June 26, 2008
FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University 30th-year baseball head coach Charles 'Buddy' Bolding has announced his recruiting class for 2008-09. Joining the Lancers for the upcoming year will be true freshmen Matt Gwaltney/Chesterfield (Matoaca), Mark Montgomery/Williamsburg (Bruton), Robby Newman/Virginia Beach (Salem), D.J. Pomposini/Danville (GW-Danville), Dustin Sollars/Midlothian (Cosby), Mike Stancik/Ashburn (Stone Bridge), and Matt Yuhas/Freehold, N.J. (Freehold Boro). The group of seven recently signed national letters of intent to attend Longwood.
“We feel that we have had a very strong recruiting class,” explained Bolding. “Our emphasis has been in returning the traditional hitting teams to Longwood. The fact that we did not win a single extra inning game in 2008 underscores the importance of being able to field players who can swing bats and who want to swing bats. It takes runs to win games, and we feel that this recruiting class will start the pendulum of offensive back in the right direction. We think this could be a very fine class!”
Gwaltney (5-11, 190) is a utility player who hit .585 with five home runs, eight doubles, and 30 RBI as the Central District Player of the Year for former Longwood standout and Matoaca head coach Fred Stoots. He earned Virginia Group AAA All-State (2nd-team), All-Central Region (1st-Team), and Central Region All-Academic honors.
“Matt Gwaltney is a left-handed hitter with gap power and an aggressive hitting mind set,” said Bolding. “Having played for Fred Stoots, a former Longwood Lumberjack, he will be looked to for added punch to the Longwood lineup.”
Montgomery (5-11, 180) is a shortstop and right-handed pitcher who hit .419 with one home run, four triples, two doubles, and 12 RBI; while on the mound, he posted a school-record 107 strikeouts over 60 innings with a 2.03 ERA at Bruton. He earned AA All-State (2nd-Team), All-Region (1st-Team), All-Bay Rivers District at both utility (1st-Team) and pitcher (2nd-Team) honors, and was the Virginia Gazette newspaper Player of the Year as well.
“Mark Montgomery is a youngster who already is benching 300 pounds,” said Bolding. “He is young, but we feel that he has a chance to become a proficient power hitter, possibly hold down the important shortstop position, and pitch in with mound duty as needed.”
Newman (6-3, 215) is a catcher/infielder who hit .492 with 12 home runs, one triple, six doubles, and 29 RBI at Salem in Virginia Beach. He earned AAA All-State (2nd-Team), All-Eastern Region (1st-Team), and All-Tidewater District (1st-Team) honors.
“Robby Newman is another power potential who played for a former Longwood great (Brett Mooney),” said Bolding. “He is a catcher with a plus arm and a proven longball cut. He could figure in as a three or four hitter immediately.”
Pomposini (5-11, 180) is a catcher who hit .445 with 15 doubles and 20 RBI at GW-Danville. He earned AAA All-Northwest Region (2nd-Team) and All-Western Valley District (1st-Team) honors.
“D.J. Pomposini is a slash hitter with gap power and could be a very pleasant addition to the Longwood lineup,” said Bolding. “He can catch or play first base proficiently.”
Sollars (6-1, 190) is an outfielder/right-handed pitcher who hit .377 with two home runs, two triples, three doubles, and 12 RBI for former Longwood standout and Cosby head coach Tim Lowery. He earned AAA All-Central Region (2nd-Team) and All-Dominion District (1st-Team) honors.
“Dustin Sollars is yet another product of a former Lancer hardballer (Tim Lowery, who has become one of the legendary high school coaches in central Virginia),” said Bolding. “Dustin is a speed outfielder with a big league arm and a potent bat. Dustin could be a player to watch as he probably will begin his career as a lead-off or two hole hitter.”
Stancik (5-10, 180) is a middle infielder who hit .397 with one home run, 10 doubles, 14 RBI, and 17 stolen bases at Stone Bridge while establishing new school-records for career hits (102), runs (82), doubles (27), and stolen bases (43). He earned All-Liberty District (1st-Team) honors for three-straight years, was a two-time All-Northern Region choice, four-time Washington Post All-Extra, and two time Washington Post All-Met honorable mention selection.
“Mike Stancik is a skilled fielder who will likely press for the starting nod at second base,” said Bolding. “He was a hitting and scoring machine in high school, and we are anxious to plug him into the Longwood lineup and turn him loose.”
Yuhas (6-0, 180) is a right-handed pitcher who was 6-4 with a 1.70 ERA and 67 strikeouts at Freehold Boro in New Jersey while finishing his high school pitching career with a 17-11 record, 2.20 ERA, and 216 strikeouts. He earned All-County and All-District honors while also named an American Legion All-Star and to the 2008 Carpenter Cup Team.
“Matt Yuhas is a right-handed pitcher who could earn a staring rotation nod early on in his career as a Lancer,” said Bolding. “He is a solid competitor and a pitcher with a very high talent ceiling.”
Longwood finished 2008 with a final record of 23-26-1, attaining its 27th overall 20-win campaign in the program's 31-year history. The Lancers could return as many as 20 letterwinners for the 2009 campaign as well. Coach Bolding will be assisted again by second-year assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Shawn Abell.
