WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – West Liberty University head baseball coach Eric Burkle took advantage of the NCAA early-signing period to lock up four high school standouts for the Hilltoppers’ 2013-14 season and beyond.
Brian Hughes of Cortland, N.Y.; Connor Clark of Parsippany, N.J.; Tim Hughes of Hopewell, Pa. and Kevin Forrester of Canonsburg, Pa. all signed NCAA Division II national letters-of-intent in November, securing their collegiate futures before they close out their high school careers in the spring.
“These are exactly the type of kids we want at West Liberty,” Burkle said. “Not only have we added four quality arms to our pitching mix, these young men all swing the bat very well and are strong academically. We’re very pleased to welcome them to the Hilltopper baseball family.”
Brian Hughes, 6-5, 190, RHP/OF/IF, Cortland (N.Y.) High School: Hard-throwing righthander was a first-team All-League selection and fifth-team All-New York honoree as a junior after posting a 1.31 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 48 innings. He also earned All-League honors in football and golf and is in his third season as a starting forward in basketball. Hughes also earned several academic awards.
“We’re pretty excited about Brian’s potential,” Burkle said. “We see him as a 5-tool player with the speed, size and pitching ability to make an immediate impact. With a fastball that already sits around 86-87 mph and a 6-5 frame, we think he can continue to build on that velocity as he fills out and develop into a great pitcher in this conference.”
Connor Clark, 6-3, 190, RHP/1B, Parsippany Hills (N.J.) High School: Another rangy righthander with a plus fastball and growth potential, Clark was the Par Hills Pitcher of the Year as a junior last spring with a 3-2 record and 30 strikeouts in 36 innings. He followed that up with a strong summer, going 6-2 with a 2.26 ERA on the mound and hitting .445 with 49 hits, including 15 doubles, in 36 games.
“We think Connor is going to be a productive player, on the field and in the classroom, from the first day he steps on campus. He comes from a great family and excelled at a high level of competition in New Jersey. Connor’s fastball sits in the mid-80s and he also has the size and ability to build on that as he matures physically. He can become a big-time pitcher in our league.”
Tim Hughes, 6-0, 200, LHP/1B, Hopewell (Pa.) High School: Heading into his third season as a starter and key performer at the perennial western Pennsylvania diamond power, Hughes was 5-2 with a 1.65 ERA as a sophomore and followed that up with a 7-1 record and a 1.12 ERA last spring. His middle-of-the-order bat produced a .395 batting average with 5 home runs as a sophomore before delivering a .402 average with a pair of round-trippers as a junior.
“We were as impressed by Tim’s bat as we were by his arm,” Burkle said. “He’s shown some great pop from the left side of the plate and is really good with the glove around first base. We also think he has great upside on the mound as a power lefty with a fastball consistently around 83-84 mph. Tim has the potential to put up some really big numbers in our program.”
Kevin Forrester, 5-10, 150, RHP/OF, Canon-McMillan (Pa.) High School: Captain of the Canon-McMillan baseball team is coming off a strong junior season and outstanding summer. The top pitcher and hitter on the 2011 West Penn Colt championship team, he pitched a perfect game for his AAU travel team that summer. His travel team won the prestigious “AAU Battle of the 330” tournament last year. Off the field, Forrester is a National Honor Society member and a leader in the Canon-McMillan Mentor Program.
“Kevin is a small-stature kid with great competitive instincts,” Burkle said. “We’re pretty excited to be able to get into the Pittsburgh market and pull out a really solid player. Don’t be fooled by Kevin’s size. He really has some quality stuff. We think he has the ability to be a real difference-maker for us on the mound.”
