Baseball Inks 10 to NLI on National Signing Day
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico Baseball Head Coach Tod Brown announced the signing of six junior college transfers and four freshmen on National Signing Day on Wednesday, with all 10 to join the Lobos in the Fall of 2024.
“Each year you go into your recruiting classes, you need to address needs that you’re losing in your senior class and possibly some guys in your junior class that could get drafted,” said Brown. “I thought we addressed a lot of our needs for the future that really compliment our up-and-coming young players well, and it bodes well for the future.”
“I’d like to thank Matt Risdon for organizing all of the recruiting efforts and assistant coaches Michael Lopez and Justin Mitchell – these guys have done a great job at identifying the top talent throughout the country that meet the needs of what we’re looking for in our baseball program. It’s a lot of hard work, a lot of travel and a lot of phone calls that go into this, and the quality of this class is a testament to that.”
Karsen Waslefsky | INF | South Mountain CC
Waslefsky joins the Lobos from South Mountain CC in Phoenix, Arizona. In his prep career, Weslefsky went to Casteel High School, where he was named First Team All-Region and First Team All-District. A sophomore this year, Waslefsky hit .325 as a freshman at South Mountain in one of the most competitive junior college conferences in the country with 16 doubles and 38 RBIs on 66 hits. He said he chose UNM “because of the overall culture of the program and the coaching staff.”
Jordy Oriach | OF | Frank Phillips CC
A product of Haverhill, Mass. who spent last season at Frank Phillips CC in Borger, Texas, Oriach was named 1st Team all WJCAC last season after hitting .378 with 55 RBIs and 30 extra base hits. The 6’5″ 225 pound outfielder was also named a Region Five All-Star for his efforts.
“The university of New Mexico has presented me with the opportunity to compete at the highest level of college baseball,” Oriach said of his decision to attend UNM. “Academically, the institution has provided me with the opportunity to obtain my bachelor’s degree in Sports Management.”
Brodey Williams | C | McLennan CC
Williams heads to New Mexico from one of the premier junior colleges in the country in McLennan CC in Waco, Texas. The left-handed hitting backstop helped Barbers Hill High School win the Texas 5A State Championship in 2021 where he was a two-time All-State selection. He hit .293 over his last season at McLennan with a .426 OBP in that span.
Caleb Herd | C | Pima CC
A freshman on the 2023 team that will return to the Lobos next fall after a one-year stint at Pima CC, Herd hit .429 as a freshman and touted an OPS of 1.127, seeing action in nine games off the bench. As a senior in 2022, Herd was a first-team all-region and SAZ all-star while also picking up Class 5A All-Conference honors, hitting .474 with 31 RBIs, a .571 OBP and .692 slugging.
“I loved everything about UNM. I loved the city, campus, schooling opportunities, and the baseball program,” Herd said. “I knew it was the right fit for me and I would become a better student and baseball player while attending UNM.”
Nathaniel Brouse | RHP | Folsom Lake CC
Joining UNM from Folsom Lake CC in California, Brouse was voted Reliever of the Year as a Freshman in one of the best leagues in California. The reliever had 8 saves and punched out 40 while only walking 17 in his freshman campaign. Brouse also helped the Falcons reach State Semifinals in his senior year at Aptos High School.
“Was a good fit for me,” Brouse said. “Really liked all the coaches and players I was able to meet. Love the area.”
Diego Alvarez | RHP | Pima CC
Diego played his freshman year at Eastern Arizona where he was a standout on the mound. He started for the Gila Monsters where he threw 74.2 innings and will begin his first season at Pima in the spring. Alvarez said he chose UNM because it “made me feel at home”.
Charles Lavigne | RHP/INF | Ecole Saint-Gabriel, Quebec (Canada)
The 6’5″ 200 pound Canadian is a right-handed pitcher who can also provide some serious juice with his left-handed swing. The two-way athlete makes his way down south from Ecole Saint-Gabriel High School in Quebec, where his 16U team reached WWBA semifinals before his 17U team finished as runners-up at WWBA the next year.
Lavigne said he chose UNM because “it was the best opportunity for me to develop myself as an athlete and also a student.”
Blake Bell | RHP | Mountain Pointe HS | Ahwatukee, Ariz.
Blake Bell comes to UNM from Mountain Pointe HS in Arizona, where he chose to continue his baseball career over college football opportunities. The power arm played club ball all over the U.S. this summer and is looking to have a big senior year for Mountain Pointe.
Beck Sullivan | RHP | Waxahachie HS | Waxahachie, Tex.
Originally from Waxahachie in Texas, Sullivan has a big arm and plays quarterback for his high school football team. Sullivan also plays with the United Baseball Club in Texas – where he posted a .80 ERA last summer – and is a standout for his high school team, being named All-District following last season.
“I chose UNM because I was impressed by the coaching staff,” Sullivan said. “I’ve also played against other players that are committed to UNM and they are outstanding ball players. “
Shane Miller | INF | Higley HS | Gilbert, Ariz.
The 1st commit for the Lobos 24 class, Miller has participated in the Futures Games and has performed at a high level throughout a prep career that has seen him pick up All-Region honors following each season. The lefty hitter posted .429 hitting and a .613 OBP in his last season and has hit for a .331 average over his entire high school career.
“When looking at all of my options I found that UNM was the best fit for me,” Miller said. “It’s a great school with a well-respected coaching staff and baseball team.”