North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Baseball Adds 12-Man Recruiting Class
8/29/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Aug. 29, 2002
NC State baseball coach Elliott Avent welcomed 12 new players to campus when classes began on August 19. Avent and assistant coaches Bill Kernen and Billy Jones have assembled a recruiting class that they hope will address many of the Wolfpack's immediate and long-range needs.
"This class is a blend of young high school talent and veteran junior college players," Avent says. "We felt we needed to address our pitching, and add some depth to our lineup. We lost Brian Wright, one of the best hitters ever at NC State, and Mike Prochaska, a young pitcher who turned professional early. We're hopeful that some of the seasoned players we've brought in can help us overcome those losses."
Five of the Pack's signees have either junior college experience or played at a four-year school, and will be counted on to make an immediate impact. In particular, infielder Dustin Knight and righthanded pitcher Vern Sterry bring strong junior college credentials to NC State.
Knight set six single-season records at Green River (Wash.) Community College in 2000, and was a two-time first-team all-conference selection. Sterry earned all-conference honors at Cypress (Calif.) Junior College as a sophomore, and then was an all-star selection this summer in the New England College Baseball League.
The Wolfpack's other seven signees were recruited out of high school, three pitchers and four position players. On the mound, righthanded pitchers Sam Walls and Collin Brown, and lefthander Jason Duncan will compete for innings early in their careers. Brown (Northern Durham) and Duncan (North Forsyth) are in-state products, while Walls hails from Kearneysville, W.Va.
"I'm really pleased with our three freshman pitchers," Avent says. "We had success last year with Phil Davidson and Mike Rogers as freshmen, and now we have three more freshmen who have a chance to make an impact as first-year players in Sam Walls, Jason Duncan and Collin Brown."
In the field, shortstop Matt Camp (Belmont, N.C.), infielder Joey Devine (Junction City, Kan.), and outfielders Matt Long (Greensboro, N.C.) and J. Williams (Dallas, Texas) will fight for playing time on a team with eight returning starters back in the lineup. All four had outstanding high school careers and should push for at-bats and time in the field as freshmen.
"Matt Camp, Matt Long, J. Williams and Joey Devine all have a combinatin of intensity and ability," Avent says. "They form an excellent nucleus of high school talent, and I really believe that all four have a chance to contribute right away."
Following are capsules on NC State's 12-member recruiting class:
Brad Blackwell * RHP * 6-2 * 210 * R/R * Seminole State (Okla.) Junior College * Broken Arrow, Okla.
Posted a two-year record of 17-4 at Seminole State Junior College ... Was all-district and all-state in baseball as a senior at Broken Arrow High School in 2000 ... Was drafted by the Chicargo Cubs in the 41st round of the 2000 June draft ... Was an all-state football linebacker in high school ... Was a standout wrestler as well, setting a state single-season record for most pins ... Placed second at 189 pounds in the prestigious Tulsa National Tournament as a senior in '00 ... Majoring in sociology ... Born May 8, 1982.
Collin Brown * RHP * 6-0 * 180 * R/R * Southern Durham High School * Durham, N.C.
Three-time conference player of the year and a three-time all-state selection at Southern Durham ... Won 39 games and lost just 10 in four years ... Went 9-3 with a 2.23 ERA as a senior in 2002 ... Walked 15 and fanned 95 in 54 innings ... Batted .560 with two homers and 31 RBIs ... Season was cut short by injury ... Had a sensational junior season in 2001, posting a 12-3 record and a 2.11 ERA ... Walked 14 and struck out 167 in 85 innings ... Batted .440 with seven homers and 38 RBIs ... Helped lead Southern Durham to a second-place finish in the state 2-A playoffs ... Was 10-1 with a 1.86 ERA as a sophomore in 2000, fanning 111 and walking just 14 in 73 innings ... Also batted .445 with four homers and 26 RBIs ... Named team MVP as a sophomore and junior ... Played in the State Games of North Carolina all four years in high school ... Majoring in business management ... Born February 1, 1984.
