Temple baseball signs five to national letters of intent

Temple baseball head coach Rob Valli has announced the signing of five student-athletes, SS Kyle McCrossen, OF Kevin Gilbert, RHP Eric Peterson, LHP Patrick Peterson and RHP Adam Dian, to National Letters of Intent. The quintet will begin their careers at Temple during the 2012 season.

"We are extremely excited about our recruiting class," said Valli. "All five student-athletes display tremendous character and work ethic to go along with their athletic accomplishments. "

McCrossen (5-9, 180) is a lefty-hitting shortstop from Archbishop Wood. Prior to his junior season, he was named a 2010 Perfect Game Preseason All-America honoree. A three-time first team all-catholic, all-county and all-city selection, McCrossen was also named a Carpenter Cup starter as a freshman, sophomore and junior. In 2010, McCrossen led his team hitting .507 and slugging .863. Outside of his high school team, he has played for the Philly Bandits the past two summers.

"Kyle is one of the best baseball players in the mid-atlantic region," commented Valli. "He competes with great baseball instincts and does whatever it takes to win a ball game. We expect Kyle to make an immediate impact on the Atlantic 10."

Gilbert (6-1, 185) is an outfielder out of Hunterdon Central (NJ) High School. A two-year varsity letterwinner, Gilbert was named first team all-conference as a junior leading his team to win the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex County Championship. As a sophomore, he was named second team all-West Jersey and guided his team to an NJSIAA Group IV State Championship. During the summer he plays for the NJ Super 17/18 team.

"Kevin is a baseball player in every sense of the word," assessed Valli. "He leads by example and does all the little things necessary to succeed. We expect Kevin to play one of the corner outfield positions and be a reliable hitter in our lineup."

Twin brothers Eric and Patrick Peterson both are entering their senior seasons at the Charter School of Wilmington. Eric (6-4, 180) is a right handed pitcher who was named first team utility player and second team pitcher as a junior. That same year, he tied a Delaware state record with 20 strikeouts in a seven inning game and ended the season with a 2.86 earned run average and 67 strikeouts. This past summer, he played for the Tri-State Arsenal/NJ Super 18.

"Eric is a long loose pitcher with the potential to dominate," stated Valli. "He has command of what will soon be a power fastball. After missing the summer with a non throwing injury, Eric is coming back to form better than ever. We expect that his best baseball is ahead of him."

Patrick (6-3, 190) was also a second team all-conference pitcher who boasted a 5-1 record as a junior with a 2.32 earned run average. A lefty, he dominated hitters with 69 strikeouts and showed versatility earning third team all-conference as a first baseman. He also played on the Tri-State Arsenal/NJ Super 18 team this past summer.

"Patrick is everything you would want in a pitcher," said Valli. "The big lefty throws with effortless mechanics and has command of 3 pitches. Once his overall strength and experience match his "stuff" we are confident that Patrick will emerge as a front line starter and potential pro prospect."

Dian (6-3, 210) is a right handed pitcher from the Vincentian Academy in Pittsburgh, Pa. Earning Post Gazette all-section honors as a pitcher the past two seasons, Dian went 4-2 with 62 strikeouts during his junior season. He was named to the 2010 All-State Tournament team, throwing a shutout with 10 strikeouts during a WPIAL playoff game. This past summer he played for the Diamond Dawgs of the WPEBL and in the fall he competed with the Allegheny Pirates.

"Adam has all the makings of a starting pitcher in the Atlantic 10," commented Valli. "He is a strong athletic pitcher with a passion for development. That combination has enabled Adam to make tremendous strides over the past year. We expect him to have a very bright future as an Owl."