Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Baseball Recognized for Strong Recruiting Class
9/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Sept. 26, 2006
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper released its lists of college baseball's top recruiting classes and Florida Atlantic University was listed among the top 50. The Owls brought in five junior college transfers and five freshmen to complete the 2007 roster.
"Any sort of ranking is rewarding for the hard work that our recruiting coordinator John McCormack does," said head coach Kevin Cooney.
Larry Walicki, Justin Phillabaum and Michael Obradovich will add to the FAU pitching staff. A freshman from Park Vista High School, Walicki was named All-Conference and All-State. Obradovich is a transfer from Gadsden State Community College in Alabama and was named the Alabama Junior College Player of the Year as well as a JUCO All-American. A junior from Royal Palm Beach, FL, Justin Phillabaum spent two season at Indian River Community College and was taken in the major league draft in both 2004 and 2005.
Freshman position players Ryan Cheatham, Michael Hudzina, Tom Segedin and Riaan Spanjer-Furstenburg will fight for playing time as FAU returns six starters from a year ago, losing just two outfielders from last season's squad.
Hudzina (Port Charlotte HS) and Cheatham (Wellington) will try to earn one of the outfield spots, while Segedin will workout with the middle infielders. A catcher from Coral Glades High School, Spangjer-Furstenburg will be listed as a catcher behind two seniors and a sophomore, but could be a formidable force at 6'2" and 235 pounds.
Juniors Daniel Bomback, Billy Degnan and Justin Ferreiro will add experience to a roster with 24 upperclassmen. Ferreira and Bomback bring experience from a JUCO World Series team at Broward Community College. A native of Delray Beach, FL, Degnan played with an Embry Riddle team last season that was a runner-up at the NAIA National Championship.
The Owls rank second among Sun Belt Conference schools.
On February 2, FAU will open the season against Mississippi Valley State in Boca Raton, FL.
