GREENSUBRG, Pa. - Seton Hill University head baseball coach Marc Marizzaldi has announced the largest early signing class in the program's history, landing twelve commitments, all coming from 2017 high school graduates.  For the first time since moving to the NCAA in 2009, the Griffins entire group of early signees hale from Pennsylvania.
 
"There's so much in this group of 12 student athletes to be excited about.  The quantity and quality of this class is the direct result of the efforts of our assistant coaches DJ Cannon, Anthony Fanelli and former assistant Brandon Jossey.  They invested months identifying the right guys for SHU Baseball and cultivating those relationships.  We've positioned ourselves for competitive consistency for years to come with this class."
 
 
FRANK MONTECALVO – OF – 5'11/175 - Bishop Guilfoyle HS
A three-sport standout, Montecalvo will be a 4-year starter after hitting .378 as a junior.  He is a 2-time district qualifier in wrestling and boasts two state title rings as a starter on the gridiron for Bishop Guilfoyle.  Montecalvo plays for Flood City Elite in the summer and plans to major in communications at Seton Hill.  
 
"Frank is as blue collar as they come.  He's going to instantly add toughness and character to our culture.  We're excited to see how his skills expand once he can focus on one sport year round."
 
 
TYLER PETERSON – P/C – 6'2/200 - Hollidaysburg HS
Peterson hit .386 as a sophomore and .377 as a junior for District 6 runners-up Holidaysburg.  Prep Baseball Report ranks Peterson the #60 overall prospect in PA in the 2017 class.  Another Flood City Elite product and 3-year letterwinner, Tyler is a National Honor Society member ranked 38^th in his class of 280.  He plans to major in Biology at Seton Hill.
 
"Tyler has a maturity on and off the field you don't see from high school kids.  He's game ready behind the plate, but we are even more excited about his potential on the mound.  He's got a menu of tools that he can use to contribute, we're excited to help him develop them all."
 
 
LENNOX PUGH – 1B/3B – 6'4/210 - Hollidaysburg HS
Pugh slugged 3 homeruns with a .359 average as a junior as a 1^st team All-Section pick.  He plays for Flood City Elite in the summers and has carried a 3.4 GPA at Hollidaysburg.  Lennox will major in criminal just at SHU.
 
"Lennox comes from an athletic family and has really developed physically in the last 12 months.  Our hunch is that he will take off at Seton Hill and really evolve into a middle-of-the-order threat for us.  The size, bat speed and bloodlines are all there for a bright future."  
 
 
DANNY WILLIAMS – 3B/1B – 6'1/185 - Slippery Rock HS
Williams is a career .365 hitter with 39 RBI at Slippery Rock and is currently ranked 151^st in Pennsylvania according to PBR.  A three-year letterwinner and two-time All-Region selection, Williams was named Region POY as a junior.  Danny hit .346 with Baird Brothers in the Youngstown Class B league last summer, while also playing for the Northeast Twins Scout team.  He is a 4.0 student and National Honor Society member and will major in computer science.  
 
"Danny brings a plus tool that could be an injection of run production for our program.  Character is off the charts, so we know he will work his tail off.  We're anxious to help him develop into a power+average type of guy in the PSAC."
 
 
 
LUKE WHALEN – IF – 6'1/165 - Norwin HS
Whalen hit at a .273 clip last year for the WPIAL Champion Norwin Knights.  During the summer he posted a .387 average and swiped 28 bags with the Pittsburgh Outlaws.  Luke carries a 3.2 GPA at Norwin playing baseball and basketball and plans to study International Business.  
 
"Luke is a high energy guy that can serve a lot of different roles in the infield for us.  He has a high motor and an infectious willingness to work and learn."
 
 
TRISTAN TINNEY – OF/LHP – 5'10/185 - South Fayette HS
Tristan posted a .422 average with 21 extra base hits as a junior, along with a 7-1 record and 57 K's on the mound for the Lions.  He was an All-Section pick in baseball and also has two state championships to his credit as a starter on the South Fayette football team.  Tinney plays his summer ball with the Pittsburgh Spikes and is a National Honor Society member.  He is a 4.0 student and will major in pre-med at Seton Hill.
 
"We wanted Tristan to be a Griffin because he's the guy you never want to play against.  He competes at a tenacious level, on the mound, at the plate, in the field and on the bases.  His athleticism should help him find a variety of ways to get on the field for us."  
 
