The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Baseball inks 12 during early signing period
11.16.2005 | Baseball
AUSTIN, Texas -- University of Texas head baseball coach Augie Garrido announced that the Longhorns have received national letters of intent from 12 of the top high school student-athletes in the country during the early signing period on Wednesday, Nov. 16.
Making up this group signed by associate head coach/recruiting coordinator Tommy Harmon and assistant coach Tom Holliday are seven of the state's top 25 high school prospects according to Texas Baseball News, including the No. 1 and No. 3 players in pitchers Jordan Walden (Mansfield, Texas) and Brandon Belt (Lufkin, Texas), respectively. Others notables include Josh Prince (Lake Charles, La.) and Clint Stubbs (Atlanta, Texas), who are the brothers of Longhorns Dooley Prince and Drew Stubbs, highly-touted out-of-state signees Michael Demperio (Marietta, Ga.), Carmine Giardina (Valrico, Fla.) and Marcus Lemon (Sanford, Fla.) and Texas natives Taylor Hammack (Angleton, Texas), Nathan Karns (Arlington, Texas), Kyle Lusson (Austin, Texas), Russell Moldenhauer (Boerne, Texas) and Blake Williams (Sweeny, Texas).
"The infield was a priority with this class and we feel that we filled that need as well as anyone in the country with the signing of Marcus Lemon, Michael Demperio and Josh Prince," Harmon said. "Pitching is also an important area to address each year and this class has a great balance of both right and left-handed pitching and includes some of the top prospects in the nation. Besides signing infielders and pitchers, the class also includes talents such as Clint Stubbs, Kyle Lusson and Russell Moldenhauer to provide us with a quality group of newcomers for the 2006-07 season."
"This year's entire recruiting effort from the pitching side was aimed at finding starters as well as right-handed power arms," Holliday said. "With this group, I think we have accomplished what we set out to do. We have a high-quality group of pitchers that can immediately step in and help our team. While this class is not as big in terms of numbers as the one we signed last year, it is equal in talent."
In terms of positions included in this signing class for the 2006-07 season, there are six pitchers, of which many also man a field position, and six position players. A brief look at Texas' entire signing class is below:
2006-07 University of Texas Baseball Signing Class (as of Nov. 16, 2005) Name Position Hometown Current School Brandon Belt LHP/OF Lufkin, Texas Lufkin Hudson HS Michael Demperio INF Marietta, Ga. Kell HS Carmine Giardina LHP Valrico, Fla. Durant HS Taylor Hammack LHP/1B Angleton, Texas Angleton HS Nathan Karns RHP Arlington, Texas Martin HS Marcus Lemon SS Sanford, Fla. Eustis HS Kyle Lusson CF Austin, Texas McCallum HS Russell Moldenhauer C Boerne, Texas Boerne HS Josh Prince INF Lake Charles, La. Baibe HS Clint Stubbs OF Atlanta, Texas Atlanta HS Jordan Walden RHP/1B Mansfield, Texas Mansfield HS Blake Williams RHP Sweeny, Texas Sweeny HS
Brandon Belt (LHP/OF, 6-5, 190)
- Ranked No. 3 on Texas Baseball News' Texas Top 25 List.
- Went 8-2 with a 1.45 ERA, 123 strikeouts over 62.2 innings in 2005. Also posted a .562 batting average to go along with 10 home runs.
- Averaged 2.2 strikeouts per inning and less than one walk per game during his junior campaign.
- A three-time All-District performer who was twice named the co-MVP of District 21-3A and was tabbed first-team All-State last year.
- Led Lufkin Hudson HS to the Class 3A Regional Finals in 2005.
- Member of the Texas Rangers Area Code Games Team.
Michael Demperio (INF, 5-11, 165)
- Considered the best infielder in the state of Georgia.
- Hit .432 as a sophomore at Kell High School in 2004.
- Batted .368 (a combined 7-for-19) during the 2005 Connie Mack World Series for the East Cobb Yankees and helped lead his squad to the tourney title by going 3-for-4 in the championship game.
Carmine Giardina (LHP, 6-3, 205)
- Ranked as one of the top 50 prospects nationally as the top left-handed pitcher in the state of Florida.
- Surrendered only eight hits over 46 innings as a junior at Durant High School while posting a 5-0 record, a 1.02 ERA and five complete games in six starts. He also fanned 82 while allowing only eight hits on the year and batting .414 overall.
- Pitched for the USA Baseball Junior National Team during the summer of 2005 along with fellow UT signee Marcus Lemon.
- Made two appearances, including one start, for the Americans and struck out four over 5.2 innings of work.
