Dec. 1, 2009

(San Francisco, CA) - USF baseball has signed five high school players in the early signing period. Three pitchers, a catcher and a shortstop will join the Dons for the 2011 season.

"The 2010 Recruiting Class is one of the best balanced classes for the Dons. There is a very good mixture with LHP, catcher, outfielder, middle infielder. We addressed many of our needs in the early period and hope to have all of our signees on campus in the fall of 2010. This class should rank in the top nationally, and give us an opportunity to continue our push toward the top of the conference," said head coach Nino Giarratano.

Alex Balog, 6'5, RHP/1B, Archbishop Mitty High School, Saratoga, CA:

Alex Balog, younger brother to current Don Nik Balog was signed as a right-handed pitcher and first baseman. As a junior in 2009, Balog appeared in eight games as a reliever, finishing with a 4.20 ERA. In 21.2 innings, he allowed 16 runs, 13 earned, and opponents batted .235. At the plate, he batted .382 in 36 games. In 102 at bats, Balog had 39 hits (nine doubles, three homeruns), with 23 runs scored and 26 RBI.

"Alex is a RHP/1B that has tremendous upside at both positions," said assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Matt Hobbs. "On the mound, he is a competitive pitcher with great fastball command and the chance to help out as either a starter or reliever. At the plate, he has very good pop to all fields and is a great defender at first base. He is also an outstanding Water Polo player at Archbishop Mitty."

Ben Graff, 6'5, LHP, Sonoma Valley High School, Sonoma, CA:

Graff appeared as a reliever in 10 games as a junior in 2009. He finished with a 2.58 ERA in 59.2 innings. Opponents batted just .174 off him. At the plate, he averaged .344 in 24 games. In 61 at bats, Graff had 21 hits (five doubles), with 11 RBI.

"Ben is an imposing left-handed pitcher with a great arsenal of pitches and good command," Hobbs said. "He has the kind of make-up that could see him throwing big innings for USF early in his career. He is also a great student and very hard worker."

Jordan Haseltine, 6-6, LHP, Will C. Wood HS, Vacaville, CA:

As a junior in 2009, Haseltine was 5-3 with a 3.71 ERA in 8 games. He allowed just 18 earned runs and opponents batted just .177. As a batter, he hit .391 in 64 at bats with 25 hits (five doubles, one triple), 11 runs scored, and 24 RBI.

"Jordan has the ability to be an immediate impact for us on the mound," said Hobbs. "He has a power arm and good feel for his secondary pitches. As a hitter, he offers power from the left side of the plate. He is a versatile player with a great future at USF."

Michael Sticklinski, 6'0, C, Bellarmine Preparatory HS, San Jose, CA:

In 2009, Sticklinski batted .511. In 47 at bats, he had 24 hits with nine doubles.

"Michael is a well rounded catcher with great athleticism behind the plate, and a great knowledge of how to work a pitching staff," said Hobbs. "As a hitter, he has good power to all fields and a good idea of the strike zone. He has shown a great ability to hit in different situations. Michael also has done a great job in the classroom."

Cody Zimmerman, 5'10, SS/2B, Newark Memorial High School, Newark, CA:

Zimmerman played in 28 games for Newark Memorial in 2009. In 90 at bats, he batted .411 with 37 hits (13 doubles, one triple, five homeruns), 36 runs scored, and 22 RBI.

"Cody is a tough, hard nosed player," said Hobbs. "He is a versatile defensive player who has a chance to play either short or second for us. He can handle the bat and has an advanced approach at the plate. Cody is a great student and a good person."