Nov. 19, 2009

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - LMU baseball signed seven standout athletes during November's early signing period, second-year Head Coach Jason Gill announced earlier this week. Bret Dahlson(RHP/1B - JSerra Catholic HS), Gabriel Encinas (RHP - St. Paul HS), Alonzo Gonzalez (LHP - Santa Monica HS), Jacob Medina (INF/OF - Mater Dei HS), Michael Rowland (OF/INF - Ayala HS), Jacob Smigelski (RHP/OF - Glendora HS) and Arman Valenzuela (C - Northview HS) have each signed National Letters of Intent to join the Lions in the fall of 2010.

"We are very excited about signing these seven players," Gill said. "I feel that our coaching staff has once again compiled one of best recruiting classes on the west coast, consisting of a group of athletes who I think can have an immediate impact on the squad as freshmen next year."

Dahlson, described by the LMU coaches as a "true two-way player" after excelling as both a right-handed pitcher and first baseman, currently preps at JSerra High School in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. under Head Coach Brett Kay. The 6'1" 190-pound right-handed hitter batted .341 with 10 extra-base hits, including five home runs, and 26 RBI as a junior last year. On the mound, Dahlson recorded a 3.00 ERA and one save in 2009. "Bret comes from a very successful high school program," Gill explained. "As a player who touches 90 miles an hour with a deceptive delivery, we project that he will have the opportunity to compete immediately either as a starter or a closer on the mound. On top of that, Bret has good feet at first base and works around the bag very well, opening-up opportunities to get at bats and playing time on the field when he is not pitching." Dahlson most recently led his high school to its first Trinity League Championship in 2009.

Encinas is a highly-touted recruit out of St. Paul High School in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. A 6'4" 200-pound right-handed pitcher, he is currently the 70th-ranked player in the country according to Perfect Game USA. A member of the Brewers Area Code Games team, he was also named Del Rey League Player of the Year as a sophomore and junior. Pitching for Head Coach Casey Morales at St. Paul, Encinas finished his junior year with a 5-4 record and a 1.21 ERA in 75 and a third innings of work on the hill. He allowed only 54 hits while striking out 119 and walking just 17 en route to a stellar 7.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Over his 15 appearances in 2009, he tossed six complete games and recorded two saves. "Gabriel is one of the best pitchers on the west coast," Pitching Coach and Recruiting Coordinator Drew Keehn said. "His knowledge of how to pitch and his stuff is beyond his years, while his competitive drive and his innate ability to get batters out is virtually unparalleled." Encinas, who was picked to try out for the 18-U USA Baseball Team, is also a three-time World Wood Bat Association Champion as a member of the ABD Bulldogs.

Gonzalez, a local product from Santa Monica High School, is a 6'4" 185-pound left-handed pitcher. A Brewers Elite Team player, he features a mid-80's fastball with a high ceiling. As a junior at Santa Monica, Gonzalez finished with a 4-3 record and a 3.10 ERA in 40 innings of work. Averaging just better than a strikeout an inning, he punched-out 42 hitters in 2009. "At 6'4", Alonzo has a solid frame from the left side on the mound," Gill said. "With time working in our program, we feel that he can eventually be a weekend starter and a big-time player for us here at LMU in the future."

Medina, a 2009 North/South All-Star series player, is a 5'9" 160-pound utility player who can play both the infield and outfield with skill. A left-handed hitter from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif., Medina projects to be a very solid option for the Lions at the top of the order. Playing for Gill's former high school coach at Mater Dei, Burt Call, the 2008 All-Trinity League selection hit .305 with 18 hits despite being injured for the majority of the 2009 campaign. "Jake is a player who makes consistent contact and has good speed," Gill details. "He is someone that we will look to to be able to steal bases and be a leadoff-type hitter for us in the future."

Rowland, a 6'0" 200-pound right-handed power hitter, enters his final year at Ayala High School in Chino Hills, Calif. Playing for Kevin Bowler, Rowland hit .350 with seven home runs as a junior and .420 with three home runs as a sophomore. A high-energy leader, Rowland has served as team captain of his high school team in each of his last two seasons. A first-team All-Conference selection as a sophomore, he garnered second-team All-Conference accolades as a junior in 2009. A leader in the classroom as well, the versatile player who can play both the outfield and infield totes a 3.80 GPA. "Rowland has a knack for squaring-up the baseball." Gill said. "Michael will provide us with power and a presence in the middle of our lineup once he arrives next year. He is the type of player who plays the game with a hard-nosed, `blue collar' attitude, and that will fit well with our current squad."

Smigelski is another potential two-way player for the Lions during the 2011 season. A right-handed pitcher who also swings the bat well, he is entering his final year at Glendora High School under the guidance of Head Coach Dan Henley. Henley considers Jacob "an extremely hard worker and an intelligent player with a very high ceiling." The 6'3" 190-pounder batted .452 with 38 hits, 21 RBI, eight doubles and three home runs as a junior in 2009. A two-time first-team All-Sierra League selection, he was also named first-team All-Area San Gabriel Valley as a junior. Toeing the rubber, Smigelski posted a 2.95 ERA in 21 innings with 21 strikeouts in his junior campaign. The MVP of the 2009 Kiko Garcia Underclassmen All-Star Game, he also found time playing for the Arcadia Astros over the summer. Just as impressive off the diamond, Smigelski totes a 4.0 GPA and garnered first-team All-Academic Sierra League honors as a sophomore and junior. No stranger to Page Stadium after attending a 2008 LMU Camp, the LMU coaching staff is anxious to officially introduce Smigelski to the program. "In our program and through our development, we feel that Jacob will excel because his body will catch up and better help him reach the potential that we saw in our camp last year." Keehn said. "Already a right-hander that throws between 86-88 with sinking action and a good feel for a changeup, we think that with our guidance, he can become a standout player for our program in the future."

Valenzuela is a 6'1" 175-pound catcher from Northview High School in Covina, Calif. Playing under Head Coach Darren Murphy in 2009, the right-handed hitter batted .320 with 10 extra-base hits, including two home runs, and 22 RBI en route to being named a 2009 Rawlings/Perfect Game USA Underclassmen All-American. A 2009 Dodgers Elite Team member, he was named an All-Valley Vista League catcher as a junior. Serving as team captain of his high school team, and the leader on the field behind the plate, Valenzuela threw out 69 percent of potential base-stealers (18-for-26) in 2009. "In addition to being able to swing the bat at the plate, Arman has demonstrated an outstanding ability to handle a pitching staff." Keehn said. "Serving as the everyday backstop for Northview, he guided the team to a 1.47 team ERA in 2009."

LMU's 2010 Opening Weekend is just around the corner, as the Lions travel to UC Irvine on Friday, February 19 at 6 p.m. to start the year. The Lions will then host the Anteaters on February 20 at 1 p.m. in the home-opener before heading back to Irvine, Calif. for a 1 p.m. game on Sunday to complete the three-game series.