Baseball Adds Six to Signing Class
May 22, 2020 | Baseball
| Student-Athlete | Ht / Wt | B/T | Year | Position | Hometown | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanner Brooks | 6-2 / 180 | R/R | Junior | Pitcher | Houston, Tex. | Kingwood HS / McLennan CC |
| Abraham Garcia-Pacheco | 6-0 / 180 | R/R | Freshman | Catcher | Highland, Calif. | Rancho Cucamonga HS |
| Thomas McCaffrey | 5-10 / 185 | R/R | Freshman | Catcher / Utility | Santa Monica, Calif. | Harvard-Westlake HS |
| Dillon Tatum | 6-1 / 220 | R/R | Junior | Catcher | Stockton, Calif. | St. Mary's HS / San Joaquin Delta JC |
| Roger Thomas | 6-1 / 185 | L/L | Freshman | Pitcher | Mission Viejo, Calif. | Santa Margarita HS |
| Justin Torres | 5-10 / 185 | L/R | Junior | Infielder | San Bruno, Calif. | St. Francis HS / College of San Mateo |
Head Coach Ben Orloff and his staff are reloading for the 2021 season adding to the six players the program signed back in November with another six hailing from all parts of the state and even doubling up their Texans. Here's a breakdown of each incoming Anteater and thoughts from the skipper:
Tanner Brooks
Coach Orloff - "Tanner is a guy that has been on our radar for the last two years. He comes from a highly successful McLennan Junior College program in Texas. He will step in right away in a significant role. Tanner has a fastball that will be in the low 90s and a good slider. He will be able to strike people out and we are excited to work with him every day."
Brooks was born in Oklahoma, but has honed his craft in Houston, Texas starting at Kingwood High School and now for two years at McLennan Community College. He posted a 2.00 ERA in high school before a freshman season at McLennan where he appeared in 10 games, seven as a starter, and posted eight decisions going 5-3 with a 3.18 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 34 innings. His first CC start he went five no-hit innings with eight strikeouts, and improved on that later in the year with seven one-hit innings all while finishing the year as an NJCAA Academic Team of the Year honorable mention. In his shortened sophomore season, he appeared in four games winning each of his start including his last one on March 7 when he won allowing one earned run in 6.1 innings.
Abraham Garcia-Pacheco
Coach Orloff - "Abraham is a very important piece of this recruiting class. We had the opportunity to see him in the fall and he has all the makings of a kid that is going to thrive at UC Irvine. His makeup is perfect for the catching position. There is a toughness and competitiveness in Abraham that we are excited to add to our program."
Garcia-Pacheco has filled out to 6-0 now in his senior season at Rancho Cucamonga where the squad was 9-2-1 before the season was halted. He had played in 40 games in his three previous years on varsity and totaled 29 hits, 17 runs scored, 15 RBI, and four sacrifice flies primarily as a catcher in addition to some work on the infield.
Thomas McCaffrey
Coach Orloff - "Thomas comes from one of the most successful high school programs in the state. He has been well coached and has an advanced feel and understanding of the game. Thomas has handled lots of high level pitching and is very advanced in his ability to receive. He is selfless and prioritizes winning. He will make us better."
Dillon Tatum
Coach Orloff - "We could not be more excited for Dillon to get on campus in the fall. We believe he was the best junior college catcher in the state of California. Dillon checks all of the boxes we look for in a catcher defensively. He is also a guy that will add much needed right handed power to the middle of our lineup."
The infielder joins a strong catching crop heading to UC Irvine along with some experience at first base. He grew up in Stockton, Calif., and attended St. Mary's High School where he hit .394 and earned First Team All-League. Upon joining San Joaquin Delta JC, he collected 40 hits in 39 games as a freshman including 11 doubles, four home runs, and 33 RBI. He was on a more torrid pace in 2020 before the season halted abruptly with Tatum registering 26 hits and 22 RBI in his 21 games to go with a .366 average.
Roger Thomas
Coach Orloff - "Roger has turned himself into one of the better left handed pitchers in the state. He has continued to improve over the last several years and the best is still ahead for him. We are happy to have Roger coming because he always wanted to be at UC Irvine. He has a fastball that can reach into the low 90s and really spin a breaking ball."
Justin Torres
Coach Orloff - "Justin is another guy were are very happy to add to this recruiting class. He fits the mold of what we look for defensively for an infielder in being a guy that can play all three infield spots. He's also a left handed hitter that can hit an extra base hit and also steal a base. He should make an immediate impact for us."
Torres has made a name for himself at the College of San Mateo over the last year-plus. The left-handed hitting infielder joined after prep ball at St. Francis High School and immediately impacted with 40 hits in 43 games as a freshman which included four triples and six home runs on top of his .260 average. He jumped out of the gate in 21 games this season with 15 RBI and team highs in hits, runs, and home runs already. The squad was flying with a 16-5 record and unbeaten in conference play, and Torres was near the top of the conference in most offensive categories including his conference-best nine steals and .376 batting average.
Below is the complete 12-player list of 2021 signees:
| Student-Athlete | Ht / Wt | B/T | Year | Position | Hometown | School(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanner Brooks | 6-2 / 180 | R/R | JR | RHP | Houston, Tex. | Kingwood HS / McLennan CC |
| Abraham Garcia-Pacheco | 6-0 / 180 | R/R | FR | C | Highland, Calif. | Rancho Cucamonga HS |
| Ryan Hadeen | 6-1 / 165 | S/R | FR | INF | Temecula, Calif. | Temecula Valley HS |
| Caden Kendle | 5-11 / 180 | R/R | FR | OF | Huntington Beach, Calif. | Marina HS |
| Thomas McCaffrey | 5-10 / 185 | R/R | FR | C / UT | Santa Monica, Calif. | Harvard-Westlake HS |
| Shaun Montoya | 5-10 / 160 | L/R | FR | OF | Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. | Damien HS |
| Casey Slattery | 6-4 / 230 | L/L | RS-SO | INF | Studio City, Calif. | Harvard-Westlake HS / Glendale CC |
| Michael Stanford | 6-1 / 175 | R/R | RS-SO | RHP | Grapevine, Tex. | Colleyville HS / Weatherford HC |
| Ryan Sveningson | 6-4 / 170 | R/R | FR | RHP | Ladera Ranch, Calif. | JSerra HS |
| Dillon Tatum | 6-1 / 220 | R/R | JR | C | Stockton, Calif. | St. Mary's HS / San Joaquin Delta JC |
| Roger Thomas | 6-1 / 185 | L/L | FR | LHP | Mission Viejo, Calif. | Santa Margarita HS |
| Justin Torres | 5-10 / 185 | L/R | JR | INF | San Bruno, Calif. | St. Francis HS / College of San Mateo |
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