- One of 14 recipients of an AAU Journey Award in 2005 for outstanding achievement in academics and athletics.
Taylor Hammack (LHP/1B, 6-3, 210)
- Ranked No. 9 on Texas Baseball News' Texas Top 25 List.
- An AFLAC All-American and first-team All-State performer in 2005.
- Went 6-0 with a 2.25 ERA over 42.2 innings as a junior last year.
- Averaged slightly more than two strikeouts per inning in 2005.
- Member of the Texas Rangers Area Code Games Team.
Nathan Karns (RHP, 6-4, 220)
- Aided Arlington Martin High School in posting a 21-11-1 overall record in 2005 and claim the District 7-5A Championship.
- Pitched for the Midland Redskins during the summer of 2005 and helped his squad reach the semifinals of the Connie Mack World Series.
- A hard-throwing, right-hander who has also displayed power at the plate.
Marcus Lemon (INF, 5-11, 170)
- Considered the top shortstop in the state of Florida and one of the top 50 high school prospects in the nation.
- Batted .386 last season for Eustis High School while amassing 21 hits, 32 runs scored, 11 doubles, 13 stolen bases and 27 RBI.
- Played with fellow UT signee Carmine Giardina on the USA Baseball Junior National Team during the summer of 2005.
- Batted .442 with four doubles, one triple and eight RBI while playing in 14 games with Team USA.
- Hit .560 (going a combined 14-for-25) with 12 runs scored and six RBI for the Americans during the Pan American Games in Villahermosa, Mexico.
- Scored 22 runs while collecting 12 doubles out of his 19 hits as a sophomore at Eustis High School during the 2003 season.
- One of 14 recipients of an AAU Journey Award in 2005 for outstanding achievement in academics and athletics.
- Son of former Major Leaguer Chet Lemon.
Kyle Lusson (CF, 5-11, 175)
- Ranked No. 12 on Texas Baseball News' Top 25 List.
- Led all of Central Texas with 52 hits as a junior in 2005.
- Batted .495 with six home runs last season while amassing a .789 slugging percentage and a .532 on-base mark.
- Named the MVP of District 25-4A in 2005.
- Member of the Texas Rangers Area Code Games Team.
Russell Moldenhauer (C, 6-0, 200)
- Ranked No. 16 on Texas Baseball News' Top 25 List.
- Arguably the top all-around hitter in the state of Texas.
- A two-time All-State performer who was the 4A State Player of the Year as a sophomore and was tabbed a 2005 High School All-American.
- Posted .444 batting average and eight home runs in 2005.
- Batted .500 with 13 home runs and 55 RBI to go along with a 13-3 record and a 1.91 ERA on the mound during the 2004 season.
- Helped Boerne win the 4A State Title in 2004 as a sophomore and started the title contest for the Greyhounds.
- Member of the Texas Rangers Area Code Games Team.
Josh Prince (INF, 6-1, 170)
- Considered the top infielder in the state of Louisiana.
- Batted .455 with 50 steals in 36 games as a junior en route to garnering Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-State honors.
- Member of the Texas Rangers Area Code Games Team.
- Brother of former Longhorn Dooley Prince.
Clint Stubbs (OF, 6-2, 175)
- Ranked No. 11 on Texas Baseball News' Top 25 List.
- Hit .347 with nine triples as a junior in 2005 en route to being named an All-District outfielder.
- Member of the Texas Rangers Area Code Games Team.
- Brother of current Longhorn Drew Stubbs.
Jordan Walden (RHP/1B, 6-5, 200)
- The No. 1 prospect on Texas Baseball News' Top 25 List.
- Aided the Mansfield Tigers in reaching the Class 5A Regional Finals.
- Selected to the Dallas Morning News All-Area Team in 2005.
- Batted .488 as a junior with 13 doubles, five triples, five home runs and 44 RBI for Mansfield High School.
- Named the starting pitcher for the 2005 AFLAC All-American Classic.
- Member of the Texas Rangers Area Code Games Team.
Blake Williams (RHP, 6-3, 185)
- Ranked No. 24 on Texas Baseball News' Top 25 List.
- Finished each of the last two seasons among the Greater Houston Area leaders in strikeouts with over 150 during both years.
- Earned first-team All-District 25-3A and first-team All-State honors as a junior in 2005.
- Went 9-3 in 2005 with a 0.82 ERA and 152 strikeouts over 85 innings of work. Also averaged 12.5 strikeouts and three walks per seven-inning game.
- Struck out 124 over 81 innings as a sophomore in 2004.
