Nov. 18, 2002
LAS VEGAS - UNLV head baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle announced Monday the signing of nine players to national letters of intent. The class is comprised of nine high school players, four from Las Vegas, three from California, and one from Oregon and Colorado respectively.
"I am really excited about this fall class," Schlossnagle said. "We have definitely addressed some needs and added some of the premier high school players in Las Vegas and the United States to our program. Our entire staff, led by Coach (Buddy) Gouldsmith, has worked diligently to select the right players for UNLV and I look forward to adding to this class in the spring."
The 2002 fall class consists of four pitchers, two catchers, one outfielder, one infielder, and a two-way player.
Steve Erkel is a left-handed hitting catcher from Granite Bay Calif. He hit .420 with 10 doubles, three home runs and 14 stolen bases. He was named the conference defensive player of the year and voted to the NorCal High School All-Star Team, where he played against future teammate Ryan Kowalski. Erkel chose UNLV over Long Beach State, Cal State Fullerton, and St. Mary's.
Jerod Estey was the 2002 Colorado Player of the Year. Hailing from Craig, Colorado, Estey, hit .522 and led the state in home runs. In 2001, he played for Team Florida and combined for a no-hitter in the Junior Olympics. He was named the MVP of the 2000 Goodwill Games in China and chose UNLV over the University of Hawaii and Utah.
Anthony Garcia from Bishop Gorman High School is a switch-hitting outfielder who hit .392 with nine home runs, 46 RBIs and a .753 slugging percentage. He was a first team All-Southern Nevada selection and voted the third best prospect in the state by Baseball America. Garcia chose UNLV over New Mexico and Santa Clara.
Wes Johnson attends Silverado High School in Las Vegas. He is a right-handed pitcher who posted a 9-5 record with 68 strikeouts and a 2.12 ERA in 70 innings.
Ryan Kowlaski plays shortstop at University of San Diego High School in San Diego, Calif. He was selected first team All-CIF San Diego Division III where he hit .470 with 2 home runs and 13 stolen bases. He was named one of the 50 best players at the 2002 Area Code Games and ranked by Baseball America as one of the top players in the country. Kowlaski chose UNLV over Washington State, San Diego State and Hawaii.
Kevin Skogely was an all-conference selection for Hermiston High School in Northeast Ore. He posted a 6-1 record in 55 innings with 69 strikeouts. He is ranked the third best prospect in Oregon and among the nation's elite high school prospects by Baseball America. He participated in the 2002 Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif. and chose UNLV over Oregon State and Oklahoma State.
Ryan Tabor hails from Green Valley High School in Henderson, Nev. In two years as a varsity player, he has compiled a 14-6 record with 126 strikeouts in 119 innings with just 32 walks. His ERA was 2.60 as a sophomore and 2.20 as junior. Tabor was an All-Southern Nevada selection and helped lead his team to the District Playoffs. He chose UNLV over Arizona State, CA State Northridge, Nebraska, and Pepperdine.
Justin Tellam has hit a combined .380 and helped San Clemente High School to a conference championship in two years as a varsity player. In 2001, he finished fourth in the Junior Olympics. Tellam participated in the Team One West Coast Showcase and the Perfect Game in San Diego this summer.
Russ Warthen has recorded an impressive 16-4 record in two years at Bishop Gorman High School. He helped lead the Gaels to the state playoffs and was a first team All-Southern Nevada selection. Warthen is ranked the fifth best prospect in the state of Nevada by Baseball America. He participated in the Goodwill Games in China as well as the Area Code Games this summer. He chose UNLV over Arizona State, Hawaii, and Arkansas.
