Sept. 20, 2011

TUCSON, Ariz.-- Stanford Baseball's incoming class is rated No. 10 by Collegiate Baseball, adding to its already top-10 classes in each of the last two years (No. 2 in Baseball America/No. 10 in Collegiate Baseball for 2010, No. 1 in Baseball America /No. 11 in Collegiate Baseball for 2011).

Those two classes have developed eight every day starters and two thirds of the weekend rotation, led by projected 2012 top-round picks RHP Mark Appel (No. 1 by Baseball America), SS Kenny Diekroeger (No. 6) and 3B Stephen Piscotty (No. 36). Three starters were freshmen last year, five were sophomores.

Last year's team went 35-22 and reached the NCAA Super Regional, two wins shy of the College World Series.

This year's class features three AFLAC All-Americans in SS/RHP Alex Blandino (Mountain View, Calif.), Spenser Linney (Alameda, Calif.) and SS Austin Slater (Jacksonville, Fla.) and seven players drafted by major league teams-- LHP John Hochstatter (Danville, Calif.), C Wayne Taylor (Houston, Texas), Dominic Jose (Boca Raton, Fla.), David Schmidt (St. Louis, Mo.), Blandino, Slater and Linney.

Taylor, the Texas Baseball Player of the Year and all-state quarterback, and Jose, the son of 12-year major leaguer Felix Jose and the No. 1 rated outfielder in Florida, were 14th and 15th round picks of the Angels.  Slater was rated as the No. 1 player in Florida by Prospect Wire.

Linney is the third Alameda native to join the Cardinal in the last four years-- current minor league RHP Jordan Pries and sophomore RHP A.J. Vanegas. Linney struck out 114 in 57.2 innings last year, while hitting .440. Schmidt is the second St. Louis product, following draftee Danny Sandbrink.

Blandino, a four-year starting shortstop, was the San Jose Mercury News' Player of the Year out of St. Francis High. Geo Saba (Mountain View, Calif.) was an honorable mention All-West Coast Athletic League pick to go along with the WCAL MVP in Blandino.

Other members of the class included Pasadena RHP Jordan Kutzer and Long Beach RHP/OF Tyler Maxwell.

Top-15 Recruiting Classes by Collegiate Baseball
1. South Carolina
2. Vanderbilt
3. Mississippi
4. Oklahoma
5. Southern California
6. Miami, Fla.
7. Louisiana St.
8. Florida
9. Oregon St.
10. Stanford
11. Louisville
12. Texas
13. Southern Miss.
14. N.C. State
15. Cal. St. Fullerton

STANFORD'S INCOMING CLASS
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Alex Blandino, 6-0, 180, R/R, SS/RHP
-- Mountain View, CA / St. Francis HS
-- 38th Round of the A's
-- San Jose Mercury News Player of the Year
-- WCAL League MVP
-- Cal Hi Sports Player of the Year
-- Four-year starting shortstop
-- Hit .410 with 39 RBIs and 33 runs, .453 on-base and 16  steals... St. Francis record with
18 career homers, including nine as a senior.
-- 4-1 with a 2.18 ERA in 45 innings

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John Hochstatter, 6-4, 205, R/L, LHP
--Danville, CA / San Ramon Valley HS
--47th Round pick of the Twins
-- 10 games, 7-2,, 3 CG, 2 ShO, 1.80 ERA, 54.1 IP, 46 Ks, 13 BB
-- U18 Team USA with Vanegas and Ragira, 1-0, 1.59 ERA in 7 games and 11.1 IP, 3 BB, 10 Ks

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Dominic Jose, 6-3, 190, S/R, OF
-- Boca Raton, FL / Lake Worth HS
-- 15th Round Pick of Angels
-- Son of Former Athletics/Giants outfielder and 12-year veteran Felix Jose
-- Hit .370 with a .500 on-base, .519 sluging
-- Propsect wire ranked him the No. 1 outfielder in Florida

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Jordan Kutzer, 6-6, 185, R/R, RHP
-- Pasadena, Pasadena Poly HS
-- .453 average, 39 runs, 8 doubles, 6 homers, .726 slugging, .500 on-base; 6-1, 11 games, 3
CG, 2 Sho, 2.22 ERA, .244 Opp, 60.0 IP, 65 Ks, 20 BB

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Spenser Linney, 6-5, 175, L/L, LHP
-- Alameda, Head-Royce Academy
-- 44th Round of Padres in 2011
-- Third Alameda native on the staff, joining AJ Vanegas and  minor league prospect Jordan  Pries
-- Aflac All-American
-- .440 average, 33 RBIs as a senior, 6 doubles, 3 triples, homer for .640 slugging, .558
on-base, 9 steals; 1.21 ERA,
--57.2 IP, 114 Ks, 20 BB, 7-1, 3 saves, 14 games
-- As a sophomore, he compiled an 8-1 record in addition to 5 saves, the last of which sealed
the NCS Division V championship. Allowing a mere eight earned runs all year, Linney anchored
the Jayhawks staff with 76 innings pitched. Last year, he went 10-4, recording 139 strikeouts
and just 16 walks, an impressive 9:1 ratio.

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Tyler Maxwell, 6-2, 185, R/R, RHP/OF
-- Long Beach, CA / Long Beach Poly HS
-- .311 average, 13 runs, 11 RBIs, .408 on-base; 0-3, in 5 games with a 4.20 ERA in 31.2 IP,
41 Ks, 22 BB
-- Hit .297 as a sophomore with 13 runs and 19 RBIs and a 6.80 ERA and 2-3 record in 8
appearances

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David Schmidt, 6-0, 175, R/R, RHP
-- St. Louis, MO / Christian Brothers HS
-- Helped team capture first ever state championship as a junior
-- 4-0, 1.22 ERA in 34.1 IP over 8 appearances as a junior
-- 47th Round Pick of Cardinals

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Geo Saba, 6-2, 205, R/R, 1B
-- Mountain View, CA / St. Francis HS
-- Honorable Mention All-West Coast Athletic League as a senior
-- .429 as a junior

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Austin Slater, 6-2, 185, R/R, SS
-- Jacksonville, FL / Bolles School
-- 44th Round Pick of Dodgers
-- AFLAC All-American
-- Ranked No. 1 player in Florida by Prospect Wire
-- Hit .398 with 5 homers, 36 RBIs and 10 steals as sophomore, .333 as a junior

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Wayne Taylor, 6-1, 190, L/R, Catcher
-- Houston, TX / Memorial HS
-- 14th Round pick of Angels
-- Missed half of his senior year with a back ailment but still had 17 homers in 25 games with
50 runs
-- Texas Baseball Player of the Year, All-State in football
-- standout QB  with 2,063 yards, 20 TDs rushing, 1,388 yards / 11 TDs in the air in 2010