Baseball announces the addition of 14 players for 2022

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville Head Baseball Coach Scott Friedholm and his coaching staff announced Friday the addition of 14 players that are set to make their debuts as Bulldogs in the spring of 2022.

"I can't give Chris Bresnahan and Kyle Ward enough credit for putting this class together," said Friedholm. "I feel we have a great combination of high school, junior college, and transfer talent that came in this year. We have addressed immediate needs in the back of our bullpen and infield depth. We are excited to see these guys continue to compete against each other this fall for roles in the spring."

Dylan Bacot – Infielder – Fayetteville, N.C. (Freedom Christian Academy/Southeastern CC)

Hit .430 with four home runs and 35 RBI during his senior season at Freedom Christian Academy
Was named the 2019 Sandhills Athletic Conference Player of the Year
As a high school player, Bacot hit .390 with 13 home runs and 90 RBI to go along with 10 triples, 25 doubles and 48 stolen bases
In two seasons at Southeastern Community College, Bacot appeared in 48 games, hit .318 in a little over 150 at-bats. Also totaled nine home runs drove in 40 runs and scored 45 more

Scouting Report from Coach - "Dylan is a JUCO transfer infielder from Southeastern Community College in North Carolina where he had tremendous success with the bat in his hand," Friedholm stated. "We believe Dylan will be able to step in right away and help our lineup."

Branden Barna – Pitcher – Merritt Island, Fla. (Merritt Island HS)

Was his conference's 2021 Pitcher of the Year after posting a 2.32 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 45.1 innings pitched
Earned Florida High School All-State honors in the shortened 2020 season
In 2020, Barna made four starts covering 27 innings. He struck out 47 hitters against seven walks and finished the season with a 0.26 ERA

Scouting Report from Coach - Branden will miss the 2021-2022 season because of a surgery prior to arriving on campus," said Friedholm. "We are excited about the pitchability that this upper 80's right-handed pitcher from Merritt Island High School in Florida will bring to our staff in the years to come."

Cole Bates – Pitcher – Shawboro, N.C. (Currituck County HS/Delaware State)

Bates was a dominant pitcher at Currituck County High School finishing his prep career with a 0.66 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .187 batting average
Additionally, Bates was a three-time All-Conference pick in high school, two-time All-State selection to along with Area Player of the Year and Conference Player of the Year plaudits
Before transferring to Asheville, Bates spent one season at Delaware State where he posted a 2-5 record with a 6.82 ERA in 64.2 innings pitched
His best outing for the Hornets came on April 16 vs. North Carolina Central where he pitched eight innings allowed eight hits three runs (one earned) to go with 10 strikeouts.

Scouting Report from Coach - "Cole is a transfer right-handed pitcher from Delaware State," Friedholm said of Bates. "He has very good command of an upper 80's low 90's fastball and should be able to have a big role on our staff from day one."

Robbie Burnett – Infielder/Utility – Franklinton, N.C. (Franklinton HS)

Burnett named his high school conference's 2021 Co-Player of the Year last spring after hitting .500, posting an on-base percentage of .654, slugging three home runs and stealing 14 bases in 14 games
During his high school career, Burnett posted a .432 batting average and stole 36 bases
Was a member of the Oak City Gliders club team that won a conference championship. Following a season where he hit .388 with four long balls, Burnett was selected to participate in an All-Star game and home run derby
Also an excellent student as he was a member of the National Honors Society and National Achievers Society in high school

Scouting Report from Coach - "Robbie is an infielder/utility player from Franklinton High School in North Carolina," stated Friedholm. "He possesses a rare combination of power and speed that we think will help us for years to come."

Hunter Fryzowicz – Outfielder – Clover, S.C. (Legion Collegiate Academy)

Fryzowicz was a member of a regional and state championship team in 2021
As a senior, he hit .409 with five home runs, 26 RBI with 32 runs scored and boasted an on-base percentage of .523
Finished his high school career with a batting average above .400 (.401) with 88 hits and drove in 56 runs
Was named to the Perfect Game Preseason All-American team in both 2020 and 2021

Scouting Report from Coach - "Hunter is an outfielder from the Legion Collegiate Academy in South Carolina," Friedholm said. "He has shown the ability to really hit from the left side of the plate with a tremendous feel for the zone that you rarely see from a high school player."

Spencer Hill – Pitcher – New Albany, Ohio (New Albany HS/Northern Illinois)

In the shortened 2020 season, Hill posted a 2-0 record and recorded 13 strikeouts in nine innings pitched
Began his collegiate career at Northern Illinois in 2021
In his time with the Huskies, Hill appeared in seven games, pitched seven innings, posted a 2.57 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .250 batting average

Scouting Report from Coach - "Spencer is a transfer right-handed pitcher from Northern Illinois University," remarked Friedholm. "He has a fastball that is in the mid 90's and we look forward to seeing what he can accomplish in a Bulldog uniform."

Corbin Lanowitz – Infielder – Kernersville, N.C. (Walkertown HS/Boston College)

Three-time All-Conference selection in high school
Landed All-State honors as a sophomore and junior
Conference Player of the Year as a junior when he hit .551 with 21 doubles, two triples and two home runs
Was named to the State All-Tournament twice
Played for US Elite for three years

Scouting Report from Coach - "Corbin is a transfer infielder from Boston College that has the ability to play multiple spots on the infield," Friedholm said. "His versatility coupled with his ability to hit from the left side should allow him to have an impact in our lineup right away."

