Baseball: WVU Adds Two to Incoming Class
July 27, 2005 11:00 AM | General
July 27, 2005
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - West Virginia University baseball coach Greg Van Zant today announced the signing of two junior college transfers for the 2006 baseball season.
Giving signatures to Van Zant are sophomore pitcher Josh Whitlock (Given, W.Va./Surry CC) and outfielder Brent Lockhart (Gore, Va./Potomac State).
Whitlock went 6-1 on the mound for Surry Community College (N.C.) during the 2005 season, which ended with SCC taking second place in the regional championship. In 2004, the right handed pitcher was a standout at Ripley High as he was named the Louisville Slugger West Virginia player of the year, first team all-state and North-South game MVP. The 6-1, 180-pounder was also instrumental in leading Ripley to the AAA state championship.
"Josh Whitlock is an outstanding addition to our baseball program," said Van Zant. "He consistently throws his fastball in the 86-89 range and he has a way above average breaker that misses bats."
Lockhart had two standout seasons at Potomac State in the outfield as he helped guide the Catamounts to back-to-back NJCAA World Series appearances. In 2005 the Gore, Va., native earned a spot on the NJCAA Division I World Series all-tournament team. In 41 games at Potomac State, the 6-1, 175 pound righty batted an impressive .376 with seven doubles, four triples, four home runs and 26 RBI.
"Brent is a big, strong left-handed hitting outfielder who can really swing the bat," said Van Zant. "He also does a great job defensively in the outfield and we anticipate him competing for playing time next season in right or left field."
Whitlock and Lockhart are the eighth and ninth players signed respectively for 2006. The class also includes pitchers Lou Green (Madison, W.Va./Logan), Billy Gross (Frederick, Md./Frederick), Joe Stupka (Pittsburgh, Pa./Potomac State) and Dan Leatherman (Walkersville, Md./Frederick CC); outfielders Billy Wooten (Wilkinson, W.Va./Potomac State) and Austin Markel (Elizabethville, Pa./ Upper Dauphin Area); and first baseman Jordan Yost (MacArthur, W.Va./Woodrow Wilson) that were signed in June.
