UNR baseball team signs on recruits

The University of Nevada baseball team signed two right-handed pitchers, a left-handed pitcher and a catcher to letters of intent Wednesday for the 2002 season.

Signing with the Wolf Pack were Bryan Johnson, a left-handed pitcher from Selah, Wash.; Darrick Cummings, a right-hander from Reno High School; J.F. Sherman, a right-handed pitcher from Las Vegas and Dixie Junior College; along with catcher Chris Gimenez from Gilroy, Calif.

"I feel these four are going to be huge additions to our team for the 2002 season," Nevada Coach Gary Powers said. "They are all quality players and good people and I look forward to having them in our program."

Johnson, 6-2, 190 pounds, was 10-3 last year with 87 strikeouts in 74 2/3 innings with a 2.87 earned run average. Cummings, who also plays first base in high school, but will be used strictly as a pitcher at Nevada, went 5-1 for the Huskies last year with 25 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings and a 1.93 E.R.A. He is 6-2, 190 pounds and played in the Area Code Games for the San Francisco Giants this year.

Sherman played prep ball at Durango High School. The 6-4, 195-pound pitcher had an 8-3 record with 70 strikeouts in 81 2/3 innings and a 2.76 E.R.A. for Dixie Junior College in St. George, Utah last season. He was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 1999 draft and this year by the Florida Marlins.

Gimenez, a 6-1, 190-pound catcher, was listed by several scouting services as the top high school catching prospect in Northern California. He also played for the San Francisco Giants in the Area Code Games this year.

Powers said he could sign one more more player during the early signing period, which ends today.

The Wolf Pack open their inaugural season in the Western Athletic Conference Jan. 25 at Pacific for a three-game series. The home opener at newly expanded Peccole Park will be Feb. 23, with Washington State coming for a three-game series.

Nevada opens WAC play on the road at Hawaii-Hilo and Hawaii in early February, then will host Fresno State in a three-game series, beginning March 2.