In a bit of "news" that's completely unsurprising to anyone who follows WSU baseball closely, coach Donnie Marbut announced today that a 15-man freshman class -- which includes unsigned major league draft picks Ben Roberts, Tanner Chleborad and Joe Pistorese -- has officially joined the team.
All of these guys signed letters of intent last year, but per Marbut's policy, the class was not announced until today.
Roberts, an outfielder, was a seventh round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He'll almost certainly compete for a starting spot immediately. Cleborad is a lanky right-hander who profiles as a future ace of the staff; he was selected in the 24th round by the Seattle Mariners. Pistorese is a left-handed pitcher who was selected in the 44th round by the Chicago White Sox.
They join a squad that lost only a few major contributors and got a boost when outfielder Derek Jones and first baseman Taylor Ard -- the number three and four hitters last year -- failed to come to terms with the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox.
Full class listed after the jump.
- Right-handed pitcher Tanner Chleborad (Rapid City, S.D.)
- Second baseman Jordan Copeland (University Place, Wash.)
- Right-handed pitcher Sean Hartnett (Kent, Wash.)
- Left-handed pitcher Bryce Jackson (Kennewick, Wash.)
- Right-handed pitcher/first baseman Ty Jackson (Kennewick, Wash.)
- Catcher P.J. Jones (Vancouver, Wash.)
- Right-handed pitcher Avery Kain (Kent, Wash.)
- Catcher Bryan Karwacki (Spokane, Wash.)
- Left-handed pitcher Nick LaRoy (Kalama, Wash.)
- Left-handed pitcher Joe Pistorese (Kalispell, Mont.)
- Outfielder Ben Roberts (Missoula, Mont.)
- Outfielder Yale Rosen (Oak Harbor, Wash.)
- Infielder Ian Sagdal (East Wenatchee, Wash.)
- Right-handed pitcher Kyle Swannack (Renton, Wash.)
- Third baseman Nick Tanielu (Federal Way, Wash.).
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