UC Irvine Baseball Hauls In Southern California Talent
November 18, 2015 | Baseball
IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine Baseball, NCAA Tournament qualifiers in eight of the last 12 seasons, have inked five Southern California standouts in the early signing period.
Adhering to the tenets of strong pitching and defense, the Anteaters bring in pitchers Cole Spear, Andre Pallante and Jack Moberg. The trio is complimented by infielder Christian Koss and outfielder Dailin Lee.
"The biggest needs we felt we needed to address in this class was to find frontline arms and dynamic athletes on the position player side," said head coach Mike Gillespie. "The three pitchers that are signing combined to go 18-1 last year while all pitching in very good high school leagues. Our two position players are both middle-of-the-diamond defenders and extremely athletic and we are very excited to add all five of these guys to our program."
Spear is a 6-0 right-hander at Orange Lutheran High School, playing under head coach Eric Borba. "Cole was a guy that we recruited and wanted for a long time," said pitching coach Daniel Bibona. "He has the potential to be a weekend starter for us immediately. This year, Cole will be one of, if not the best pitcher in the Trinity League. He features a fastball that is in the upper 80s and can reach 90. He also possesses a solid curveball and a change-up and is a guy that continues to get better."
Pallante, also a 6-0 right-hander, is currently at San Clemente High School. "Andre jumped on the scene last year during the spring as the ace of head coach David Gellatly's staff that made it to the semi-finals," said Bibona. "He is another guy that could pitch on the weekends right away. The ability to locate the ball down is a huge separator for Andre. He attacks the bottom part of the strike zone with a fastball that reaches the low 90s and possesses a real swing-and-miss breaking ball."
Moberg, who was undefeated last year at Vista Murrieta High School, stands at 6-0. The right-hander, coached by Matt Mosiello, sported a 6-0 record last year and has won 16 games in his varsity career. "Jack had a stretch of four straight starts in which he didn't allow a run and only gave up seven hits," commented Bibona. "All Jack has done in three years at Vista Murrieta is win. He is a true three-pitch mix athlete who throws a ton of strikes and loves to compete."
Koss, a 6-2 infielder, is a prep at JW North High School. Hailing from Riverside, Calif., Koss plays for Matt Mosiello and is "a great competitor who loves to play," according to associate head coach Ben Orloff. "Christian is going to come in and make a major impact in the middle of the diamond for us. He can defend, he can run, and he's a top-of-the-lineup hitter. The best thing about Christian is the energy and intelligence that he plays with."
Lee is a 5-9 outfielder from Tustin High School. The Santa Ana, Calif., native plays for head coach Charles Chatman and will give the Anteaters speed, a "dynamic that we have been missing," said Orloff. "He is a real runner and true centerfielder. Dailin really knows the type of player that he is and will put a lot of pressure on opposing teams whenever he's in the game. Aside from his on-base ability, he can also drive the ball and is a threat to run every time he gets on. He is an exciting player to watch."
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