CSUN Baseball head coach Greg Moore has announced the signing of five to the 2016 recruiting class. Harrison Hart, Ricky Rivera and Katir Prieto will join the Matadors as true freshmen while Anthony Bender and Josh Mill come to the program as transfers.
"This class adds to a young nucleus that will return in 2016-17," said Moore. "There's athleticism and leadership throughout the group. Aside from the obvious honors and ability on the field, the average GPA is well over 3.0. Each one of them takes their development as baseball players and students very seriously. They are great DORS who will win on and off the field."
Mill will be making the out-of-state move from Las Vegas, NV, while the others will continue their athletic careers in California.
High school recruits Hart, Rivera and Prieto have been identified at the top of both Perfect Game's California and National Rankings. Hart is attending Palisades High School (Perfect Game No. 6 middle infielder in California / No. 45 middle infielder nationally), Rivera is prepping at Victor Valley High School (Perfect Game No. 44 right-handed pitcher in California / No. 416 right-handed pitcher nationally) and Prieto (Perfect Game No. 30 left-handed pitcher in California / No. 294 left-handed pitcher nationally) comes from Fresno High School.
Transfers Mill and Bender join the Matadors from respected community colleges, Santa Rosa Junior College and Western Nevada College respectively. Both are right-handed pitchers but Bender possesses the ability to play first base as well.
"You find many times that when players commit they lose their edge to push preparation," added Moore. "We evaluated that. Josh, Ricky, Anthony, Katir and Harrison have upped their focus and level of sharpness since joining our program. It's a credit to them, their families and the coaches they play for."
Moore would be remiss if he didn't mention the effort of his assistant coaches and entire staff in building the recruiting class.
"Coach Twohig and Coach Hom were on the road all summer and fall," said Moore about his assistant coaches. "It's funny, we have five new DORS. You could argue that it takes 30 days on the road to find the right fit for our program. They usually got 30 days of evaluation in 15, as both worked hard to identify possible DORS. Once we invited the few to campus, our entire staff, including Riley Goulding, Matt Hollod, Jesse DeLong and student manager Shane Goulding shared what makes CSUN special."
Anthony Bender, RHP/1B, 6-4, 215 - Petaluma, CA (Santa Rosa College) Bender is a hard throwing right-handed pitcher with an explosive fastball who has a feel for his secondary pitches. Also, he has home run power and looks to make an immediate impact as a two-way player. Â As a freshman at Santa Rosa College, he drove in 18 RBI and tallied five doubles. On the mound, he pitched 37 innings, allowed 26 hits, posted 28 strikeouts and only surrendered four earned runs. Bender had a 3-0 record with seven saves while boasting a 0.97 ERA that season. He also helped lead the Bear Cubs to an appearance in the California Community College Super-Regionals. Bender received All-Big 8 Conference First Team honors last season. Â "He could have gone anywhere, but I think he could see himself getting better on the mound with Coach Moore and the pitching development that takes place here," said Twohig about Bender. "He's also a tremendous hitter and will be a two-way player for us,"Â
Harrison Hart, INF, 5-11, 185 - Pacific Palisades, CA (Palisades High School) Hart has prepped four seasons with the varsity squad at Palisades High School where he posted a .452 batting average as a junior. He also has racked up eight doubles, 20 stolen bases and driven in 16 RBI with Palisades. Hart eared an All-Western League First Team selection and a 2015 EvoShield All-Tournament honor including receiving an invite to the SoCal Area Code tryouts.  "Harrison is tough and athletic," added Twohig. "What jumps out immediately is how hard he plays. His ability shows when he changes a game with his bat and glove. Harrison is confident with great field presence. He will be the rare mix of a grinder and dynamic athlete for the DORS."
Josh Mill, RHP, 5-11, 180 - Las Vegas, NV (Western Nevada College) Mill pitched 20 innings as a freshman for Western Nevada College as he helped lead the Wildcats to the Region 18 Regional Tournament in 2015. Prior to his time with Western Nevada College, Mill prepped at Rancho High School in Las Vegas, NV. Mill owned an impressive 26-12 record in three years at Rancho while posting a 2.47 ERA in 294 innings and 336 strikeouts. While with the team, Rancho finished 2011 as a state runner-up and Mill earned all-state honors as a junior.
"Josh is one of the best junior college players on the West Coast. He can pitch anywhere on our staff," said Twohig. "He throws three pitches for strikes and commands the zone very well. Josh's skills were polished under a great coach at Western Nevada in DJ Whittemore and it leads me to believe that he will make an immediate impact for DORS Baseball."
Ricky Rivera, RHP, 5-11, 170 - Victorville, CA (Victor Valley High School) According to Perfect Game, Rivera was ranked the 44th right-handed pitcher in California and in the top 500 nationally. He spent his junior season at Alta Loma High School and earned a 4-3 record on the mound to go along with 47 strikeouts, a 3.21 ERA and 43 innings pitched. With a fastball that clocks in at 92 mph, Rivera has participated in the EvoShield National Championship and the 2015 Perfect Game World Series.
"Ricky was the first commitment we received in the 2016 class," said Twohig. "He has one of the top arms in Southern California and that has flown quietly under the radar due to his transfer of high schools. Ricky is a die-hard Matador who just keeps getting stronger. He's another guy we can project to do anything from starter to closer. The future is bright for Ricky here at CSUN."
Katir Prieto, LHP, 5-10, 180 - Fresno, CA (Fresno High School) Listed by Perfect Game Baseball as the No. 30 ranked left-handed pitcher in California, Prieto enjoyed a record-breaking season in 2015 at Fresno High School. Prieto tossed a no-hitter including striking out a record 21 batters, which shattered the school's single game all-time strikeout mark set by Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Tom Seaver.
Prieto earned a 7-4 record in 2015, pitching 74 innings with 104 strikeouts while compiling a 1.58 ERA. He earned all-league first team honors and Cal HI-Sports Player of the Week recognition last spring. The Fresno Bee named Prieto to the All-Valley First Team and Fresno High School honored Prieto as the Most Outstanding Athlete last season.Â
"Katir is a fierce competitor who has deception and nasty stuff," added Twohig. "He has personality and presence off the field as well. He could have gone to many places. We knew, as did his family, that CSUN is where Katir will grow and succeed."
