PORTLAND, Ore. --- Two high school baseball players from the state of Washington, two from California and one from Texas have committed to the University of Portland, announced head coach Chris Sperry. Tyler Glasnow (RHP, Newhall, Calif.), Cody Lenahan (INF, San Marcos, Calif.), Aaron Moore (RHP/INF, Austin, Texas), Kody Watts (RHP, Vancouver, Wash.) and Caleb Whalen (SS, Vancouver, Wash.) have each signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the Pilots next fall.
“This November recruiting class reflects the collective efforts of our coaching staff, with a special tip of the cap to coach Larry Casian for coordinating and managing the process,” Sperry said. “In getting these five kids signed, we’ve met the primary needs that we can foresee at this time, given the impending graduation of our eight seniors. We like what each player brings to the baseball field, as well as to the classroom. I expect each one of these five guys to be strong contributors to our Pilots baseball program, and assets to the University of Portland.”
Tyler Glasnow is a 6-foot-6 right-handed pitcher who will earn his third varsity letter this spring at William S. Hart High School. As a junior, Glasnow struck out 29 in 21.0 innings of work, while allowing just 18 hits. He also posted a 4.00 earned run average for the Indians. During the summer, Glasnow struck out 42 in only 27.0 innings, while improving his ERA to 3.29. He once struck out 11 during a single outing and allowed just two hits.
“Tyler is a tall, lanky right-hander who we see near the front of our rotation before too long,” noted Sperry. “He has demonstrated excellent rotation and movement on his curve ball, which could develop into a strikeout pitch for him. I don’t see any problem with him reaching the 90 miles-per-hour range with his fastball. The refinement of all his pitches should lend itself to Tyler competing for a job as a weekend starter here at some point.”
Cody Lenahan is 6-foot-2 infielder who plays third, second and shortstop for the Mission Hills High School Grizzlies. The left-handed hitter, who batted .400 during Avocado League play, will earn his fourth letter this spring. He was named all-league honorable mention as a junior and he was named the team’s defensive player of the year. Lenahan also earned the coach’s award as a freshman and he helped the Grizzlies to league titles in 2008 and 2009.
“Cody continues a string of Southern California players we have enjoyed in recent years,” Sperry said. “He is tall and lean and he has a good left-hand bat. We project him impacting the team on the right side of the infield.”
Aaron Moore, a 6-foot-1 right-handed pitcher and a corner infielder, will come to The Bluff from St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Austin, Texas. Moore will earn his second letter this year, which will be his second straight as the Spartans’ No. 1 starter. A team captain, Moore was third in Central Texas as a junior with a 2.25 ERA. In an outing against top-seeded Trinity Valley, Moore pitched 6.2 scoreless innings en route to the win during the second round of the tourney. He also led his club team in wins, K’s, ERA, batting average and home runs during the summer of 2010.
“We expanded our recruiting base a bit in attracting Aaron from Texas,” explained Sperry. “He is a right-hander with a good body and make-up, whom coach Casian has seen and believes will add to the strength of our pitching staff. He has high potential, especially since he has a plus-slider, and he may be a bit of an unknown. We feel extremely fortunate to get him.”
A 6-foot-3 right-handed pitcher, Kody Watts will earn his fourth varsity letter for the Skyview Storm in the spring. Watts landed on the Washington All-State Second Team as a junior after posting a 6-1 record, while shattering the school’s single-season strikeout record with 74 K’s. He also earned First Team All-Region and All-GSHL First Team in 2010, helping the Storm advance to the playoffs with an ERA of 1.50. As a sophomore, Watts earned all-league honorable after going 3-1. He once took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and he once fanned 11 batters during a win. During a playoff win over Heritage, Watts pitched eight innings, struck out eight, allowed just two hits and two walks as the Storm won 1-0 to advance. He tossed a no-hitter with his club team, while also registering a one-hit win and a 16-strikeout performance.
“Kody is a right-handed pitcher who will impact our program immediately and, like Glasnow, projects near the front of our rotation,” said Sperry. “We know from a variety of sources that he is ultra-competitive, which combined with very good skills on the mound, makes him extremely effective. I think he has really good upside and a great future at UP.”
The 6-foot-1 Caleb Whalen will be a four-year letterwinner at shortstop for the Union High School Titans. A two-time All-GSHL First Team selection, Whalen was named first team all-state as a junior after leading the team in home runs and extra base hits. Whalen, who landed on the all-league second team as a sophomore, helped lead the Titans to a fifth-place finish at state in 2010. During a playoff win against Bishop Blanchet, Whalen hit a homer and a go-ahead RBI double. He also hit home runs in back-to-back plate appearances as a sophomore. He was voted the team’s MVP in 2009 and he’s earned two straight most outstanding hitter honors.
“In my opinion, Kody and Caleb are two of the best athletes in Southwest Washington, and both come to us with a ton of post-season experience in a variety of sports,” Sperry added. “Caleb could play just about anywhere on the field. He is a plus runner, he can throw, hit and hit with some power. I’ve seen him play a ton and, in addition to his tools, I have been most impressed with his desire to have the ball hit to him. He has a knack for being in the right spot at the right time. He is a born leader, a special player, and excels at many things.”
