COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Maryland baseball team's recruiting class received the highest ranking in school history when D1Baseball.com rated it seventh in its 2019 recruiting rankings released Thursday.
"I'm extremely proud of Moose [Corey Muscara] and [Matt] Swope for all the hard work they put in to bring this class together," Head Coach Rob Vaughn said. "However, we all know that rankings don't win championships, so we are looking forward to turning talent into results."
Maryland's class boasts 14 true freshmen and two junior college transfers. Three members of the class, outfielders Tucker Flint and Bobby Zmarzlak, and left-handed pitcher Ryan Ramsey, were selected in the 2019 MLB Draft.
Seven of Maryland's freshmen are ranked in Prep Baseball Report's Overall Top 500, highlighted by Nicholas Dean (46), Bobby Zmarzlak (73), Tucker Flint (167), and Sam Bello (170).
Flint and Zmarzlak were both rated the top players in their state by Perfect Game, coming from Rhode Island and Connecticut, respectively, while 10 total incoming freshmen ranked among the Top-10 at their position in the respective home states.
Flint, who led powerhouse Bishop Hendricken to two Rhode Island state championships, was named the 2019 Rhode Island Gatorade Player of the Year and the Providence Journal Rhode Island Baseball Athlete of the Year in 2019, while the 6-foot-5 Zmarzlak hit .490 in his senior campaign at Westhill (CT) with 25 hits, five home runs, four doubles and 18 RBIs.
Maryland's class is also bolstered by quality pitching, bringing in four pitchers ranked in the top five in their home states. Sam Bello, the fourth-ranked RHP in the state of New York, joins the Terps after being named the 2019 CHSAA Player of the Year. David Falco, the third-ranked LHP in the state of New York, won two state championships with Center Moriches. Ryan Ramsey, the fourth-ranked LHP in the state of New Jersey and the 2019 New Jersey pitcher of the year comes to Maryland after winning two state championships at Pascack Hills (NJ), and Nicholas Dean was ranked the third-ranked RHP in the state of Pennsylvania.
Two junior college transfers round out the 2019 class as Austin Chavis slashed .331/.422/.629 to lead Potomac State to a 32-13 record and an appearance in the 2019 NJCCA Eastern District Championship. Fellow junior college transfer Brenton Davis slashed .299/.423/.424 at Southeast CC, leading the team in hits (43), runs (32) and walks (28).
The Terps finished the 2019 campaign 29-29, ending the season at the Big Ten Tournament in Omaha, Nebraska. The squad returns last year's Big Ten Freshman of the Year in Maxwell Costes, second team All-Big Ten honoree Randy Bednar, and third team/freshman team honoree Michael Pineiro. Costes was recently named a third team preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball Magazine.
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