PORTLAND, Ore. --- Three high school baseball players from the state of Oregon have committed to the University of Portland baseball program, announced head coach Chris Sperry. Bo Cornish (C, Hillsboro, Ore.), Turner Gill (INF, Madras, Ore.) and Zach Nice (RHP, La Grande, Ore.) have each signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the Pilots next fall.
“Our fall recruiting class is small, but it meets the most critical needs presented by our graduating seniors,” Sperry said. “We wanted to attract a catcher, a strong left-handed bat, and a high-end pitcher, and we feel confident that the student-athletes coming in will fit both our athletic and academic goals.”
Bo Cornish is a 6-foot-2 catcher who is currently a senior at Liberty High School. A two-year letterwinner, Cornish was a unanimous selection to the NWOC First Team as a junior and he was named to the Oregon 5A All State Second Team. Last spring, he set conference and school records in batting average (.469) and home runs (8), while setting school marks in on-base percentage (.720) and walks (28). Cornish was voted the Falcons’ team MVP in 2009 and was named the squad’s defensive player of the year en route to NWOC Honorable Mention as a sophomore.
“Bo is very athletic and he has an outstanding arm,” UP assistant coach Tucker Brack said. “He is also a very good runner for a catcher, so we’re expecting him to be an impact guy right away.”
Tuner Gill is a 6-foot-2 senior third-baseman at Madras High School who throws with his right arm and bats from the left side of the plate. Gill, who will earn his fourth varsity letter for the White Buffalos in the spring, earned Oregon 5A First Team All-State honors last season after hitting .507 with three home runs, six triples, 10 doubles, 30 runs, 14 RBI’s, eight stolen bases, an OBP of .630 and a .920 slugging percentage. He was also named the Intermountain Conference Player of the Year as a junior after earning all-league first-team honors as a sophomore and honorable mention as a freshman. Gill helped the White Buffalos, who reached the state playoffs in both 2008 and 2009, post an overall record of 20-6 last season.
“Turner brings to the program a tremendous academic record and the potential for left-handed power in our line-up,” noted Sperry. “His athleticism will allow him to play either a corner infield spot or an outfield position. He is a physical presence and he should be ready to compete very soon.”
Zach Nice is a senior right-handed pitcher at La Grande High School. The 6-foot-1 Nice will be a four-year letterwinner for the Tigers and he was named Oregon 5A All-State Honorable Mention following the past two seasons. A First Team All-Greater Oregon League selection as both an infielder and pitcher last spring, Nice helped lead the Tigers to the 2007 Oregon State Championship. He was named the Qwest Player of the Game during the 2007 title game and he earned second-team all-league honors as a sophomore. The Tigers are the reigning two-time league champions as well.
“Zach is a power pitcher who has the ability to add a quality slider to his pitch selection,” Portland pitching coach Larry Casian said. “When I saw Zach pitch at the Arizona Fall Classic, I knew he was the top pitcher who we needed to add to our staff. He is a hard worker and he constantly wants to learn more about pitching.”
“Overall, we are very pleased with our class,” added Sperry. “For the first time that I can remember, we have a class made up exclusively of Oregon kids and that is special.”
