San José, Calif. - A strong group of six signees inked National Letters of Intent to play collegiate baseball at San José State on Wednesday.
Each member of the 2021 signing class will join the Spartans straight out of high school. In addition, all six hail from the state of California - joining a roster that featured 34 in-state products a year ago.
"We are extremely excited to welcome this group of talented student-athletes to the Spartan baseball family," says head coach Brad Sanfilippo. "All of them are impressive in their accomplishments and even more so in their character. They persevered during a challenging and unprecedented recruiting process which is a credit to them and their families. This class continues the addition of great athleticism and skill, both on the mound and in the field. Recruiting Coordinator - Thomas Walker - deserves a lot of credit for assembling such an impressive class in his first year. He did a tremendous job and we are fired up for the future."
3B Nathan Cadena, El Dorado HS (Placentia, Calif.)
SIGNED ??
— San José State Baseball (@SanJoseStateBSB) November 11, 2020
Nathan Cadena (@ncadenajr)
?? 3B | ?? Placentia, CA #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/dqgeQaPKL6
Cadena has shined at the plate and in the hot corner for El Dorado HS. The Placentia product tallied eight RBI and scored 13 runs as a sophomore on the 2019 campaign, then hit .500 with a pair of RBI in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Cadena was named to the 2019 Orange County Register All-Crestview League Team, one of just two sophomores to earn the honor.
SS/RHP Danny Garcia, San Leandro HS (Oakland, Calif.)
SIGNED ??
— San José State Baseball (@SanJoseStateBSB) November 11, 2020
Danny Garcia (@DannyG3424)
?? SS/RHP | ?? Oakland, CA #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/TrVTpGqpG9
Garcia notched an ERA of 2.33 in eight appearances as a sophomore in 2019. The Oakland native has also impressed offensively throughout his high school career, hitting .300 in two seasons with nine RBI while scoring 23 runs himself. In his sophomore season, Garcia notched eight multi-hit games and a pair of multi-RBI contests.
SS/RHP Gary Hall, Windsor HS (Windsor, Calif.)
SIGNED ??
— San José State Baseball (@SanJoseStateBSB) November 11, 2020
Gary Hall (@gary_t_hall)
?? SS/RHP | ?? Windsor, CA #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/wlzt0irEjN
A two-year varsity player at Windsor HS, Hall has notched 13 runs, 20 hits, five RBI and one double for the Jaguars. The right-hander also made two starts on the mound as his team's ace in the shortened 2020 season, posting a 1.47 ERA and 24 strikeouts in the process. As a sophomore in 2019, he made eight appearances on the bump with four starts and one complete game.
RHP Carter Heninger, Oak Ridge HS (El Dorado Hills, Calif.)
SIGNED ??
— San José State Baseball (@SanJoseStateBSB) November 11, 2020
Carter Heninger (@carter_heninger)
?? RHP | ?? El Dorado Hills, CA #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/jovxFITFca
A strong arm out of El Dorado Hills, Heninger also plays travel baseball for NorCal, one of the top programs in the Bay Area. The right-hander is entering his senior season at Oak Ridge HS in 2021.
C Makana Olaso, Murrieta Mesa HS (Temecula, Calif.)
SIGNED ??
— San José State Baseball (@SanJoseStateBSB) November 11, 2020
Makana Olaso (@Kamakana175)
?? C | ?? Temecula, CA #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/IbIFYcOHXe
Olaso comes to San José by way of Temecula, where he has shined both behind and at the plate for Murrieta Mesa HS. Olaso hit at a .379 clip with six RBI, five doubles and one home run in nine games as a junior in 2020. As a sophomore, the catcher notched 10 more RBI for the Rams.
RHP Casey Spencer II, Arcadia HS (Arcadia, Calif.)
SIGNED ??
— San José State Baseball (@SanJoseStateBSB) November 11, 2020
Casey Spencer II (@_caseyspencer)
?? RHP | ?? Arcadia, CA #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/GBjOevvRXK
Spencer made three appearances as a junior on the mound on the shortened 2020 campaign, notching 14 strikeouts with a 2.33 ERA in 12 innings. As a sophomore in 2018, Spencer tallied a 5-1 record with an ERA of 1.86. The Arcadia native is one of four right-handers to sign with the Spartans on Wednesday.