Baseball | 11/19/2015 1:47:00 PM

SAN FRANCISCO--- The San Francisco State Baseball program has received 10 National Letter of Intents for the Fall of 2016, head coach Tony Schifano announced on Wednesday as the early NCAA signing period ended.

"I am very proud of the group that Coach Latorre and I have recruited and assembled over the past 3 months. Our focus was to add depth to the pitching staff, add athleticism, speed and improve our defense. These ten commits include four pitchers, two CF's, two MIF's and two corner bats."

Nine of the ten commits are high school seniors with Michael Fuchs being the lone junior college player of the group. There are seven league champion players in the class with four of them winning CIF championships.

"Our focus was to identify players that came from winning programs and were leaders on and off the field. There are several league champions and MVP's in the group. We are very proud of the player's commitment to the classroom as well. The average GPA of the 10 commits is 3.3."

The SF State Baseball Program will be losing five current Gators to graduation this coming Spring and potentially a few more to the MLB draft in June.

Meet the new SF State Gators:

Michael Fuchs - MIF – Irvine, CA/Golden West JC via Beckman High School
Coach Schifano: I recruited Michael out of high school and followed his freshman year at Golden West JC. He was an All-League and All-City award winner in high school along with being named Offensive MVP. He instantly improves our defense up the middle and provides us with versatility on the infield with his unique ability to play each position. Golden West JC Coach Bert Villareal "Michael was one of the reasons we won the Orange Empire Conference title last year. His offensive consistency and outstanding defense makes him a complete player. He will be a great asset to SF State. I am extremely proud of him" He was awarded the 2015 Collegiate Rawlings Gold Glove award at Golden West and helped lead them to their first conference championship. Michael plans on studying Liberal Studies.
 
Blake Borror – RHP – Palmdale, CA/Quartz Hill HS
Coach Schifano: Blake was highly recommended to us and we got our first look at him at our Fall Prospect Camp. He is a power RHP with an even keel demeanor that serves him well on the mound. He was named Golden League MVP as a junior and named to the Max Preps CA 2015 Medium School All-State Baseball Team.  Quartz Hill High Coach Aaron Kavanaugh " Blake is the kind of player you wish you had 12 more of. He is an outstanding student in the classroom. On the field he is a fierce competitor despite his quiet demeanor. He will be a great addition to the SF State program." Blake posted 75K's in 74 innings to go with a 10-4 record and a 1.97 ERA. Blake plans on studying Structural Engineering.

Tyler Peters – 3B/RHP – Martinez, CA/Alhambra HS
Coach Schifano: Tyler is a very athletic powerful young man with unlimited potential. He possesses tremendous bat speed and has a very strong arm. As a junior at Alhambra HS he posted a .419 AVG with 20 RBI's and 10 DB's. He also logged 17 innings on the mound striking out 12 batters with a 1.58 ERA. Alhambra High Coach Darryl King "Tyler is an amazing athlete as well as a young man. He is always the first person to the field and the last to leave. It shows in his results on the field. His work ethic is up there with the best and his character is unparalleled. He is the guy you call upon when the game is on the line."   Tyler will be studying Business.

Jack Harris – CF/RHP – Santa Cruz, CA/Aptos HS
Coach Schifano: Jack is as athletic a young man that I have ever recruited. He has been a 3-sport star at Aptos HS with wrestling, football and baseball. Jack is explosive and plays the game with relentless determination. He helped lead his football program to back-to-back sectional championships. Aptos Coach Jason Biancardi "Jack is a great athlete, very coachable with lots of speed and power. He's going to be a great asset to the Gator program for years to come." Jack's speed and instincts will serve us well in the outfield and his bat and power will be an instant offensive contribution. Jack plans on studying Kinesiology.

Connor Fidone – CF – Tustin, CA/Beckman HS
Coach Schifano: Connor is a young man that came very highly recommended from our contacts in southern CA. Beckman High Coach Kevin Lavalle "The thing that makes Connor so special is the fact that he knows exactly what his strengths are. Connor uses his strengths better than anyone I have ever coached. He is incredibly fast, he does not strike out and he is aggressive. When you combine those instincts with his aggressiveness, you really have a weapon."  Connor was last year's Offensive MVP where he scored 27 runs and swiped 14 bases. We noticed quickly at our Fall Prospect Camp that he would bring pure speed to our offense and the ability to go get the ball in the outfield in our very spacious ballpark. He is a leader on one of the most successful southern California high school programs over the last 5 years. Connor plans on studying Business.

