SPOKANE, Wash. - Gonzaga University head baseball coach Mark Machtolf has announced the addition of nine players to his 2013 roster.

Joining the Bulldogs next spring are Will Abram, a 6-2 left-handed pitcher and a sophomore transfer from Paradise Valley Community College in Phoenix, Ariz.; Nelson Benjamin, a 6-0 centerfielder from Valley Vista High in Surprise, Ariz.; Taylor Jones, a 6-7 right-handed pitcher/first baseman from Kentwood High in Covington, Wash.; Brandon Mahovlich, a 6-2 right-handed pitcher/outfielder from Issaquah High in Issaquah, Wash.; Cabe Reiten, a 6-2 shortstop from the Academy Northwest in Olympia, Wash.; Michael Rucker, a 6-0 right-handed pitcher from Auburn Riverside High in Auburn, Wash.; Jimmy Sinatro, a 5-10 catcher from Skyline High in Sammamish, Wash.; Andrew Sopko, a 6-2 right-handed pitcher from Loyola Sacred Heart High in Missoula, Mont., and Caleb Wood, a 5-10 shortstop from Valley Vista High in Surprise, Ariz.

"I am absolutely thrilled about our 2012 class. Associate head coach Danny Evans and assistant coach Steve Bennett have spent many days on the road to secure not only the best players in the state of Washington but in the entire West Coast," Machtolf said. "This class will rank up there as one of the best classes in program history and they will be very crucial to Gonzaga baseball taking the next step in our pursuit to win another West Coast Conference Championship and play in the NCAA College World Series."

Abram made 22 appearances at Paradise Valley Community College last season. He did not allow an earned run in the first 22 of 43 1/3 innings pitched. He finished the season going 5-2 with one save and allowing only 13 runs, 10 earned.

"With the recent success of our left-handed pitchers, we were in pursuit of continuing to add to that list. Will has an opportunity to pitch significant innings from the start. His delivery is something that we haven't quite seen before and is very deceptive to opposing hitters," Machtolf said.

Abram's brother, Matt, played in the minor leagues within the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim organizations. His other brother, Greg, played college baseball Union University.

Benjamin carried a .412 batting average with 26 RBI last season at Valley Vista High. For his efforts, he earned All-State 5A second team honors. He is also a three-time All-Northwest Region selection, having received first team honors his junior and sophomore seasons and second team his freshman season.

"Nelson is an outstanding young man who can flat out run and go get it in centerfield," Machtolf said. "We have made it a point to increase our overall team speed and Nelson will bring this threat every day to our lineup."

Jones has been rated the top right-handed pitcher and third best high school prospect in Washington by Baseball Northwest. He is also ranked a top 500 prospect in the country by Perfect Game and a top 100 prospect by Baseball America As a pitcher at Kentwood High last season, he owned a 2.13 ERA. Although he's served as a pitcher, he has also spent some time at first base. He averaged .424 while slugging in a .727 percentage with a .578 on-base percentage. He also led the team in doubles (8) and home runs (4) to earn All-South Puget Sound League second team accolades.

"Taylor has really blossomed into one of the best pitchers in the Northwest," Machtolf said. "His frame and work ethic will only allow him to continue to reach new heights and we are very excited to watch him do that in a Gonzaga Uniform."

Baseball Northwest rated Mahovlich as the eighth-best right-handed pitcher and 21^st best high school prospect in Washington. He also ranks as one of the best two-way players in the state. In his junior season at Issaquah High, he maintained a 2.10 ERA with 42 strikeouts. For his efforts, he was named the school's Most Valuable Player and he also received All-Kingco honorable mention.

"Brandon will be an outstanding two-way player for us," Machtolf said. "He has a very natural swing with power that projects very well at the next level as well as arm strength and pitch ability, earning him an opportunity to pitch significant innings."

Mahovlich's father, Mike, was a member of the University of Washington's track & field team from 1979-82.

