Virginia Baseball Announces Six Newcomers to the Cavalier Program

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – University of Virginia head baseball coach Dennis Womack has announced the signing of six student-athletes to a National Letter of Intent to attend Virginia and play baseball for the Cavaliers. The student-athletes will enroll at UVa for the 2003-2004 academic year. The six individuals are: Josh Darby (Dunwoody, Ga/Marist), Tim Henry (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield), Casey Lambert (Harrisonburg, Va./St. Anne’s Belfield) Mike Mitchell (Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge), Rich Prall (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) and Alex Smith (Virginia Beach, Va./Cape Henry).

Womack and his staff put together another strong recruiting class and expect this group to step in and contribute right away. “This recruiting class meets our immediate needs with the theme being left handers,” said Womack. “In this class, we have received commitments from two left handed pitchers and three left handed hitters. This recruiting class will be expected to make significant contribution in their first year at Virginia.”

Here are comments from UVa head baseball coach Dennis Womack on each player:

“Josh Darby is a left-handed hitting first baseman. He has a solid line-drive stroke with power potential. Darby has a great work ethic that has enabled him to rise well above average at first base. He can possibly play at either third base or in the outfield if needed.”

“Tim Henry is a left-handed hitting outfielder. He is an exceptional fielder and will definitely be a threat on the bases. Henry is a prototype leadoff man who should hit for a high batting average. He is a tough player with real a competitive nature.”

“Casey Lambert is a left-handed pitcher who has great stuff and a tenacious attitude. His fastball is sneaky and his curve ball and change-up are very advanced right now. Lambert’s not too big in stature, but his aggressive and competitive nature will make him a winner early.”

“Mike Mitchell is a right-handed hitting outfielder. He is as advanced defensively as anyone we saw all year. Mitchell has great speed and extraordinary instincts in the outfield. He might be the fastest player we have had in our program in a long time. His base-running and base-stealing skills are top level. Mitchell is also solid with the bat and will only improve with strength.”

“Rich Prall is a left-handed hitting catcher. He will provided a lot of flexibility at the catching position. Prall is a terrific catcher who throws well and receives well. His work ethic is second to none and he has the kind of leadership qualities we are looking for from a catcher behind the plate. Prall can also make an early impact as a hitter.”

“Alex Smith is left-handed pitcher with tremendous upside. He has played lacrosse most of his high school career but opted to play baseball in college. Smith pitches in the middle to upper 80’s and has a terrific breaking pitch along with an above average change-up. He possesses great poise on the mound as well.”

— UVa —