GEORGE COYLE – RHP – 6'3/195 - Somerset HS
The 4^th member of the class hailing from the Flood City Elite summer program, Coyle logged 37 innings last spring at Somerset with 30 strikeouts earning LHAC all conference honors.  Prep Baseball Report tabs Coyle as the 97^th best prospect among 2017 grads in Pennsylvania.  A 3-sport standout, Coyle also earned All-County and All-District honors in football, as well as all-conference accolades in basketball.  He is a 3.3 student and undecided on his future major.  
 
"George has only scratched the surface of what could be an outstanding baseball career.  We anticipate a quick learning curve with him and expect his athleticism and competitiveness to translate to some gains early in his career."  
 
 
NEAL MCDERMOTT – RHP/OF – 6'2/190 - Greensburg Central Catholic
McDermott, ranked #139 by Prep Baseball Report, hit .370 with 20 RBI and 3 homers last spring, while going 4-1 on the mound with a 1.85 ERA and 42 K's.  He was named to the Tribune Review Terrific-10 as a junior and the Westmoreland County All Star team as a sophomore.  McDermott's GCC squad won the WPIAL title in 2015 and finished runners up in 2016.  Also a two-year starter in basketball, he played for All-American in the summer.  Neal carries a 3.6 GPA and will major in psychology.
 
"We really believe Neal could be a hidden gem in this class.  He has some funk to his delivery and create some angles that give hitters fits.  He brings some good athleticism and arm strength that should allow him to fill a solid role on our staff."
 
 
JAMIE WRABEL – Infield – 5'8/160 - Bishop McDevitt HS
Wrabel will earn his 4^th varsity letter as team captain after being an honorable mention Mid Penn All-Star in 2016.  He was chosen as a Big 26 Border Klash All-Star in both '15 and '16.  Jamie boasts a 4.15 GPA, is a member of the National Honor Society and will major in computer science or cyber security at Seton Hill.  
 
"We strive to develop leaders in our program and feel like Jamie has so many of those qualities already.  He has a ton of passion and a clean skill set you look for from middle infielders."
 
 
JORDAN FIEDOR – OF – 5'11/195 - Hempfield HS
Fiedor is the highest ranked member of the class at #23 in Prep Baseball Report's rankings.  He has twice been named All-Section at Hempfield as a member of 3 section championships for the Spartans.  Fiedor was a .444 hitter for All-American in the summer circuit with a 1.286 OPS.  Jordan is a member of three National Honor Societies, is a 4.0 student and will major in exercise science at Seton Hill.
 
"Jordan is as close to a 5-tool player as we came across the last year.  Add in his high character and superior work ethic intangibles – he projects as a student athlete you look to build your program around for four years."
 
 
COLIN LOUGHMAN – RHP/IF – 5'10/170 - Bethel Park HS
Loughman has started since his freshman season for the Hawks and is coming off 1^st Team All-Section honors as a junior.  He plays his summer ball with the Steel City Wildcats and is a 2-year member of the Allegheny Pirates fall travel team.  He is the 77^th ranked player in PA according to Prep Baseball Report.  He carries a 3.5 GPA and plan to major in actuary science.  
 
"Colin came into our fold late, mainly because of his skill set to be a really solid defender up the middle and his untapped potential on the mound.  He plays the game with such great composure and we think that translates to be a solid performer in the PSAC, possibly as a 2-way guy."
 
 
JARED KOLLAR – RHP/IF – 6'0/180 - Latrobe HS
Kollar hit .413 as a junior and went 4-2 on the mound with 57 strikeouts in 50 innings for the Wildcats.  He posted a perfect 0.00 ERA for Latrobe Legion over 23 innings with 36 punchouts, while also posting a 1.00 ERA over 26 innings for the PA Slurve.  Jared is a 3-time First Team All-Section selection, and was twice picked for the Westmoreland County All-Star squad.  Kollar – ranked #105 in the '17 class by PBR – also lettered in basketball and football while carrying a 3.2 GPA.  He will major in Pre-Engineering / Mathematics at SHU.  
 
"Over the past 12 months, we've seen Jared take huge steps forward into a big game pitcher.  His mid 80's fastball dominates the strikezone and his college ready breaking ball should make him an early and dependable arm for us."