Aug. 28, 2002
Los Angeles, Calif. (August 28, 2002) -- The baseball recruiting class for the 2003 season has enrolled at Loyola Marymount, Head Coach Frank Cruz announced today. The group includes highly touted right-handed pitcher Steve Kahn (Servite High School). Kahn was an eighth round draft choice of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Other key freshmen include outfielder James Cooper (Santa Monica High School), pitcher/infielder Kyle Mura (Mission Viejo High School), pitcher Erik Reyes (California High School), pitcher Jeff Stevens (Campolindo High School), outfielder Chris Pettit (San Dimas High School) and pitcher/infielder Jamie Mah (Sylmar High School. Outfielder Matt White (Ohlone Junior College) has also transferred to the program. All the incoming players are from California.
"This recruiting class is well-rounded with pitching, hitting and defense distributed equally," Cruz said. "We hope these student-athletes will be able to fill some of the voids left by the outstanding players we have had in the past."
Here are brief biographies on the key players:
Steve Kahn was one of the top recruits in California. Drafted in the eighth round of the Major League draft by the Milwaukee Brewers, Kahn finished with a 7-3 record and a 2.20 ERA. Kahn had 97 strikeouts as senior at Servite High School. He was a first-team All-CIF Division IV and All-Serra League selection. In addition to his pitching, Kahn hit .417 at the plate, adding two home runs and 28 RBI.
James Cooper, a local product from Santa Monica, Calif., was a stand-out outfielder as he earned MVP honors of the Bay League. With a .430 batting average, Cooper earned first-team All-CIF Division I honors. He finished the season with seven doubles, four triples, seven home runs and 40 RBI.
Kyle Mura, from Mission Viejo, hit .370 as a senior, earning 11 home runs and 38 RBI to set the school record in 2002. He was voted the team's MVP and the MVP of the South Coast League. In anchoring Mission Viejo's middle infield, Mura was a first-team All-CIF Division II selection.
Erik Reyes finished a perfect 11-0 senior season with 104 strikeouts. He was voted the Del Rio League Player of the Year, while also earning All-Area and first-team All-CIF Division II honors.
Jeff Stevens, who was voted Campolindo High School's MVP, was 9-4 with a 1.24 ERA on the mound while hitting .400 with five home runs at the plate in his senior season. He was named DFAL Pitcher of the Year and earned first-team All-Contra Costa League honors.
Junior college transfer Matt White, from Ohlone College in Fremont, Calif., hit .366 in his final season at Ohlone. He added six home runs, 39 RBI and seven stolen bases to earn first-team All-Coast Conference honors.
Chris Pettit was a second-team All-CIF Division IV selection. The outfielder also earned first-team All-Miramonte League honors
Jamie Mah was named first-team All-CIF honors in City, as well as first-team All-Valley Mission League. On the mound, Mah pitched Sylmar High School to the City Championships at Dodger Stadium.
Other signees include freshman Othon Corona from Mexico City, Brandon DiTolla from El Dorado High School, Adrian Navarez from Saint Monica High School, Ezequiel Ruvalcaba from Sylmar High School and Anthony Soto from Venice High School. Two tranfer student-athletes are William Quaglieri (Hawaii) and Ryan Yurek (California Lutheran).
-GO LIONS-
