Baseball | August 26, 2019

PHILADELPHIA – La Salle University Head Baseball Coach David Miller announced the addition of eight newcomers to the incoming class for 2019-20 on Friday. The class, which features 13 freshmen in total, was ranked in the top 100 nationally by Perfect Game.

Incoming freshmen Connor Coolahan, Colin Costello, Aiden Davis-Diaz, John DeMucci, Joe Messina, Joe Richardson and Colin Yablonski along with sophomore transfer Manny Corporan round out the latest group of newcomers. Those eight join fellow incoming freshmen Elijah Dickerson, Nick Gaitan, Dylan Maria, Jordan Morales, Gabe Rappa and David Smith, who all signed their National Letters of Intent back in November.
 
"We are very excited about the 2019 incoming class," expressed Miller. "We worked extremely hard as a staff to bring in student-athletes from up and down the coast that best fit in with our brand of baseball as we look to build on the momentum from last season. This freshman class has 13 student-athletes that have come to La Salle with beast-mode attitudes and a 'ready to work hard' approach both on the field and in the classroom. These young men see the vision of taking La Salle to new heights and we can't wait to step on the field and get to work. It is going to be an exciting year as we work on developing our youth with the veteran leaders we have coming back."
 
La Salle's 2019 recruiting class receives national attention ranked 85th in the country among Division I programs in Perfect Game's recruit rankings. It is the second consecutive year in which Miller's recruiting class has been nationally ranked, being 73rd last year. It's also the second straight year in which the Explorers have had the top recruiting class in the Atlantic 10 Conference according to PG.
 
Name – Position – High School – Hometown
Colin Costello – INF – Holy Ghost Prep – Warminster, Pa.

• Costello is the ninth ranked middle infielder in Pennsylvania by Perfect Game. As a senior, he helped Holy Ghost Prep to a 23-2 record while also winning the PIAA District 1 Class 5A title.

Joseph Richardson – RHP – St. Joseph's Prep – Philadelphia, Pa.

• JR pitched at nearby St. Joseph's Prep where he led the Philadelphia Catholic League with 65 strikeouts as a senior. He was Second Team All-Catholic League after posting a 1.59 ERA and earned third team honors as a junior.

John DeMucci – C – Bonner & Prendie Catholic – Swarthmore, Pa.

• DeMucci won back-to-back district titles with Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast. This past year, he was First Team All-Delco after batting .359 with three homers and 22 RBI, and last year he was Second Team All-Catholic League after hitting .365 with 17 RBI and a pair of homers.

Connor Coolahan – INF – Shawnee HS – Medford, N.J.

• Coolahan was a three-year varsity starter at Shawnee High School where he was First Team All-South Jersey, First Team All-County and First Team All-Conference as a senior. He batted .360 with 26 walks this past season, and as a junior he was First Team All-County and First Team All-Conference after hitting .372 as a leadoff hitter.

Joe Messina – RHP – Neumann Goretti HS – Philadelphia, Pa.

• Messina was the Philadelphia Catholic League Pitcher of the Year as a senior at Neumann Goretti and twice was named First Team All-Catholic League. He won back-to-back Catholic League and PIAA 2A state titles, and this past year he went 5-2 with a 1.62 ERA and 66 strikeouts.

Aiden Davis-Diaz – OF – La Salle College HS – Philadelphia, Pa.

• Davis-Diaz won back-to-back PCL Championships in 2018 and 2019 at nearby La Salle College High School and was the Defensive Player of the Year. He hit .412 with a .524 OBP and a .647 SLG to go with 16 stolen bases and a perfect fielding percentage.

Colin Yablonski – RHP – Manheim Township HS – Lititz, Pa.

• Yablonski was a three-year letter winner at Manheim Township High School where he helped the team to its first state playoff berth since 2011. He was First Team All-Section 1 and First Team All-League as a senior with a 2.19 ERA and 80 strikeouts.

Manny Corporan – RHP – Fairleigh Dickinson Univ. – Bloomfield, N.J.

• Corporan transfers to La Salle after one season at Fairleigh Dickinson where he was coached by Bryan Radziewski, who now serves as La Salle's pitching coach, making 21 appearances with 31 strikeouts and two saves for the Knights. He was First Team All-State at Bloomfield High School and this past summer he had 26 strikeouts over 30.1 innings with the Wisconsin Woodchucks.