Michigan Lands Five In-State Recruits in Early Signing Period
11/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan head baseball coach Rich Maloney announced today (Wednesday, Nov. 12) the signing of five players to National Letters of Intent during the November early signing period.
The five recruits, all from the state of Michigan, include CF Patrick Biondi(Woodhaven, Mich./Divine Child HS), RHP Kyle Clark(Portage, Mich./Portage Central HS), IF Derek Dennis(Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Central HS), IF Daniel Fields(Detroit, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit HS)and 1B Cameron Luther(St. Joseph, Mich./St. Joseph HS).
"I'm very excited about this group of early signees, especially since all five are from Michigan," said Maloney. "This class is filled with student-athletes that have had a great deal of success in the classroom and on the field.
"We are excited because all five student-athletes could have left to go to various schools across the country but they decided to stay home and go to Michigan. They have joined us in our quest to go to Omaha."
Biondi, a two-time all-district, all-region and all-state selection, led Dearborn Divine Child to the 2008 state championship under coach Tony DeMare. As a junior, Biondi hit .416 with 12 doubles and four home runs on his way to all-state Dream Team and Collegiate Baseball Louisville Slugger All-America accolades. The centerfielder followed his junior season with a stellar summer campaign for the Ann Arbor-based A. Green U-18 summer program, being named MVP of the USSSA World Series and earned an invite to the East Coast Professional Showcase in Orlando, Fla. "Patrick is an outstanding student, and an outstanding leader," said Maloney. "He is fast, has a strong arm and has a solid bat. We believe he can be a very good college leadoff hitter and expect him to have an immediate impact."
Clark, a right-handed pitcher from Portage Central, posted an 8-0 record on the mound for coach Paul Schneider as a junior. In three varsity seasons, Clark has a combined 19-1 record with 85 strikeouts. The two-time all-conference honoree added all-area and all-district accolades after his junior campaign. "Kyle has good command of three pitches," Maloney added. "I think he will be a very special pitcher for us in his career here, and his best days are ahead of him."
Dennis hit .490, with 6 home runs and 36 runs batted in in 2008 for coach Thad Abel at Forest Hills Central. Dennis added 13 doubles and three triples, and stole 19 bases while scoring 41 runs on his way to all-area status. Dennis is a three-time all-district and two-time all-conference performer who was invited to the East Coast Professional Showcase. "Derek is a slick fielding shortstop with a wiry frame," Maloney commented. "He is very athletic with a good arm, great range and soft hands. As he gets stronger he has the chance to be a special player for us."
Fields, a two-time all-district and all-region selection at University of Detroit Jesuit under coach Al Fernandez, is the 48th-ranked prospect by Perfect Game and a Baseball America top-100 prospect who brings speed and power potential to the 2009 class. Fields, the son of former major leaguer and current Cleveland Indians minor league hitting coordinator Bruce Fields, hit .394 in summer action for A. Green with 17 RBI and was a perfect 20 for 20 in stolen base attempts. "Daniel is a big, strong kid with power potential," Maloney stated. "He has plus-speed and a good arm. He is versatile in his ability to play multiple positions and has a very positive future ahead of him. He is a very talented player, and we are excited about his future."
Luther, a three-time all-district performer for coach Eric Dunapilis at St. Joseph, has 19 home runs in three varsity seasons and hit .431 as a junior. A powerful first baseman, Luther had a breakout summer of 2008 with the Kalamazoo Maroons, hitting .429 while slugging 1.021 with 19 home runs. "Cameron is a big, strong, powerful hitter whom fans at Michigan are going to enjoy watching at the plate. He plays a solid first base and has pitched with good velocity, but his best tool is as a power hitter. On top of that, he has a great work ethic and is an outstanding student."
"Each of these individuals will play an important role in the future success of our program, and they are players that will make the Michigan family proud," Maloney added. "We look forward to working with them to continue to raise the level of our program. I feel like this class has a chance to accomplish much."
The Wolverines open their 2009 season Feb. 20-22 at the inaugural Big Ten/Big East Challenge, facing South Florida, Cincinnati and St. John's, and open the home season at the Wilpon Baseball Complex, home of historic Ray Fisher Stadium, vs. IPFW on March 20.
Michigan Baseball Early Signees (as of 11/13/08)
| Name | Pos. | B-T | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown (High School) |
| Patrick Biondi | CF | L-R | 5-9 | 150 | Woodhaven, Mich. (Divine Child) |
| Kyle Clark | RHP | R-R | 6-5 | 170 | Portage, Mich. (Portage Central) |
| Derek Dennis | IF | R-R | 6-3 | 165 | Ada, Mich. (Forest Hills Central) |
| Daniel Fields | IF | L-R | 6-3 | 200 | Detroit, Mich. (U of D Jesuit) |
| Cameron Luther | 1B | R-R | 6-4 | 220 | St. Joseph, Mich. (St. Joseph) |
N O T E S
Patrick Biondi is a four-year honor roll member who is also a standout basketball player at Divine Child. He was teammates with fellow signees Daniel Fields and Tyler Higgins on the 2008 USSSA World Series Champion A. Green 18-U summer team.
Daniel Fields' father, Bruce, had a three-year major league career with the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners from 1986-89. Bruce Fields returned to Detroit as the Tigers' hitting coach from 2003-05.
Kyle Clark, Derek Dennis and Cameron Luther were teammates last summer for the Grand Rapids, Mich. based Diamonds U18 squad, excelling for head coach Bill Peterson.
Contact: Matt Fancett (734) 763-4423
