Diamond 'Dogs Add Junior College Slugger Danny Sullivan To Wrap Up Spring Recruiting
June 08, 2015 | Baseball
BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb baseball added a major boost to its batting order for the 2016 season, signing Catawba Valley Community College star Danny Sullivan to a National Letter of Intent.
Gardner-Webb signed middle infielders Diego Guerrero (Apex, N.C. / Middle Creek HS) and Eric Jones (Charlotte Court House, Va. / Randolph Henry HS) earlier during the spring recruiting period.
Sullivan (Denver, N.C. / East Lincoln HS) was one of the most productive batters in the country this past season at the junior college level. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound infielder batted .440 with 10 home runs, 17 doubles, 63 runs scored and 37 RBI for the Red Hawks – ranking No. 16 nationally in batting average and leading NJCAA Region X in that category.
Sullivan also led Region X in home runs, hits (84), doubles and slugging percentage (.696). He struck out only 17 times all season in 191 at bats and stole six bases.
"Our primary focus late in this recruiting cycle was to find an experienced, productive hitter for the middle of our batting order," said Gardner-Webb head coach Rusty Stroupe. "Danny Sullivan will fill that role nicely. His ability to perform well at the plate throughout his career in pressure situations was a factor in our interest. He hits for average and has plenty of power. Danny's approach should translate very well to the Division I level.
"Diego Guerrero and Eric Jones both played at a high level for their high school teams and experienced a great deal of success at the plate over the past two seasons."
Sullivan's production was key in leading Catawba Valley to a third-place finish at the NJCAA Division II World Series and a stellar 39-19 overall record in 2015. CVCC heated up late in the season going a sizzling 29-6 over their final 35 games.
The hot-hitting slugger closed out the 2015 season riding a 26-game hit streak. During those 26 games, Sullivan batted .465 with 14 extra base hits and 38 runs scored. The Red Hawks flourished as a result, going 21-5 during that same stretch.
Sullivan was named first-team All-Region and to the NJCAA All-World Series team. He was outstanding in the postseason, batting .500 with four home runs, 10 runs scored and a .609 on base percentage in the World Series. He posted an otherworldly 1.278 slugging percentage for the event and a 1.887 OPS (on base plus slugging).
Sullivan was also recently chose to receive the Marucci Elite Hitter Award for the Southeast Region.
The 2015 season was no fluke. As a freshman in 2014, Sullivan batted .365 with 12 doubles, three triples, 28 RBI and 29 runs scored for the Red Hawks. He also forged a .410 on base percentage and slugged .417 with 62 hits. His Catawba Valley squad finished with a 41-14 overall record in 2014.
Sullivan wrapped up his career with the Red Hawks as a lifetime .404 hitter (146-of-361) with 92 runs scored, 29 doubles, 65 RBI and 10 stolen bases in two seasons. He struck out only 34 times in 361 career at bats on the junior college level.
Sullivan starred at nearby East Lincoln (N.C.) High before embarking on his junior college career. He also was a standout with Lincoln County Post 455 on the American Legion Circuit.
At East Lincoln, Sullivan earned All-Gazette honors from the Gaston Gazette twice – earning second team honors as a junior and an honorable mention nod as a senior. He batted .389 with four home runs and 31 RBI in 2012 and followed that with a .397 average, one home run and 19 RBI as a senior in 2013.
He began to show more prowess with his American Legion squad, leading Area IV in batting with a .469 average in 2013. That included a .519 average with four home runs and 24 RBI in the playoffs. He batted .341 with Post 455 during the 2012 season.
Sullivan chose Gardner-Webb after considering in-state squads Western Carolina and Elon.
Guerrero (5-10, 170) played shortstop at a high level over the past two seasons at Middle Creek (N.C.) High, where he led the Mustangs to a 17-8 overall record this past season.
Guerrero batted .455 with 35 hits, 25 runs scored, 14 RBI, 11 doubles and one home run in 2015, going 35-for-90 at the dish. His .533 on base percentage and 1.195 OPS were strong and he struck out only 11 times on the season. He earned first-team All-Conference honors for his efforts.
He batted .371 as a junior for the Mustangs with a .405 on base percentage. Guerrero was named a 2015 Atlantic Region honorable mention selection by Perfect Game. He played summer baseball for Rawlings Prospects NC along with Gardner-Webb fall signees Justin Kunz and Patrick Morton.
Jones (5-11, 180) starred for Randolph Henry (Va.) High as a middle infielder, earning District Player of the Year honors following his senior season in 2015.
An honorable mention 2015 Atlantic Region choice by Perfect Game, Jones was named All-State after his junior season – which saw him post a sizzling .566 batting average (47-of-83) with 28 runs scored, 37 RBI, 19 doubles and a pair of home runs. He fanned only three times on the season, posted a meteoric .611 on base percentage and a 1.503 OPS over 25 games.
Jones also swiped 13 bases in 2014 and committed only four errors in 81 total chances in the field. He used a mid-80s fastball to forge a 3-0 record and 1.31 in 16.0 innings of work on the mound. Jones completed with the Virginia Swamp Things summer squad in the offseason.
