Twelve Newcomers Join 19 Returners from Defending NWAACC Champion Squad For '08
August 4 , 2007

Twelve newcomers will begin fall baseball on Monday September 17. The small recruiting class balances out a veteran core from the '07 NWAACC Champion squad. The incoming group is headlined by All-KingCo 4A and All-State outfielder Ryan Shelton (Woodinville HS). Shelton led Woodinville to the state playoffs this year and is coming off a stellar summer for Chaffey Baseball Club. The frontline talent from the local KingCo Conference also includes catcher Gio Learned (Inglemoor HS), left-handed pitcher Ryan Davis (Eastlake HS '06 via Columbia Basin College), and infielder Keegan Acker (Redmond HS). "We are extremely excited about the local guys who are all polished players right now. Shelton plays like he's been in our program already. His speed and aggressiveness is the style of play that jump-started our club last spring. Learned is another north-end KingCo stud who, like Shelton, has A+ makeup in addition to talent. We think he's going to give us the same toughness and cannon arm that we lost in graduating captain Kyle Torgerson. Acker is the sleeper from Redmond HS. Back injuries and a passion for basketball have kept him off the baseball radar in his prep days, but has been flourishing ever since he's turned his focus to baseball. He can defend and can hit from the left side. Davis is a previous draft (Chicago Cubs '06) who has more upside than many think. ," says Head Coach Mark Yoshino.

Three local Seattleites, transfer lefty pitcher Jeremy Zink (via Santa Clara University), middle-order hitter Jonathan Leung (Lindbergh HS), and utility player Lucas Shaw (Highline HS '06 via Lewis-Clark State College) are also coming in. "Zink was the guy for Taylor Baseball and has already pitched in the spotlight for the Mariners Area Code Team in Long Beach two summers ago. Leung stays inside the ball and hits the ball hard with wood. He'll succeed at our level and possibly higher. He's an all-leaguer who absolutely dominated his league's pitching. Shaw can catch and play both corners. After sitting out last year, he might be hungier than everyone else."

The Bulldogs went to the north and south ends of King County to get their other recruits. From the north, All-WesCo infielder Brett Dvorak brings his slick fielding ability from Lake Stevens HS. Strong body corner outfielder Michael Robertson (Jackson HS) also had a stellar senior campaign. Left-handed swinging Riley Tompkins is a late recruit who recently came aboard. From the south, bullet-throwing righty Cody Goodfellow (Stadium HS) is expected to come in and make an immediate impact as one of the hardest throwers in the NWAACC. Ian Post (Auburn-Riverside HS) is the youngest on the team and is a projection righty pitcher with the a pitcher's frame. "Dvorak, Robertson, and Post are all guys who had to wait for their time to shine. They all showed this spring and summer that they're as good as any other top prospect from their respective leagues. Goodfellow is the perfect Bellevue guy. His arm strength has increased this summer up to 93 mph, but needs coaching for better consistency. He should follow the many pitchers who have flourished in the Bellevue program," says Yoshino.