Ethan Heinrich – RHP – Brentwood, CA/Heritage HS
Coach Schifano: Ethan possesses an upper 80's FB to go with his 6'4 frame and projects to throw harder as he matures and gets stronger. We saw him at an event late in the Fall in which we saw power on the mound mixed in with downhill tilt and aggressiveness in the strike zone. Heritage High Coach Kevin Brannan "I am extremely proud of Ethan and believe SF State is great fit for him to grow an develop as a pitcher. He has a high ceiling and will do great things for then Gators." We expect Ethan to come in right away and contribute to a deep staff in the Fall of 2016. Ethan plans on studying Kinesiology.

Mitchell Kovary – RHP – Huntington Beach, CA/Huntington Beach HS
Coach Schifano: Mitch is an absolute strike thrower that attacks the hitting zone with relentlessness.  Huntington Beach HS coach Benji Madure has the 3^rd ranked team in the state of CA and Mitch will be their #2 arm. He does not shy away from big games! He threw a CG last year in the semis to propel HB to the CIF championships.  Huntington Beach High Coach Benji Madure "Mitchell is very much a control pitcher. He locates his FB well and he keeps batters off balance with a good change up. What sets him apart is his ability to compete under pressure. He has a strong will to win and that helps him succeed not only on the baseball field but in his everyday life." Mitch led the team with a 0.93 ERA and was a 5-0 as a junior. Mitch plans on studying Business.
 
Jack Cornish – RHP – Trabuco Hills, CA/Trabuco Hills HS
Coach Schifano: Jack is a young pitcher with a very live arm that sees his FB approach upper 80's. We value athleticism on the mound and Jack exemplifies that. We saw him most recently at our Fall Prospect Camp after watching him pitch in a Summer Ball Showcase Event in So Cal. Each time he lit up the radar gun with late life on his FB and good mix of off speed. Trabuco Hills High Coach Michael Burns "Jack has a live arm with four above average pitches. A returning All-Sea View League pitcher, we hope with his talent and experience will anchor our young pitching staff." Jack will be studying Environmental Engineering.

Sam Terry – OF – Chula Vista, CA/Eastlake HS
Coach Schifano: Sam attended our Fall Prospect Camp and demonstrated speed, arm strength and power at the plate. He is very raw with his tools but has the work ethic to develop into an impact player. Last year as a junior he hit 3 HR's to go with 12 doubles. Eastlake High Coach David Gallegos "Sam is a great kid with a huge upside. He is a leader off the field as well in ASB. He has some pop, good speed and is a team leader." Sam projects to be a middle of the lineup type hitter that will play on the corners in the outfield. Sam will be studying Business Entrepreneurship.

Jackson Kritsch – Thousand Oaks, CA/Westlake HS
Coach Schifano: Jackson is a slick fielding MIF that flat out plays SS.  That is a very difficult position to find on the recruiting trail. Our goal was to add defensive depth to our MIF for years to come and Jackson gives that to us. He handles the bat well and will be a mixture in our MIF for the next 4 years. Westlake High Coach Rocco Cascione "Jackson is and will be a strong middle infielder for you. He has soft hands with good range and strong arm. He is a very smart base runner and very knowledgeable of the game. SF State is very fortunate to have s classy student athlete like Jackson Kritsch." Jackson is a 3-year scholar athlete at Westlake, winner of the Willie Mac Award and a member of the So Cal Giants Scout team. Jackson will be studying Accounting.
 
About San Francisco State Athletics
Gator Athletics has a proud tradition of competitive success within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The department offers 12 intercollegiate sports programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Women's Track & Field, Women's Volleyball and Men's Wrestling.
 
Gator Athletics places great emphasis on academic performance as well as athletic achievement.  The program offers student athletes the opportunity to reach their educational goals, as well pursue meaningful athletic accomplishments. For more information, visit SF State Athletics' website, Twitter and Facebook pages.