The signing class has garnered attention nationally, as it is ranked 70th in the country by Perfect Game.
"Our program never puts a lot of emphasis on rankings or predictions" said Chester. "We are humbled that an entity as prestigious as Perfect Game would put our class in the top third of all of NCAA Division I baseball programs."
Alcock, the 2019 Boston Globe Division Two Player of the Year, led St. Mary's High School to a MIAA Division Two title this past year, tossing three complete game shutouts en route to the title, earning tournament MVP honors. He finished his high school career with a 21-3 record with over 300 strikeouts and was also a three-time Catholic Central League All-Star.
Capobianco has batted .314 throughout his high school career, batting .304 with three home runs and 14 RBI last season to lead Dallastown High School to a 19-3 record and a third-straight YAIAA title, earning 2019 YAIAA First-Team All-Star honors in the process.
Culbreth earned 2019 East Central 2-A All-Conference honors, posting a low 0.75 ERA in 13 trips to the mound, fanning 54 batters in 28 innings of work this season. He also batted .404 with six doubles and 12 RBI.
England earned First-Team All-Region honors following this past season at the Athens Academy, and also was named Honorable Mention All-Region following the 2017 and 2018 seasons. He was also named the 2017 Athens Banner Herald Freshman of the Year.
Goodyear, named the PA Preps Top Baseball Prospect in both 2018 and 2019, has posted a cool 1.32 ERA for his high school career, striking out 168 batters in 122 innings of work. He led Camp Hill High School to a 2A District title in 2018 and finished as the PIAA state runner-up that year. Goodyear also was named First-Team All Sentinel in 2019 and a Mid-Penn All-Star the past three years.
Jones, a starter on Southern Nash High School's varsity team since his freshman year, batted .411 with three home runs this past season. He has earned All-Conference honors each of the past three seasons, and All-Area honors twice. Ranked in the top-1,000 nationally by Perfect Game and in the top-100 of North Carolina by Prep Baseball Report, Jones has also made three Perfect Game All-Tournament teams.
McGovern worked 12 innings on the mound this past season for Lake Norman High School, fanning 21 batters with a 2.33 ERA. Ranked the 15th among left-handed pitchers in North Carolina by Prep Baseball Report, McGovern also hurled five innings at the 2019 World Wood Bat tournament this past year, totaling 11 strikeouts.
Scott, a four-year letterwinner at Westminster Christian School, helped lead his team to a 20-7 record in 2019 and an appearance in the 4A regional semifinals. Scott has also been named to six Perfect Game All-Tournament teams throughout his career.
Stallings batted .370 this past season at Wake Forest High School with six home runs and 34 RBI, earning NCHSAA Baseball 4A All-State team honors. A Perfect Game Preseason All-American selection, Stallings has been named to the All-Conference team each of the past two seasons.
Strickland earned Perfect Game and Under Armour All-American honors in 2019, in what was a record-setting season at Loganville Christian Academy. The right-hander set the county ERA record at 0.00 in 11.2 innings of work with 26 strikeouts, while also setting the school and county batting average record at .407 with 13 RBI. Strickland also earned All-County, All-Region, and All-State honors.
Washington batted a robust .552 in 2019 with four home runs and 41 RBI, earning first-team All-State honors last season at Huntington St. Joe's High School before moving to Hurricane High School this academic year. He also posted a 7-3 record on the mound with a .2.32 ERA, fanning 80 batters in 48.1 innings of work. Washington also earned first-team All-State honors in 2017 and 2018.
Willcoxon posted a strong .495 average at the plate in 2019 at Sevier County High School, hitting four home runs while driving in 38 runs, earning All-State honors. A Perfect Game and Under Armour All-American selection in 2019, Willcoxon has earned All-Region honors each of the past three seasons, and also was the district's Gold Glove winner this past season.
Yates led High Point Christian Academy to a NCISAA Class 3-A title this past season with a team-best .456 batting average with four home runs and 29 RBI, earning All-State honors. Yates also made the All-Conference team each of the past three seasons and was a 2019 All-Greensboro News and Record selection.
Young, named a top-1,000 player by Perfect Game, earned 2019 Perfect Game Underclass Honorable Mention All-American honors after leading Cambridge High School in wins this past season. An All-Region honoree the past two seasons, Young was also named to the 2019 WWBA World Championship All-Tournament team and has been named to 17 Perfect Game All-Tournament teams.
Youngblood posted a cool 1.31 ERA in eight trips to the mound last season at Upper Darby High School, fanning 36 batters in 21.1 innings of work.
Gardner made 19 trips to the mound last season at Iowa Lakes Community College, posting a 4.73 ERA in 26.2 innings of work. The right-handed pitcher fanned a total of 32 batters, averaging 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He also recorded six saves throughout the season, which tied for 11th in the nation among junior college players. In high school at Estherville Lincoln Central, Gardner earned All-Conference honors on three occasions, recording 15 wins on the mound.
Marcos joins the Runnin' Bulldogs from Catawba Valley Community College, where he will play this upcoming spring. In 2019, Marcos led Barton College to a 31-20 record, batting a team-best .352 with a .459 slugging percentage and 15 stolen bases, earning Second-Team Conference Carolinas All-Conference honors.
Gardner-Webb opens its 2020 season at home, hosting Appalachian State on Friday, February 14 in the first of a three-game series. GWU will play its first seven contests in Boiling Springs, with a total of 27 games taking place at Bill Masters Field at John Henry Moss Stadium.
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