Nov. 10, 2004
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico baseball head coach Rich Alday and the Lobo baseball program have signed six players to National Letters of Intent on the first day of the fall signing period. The players will be eligible for the 2006 season. The players include Aaron Bates (Frisco, Texas), Jared Hood (Marshall, Texas), Drew Kendrick (Forney, Texas), Chace Lankford (Forney, Texas), Michael McClaren (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Derek Pilkington (Sterling, Colo.). Below is a look at the signees:
Aaron Bates RHP Frisco, Texas (Frisco High School)
Bates compiled a 6-3 record as a junior with a 1.69 ERA…named a first-team all-district pitcher…recorded 61 strikeouts in 58 innings…eight complete games…went 5-2 on the mound as a sophomore with a 2.03 ERA…fanned 39 batters in 39 innings…named a second-team all-district pitcher.
Jared Hood OF Marshall, Texas (Marshall High School)
Drew Kendrick OF/RHP Forney, Texas (Forney High School)
Kendrick is a three-year letterwinner out of Forney High School…first-team all-district outfielder as a sophomore, batting .340…also went 4-0 with a 0.70 ERA on the mound…repeat first-team all-district outfielder as a junior, hitting .305…collected an 8-3 record with a 1.80 ERA.
Chace Lankford RHP/OF Forney, Texas (Forney High School)
Lankford is a three-year letterwinner out of Forney High School…first-team all-state pitcher as a junior, going 9-1 with a 0.90 ERA…also hit .365…as a sophomore, earned first-team all-district honors as an infielder, batting .350…went an impressive 7-1 on the mound with a 1.30 ERA…lettered his freshman season after batting .285 and going 2-0 as a pitcher with a 2.00 ERA.
Michael McClaren RHP Las Vegas, Nev. (Durango High School)
Derek Pilkington 6-2 190 OF Sterling, Colorado (Sterling High School)
Pilkington is a three-sport standout athlete who chose to play Division I baseball at UNM after receiving numerous offers from other Division I schools to play baseball and football…three-year letterwinner in baseball…plays infield in high school, but was recruited as an outfielder…runner-up for the league MVP award and earned all-conference and honorable mention all-state accolades last season…during his junior year, the left-handed hitter set the school record for the highest batting average in a season, hitting at a .558 clip…also tied the school record for triples…as a junior, he received All-Tri-Valley Conference honors on the football field as well as being named the team’s defensive MVP…was also named the team MVP for basketball…impressive in the classroom as well with a 3.95 GPA…member of National Honors Society for past two years…has earned an academic letter three straight years.