Brock Mercado – Catcher/Utility – Oceantown, N.J. (St. Joseph Academy)

Earned six varsity letters in high school in football, soccer and baseball
Helped his team post a 17-6 record as a senior where he hit .422 with 27 hits, 33 RBI, 12 doubles, two home runs, 18 walks and eight stolen bases
Overall, Mercado was a .404 hitter in high school with 80 hits, 51 runs scored, 58 runs driven in, and 28 stolen bases

Scouting Report from Coach - "Brock is a catcher from St. Joseph Academy in New Jersey that hits from the left side," Friedholm said of Mercado. "He has shown the ability to handle some big time arms throughout his high school career and we are excited about adding him behind the plate."

Tylan Reece – Infielder – Fayetteville, N.C. (South View HS/Southeastern CC)

Teammate of fellow Bulldog recruit Dylan Bacot for two seasons at Southeastern Community College
Totaled over 100 hits as a high school player and hit .340 overall
An All-Region selection 2015-2018 and an All-Conference pick 2014-2018
At Southeastern CC, Reece appeared in 48 games, totaled 61 hits and was a .337 hitter
Also slugged four home runs, knocked in 20 runs, scored 52 runs and swiped 14 bases in junior college

Scouting Report from Coach - "Tylan is a transfer infielder from Southeastern Community College in North Carolina that has the ability to play multiple spots in the infield," stated Friedholm. "He plays the game with a lot of energy and we look forward to seeing how that impacts our team."

Chris Sabo – Pitcher – Great Meadows, N.J. (Pope John XIII HS/County College of Morris)

Sabo has played both football and baseball at the collegiate level. He played baseball at the County College of Morris in 2020 and 2021 and was a linebacker at Merrimack College for one season as well in 2019
As a high school player in baseball, Sabo hit .300 with five home runs to go with 35 RBI. On the mound, Sabo also averaged better than a strikeout per inning pitched
In his two seasons of junior college baseball, Sabo pitched a total of 20.2 innings and struck out 25 hitters to go with a 2-1 record

Scouting Report from Coach - "Chris is a transfer right-handed pitcher from County College of Morris in New Jersey," Friedholm said. "He boasts an upper 80's low 90's fastball that we think will continue to improve once he arrives on campus. We think he will be a big addition to our pitching staff."

Cole Schiff – Pitcher – Wake Forest, N.C. (Heritage HS)

Schiff posted an ERA under 2.00 as a high school pitcher finishing his prep career with a 1.56 ERA
He also averaged more than one strikeout per inning pitched in high school striking out 50 batters in 40.1 inning of work
A member of a conference championship team, Schiff was an All-State Honorable Mention selection as a senior after posting a 5-1 record with a 1.52 ERA
A two-time recipient of the AP Scholar Award and finished his time in high school with a 4.4 grade-point average

Scouting Report from Coach - "Cole is a left-handed pitcher from Heritage High School in North Carolina that enjoyed a very good high school career," remarked Friedholm. "His upper 80's fastball coupled with his advanced pitchability should allow him to have an impact on our rotation right away."

Kaden Smith – Utility – Reidsville, N.C. (Western Alamance HS)

As a senior, Smith hit .378 with 14 hits to go with an on-base percentage of .510
Finished his prep career as a .325 hitter and posted three seasons with batting averages of .300 or higher
Helped his team earn a state tournament berth as a sophomore
A member of the National Honors Society in high school

Scouting Report from Coach - "Kaden is a utility player from Western Alamance High School in North Carolina," said Friedholm. "Kaden has tremendous power and works extremely hard at his craft. We look forward what he can bring to our lineup for the next four years."

Isaac Williams – Pitcher/First Baseman – Youngsville, N.C. (Wake Forest HS)

Posted a 0.97 ERA in seven appearances as a senior and struck out 48 hitters compared to nine walks
A four-time All-Conference selection and was a Third Team All-State pick as well
A four-time Academic All-Conference honoree

Scouting Report from Coach - "Isaac will also miss the 2022 season because of surgery prior to arriving to campus," Friedholm said of Williams. "When he returns we look forward to seeing the left-handed pitcher/first baseman from Wake Forest High School in North Carolina showcase his upper 80's fastball coupled with advanced pitchability. Isaac also has the ability to drive the ball out of the yard at the plate."

Jacob Williams – Pitcher – Raleigh, N.C. (Wakefield HS)

In the shortened 2020 season, Williams threw 8.1 innings and struck out 15 hitters
Played for the Team Elite American 17U club team as well. In his stint with the team, he racked up 25 strikeouts in just 14 innings pitched
Was named the Most Valuable Pitcher at the 2020 Perfect Game 17U Coastal Select Championship

Scouting Report from Coach - "Jacob is a right-handed pitcher from Wakefield High School in North Carolina that has an electric arm with huge upside," stated Friedholm. "He already boasts an upper 80's fastball but we could see him being much higher than that in years to come."

University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics

Baseball announces the addition of 14 players for 2022

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