North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Baseball Signs Two in April Signing Period
5/4/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 4, 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State baseball coach Elliott Avent this week announced the signing of two current high school seniors to athletics grants-in-aid during the April 2004 signing period.
Ryan Pond, a 6-2, 225-pound third baseman and righthanded pitcher from Chesapeake, Va., and Ryan Rutter, a 6-2, 165-pound righthanded pitcher from Homestead, Fla., both inked grants with the Wolfpack in April. In the fall, the Wolfpack signed righthanded pitcher Travis High of Kerneresville, N.C., righthanded pitcher Matt Payne Hiddonnite, N.C., outfielder Reggie Dixon of Kinston, outfielder and lefthanded pitcher Chris Engle of Kernersville, infielder Matt Mangini of Holly springs, N.C., righthanded pitcher Erik Cordier of Sturgeon Bay, Wisc., shortstop Ramon Corona of Coral Gables, Fla., and infielder Aaron Cone of Lakeland, Fla. In addition, Andrew Brackman of Cincinnati, Ohio, has signed a basketball scholarship at NC State, and will play both basketball and baseball with the Wolfpack.
Pond, who plays quarterback in football at Western Branch High School and was listed last summer as one of the top 10 football prospects in Virginia, was ranked the No. 2 baseball prospect in the state of Virginia this spring by Prospects Plus, which ranked him as the No. 103 player in the country last fall. Pond was a standout last summer in the East Coast Showcase Camp. He also was recruited by LSU, Virginia, Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Auburn.
Rutter, who attends Palmer Trinity High School, attended the Wolfpack's winter pitching camp and was one of the standouts of the camp. A third-team All-Dade County selection by The Miami Herald as a junior in 2003, he is ranked among the top 200 high school prospects in Florida in the class of 2004.