Matt Camp * SS * 5-11 * 160 * L/R * South Point High School * Belmont, N.C.
A tremendous multisport athlete ... Earned all-conference honors as a junior and senior ... Batted .434 as a juhior at South Point in 2001, and then batted .445 in American Legion action that summer ... Followed that up by hitting .389 with 17 RBIs and 13 steals in 15 attempts as a senior in 2002 ... Hit .545 in the 2002 American Legion regular season, and headed into postseason play with an opportunity to break the state American Legion record for batting average, held by former Wolfpack star Matt Postell (.524 in 1995 at Gastonia) ... Went 9-for-13 in the East-West senior series at the 2002 State Games in Greensboro ... Named all-metro by The Gaston Gazette as a junior, and by The Charlotte Observer as a senior ... Also was a three-time all-conference selection in basketball, and was South Point's team MVP as a junior and senior ... Enrolled in the First-Year College ... Born May 29, 1984.
Jimmy Campbell * RHP * 6-5 * 225 * R/R * Fountainebleau High School * Mandeville, La.
A transfer from LSU ... Redshirted for the Tigers as a true freshman in 2002 and will have four years of eligibility for NC State beginning in the spring of 2003 ... Was a four-year letterman at Fountainbleau High School ... Went 6-1 with a 3.50 ERA in American Legion play the summer of 2000 ... Also played center in basketball ... Majoring in sociology ... Born June 20, 1983.
Joey Devine * INF/RHP * 6-2 * 210 * R/R * Junction City High School * Junction City, Kansas
A two-way player with the potential to help the Wolfpack both at the plate and on the mound as a freshman ... Earned all-state recognition as a senior, and was a first team all-conference selection all four years at Junction City High School ... Batted .408 with seven homers and 22 RBIs in 20 games as a senior in 2002 ... Also stood out on the mound, compiling a 5-1 record with four saves and a 1.08 ERA ... Walked six and fanned 58 in 39 innings ... Played the summer of 2002 with the Salina Blue Jays, a high school-level team that uses wooden bats and frequently plays teams in the Jayhawk League, a semi-pro league in the Midwest ... Batted .395 with five home runs for the Blue Jays ... Also earned first team all-conference honors as a junior and senior in football ... Enrolled in the First-Year College ... Born September 19, 1983.
Jason Duncan * LHP * 6-3 * 175 * L/L * North Forsyth High School * Winston-Salem, N.C.
A four-time all-conference selection ...Went 3-3 with a 1.13 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 50 innings as a senior in '02 ... Set the career strikeout record at North Forsyth ... Pitched in the State Games as a junior and senior, and participated in the North Carolina vs. South Carolina All-Star Game as a senior ... Enrolled in the First-Year College ... Born December 27, 1983.
Dustin Knight * 3B * 5-10 * 210 * R/R * Big Bend (Wash.) Community College * Kent, Wash.
Named first-team all-conference in the (Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) after batting .353 with seven home runs and 29 RBIs for Big Bend as a sophomore in 2002 ... Sat out the 2001 season with an injury ... Had perhaps the best season ever at Green River (Wash.) Community College as a freshman in 2000, setting school single-season records with a .438 batting average, 38 runs scored, 60 hits, 14 doubles, seven home runs and 48 RBIs ... Also stole 10 bases in 12 attempts ... Earned first-team all-conference honors in the NWAACC ... Earned first-team all-league honors at Meridian High School in Kent, Wash., as a senior in 1999 ... Majoring in sociology ... Born November 21, 1980.
Matt Long * OF * 6-0 * 185 * R/R * Southeast Guilford High School * Greensboro, N.C.
Four-time all-area and all-conference performer ... Batted .390 with three homers, 33 RBIs, 14 steals and 30 walks as a senior in 2002 ... Hit .340 with three homers, 22 RBIs and 11 stolen bases as a junior in '01 ... Batted over .400 as a freshman and sophomore ... Finished his four-year career at Southeast Guilford with 51 stolen bases ... Was named the team's offensive player of the year as a junior and senior, and its defensive player of the year as a senior ... Enrolled in the First-Year College ... Born February 5, 1984.
