University of Richmond Athletics
Spider Baseball Inks Four In Early Signing Period
11/22/2004 | Baseball
Nov. 22, 2004
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Richmond head baseball coach Ron Atkins announced Monday the signing of four student-athletes that will join the Spiders in the 2005-06 season.
After completing its fourth-consecutive winning season with a mark of 33-24 in 2004 and its third-straight 30+ win season, the Spiders will welcome Josh Horn (Valatie, N.Y.), Cameron Brown (Glenmont, N.Y.), Victor Croglio (Fayatteville, N.Y.) and Kyle Leith (Naples, Fla.) to the Richmond Spider baseball family.
"We are excited about the type of student-athletes we continue to attract here at the University of Richmond," Atkins said. "These four players are going to be great additions to our baseball family."
Horn, a righthander from Valatie, N.Y., was a First Team All-Patroon Conference pitcher the last three seasons and will be an immediate impact pitcher. Last season, he carried a mark of 8-2 with a 1.30 ERA in 54 innings at Ichabod Crane High School. He also fanned 82 as a junior for a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 7.5. Horn went 8-1 over the summer for the South Troy Dodgers, the same summer league team current Spider Joe Mahoney and former first round draft pick Tim Stauffer played for, and led them to a third-place finish at the Connie Mack World Series.
Brown, an infielder from Glenmont, N.Y., is a strong offensive player and has been listed as one of the nation's best prospects the last two seasons by Baseball America (31 in the Top-50) and Perfect Game (111 of Top-200). Brown, a senior at Bethlehem Central High School, was also part of the South Troy Dodger team which finished third in the Connie Mack World Series. He hit .421 for the Dodgers, including 24 doubles, 4 homers and 66 batted in over a total of 56 games.
Most recently, Horn and Brown were part of USA Baseball's Tournament of Stars in Joplin, Mo. The two athletes competed for separate teams and showcased their talents for the opportunity to compete internationally for the United States' Junior National Team. Horn went 1-0 in five innings for the National Amateur Baseball Federation team which won the Bronze medal behind Horn's two innings of relief. Brown drove in one run on two singles in 13 at-bats for the Pony National team in Joplin.
Croglio, an infielder from Fayatteville, N.Y., was a 2004 Baseball Factory All-American and is an outstanding defensive player with good size and quickness. Croglio, a senior at Christian Brothers Academy, played in the 2004 World Wood Bat Championships for the Perfect Game team and was also selected to play in the Empire State Games for the Central squad.
Leith, a righthander from Naples, Fla., should make major contributions as a freshman. The current senior at Barron Collier High School, was a First Team All-County selection last season after posting a record of 8-0 in 67 innings. Leith, who played for Team Florida USA during the past summer, sported an ERA of 1.14 and had a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.6 during his junior season.
"Coach (Adam) Taylor and coach (Jason) Johnson have done a great job identifying and recruiting the type of player we need to get better as a program here at Richmond," Atkins added.
The Spiders open the 2005 regular season Feb. 18, at Noon, against Coppin State in Charleston, S.C. The game marks the first of three Richmond will play in the Homewood Suites Shootout hosted by The Citadel. The Spiders then return home to open an 11-game homestand beginning Feb. 23 against VMI.
| Signee | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown (High School) | Parents |
| Josh Horn | 6-1 | 180 | Valatie, N.Y. (Ichabod Crane) | Robert and Karen Horn |
| Cameron Brown | 6-2 | 185 | Glenmont, N.Y. (Bethlehem Central) | Craig and Cherryl Brown |
| Victor Croglio | 6-2 | 175 | Fayatteville, N.Y. (Christian Brothers) | Victor and Mary Croglio |
| Kyle Leith | 6-4 | 200 | Naples, Fla. (Barron Collier) | Brian and Sheila Leith |
