendoza	RHP	6-0	185	R/R	San Jose, Calif. (Branham HS)
Matt Ozanne	OF	6-0	180	R/R	Scottsdale, Ariz. (Notre Dame Prep HS)
Quinton Perry	C	6-3	200	R/R	Susanville, Calif. (Lassen HS)
Brock Simon	RHP	6-3	195	R/R	El Dorado Hills, Calif. (Jesuit HS)
Pat Stover	OF	6-4	210	R/R	Rocklin, Calif. (Rocklin HS)
Justin Viele	INF	5-10	170	R/R	Yorba Linda, Calif. (Esperanza HS)

Chris Mendoza
San Jose, Calif. (Branham HS)
RHP - 6-0 - 185 - R/R
Coach O'Brien on Mendoza: "Mendoza is a tough competitor who has a good three-pitch mix. He pitches with a lot of energy and has the ability to make an immediate impact."

A local righty out of Branham High School in San Jose, Mendoza compiled a 7-7 record last season with six complete games and a 2.46 ERA. He tossed 79.2 innings with 86 strikeouts. He led Branham in all pitching categories. A 2008 Mercury News honorable mention and a first team All-Valley Athletic League selection, Mendoza was a member of the Rawlings NorCal World Series All-Star team. In 2007, Mendoza was named the San Jose Mercury News Sophomore of the Year. He will captain his squad as a senior.

Matt Ozanne
Scottsdale, Ariz. (Notre Dame Prep HS)
OF - 6-0 - 180 - R/R
Coach O'Brien on Ozanne: "Ozanne is a very athletic outfielder and a good all-around baseball player. He does everything well on the field."

Ozanne is ranked as the No. 1 2009 outfielder in the state of Arizona by Perfect Game Crosschecker. As the leadoff hitter in 2008, Ozanne registered a .403 batting averaged with three home runs and 24 stolen bases. He got on base in 21 out of 33 games to start the game. A two-time first team all-league and all-region selection, Ozanne participated in the 2008 Area Code Games as a member of the Cincinnati Reds. He was also a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks scout team this fall.

Quinton Perry
Susanville, Calif. (Lassen HS)
C - 6-3 - 200 - R/R
Coach O'Brien on Perry:"Perry has major upside and a tremendous athletic body with outstanding tools that will help develop him into a legitimate Division I baseball player."

As a junior in 2008, Perry batted .563 with 29 RBIs and led Lassen High School in every single offensive category. During one stretch of the season, Perry hit 11 home runs in 12 games. In his sophomore campaign, he compiled a .407 batting average with 35 RBIs. He was named a first team All-Northern Athletic League in 2007 and 2008 and was a first team All-Northern Section in 2008. Lassen named him the team MVP as a junior and Perry will serve as team captain as a senior. He participated in the 2008 Area Code Games with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Brock Simon
El Dorado Hills, Calif. (Jesuit HS)
RHP - 6-3 - 195 - R/R
Coach O'Brien on Simon:"Simon has an above average fastball and his secondary pitches are outstanding. He has tremendous command and good presence on the mound."

As a junior at Jesuit High School in Sacramento, Simon posted a 7-2 record with a 1.75 ERA. He struck out 53 batters over 64.0 innings of work to be named Jesuit's Outstanding Pitcher as well as a Delta River League first team selection. Simon was also named to the Sacramento Bee's all-star team in 2008. The 6-foot-3 righty served as the lead pitcher on the 2008 Sac-Joaquin Section Championship team. This summer he threw a no-hitter in the East Cobb Georgia Tournament playoff round. Simon participated in the Rawlings NorCal World Series in both 2007 and 2008.

Pat Stover
Rocklin, Calif. (Rocklin HS)
OF - 6-4 - 210 - R/R
Coach O'Brien on Stover: "Stover is very athletic and has a lot of power. He will be a middle of the order type player for us."

Stover is a 6-4 outfielder from Rocklin, Calif., who compiled a .413 batting average as a junior last season at Rocklin High School. He registered five home runs and 26 RBIs to lead the Foothill League (SFL) in both categories. In 2008, Stover was named SFL's MVP as well as Rocklin's MVP. A Sacramento Bee first team all-city selection, Stover was also named second team all-state. He was a member of the NY Yankees Area Code team last summer and participated in both the NorCal World Series and the North-South games. Stover will serve as team captain this spring.

Justin Viele
Yorba Linda, Calif. (Esperanza HS)
INF - 5-10 - 170 - R/R
Coach O'Brien on Viele: "Viele is exactly what we're looking for in a shortstop. He is a tremendous defensive player who can step in right away for us and his offensive presence will continue to get better."

A shortstop and second baseman, Viele produced a .338 batting average his junior year and scored 17 runs. An All-Sunset league honoree, Viele was a member of the South team in the North-South series and played on the Angeles Elite Team. He was also a member of the SoCal Yankees scout team this fall. Viele earned Rookie of the Year honors for Esperanza in 2008 and was named to the National Classic All-Tournament team.

The Broncos open their 2009 season at the N.C. State Tournament on Friday, Feb. 20 against the Musketeers of Xavier. First pitch is scheduled for 8 a.m. PT. Santa Clara opens its home scheduled on Wednesday, Feb. 25 against California. Game time slated for 6 p.m. at Stephen Schott Stadium.