December 2, 1998

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Seven baseball players have signed a national letter of intent during the early signing period to play at Wake Forest, head coach George Greer announced today. All seven players will enroll at Wake Forest in the fall of 1999.

The Demon Deacon signees are infielder/pitcher Jon Asahina (Fresno, CA / Edison), infielder Nick Blue (Saratoga, CA / Saratoga), pitcher Ben Clayton (San Leandro, CA / Bishop O'Dowd), pitcher Ben Elbe (Largo, FL / Largo), catcher Hank Hornsby (Maitland, FL / Trinity), pitcher Dustin Pate (Clemson, SC / Daniel) and pitcher Mat Thompson (Boise, ID / Timberline).

"We are very pleased with this group of players," said Greer. "With so many talented players, this group is an outstanding start to our 1999 recruiting class and one that met many of our team needs. They will certainly help build upon the success of last season's ACC Championship and maintain the high level of play that we expect at Wake Forest. "

Greer and assistant coach/recruiting coordinator Bobby Moranda addressed the team's most pressing need by signing five pitchers.

"We met a number of our pitching needs," said Greer. "We have a nice mix of left and right handers who all have tremendous upside potential."

Mat Thompson is a 6-2, 210 right handed pitcher who has led Boise High to three consecutive A-1 state championships. As a junior, he posted an 8-0 and a 1.86 while registering 70 strikeouts in 49 innings. Thompson, who tossed a no-hitter a last spring, was invited to participate in the Area Code Games last summer and will compete as a member of Junior Team USA at the 1999 World Games in April.

Ben Clayton, who stands at 6-3, 175, is one of the top left-handed pitchers in the state of California. As a sophomore he recorded an 11-2 record and a 2.09 ERA with 89 K's in 85 innings, while his career record stands at 22-7. Clayton, who was invited to participate at the prestigious Team One National Showcase last summer, posted a 1.40 ERA while pitching with the Oakland Smoke over the summer.

A two-way athlete who performs both on the mound and at shortstop, Jon Asahina stands at 6-0, 180. On the mound he posted a 6-4 record and a 1.98 ERA with 96 strikeouts in 70 innings pitched as a junior. As a switch-hitting shortstop, he hit .343 with three home runs, 27 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 31 games. Asahina, who participated in the Area Code Games last summer, is a three-time all-league selection and a former teammate of current Demon Deacon freshman Ryan Braun. (more)

Dustin Pate is a 6-5, 190 right-handed pitcher who recorded a 2.20 ERA as a sophomore while registering 79 K's in 55 innings. As a sophomore he led Daniel High to the district championship with 0.00 ERA in 20 innings pitched. Pate, who participated in the Team One East Regional Showcase last summer, has a 13-2 record in summer American Legion ball over the last two years.

Ben Elbe is a 6-3, 180 southpaw and a three-sport star in high school. On the baseball diamond, he posted an 8-1 record en route to leading his American Legion team to the District 7 championship. Elby, who was a starting guard on the Largo High basketball team that advanced to the state semi-finals, is also a standout on the football field.

Greer and Moranda also addressed two other needs by solidifying depth both behind the plate and in the infield.

Hank Hornsby is a 6-1, 195 catcher who hit .448 with six home runs and 33 RBI in 29 games as a junior at Trinity Prep. He was named the 1998 Florida 2A District 10 Player of the Year in addition to earning all-conference and all-county honors in each of the past two seasons.

The 5-10, 150 pound Nick Blue is a versatile athlete who can play any of the infield positions. A switch-hitter, he hit .445 as a junior en route to earning all-league honors. Blue earned a spot on the Team USA under 18 squad which competed in Australia during the summer of 1998.

Greer plans to add to this group of signees during the spring signing period as the Demon Deacons will likely have to replace as many as 10 seniors and draft-eligible juniors following the 1999 season.

1999 Wake Forest Baseball Signees

Name           Pos  B/T  Ht    Wt    Hometown / High School
Jon Asahina    SS-P S/R  6-0  180    Fresno, CA / Edison
Nick Blue      INF  S/R  5-10 150    Saratoga, CA / Saratoga    
Ben Clayton    P    L/L  6-3  175    San Leandro, CA / Bishop O'Dowd
Ben Elbe       P    L/L  6-3  180    Largo, FL / Largo
Hank Hornsby   C    R/R  6-1  195    Maitland, FL / Trinity
Dustin Pate    P    R/R  6-5  190    Clemson, SC / Daniel
Mat Thompson   P    R/R  6-2  210    Boise, ID / Timberline