Broncos' recruiting class ranked no. 1 in WCC

By Mike Kaufmann

Santa Clara baseball was recently recognized as having one of the top 40 recruiting classes in the nation, as well as the top class in the West Coast Conference, according to Collegiate Baseball newspaper.

Head coach Mark O'Brien recognized that this year's freshmen have great potential, but noted that potential doesn't mean a whole lot.

"Ultimately, it's what you do in practice and on the field that determines how successful you will be," said O'Brien. "But it's nice to see that there are talented players in our program that give us a good foundation to work with."

The class includes one player from Washington, one from Arizona and eight from California, including Tommy Medica and Nate Garcia, who were teammates at nearby Bellarmine College Prep last year. The two former Bells are joined by league rival from the past, Jon Karcich, who played for Serra High School in San Mateo.

Garcia was named the CCS Player of the Year by the San Jose Mercury News and Karcich received the same award from the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Bronco class was ranked no. 28 in the nation. The only other WCC school in the top 40 was Pepperdine, who checked in at no. 33.

Last season, the Broncos finished 28-26 overall, and 9-12 in WCC play.

O'Brien relied heavily on first and second year players last season, and will have higher expectations this year with a nationally ranked freshman class.

Contact Mike Kaufmann at (408) 551-1918 or mlkaufmann@scu.edu.