The High Point University baseball team has signed five players to the squad for the 2013 season, head coach
Craig Cozart announced Tuesday. Kyle Brandenburg, Sly Edwards, Dominic Fazio, Tyler Fox and Brett Gemmell will join the Panthers next season.
“These five athletic young men will fill the needs of our program going in to next year,” Cozart said. “We had the opportunity to evaluate several of these players on our own campus which is a credit to the growth of our camps and allowed us to really get to know them and their families. We are confident they will be a tremendous addition to High Point University.”
Brandenburg is a switch hitter who will join High Point for his junior season after playing two years at Guilford Technical Community College. The Greensboro, N.C. native hit .310 with 21 runs scored last year at GTCC. Brandenburg played for the Statesville Owls last summer, hitting .366 with 21 RBI and 20 runs scored. In his senior season at Ragsdale High School he was an All-State, All-Area and All-Conference honoree.
“Kyle is someone we have followed since high school,” Cozart said. “In the last year he has gotten more physical, faster and stronger and turned himself in to the type of player we need. He is versatile with the ability to play multiple positions and hit anywhere in the lineup.”
Edwards is an outfielder from Miami Lakes, Fla. currently preparing for his senior season at St. Brendans High School. He is a 2011 Perfect Game Underclass High Honorable Mention All-American and he won the PG fastest man competition by running a 6.3 in the 60-yard dash. Edwards played his junior season at Chaminade-Madonna Prep.
“Edwards has incredible speed and will be able to run down everything in the outfield,” Cozart said. “He has a lot of tools and a really great up-side. His speed, power, defense and ability to hit for average make him an all-around player.”
Fazio, a Pittsburgh, Pa. native, will add a catcher to the roster for 2013. He is a three-year varsity player at Pittsburgh Central Catholic and member of the Richmond Braves AAU team that was ranked in the top five in the nation by Perfect Game. In his junior season at Central Catholic, Fazio hit .356 while slugging .622 and picking up 15 RBI.
“There is no question that Fazio will be a very tough out in our lineup,” Cozart said. “He knows how to handle the bat and will hit for a high average. He also has that it factor, the ability to come up with hits in clutch situations.”
Adding more depth to the outfield is Fox, a native of Branchburg, N.J. As a junior at Immaculata High School he earned first team All-Conference honors. In three seasons on the varsity team he has collected 60 walks, 20 doubles, 10 homeruns and five triples.
“He really opened our eyes at camp this summer. He was the fastest person there with the most power,” Cozart said. “He is an outfielder who can hit from the left side and that has value on any roster.”
The final member of the group is Highland, N.Y. native, Gemmell. The outfielder is a two-time Perfect Game Underclass Honorable Mention All-American and he collected first team All-Mid Hudson Athletic League honors as a junior. He hit .456 with 26 RBI and led Marlboro High School to a Section 9 Championship in 2010 and a runner-up finish in 2011.
“Brett has the true left-handed power bat our lineup needs,” Cozart said. “Every time he is at the plate he is a threat to drive the ball and knock in runs. He also has good arm strength and will be an asset as a corner outfielder or first baseman.”
The baseball team opens the 2012 season on Feb. 17 with a home series against Army, the first of 32 home games this season for the Panthers. For the first time in school history, HPU will host the 2012 Big South Championship at Williard Stadium May 22-26. HPU has 21 newcomers on the roster, comprising a recruiting class that was ranked among the best in the country by Collegiate Baseball.
