Six Signed to UC Irvine Baseball
November 21, 2019 | Baseball
IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine baseball is still months away from the 2020 season, but it has signed a crop of six incoming players for the 2021 campaign.
Head Coach Ben Orloff took some time to break down each of the new 'Eaters to see what each will bring to the program in the coming years:
INF - Ryan Hadeen
"Woody is coming off a good junior season at Temecula Valley. He fits the mold for us as a middle-of-the-diamond athlete that can do a lot of different things. He's a switch hitter that can run and develop into a complete offensive player that can help us win in a variety of different ways."
OF - Caden Kendle
"Caden has really come on this summer and into the fall. He is exactly what we want in recruiting an outfielder. He is strong and athletic. Caden is a plus runner, and that speed shows up on both sides of the ball. We could see him making an immediate impact."
OF - Shaun Montoya
"Shaun is another guy that has had a very good summer and fall. He missed most of his junior year with an injury. Shaun is another outfielder that can really run and understands how to make that speed show up in games. He fits the mold of a left handed hitting outfielder that could end up near the top of the lineup."
INF - Casey Slattery
"Casey should be one of the better junior college hitters in the state this year. He will bring a much needed physical, left-handed hitting presence to the middle of the lineup next season. He got drafted last year by the New York Mets. We are excited for the immediate impact we think Casey can make next year."
RHP - Michael Stanford
"Michael is a guy we have known about for going on two years now. He returned the second half of last year after recovering from an injury. In the second half of last season, he struck out 29 guys and walked only 1 in 20 innings pitched. Michael can throw three pitches for strikes and is ultra-competitive. He should be able to step right in to the weekend rotation next year."
RHP - Ryan Sveningson
"We believe Ryan is just beginning to scratch the surface on his potential. He has a long, lean frame that has lots of room to fill out and get stronger. Ryan had a good summer at some of the bigger events. He has been into the low 90s with his fastball with a good slider."
| Student-Athlete | Ht / Wt | B/T | Year | Position | Hometown | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Hadeen | 6-1 / 165 | S/R | Freshman | Infielder | Temecula, Calif. | Temecula Valley HS |
| Caden Kendle | 5-11 / 180 | R/R | Freshman | Outfielder | Huntington Beach, Calif. | Marina HS |
| Shaun Montoya | 5-10 / 160 | L/R | Freshman | Outfielder | Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. | Damien HS |
| Casey Slattery | 6-4 / 230 | L/L | RS-Sophomore | Infielder | Studio City, Calif. | Harvard-Westlake HS / Glendale CC |
| Michael Stanford | 6-1 / 175 | R/R | RS-Sophomore | Pitcher | Grapevine, Tex. | Colleyville HS / Weatherford JC |
| Ryan Sveningson | 6-4 / 170 | R/R | Freshman | Pitcher | Ladera Ranch, Calif. | JSerra HS |
Head Coach Ben Orloff took some time to break down each of the new 'Eaters to see what each will bring to the program in the coming years:
INF - Ryan Hadeen
"Woody is coming off a good junior season at Temecula Valley. He fits the mold for us as a middle-of-the-diamond athlete that can do a lot of different things. He's a switch hitter that can run and develop into a complete offensive player that can help us win in a variety of different ways."
OF - Caden Kendle
"Caden has really come on this summer and into the fall. He is exactly what we want in recruiting an outfielder. He is strong and athletic. Caden is a plus runner, and that speed shows up on both sides of the ball. We could see him making an immediate impact."
OF - Shaun Montoya
"Shaun is another guy that has had a very good summer and fall. He missed most of his junior year with an injury. Shaun is another outfielder that can really run and understands how to make that speed show up in games. He fits the mold of a left handed hitting outfielder that could end up near the top of the lineup."
INF - Casey Slattery
"Casey should be one of the better junior college hitters in the state this year. He will bring a much needed physical, left-handed hitting presence to the middle of the lineup next season. He got drafted last year by the New York Mets. We are excited for the immediate impact we think Casey can make next year."
RHP - Michael Stanford
"Michael is a guy we have known about for going on two years now. He returned the second half of last year after recovering from an injury. In the second half of last season, he struck out 29 guys and walked only 1 in 20 innings pitched. Michael can throw three pitches for strikes and is ultra-competitive. He should be able to step right in to the weekend rotation next year."
RHP - Ryan Sveningson
"We believe Ryan is just beginning to scratch the surface on his potential. He has a long, lean frame that has lots of room to fill out and get stronger. Ryan had a good summer at some of the bigger events. He has been into the low 90s with his fastball with a good slider."
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