Baseball | August 31, 2018

PHILADELPHIA – La Salle University Head Baseball Coach David Miller has announced the Explorers' 2018 recruiting class, which is ranked No. 1 among Atlantic 10 Conference teams and 73rd in the nation by Perfect Game.
 
Overall, the Explorers welcome 17 newcomers to the team for the 2019 season – 13 incoming freshmen and four transfers.
 
"We are very excited about our first recruiting class as a whole," said Miller. "We targeted specific needs and specific players, and everyone seemed to share our vision as we build La Salle baseball for the future. We couldn't be happier with where this program is heading and expect big things to come."
 
Six of the incoming student-athletes are Pennsylvania natives, and the class represents 10 different states altogether. The Explorers' pitching staff is expected to be deeper this season, as eight of the newcomers are pitchers. La Salle will also have numerous additions in both the infield and outfield as well as behind the plate.
 
2018 La Salle Baseball Recruiting Class
Name – Position – Height, Weight – Previous School – Hometown

Nick O'Day – OF/RHP – 5-11, 205 lbs – Bishop Shanahan – Coatesville, Pa.

• O'Day hit from the leadoff spot at Bishop Shanahan and is a versatile player who can patrol the outfield and pitch. He was a Rawlings/Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American and is also a power arm off the mound. Ranked 207th overall by Perfect Game, he hit .424 with 25 hits, scored 23 runs and knocked in 16 during his junior season. O'Day will be a two-way player for La Salle and has the chance to make an immediate impact.

Nick Hohenstein – RHP – 6-1, 225 lbs – Christian Brothers Academy – Lincroft, N.J.

• Hohenstein is widely regarded as one of the biggest dual threats in the New Jersey area, leading Christian Brothers at the plate and striking opponents out on the mound. He was 5-0 with a 1.97 ERA with 55 strikeouts over 42.2 innings this past spring.

Matt Rivera – C – 6-3, 200 lb – Holy Spirit – Egg Harbor City, N.J.

• Rivera hit .597 with seven home runs and 36 RBI's as a senior at Holy Spirit High School. He is ranked as the No. 1 catcher in New Jersey by the Prep Baseball Report and was a first team all-state selection. Rivera has a strong arm plus power with the bat. He looks to be an impact catcher for La Salle.

Aidan Frye – RHP – 6-0, 194 lbs – Chestnut Hill Academy – Harleysville, Pa.

• Frye was the thorn in Coach Miller's side for three years while he was at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. A first team all inter-Ac, all-city and All-Southeastern PA pitcher, Frye has great command of three-plus pitches and can run the ball up into the low 90's.  He will look to make an impact right away and lead La Salle's pitching staff.

Ross Mulhall – 1B – 6-4, 210 – University HS – Morgantown, W. Va.

• Mulhall worked a .472 batting average with 11 home runs, 12 doubles and 44 RBI at University High School in West Virginia. A Rawlings/Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American, he was also an all-state honoree and a first team all-conference selection. Mulhall was notably named West Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year for 2018.

Nick Hopkins – SS/2B – 5-11, 167 – St. Mary's HS – Severn, Md. 

• Hopkins hit .345 this past season for St Mary's High School in Maryland. The switch-hitting middle inflieder is ranked 34th in the state of Maryland by the Prep Baseball Report. He is also ranked as the fourth best shortstop in Maryland by PBR and Perfect Game.

Hunter Bogumil – RHP – 6-5, 170 – Out-of-Door Academy – Bradenton, Fla. 

• Bogumil is a right-handed pitcher with a 6-5 frame from Bradenton, Fla., who attended Out-Of-Door Academy. He sports a mid-to-upper 80's arm that comes out clean and easy while controlling both sides of the plate. Bogumil has a long, athletic frame and carries tremendous upside for the Explorers.

Tatem Levins – C/1B – 6-2, 190 lbs – Notre Dame HS – Langhorne, Pa.

• A standout at Notre Dame High School in New Jersey, Levins hit .461 with 31 RBI's and 15 extra-base hits in the spring. He also batted .342 with six home runs in the Atlantic collegiate baseball league this past summer. Levins will look to provide a power bat for the Explorers in 2019.

Luke Weigel – 1B/C – 6-3, 210 lbs – Lampeter-Strasburg – Lancaster, Pa. 

• Weigel was a second team All-Lancaster-Lebanon League selection this past season. Weigel, who primarily played catcher, belted five home runs and had a .448 on-base percentage his senior year. At 6-3, 210 pounds, he has big time power and looks to help La Salle in its power surge.

Nick Divietro – OF – 6-0, 195 lbs – Cherry Hill West – Cherry Hill, N.J. 

• Divietro, a left-handed outfielder, hit over .400 as a sophomore at Cherry Hill West while swiping 26 bases. Coming off a shoulder injury, he will aim to bounce back and have great freshman year for the Explorers.

Chuck Kelley – RHP – 6-0, 210 – Father Judge – Philadelphia, Pa.

• Kelley, a right-handed pitcher, went 5-1 with a 0.78 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 44.2 innings for Father Judge High School. The local standout was voted the Catholic League's Most Valuable Player back in May.

Quentin Brown – OF – Williamsport – Williamsport, Pa. 

• Labeled a five-tool player, Brown was named Sun-Gazette Player of the Year after leading Williamsport High School to back-to-back district titles. The center fielder led the district with a .537 average and tied for a district-best seven home runs this past season. A leadoff hitter, Brown still drove in 27 runs while scoring 24 times and posting a .620 on-base percentage.

Nico Salvaggio – RHP/1B – 6-4, 215 lb – Bishop Hendrickson – Barrington, R.I. 

• Salvaggio comes to La Salle as the No. 1 ranked right-handed pitcher out of Rhode Island by Perfect Game in 2018. He earned second team all-state honors, highlighted by a victory in the title-clinching game of the state tournament for Bishop Hendrickson High School. 

Malik Lissone Brown – RHP/3B – 6-3, 190 lb – Santaluces (Indian River State) – Lake Worth, Fla. 

• Lissone-Brown transfers in from Indian River State College and was a 2017 Rawlings/Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American at Santaluces Community High School in Florida. With a low to mid 90's arm, he is coming off surgery hoping to reestablish his dominance that made him a highly sought after high school prospect.

Alfonse Sadallah – INF – 5-11, 160 lb – Tottenville (Garrett College) – Staten Island, N.Y. 

• Sadallah batted .400 in 42 games played at Garrett College this past spring, where he had 31 RBI's and 17 stolen bases. A smooth-fielding middle infielder from Staten Island, Sadallah looks to patrol the middle for the Explorers while hitting towards the top of the lineup.

Peter Berenato – RHP – 6-2, 205 lb – Hammonton (Camden County) – Hammonton, N.J.

• Berenato was 4-4 with a 4.39 ERA and 68 strikeouts over 55.1 innings as a sophomore at Camden County College last season. During his freshman season, the New Jersey native made five saves on the mound and averaged 14 strikeouts per nine innings. 

Rob Nadel – RHP – 5-10, 170 lb – Lawrence Academy (Maryville/Bentley) – Winchester, Mass.

• Coming over from Bentley University, Nadel has a low to mid 90's arm with a plus slider. A Massachusetts native, Nadel is labeled as a tremendously hard worker and has closer-type stuff. He was a Northeast Region Honorable Mention player by Perfect Game when he came out of high school.