Nov. 12, 2003

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Santa Clara University head baseball coach Mark O'Brien signed one of the top recruiting classes in the country on the first day of the early signing period Wednesday afternoon. The third-year head coach has inked five players to National Letters of Intent, four of which rank in the top-90 in the state of California with two of those ranking in the top-16 nationally.

O'Brien has received letters of intent from Chuck Lofgren, Phil Hughes, Donald Brandt, Ryan Conan and Mike Stutes. All five players are scheduled to begin their playing days at Santa Clara University when Fall practice begins in October, 2004. This class comes on the heels of the recruiting class inked last year that was ranked as the 25th-best in the country according to Collegiate Baseball.

"I truly believe this to be one of the best recruiting classes we have had here at Santa Clara," said O'Brien. "To be able to sign two of the top players in the country bodes well for the future of Bronco Baseball. Every one of these players should be able to come in and make an immediate impact. Hopefully they will help us continue to attract quality players in the future."

Lofgren is ranked by Baseball America as the seventh-best prospect in the country and second-best in the state of California. The left-handed pitcher/outfielder enters his senior season at Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif., as a preseason All-America selection according to Perfect Game USA, one of the premier baseball scouting services in the country.

Over the summer Lofgren spent time with the U.S. Junior National team, playing at the Pan-Am Games in Curacao, Venezuela. He tied the the U.S. team record for runs batted in, tying the record previously set by last year's No. 1 draft pick, Delmon Young. The more impressive aspect of the feat is that Lofgren tied the record using wood bats after the record was established using aluminum.

As a junior at Serra High School last season, playing for head coach Pete Jensen, Lofgren led the team to the Central Coast Section Championship with a towering home run, hit off the facade of the Buck Shaw Stadium parking lot.

"Chuck is quite simply a program difference maker," said O'Brien. "He can legitimately pitch and swing the bat at any level of baseball. The best part about him to me, though, is the fact that he may be the best competitor that I have ever recruited, which is extremely exciting."

Alongside Lofgren is Phil Hughes, Baseball America's 16th-ranked prospect in the country and No. 5 prospect in California.

Hughes is a 6-foot-5, 230-pound, hard-throwing right-handed pitcher from Foothill High School in Santa Ana, Calif. As a junior Hughes went 12-0 with a 0.78 ERA, striking out 85 batters with only 19 walks in 72 innings of work for head coach Vince Brown. He held his opponents to a .190 batting average and allowed only eight earned runs on the season.

Offensively, Hughes also held his own, batting .295 with seven doubles, one home run and a team-high 28 RBI while playing first base. For his efforts, Hughes was recognized as a Second Team All-State performer as a junior.

"Phil is a power arm with tremendous stuff and pitchability," said O'Brien. "With his work ethic being so good and the talent he possesses already, there is a chance for him to win a lot of games in college and make an immediate impact in his first year as a Bronco."

Brandt is another local pitcher from Wilcox High School where he played for head coach and former Bronco standout Dave Currie. As a junior last season he guided Wilcox to a runner-up finish in the CCS with their 29-8 overall record. On the mound Brandt went 11-3 with one save and a 2.09 ERA. He set a Wilcox record for strikeouts in a season with 126 against only 39 walks in 90 1/3 innings of work on the mound.

His amazing average of 9.76 strikeouts per game led to his selection of first team All-CCS and All-Santa Clara County in addition to his second team All-State selection. He is the 56th-ranked prospect in the state of California by Baseball America.

Offensively, Brandt held his own, batting .306 with 21 RBI. But, it will be his pitching arm that will serve him well at Santa Clara as he held his opponents to a .193 average while throwing seven complete games last year, three of which were complete game shutouts.

"Donald is a very polished left-handed pitcher who is a proven winner in high school," said O'Brien. "He can already throw three different pitches for strikes and will only get better with more experience. With a shortage of left-handed pitchers right now, he will step in and make an immediate difference for us."

Conan will become a Bronco following his graduation from nearby Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, Calif., where he played for head coach Billy Hutton. As a junior he earned first team All-West Coast Athletic League and second team All-CCS honors. He posted a .351 average with eight doubles, four home runs, two triples, 36 RBI and a .532 slugging percentage.

Over the summer Conan played on the Milwaukee Brewers Area Code Team and was named to the All-Star team at the Area Code Games. Additionally he played on the North Team in the North-South Series, and is the 90th-ranked prospect in California by Baseball America.

"Ryan is a very gifted hitter," said O'Brien. "He can hit for both average and power and will not strike out very much. He has the ability to give you a good at-bat every time he steps up to the plate and I expect him to hit in the middle of our lineup in the coming years."

Stutes will begin at Santa Clara next fall following his graduation from Lake Oswego High School in Oregon. While at Lake Oswego he was selected as a first team All-Three Rivers League pitcher following his junior year. He posted a 6-2 record with a 1.07 ERA with 73 strikeouts in only 47 innings of work on the mound. He also posted a 26 consecutive scoreless innings streak during the season.

Additionally, Stutes also earned second team all-league honors at shortstop as he led his team with his .343 batting average, three home runs and 21 RBI. A two-sport star at Lake Oswego, Stutes has thrown for over 3,800 yards as the team's quarterback, connecting for 35 touchdowns in his career.

"Mike is another hard-throwing right-hander who will only get better with the more he pitches," said O'Brien. "He has good stuff and is a good competitor, but it is his arm strength that is his greatest strength right now. Another year of high school and summer ball, combined with fall practices that he will be in next year, and he very well could be ready for a tremendous year for us in 2005."

Santa Clara posted the program's first winning season since 1997 last year in only O'Brien's second year at the helm. He guided the Broncos to a 31-26 overall record and a 21-9 mark in West Coast Conference play that left them just shy of qualifying for a NCAA Regional berth.

O'Brien has compiled a 56-56 overall record in his two seasons and has produced three All-Americans, one WCC Player of the Year and eight All-WCC selections while having nine players that have signed professional contracts in the last two years. He and his Broncos begin the 2004 campaign on January 30 at UC Riverside in a three-game season opening series.