The University of Akron Athletics
Nine Student-Athletes Commit to Baseball for 2015-16 Season
November 18 | Baseball
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron baseball team and head coach Rick Rembielak announced on Tuesday that eight student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to join the program for the 2015-16 academic year. The early signing class includes Lucas Boudreau, Shane Coker, Sabatino Dinardo, Tyler Garbee, John Malott, Musa Matiwane, Aaron Portee, and Dalton Stambaugh.
Additionally, Adam McDonough has committed to the program as a preferred walk-on.
"Our staff is very enthused by the skill level these players bring to us in the 2015-16 recruiting class," Rembielak said. "We needed to fulfill many positions because of our current senior graduating class, and we identified an excellent group of young men who will continue to grow the stature of Akron Baseball in the Mid-American Conference."
INF Lucas Boudreau
6-1, 175
Norcross, Ga./Greater Atlanta Christian School
Notes: Boudreau was a member of the 2014 Georgia baseball state high school runner-up team and played for the East Cobb Twins this past summer. He bats and throws right-handed. He is the son of Rick and Anne Boudreau and intends to major in sports management.
Rembielak on Boudreau: "Lucas has good defensive instincts and has the ability to play three positions in the infield. He is a very projectable young player with good size that will continue to improve as he physically matures."
1B/OF/LHP Shane Coker
6-3, 210
Athens, Wis./Athens High School
Notes: Coker is a first team All-Conference selection in three sports. He earned second team All-Conference honors in baseball as a freshman and earned All-District honorable mention during his freshman and sophomore years. As a junior, Coker was named a first team All-District and a first team All-State selection as he also earned Marawood Conference Player of the Year honors. He gained experience playing in the Greg Reinhard Baseball Academy in Madison, Wis. this past summer. The senior at Athens High School is a two-time first team All-Conference selection in football for three different positions and a two-time first team All-Conference selection in basketball. He is the son of Bill and Jennifer Coker and intends to major in engineering.
Rembielak on Coker: "Shane swings and throws from the left side and can play both first base and an outfield corner position equally well. He has good size and strength and we project him to be a middle-of-the-order hitter. Shane adds versatility as he will also be viable on the mound for us from the left side."
C Sabatino Dinardo
6-1, 230
Pittsburgh, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic High School/Mercyhurst North East Junior College
Notes: Dinardo posted 27 hits with seven doubles and seven home runs en route to picking up 23 RBI during the 2013-14 season at Mercyhurst North East Junior College. He bats and throws right-handed and is the son of Sabatino and Nancy Dinardo. He plans to major in business and organizational communications.
Rembielak on Dinardo: "Sabatino is a quality guy behind the plate. He has great arm strength and loves to throw the baseball. He always looks to throw behind baserunners and is a very mobile catcher that will bring experience handling pitchers as a junior college player."
RHP Tyler Garbee
6-2, 180
Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley High School
Notes: Garbee received All-Section honors from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette as both a sophomore and junior. Additionally, the Beaver County Times and Pittsburgh Tribune named him All-Area after his junior year at Quaker Valley High School. He played for the SportsZone Express Baseball Academy this past summer. The senior is also a two-year letter-winner in basketball and is a three-time recipient of the Academic Achievement Award in basketball at Quaker Valley. Garbee is the son of Rich and Keelie Garbee and intends to major in sports management.
Rembielak on Garbee: "Tyler is a right-hander with an 86-88 mph fastball that has some armside run. He also shows good feel for a 70 mph breaking ball and change-up and is capable of being an impact arm as a freshman as we expect him to compete for a spot in the starting rotation."
OF John Malott
6-2, 185
Milford, Ohio/home-school
Notes: Malott was named to the Perfect Game Rawlings Top Prospect list and received Perfect Game Pre-Season All-American honorable mention. He gained experience playing for the Cincinnati Flames this past summer and was named the Eastern Cincinnati Conference Player of the Week. Prep Baseball Report ranked the outfielder no. 31 in the state of Ohio and no. 275 nationally. Malott was also chosen to play with the Midwest Redbirds, a St. Louis Cardinals fall scout team. He is the son of Matt and Valerie Malott and plans to major in education.
Rembielak on Malott: "John is a very athletic player that we have seen develop over the past two years. Our staff loves the way he plays in the outfield as he shows enthusiasm in each and every game. John gets great reads off the bat and gets excellent jumps on balls because of his instincts. We expect him to be an offensive threat on the bases as well."
RHP Musa Matiwane
6-5, 220
Brooklyn, N.Y./NYC iSchool
Notes: Matiwane was named Rookie of the Year his freshman year and was a Coaches Award recipient during his sophomore year. As a junior, he served as team captain while also lettering in basketball. Matiwane played for The New York Grays this past summer. He is the son of Leslie Gulick.
Rembielak on Matiwane: "Musa is a big, strong bodied pitcher who has the physical abilities to progress into an excellent pitcher in the near future. He tosses a mid 80s fastball now and will project out as a power arm as he possesses a free, easy delivery that will enable him to be a future starter on our staff."
1B Adam McDonough
6-1, 215
Chester, Ohio/Lakota East High School
Notes: McDonough was a 2014 first team All-Conference selection and a second team All-State selection. He received 2013 and 2014 All-Academic honors from the Greater Miami Conference while also being the conference leader in batting average and RBI during the 2014 season. McDonough was selected by the Cincinnati Enquirer to receive Division I first team All-City honors. The senior at Lakota East High School is also a two-year starter in football. He is the son of Rob and Michelle McDonough and plans to major in education.
Rembielak on McDonough: "We feel Adam will hit immediately at this level. He shows a good feel at the plate and was one of the best offensive players in the Cincinnati area last year. He's a strong, athletic player with pop in his swing and he also possesses good footwork around the bag."
OF Aaron Portee
6-1, 180
Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley High School
Notes: Portee, a left-handed batter, was a member of the 2013 Perfect Game World All-Tournament Team and received 2014 Perfect Game underclass honorable mention. The senior at Rancocas Valley High School played for the Indiana Prospects summer team over the past two years. Portee has plus speed posting a 6.4 second 60-yard dash time. He is the son of Aaron and Michelle Portee and plans to major in criminal justice.
Rembielak on Portee: "Aaron is a talented young player who has great athleticism that gives us a top-of-the-order hitter with speed on the bases and in center field. He has a short quick swing, and he uses his exceptional speed as not only a huge offensive weapon, but to cover ground in the outfield. Aaron has all the baseball tools a coach is looking for."
LHP Dalton Stambaugh
6-1, 185
Fredericktown, Ohio/Sparta Highland High School
Notes: Stambaugh is a two-time first team All-Conference selection. He received All-District honorable mention as a junior and first team district honors after his most recent season. As a freshman, he was a second team All-Conference selection and also earned 2014 All-Conference honors in football as a linebacker at Sparta Highland High School. Stambaugh pitched for Ohio Elite Baseball this past summer. He is the son of Jim and Lori Stambaugh and plans to major in sports management.
Rembielak on Stambaugh: "Dalton is a left-handed pitcher that features a fastball, curveball, and change-up from a 3/4 arm slot and he possesses the ability to throw all three pitches for strikes. He shows advanced feel and pitch ability with a "bulldog" mentality on the mound. He can contribute right away out of the bullpen and has the ability to pitch his way into the starting rotation."