Reiten (pronounced Reet-en) has been rated the top shortstop and sixth best high school prospect in Washington by Baseball Northwest. Although he's attending the Academy Northwest for school, Reiten has been playing baseball at Olympia High. As a junior, he carried a .445 batting average to become the Narrows League's Most Valuable Player and an All-State 1A selection. He was also voted The Olympian's All-Area Player of the Year. As a sophomore, he hit a career-high .476 average to become an All-Narrows League first team selection. As a freshman, he averaged .350 at the plate to become an All-Narrows second team honoree.

"Cabe is a remarkable shortstop and we believe he's one of the best on the West Coast," Machtolf said. "He will help our defense continue to be one of the best in the country."

His older sister, Aanya, was a nationally-ranked figure skater for four years.

Baseball Northwest rated Rucker the third best right-handed pitcher and ninth best high school prospect in Washington. As a junior, he went 8-2 with a 1.51 ERA and 102 strikeouts. For his efforts, he received first-team All-State 4A and first-team All-SPSL 4A North accolades. As a sophomore, he received an All-SPSL 4A North honorable mention and was named the school's Varsity Team Most Improved Player. Rucker has also had success in the classroom. He was a South Puget Sound Scholar Athlete and a recipient of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Distinguished Scholastic Award.

"Michael is one of our incoming pitchers that we believe has the ability to start on the weekend very early in his career," Machtolf said. "He has continued to improve every time we have seen him pitch. He has a slider and changeup that project to be plus pitches for him."

Sinatro has been rated the fourth best catcher and 30th best high school prospect in Washington by Baseball Northwest. While with Skyline High, Sinatro received All-Kingco first team honors as well as the team's Most Improved Player his junior year. He also played in the Lakeside Summer Ball League last year, hitting a .345 average with seven doubles, four home runs and 35 RBI.

"Jimmy, being fairly new to the catching position, is one of the best we have seen in a while," Machtolf said. "His solid approach at the plate and strong leadership ability will be a very welcome addition in 2013."

Sinatro's father, Matt, played 18 seasons in the major leagues, having played for the Atlanta Braves, Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners. He is currently the catching coordinator for the Houston Astros. His mother, Liz, was a gymnast while attending Cornell University.

According to Baseball Northwest, Sopko is rated the top right-handed pitcher and overall high school prospect in the states of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Although Loyola Sacred Heart does not sponsor baseball, Sopko has playing baseball with the Missoula Mavericks of the Montana/Alberta Legion Baseball League. With the Mavericks last season, he led the team with a 12-2 record with a 2.52 ERA and 136 strikeouts. He also threw five complete games and three shutouts. For his efforts in the Baseball Northwest Senior Northwest Championship last year, he was named to the All-Tournament team. As he prepares for the 2012 season, Sopko was named to the Under Armour Preseason All-America team.

"Andrew's ability to locate all three of his pitches on command and his mature demeanor on the mound is hard to find. He has continued to develop into one of the most complete pitcher's in the Pacific Northwest," Machtolf said.

At Valley Vista High, Wood has served as a middle infielder, an outfielder and a pitcher. During his time with the Monsoon, he received second-team All-State 5A accolades his junior season and was named to the All-Northwest Region first team as a sophomore, second team as a freshman.

"Caleb is a very talented and versatile player out of Arizona. He is also one of the fastest," Machtolf said. "Caleb is a true shortstop but he doesn't miss a beat when he plays in the outfield. His speed is also another very welcome addition to the 2013 lineup."

Gonzaga led the way with the signing of Jones, Reiten and Rucker, who are Baseball Northwest's top 10 rated prospects in the state of Washington. Oregon State University and Stanford University each signed two of the top 10 prospects in the state while the University of Oregon, Arizona State University and Washington State University each signed one. The Bulldogs also landed four players who participated in the prestigious Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif., this past August for the nation's top prep baseball players.

"We are very excited about the talent in this class, but even more so the character and make-up of these young men and what they will bring to Gonzaga, not only as baseball players but students as well," Machtolf said.

The Bulldogs open the 2012 season with a three-game series against the University of Nebraska in Peoria, Ariz., starting Feb. 17.