Flagler baseball signs two in early signing period
Justin McKenna (left) and Danny Vliet (right) have signed to attend and play baseball at Flagler starting in the fall of 2009.
by John Jordan, Sports Information Director
12/1/2008 12:56:22 PM
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. − The Flagler College baseball program officially signed two prep standouts to letters of intent during the early signing period, head coach Dave Barnett announced Wednesday afternoon. The highly touted recruiting class includes Justin McKenna (Ponte Vedra, Fla./Allen D. Nease HS) and Danny Vliet (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic HS).
McKenna, a third baseman, batted .301 with two home runs and 23 runs batted in last year for the Panthers. He earned the team’s “Best Defensive Player” award.
“Justin comes to Flagler as a quality player and as a quality person,” said Barnett. “He has great offensive potential and should complement our team well.”
Vliet, a left-handed pitcher/first baseman, will come to Flagler as a pitcher. He is a three-year starter for the Cougars and earned first-team all-conference honors in 2007 and 2008. The Charlotte Weekly listed Vliet as a “Player to Watch” for the 2008 season and was selected to its Super Baseball Team last year. He pitched for the Region 6 team which competed in the State Games. Vliet earned the win in the bronze medal game. For his career, Vliet has posted a 16-6 record with six saves, a 2.45 earned run average and 173 strike outs for head coach Randy Belk.
“Danny gives us a much needed left-handed strike thrower who mixes his pitches well and is a competitor on the mound,” said Barnett.
Flagler is preparing for its first full-fledged season in NCAA Division II. The Saints will be eligible for the post-season for the first time in three years. Flagler went 25-25 last season.