OU baseball signs seven highlighted by Under Armour All-American Janisse
ROCHESTER HILLS – Seven players have signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Oakland University baseball team in the 2012 season, head coach John Musachio announced on Tuesday. The group of incoming players is highlighted by Under Armour High School All-American Skylar Janisse and includes five freshmen and two junior college transfers.
“I am very excited and proud to announce the new additions to our Golden Grizzlies’ family,” said Oakland head coach John Musachio. “We have signed seven outstanding young men who will represent Oakland University and our baseball program in a first class manner. With this group, we’ve brought in very talented young players to fill our needs. This is a special class.”
The seven signings are Janisse, Logan Sparkman, Doug Beath, Lucas Scocchia, Christpher Van Dyke, Robert Enslen and Spencer Marentette.
Janisse is a 6-foot-4-inch pitcher from Windsor, Ont., Canada, who was tabbed as an Under Armour High School All-American. The Freshman Athlete of the Year at St. Thomas of Villanova Secondary, he helped lead his high school team to a 45-7 record and back-to-back third place finishes in the Ontario state tournament over the past two seasons. He also played for Team Canada and the Windsor Select team, where he posted a 3.37 ERA and struck out 74 batters in 14 games.
The Under Armour All-American Committee described Janisse as, “A right-hander with an ideal pitcher’s frame and advanced command of his three-pitch mix. He has an upper-80s fastball with movement, a sharp breaking curveball that is a swing-and-miss pitch and a change with good arm speed and late sink. Janisse is a polished young pitcher with a high ceiling.”
“Skylar is a very talented young pitcher with unlimited upside,” said Musachio. “He is tall, projectable and has a live arm. Having competed and had success against the highest level of competition across the US and Canada, Skylar is battle-tested and a fearless competitor. He is one of the top pitchers in Canada and will be an immediate impact player for us.”
Marentette is a 6-foot-1-inch infielder from Kingsville, Ont., Canada. He helped his Windsor Select team to a second place finish in the 2009 Canada Cup and also made an appearance on the mound to throw a no hitter in the Continental Amateur Baseball Association (CABA) World Series. During the summer season, he batted .386 for the Windsor Select with an on-base percentage of .484, scoring 38 runs and driving in 36 more. He was also a standout in the classroom earning awards for the top GPA in his class and in the school at Leamington District Secondary School.
“Spencer is a very polished infielder who can play all three infield positions,” said Musachio. “He also brings a very strong left-handed bat to our line-up. We expect Spencer to compete for a starting position right away.”
Beath is a 6-foot-3-inch catcher from Lake Barrington, Ill. He was recently named one of the top 110 players in the state by Prep Baseball Report magazine. His athleticism and exceptional throwing ability will make him a versatile player for Oakland and could allow him to play other positions, including the outfield.
“Doug is about as impressive an athlete as we have recruited. He is big, strong and fast,” said Musachio. “Doug will bring power from both sides of the plate, along with a big time arm. We expect great things on the field and as a future leader.”
Sparkman is a 6-foot-3-inch left-handed pitcher from Auburn, Ind. In his first two seasons at Dekalb High School he helped his team to a 38-17 record. He also helped DHS to a 10th place finish in the state tournament.
“Logan is a long, loose left-hander with very good feel for three pitches,” added Musachio. “He pitches in the middle-80s right now, but projects to be an upper-80s arm with polish.”
Van Dyke is a 6-foot-1-inch right-handed pitcher and position player from Denver, Colo. A three time all-conference selection, he posted a 2.04 ERA as a freshman and helped his team finish second in the state tournament. After moving to Denver Christian in his junior year, he earned first team all-conference honors and was an all-state honorable mention honoree, batting .667 and driving in 22 runs.
“Chris make an immediate impact as a two-way player for us,” said Musachio. “He has plus power from the right side of the plate as well as a powerful, upper 80’s arm on the mound. Chris has been well coached and brings a strong baseball IQ to our program.”
Socchia is a 6-foot-2-inch right-handed pitcher from Thunder Bay, Ont., Canada, that is ranked No. 15 in the Canadian Baseball Network draft list. He won a silver medal with Team Onatrio at the 2010 Canada Cup. He was a two-time Ontario Baseball Association Champion in 2006 and 2008. From 2008-10 he has posted a 51-7 record on the mound in all competitions.
“Lucas is a big, strong right-handed pitcher who was as impressive as any pitcher I watched all summer,” Musachio said. “He has had tremendous success against top-level competition in Canada and the U.S. Lucas competes as hard as anyone and will be an immediate impact pitcher with strong feel for three pitches.”
Enslen is a 6-foot-1-inch infielder from Middleville, Mich. He hit .477 as a junior at Thornapple-Kellogg High School with 15 doubles. He scored 44 runs and drove in 35 more, while on the mound he was 7-2 with a 2.39 ERA. He is also successful in the classroom and will graduate as an honor roll student.
“Robbie is one of the best middle infielders in Michigan,” said Musachio. “He has an outstanding baseball IQ, plays the game hard and can really swing the bat. We look for Robby to compete right away for us.”
“The hard work of our coaching staff has certainly paid off with this recruiting class,” concluded Musachio. “The time and energy put in by Matt Plante, Aaron Barrows and former assistant coach Del Young, have made signing this strong class possible.”
Fans will have to wait until the 2012 season to see this group of early signings. However, the current Oakland baseball team will begin the 2011 season on Feb. 25 with a three-game series at Oklahoma.
Category: Oakland University
