Tulane Baseball Announces Seven Early Signees For 2003
Nov 19, 2001 | Baseball
Nov. 19, 2001
NEW ORLEANS, La. - The Tulane University baseball team has signed seven high school standouts for the 2003 season, head coach Rick Jones announced Monday after receiving his final commitment during the NCAA's early signing period.
Five players on the Tulane signing class were ranked among the nation's Top 200 prospects by TeamOneBaseball.com, and the signing class was ranked third nationally by the on-line publication. Pitchers J.R. Crowel, Matt Goebel, Brandon Gomes, Tyler Kimmons and Billy Mohl, along with catcher Chris Sepanski and outfielder Brian Bogusevic signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Green Wave. Last season, Tulane advanced to the College World Series for the first time in school history, won the Conference USA regular-season and tournament championship in 2001 as well as winning its first-ever Regional and Super Regional titles.
"I'm very excited about this class," Jones said. "We have addressed our needs with some of the finest players in the country who also happen to be tremendous students. Individually, this class has already been ranked as one of the nation's finest. More importantly, this class exemplifies our stated goal which is to have a nationally elite program with student-athletes who are destined t become leaders in their academic field.
"No doubt, getting to Omaha helped in giving us more national notoriety. I have to give credit to recruiting coordinator Mark Kingston and assistant coach Chad Sutter who did a tremendous job of identifying and recruiting such a noteworthy class."
Headlining the list of talented newcomers is Crowel, a southpaw from Boynton Beach, Fla. who TeamOneBaseball.com ranks as the No. 7 prospect in the Midwest Showcase and the No. 196 prospect in the nation, committed to Tulane after a junior season when he went 7-4 with a 1.80 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 76 innings of work at Atlantic High School. The 6-1, 175 pound lefty was named Boca News Player of the Year and was the only junior on the first-team all-state squad. Crowell chose Tulane over defending College World Series Champion Miami, Clemson, Florida and Duke.
"J.R. should follow in the tradition of great left-handed pitchers who played in our program the last few years," Jones said. "He's got an outstanding feel for pitching and a frame which will allow him to blossom during his career here."
Gomes, the No. 59 prospect in the nation according to TeamOneBaseball.com, chose the Green Wave after a standout junior year that saw the 5-11, 180 pound native of Fall River, Mass., go 7-2 with a 1.23 ERA in 64 innings on the mound. Last season at Fall River High, the right-hander struck out 124 batters and gave up just 21 walks en route to first-team all-state honors. Gomes chose Tulane over Arizona State, Wake Forest, Long Beach and Auburn.
"Brandon is one of the most talented right-handed pitchers in the nation," Jones said. "He's very polished in his ability to throw three outstanding pitches for strikes. He should make an immediate impact."
Mohl, a right-hander from Sugar Land, Texas and the No. 95 rated prospect in the nation by TeamOneBaseball.com, has tallied 17 wins during his three-year career at Dulles High. A three-time all-district honoree, the 6-4, 195 pound Mohl finished the 2001 season with a 2.81 ERA. Mohl chose Tulane over Texas, Baylor, Houston and Texas A&M.
"Billy is an extremely talented, hard-throwing right-handed pitcher," Jones said. "He has the potential to dominate at the college level and we can expect great things from him."
Kimmons, another right-hander, went 7-2 with a 1.11 ERA as a junior at Mandeville High. The 6-7, 180 pound Mandeville product was a first-team all-state selection last season. Kimmons chose the Green Wave over UNO and Conference USA rival Saint Louis.
"Tyler's best days are ahead of him," Jones said. "At 6-7, Tyler's ceiling is tremendous. He's already got an uncanny knack to make people swing and miss. As he gets stronger, he should become a tremendous prospect."
Goebel, meanwhile, went 13-1 with three saves last season at Stephen F. Austin High in Austin, Texas. The 6-2, 195 pounder tallied a 1.36 ERA with 135 strikeouts and just 21 walks last season, earning first-team all-state honors as well as being tabbed the District Most Valuable Player. Goebel chose Tulane over Texas, Baylor and Rice.
"Matt is extremely competitive and a proven big-time winner," Jones said. "His ability to throw strikes with all of his pitches will allow him to continue his winning ways at Tulane."
Providing a battery mate for the five new Green Wave hurlers will be Sepanski, who preps at Geneva (Ill.) High and is 178th rated prospect in the country by TeamOneBaseball.com. As a junior, the 6-3, 210-pound right-handed hitter was a member of the first-team All-Chicagoland Area squad by the Chicago Sun Times. Sepanski chose the Green Wave over Florida, Arizona State and Notre Dame.
"Chris is one of the premier catchers in the country," Jones said. "He combines a power arm with a power bat and should help us right away. He plays with a love for the game that you want out of a catcher."
Rounding out the signing class is Bogusevic, a 6-3, 215-pound native of Chicago, Ill., who TeamOneBaseball.com ranks as 118th rated prospect in the nation. As a junior, the left-handed batter hit .518 with nine home runs, and fell just five RBI shy of the state record with 68. The prepster from De La Salle High was the only junior on the all-state team last season. Bogusevic chose Tulane over Stanford, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State and Dartmouth.
"Brian swings a tremendous left-handed bat," Jones said. "He's an advanced outfielder that will help us both offensively and defensively. He has the unique ability to hit for power and average."
Like other classes during his nine previous seasons as head coach of the Green Wave, Jones said that he expects several members of the signing class to contribute to the success of the team early in their collegiate careers. During Jones' tenure, six college newcomers earned Freshman All-America recognition, including 2001 freshmen Michael Aubrey and Anthony Giarratano who both played this summer with Team USA. Two of the last three National Freshmen of the Year donned a Tulane uniform with James Jurries winning the title in 1999 and Aubrey garnering the honor after last season.
