Baseball Inks Seven On First Day Of Early Signing Period
November 08, 2000 | Baseball
Nov. 8, 2000
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech head baseball coach Larry Hays announced today the signing of five players to national letters of intent. All seven athletes will join the Red Raiders for the 2002 season.
Signing letters to play for Texas Tech are: Nathan Fouts (RHP, Southern Nevada Community College), John DiBetta (INF, Southern Nevada Community College), John Slack (OF, Southern Nevada Community College), Joe Wagner (INF, Southern Nevada Community College), Ryan Meaux (LHP, Lamar Community College), Bobby Livingston (LHP, Trinity Christian, Lubbock, Texas) and Casey Andrews (INF, Farmington High School, Farmington N.M.).
Nathan Fouts went 11-0 last season with an ERA of 2.21. He struckout 82 batters and gave up just 22 walks in 76 innings of work. Infielder John DiBetta, hit .432 last season with 85 RBI and 12 stolen bases. Outfielder John Slack finished last season with a .450 batting average with 25 doubles, seven triples, 18 stolen bases and 68 RBI. Infielder Joe Wagner tallied a .397 batting average last season at Southern Nevada along with 13 home runs, 15 doubles, four triples and 69 RBI. Left-handed pitcher Ryan Meaux, paced his Lamar Community College team last season with a 5-4 record and 3.57 ERA. Meaux struckout 74 batters in 67 innings of work.
The only two freshmen in this group of players is Casey Andrews of Farmington, N.M and local standout Bobby Livingston of Trinity Christian Academy in Lubbock. Last season, Andrews hit .500 on the year along with three home runs and 16 RBI. Andrews played in the 1999 Junior Olympic Tournament and hit .421 with two home runs. Livingston, considered by many as one of the top pitching prospects in the country, has been clocked at 90 mph and could see immediate playing time on the mound for the Red Raiders.
"We signed four key guys today that will have a chance to help us out immediately next season," said Texas Tech head coach Larry Hays. "Just like the group of players that we signed at this time last season, they will all have opportunities to come in and play and possibly make a big impact on our ball club."