Lee Mezistrano * OF * 6-0 * 185 * L/L * Newport High School * Bellevue (Wash.) Community College * Bellevue, Wash.
A speedy junior college outfielder who was recruited to Southern California out of high school, but opted to sit out and then play a year of junior college baseball in his hometown ... Will have three years of eligibility remaining, beginning with the 2003 season ... Batted .317 with 28 RBIs and 22 runs scored in 104 at-bats as a freshman for Bellevue in 2002 ... Helped lead Bellevue to a 34-14 overall record, and a 26-4 conference mark in the North tDivision of the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) ... Was named first team All-NWAACC North Division and second team All-NWAACC ... Also was named to the NWAACC's all-tournament team ... Played summer baseball for the semi-pro Seattle Cruisers in 2000 and 2001, batting .370 in '01 to earn a berth on the Pacific International League All-Star team ... Redshirted the 2001 season at Southern Cal before moving back to Bellevue ... Lettered one year in football, two years in baseball and three years in basketball at Newport High School ... Helped lead Newport to the King County championship as a junior ... Won the county batting title as a senior in 2000 ... Majoring in communication ... Born February 17, 1982.
Vern Sterry * RHP * 6-2 * 200 * R/R * Cypress (Calif.) Junior College * Rowland Heights, Calif.
Earned first-team all-league in the Cypress Empire Conference as a sophomore in 2002 ... Went 3-4 with four saves and a 5.50 ERA ... Made 19 appearances, including seven starts, and allowed 57 hits, waled 31 and struck out 44 in 54 innings ... Helped lead Cypress to a 27-15 record ... Pitched for West Warwick in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, making the league All-Star team after posting a 3-1 record with a 2.26 ERA ... Made eight starts and nine total appearances, working 51 2/3 innings ... Allowed 42 hits and 25 walks while notching 63 strikeouts ... Played on the same team with future Wolfpack teammates David Hicks, Tim Coffield and Phillip Davidson ... Was a 38th-round pick of the Colorado Rockies in the 2001 June Draft ... Earned first-team all-league honors as a senior at Rowland High School in 2000, and was second-team all-league as a junior in 1999 ... Also played football and basketball ... Majoring in sociology ... Born February 7, 1982.
Sam Walls * RHP * 5-11 * 180 * R/R * Jefferson High School * Kearneysville, W.Va.
A three-time all-area selection and a two-time all-state pick ... Four-year letterman ... Named first-team all-state as a senior in 2002 after going 4-1 with a 1.01 ERA and batting .410 with six home runs and 48 RBIs ... Batted .384 with five homers and 48 RBIs as a junior in '01 and went 8-3 with a 0.98 ERA to earn second-team all-state honors ... Went 3-0 as a sophomore, and batted .364 with three home runs and 35 RBIs ... Helped lead Jefferson to a top-three finish in the state tournament four years in a row, winning the state championship in 1999, taking second place in 2000 and '01, and finishing third in '02 ... Was team MVP as a senior at the Baseball Factory's summer camp in Vero Beach, Fla. ... Named to the Hawaiin Tropic all-tournament team as a junior and senior ... Majoring in parks, recreation and tourism ... Born October 31, 1983.
J. Williams * INF/OF * 6-2 * 180 * L/R * Southlake Carroll High School * Dallas, Texas
Batted .368 with 25 RBIs and nine stolen bases to earn second team all-district notice as a junior in 2001 ... Honorable mention all-district selection as a senior in 2002 after batting .300 with two home runs and 28 RBIs ... Stole three bases in as many attempts ... Made the all-tournament team for the state playoffs as a senior after Southlake Carroll won the Texas 4A state championship ... Went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI in the championship game ... Enrolled in the First-Year College ... Born June 25, 1984.
