Moriarty, Gunsolus, Callahan, Abbruzza Sign With Baseball
12/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Dec. 20, 2010
SPOKANE, Wash. - Gonzaga University head baseball coach Mark Machtolf has announced the signing of four Washington natives to national letters-of-intent.
The Bulldogs will welcome for the 2012 season right-handed pitcher Kevin Moriarty out of Shoreline High in Shoreline, middle infielder Mitchell Gunsolus from Inglemoor High in Kenmore, left-handed pitcher/outfielder Derek Callahan of Edmonds-Woodway High in Edmonds and right-handed pitcher/third baseman Zach Abbruzza, hailing from Redmond High in Redmond.
Moriarty signs with the Bulldogs rated the third best right-handed pitcher in the state of Washington by Baseball Northwest. While pitching at Shorewood High under head coach Wyatt Tonkin he maintained an earned-run average of 1.09 as a sophomore and 1.69 as a junior. The right hander was selected to All-State 3A team as a junior. Last summer he pitched for the Washington Nationals organization during the Area Code Games. He pitched three perfect innings with seven strikeouts at the most prestigious high school baseball event in the country.
"Everything was a great fit right from the beginning," Moriarty said. "The coaches, academics, location, it just felt right and I'm very happy with the decision I made. I can't wait to get over to Spokane and start working hard and doing all I can to help the team."
"(Kevin's) a big, strong, young guy," Machtolf said. "He's a good strike thrower with good composure. Kevin will make an immediate impact to the Gonzaga pitching staff."
Coached by Bryan McNaghten, Gunsolus earned first team All-KingCo and was selected to the All-Continental Amateur Baseball Association Tournament team in 2008. The two-sport star was also selected second team All-KingCo as a quarterback in football. He also has been successful in his academics as he has been part of the National Honor Society for four straight years and was a qualifier for the 2010 DECA Nationals.
"We believe Mitchell is the best young infielder in the state," Machtolf said. "He's a left-handed hitting shortstop. We think he can play all three positions, second, short and third."
Gunsolus chose Gonzaga over the University of Washington, Washington State University, University of Hawai`i, Oregon State University, University of Oregon, University of Nevada and West Coast Conference foe University of San Francisco.
"I am extremely excited to be coming to Gonzaga," Gunsolus said. "The school is a perfect fit for me not only from a baseball standpoint but also from an academic standpoint. I do better in a 1-on-1 situation and with the small class sizes, I have a great chance of success at Gonzaga. I have a good connection with the coaching staff of the Zags and most of all I love the facilities."
Callahan, coached by Dan Somoza, is rated No. 1 in the Seattle Select Under-16 and the second-best left-handed pitcher in the state by Baseball Northwest. While helping the Warriors claim back-to-back State 4A championships, he earned first team All-Wesco accolades as an outfielder and second team as both a pitcher and outfielder during those two seasons. The left-hander also earned first team All-Seattle Premier League as an outfielder while playing for Taylor Baseball.
Last season, Callahan threw his first no-hitter in his high-school career against Lynnwood, striking out 11.
"Derek is a big strong left-handed pitcher who's going to be a power arm for us," Machtolf said. "He's also a centerfielder in high school so we think he can have a chance to be a two-way guy. He's good competitor with big potential. We're really excited about him."
A member of the National Honors Society, Callahan helped the team earn All-State 4A Academic accolades in 2010. He comes to Gonzaga after having been recruited by WCC rivals University of Portland and Santa Clara University and by Pacific-10 schools Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, University of Southern California and Stanford University.
"I chose Gonzaga University because of its academic reputation and the quality of its coaches," Callahan said. "I liked the small college feeling of the campus and was stunned by the `state of the art' Patterson complex. Gonzaga is a place where I can excel, both in the classroom and on the field. I want to continue the growth of the program and bring Gonzaga baseball to national prominence. I feel privileged and deeply honored to be a Zag."
Abbruzza signs with the Bulldogs rated the No. 8 right-handed pitcher by Baseball Northwest. He was selected first team All-KingCo as both a pitcher and first baseman last season. Under head coach Dan Pudwill, he was also selected second team All-State 4A as a pitcher. That year he batted .405 but was very successful on the hill. After pitching 51 innings, he went 7-0 with five complete games, 49 strikeouts and maintained a 1.24 ERA.
"Zach's also a two-way player. He can play third or first and can also catch," Machtolf said. "He's also a very good strike throwing right-handed pitcher who throws four pitches for strikes. We think he can get great hitters out right now. We're also going to give him a chance to hit. What position he plays is still kind of unknown."
Abbruzza chose Gonzaga over Portland, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington and Washington State.
"I am extremely excited about playing baseball for the Zags," Abbruzza said. "This is my dream to play (NCAA) Division I baseball at an excellent academic school where I can major in sports management, play in a great baseball program and stay relatively close to home. I can't wait to develop with the help of coaches Machtolf, (Danny) Evans and (Steve) Bennett, play in front of my family in Spokane and most of all help the Zags make it to Omaha."
Machtolf, entering his eighth year at the helm of the Bulldogs, said he will hopefully add a few prospects to the class in the spring.
"Everything is moving so fast these days with recruiting that I think it's good to save some scholarships and use it later in the year for some of the kids that have been overlooked or have just developed a little bit later," Machtolf said. "(The incoming class) is pretty small but the quality is outstanding. We needed to get the arms and we feel like we accomplished that."
The Bulldogs open the 2010 season with a doubleheader Feb. 18 in Fresno, Calif., against Oregon State University at 2 p.m. and Fresno State University at 6:05 p.m.
