Recruits Join For 2002 Season
Nine new players infuse talent into BYU's baseball team as it readies to host the league championships.
Transfer Ranger Weins from the University of Nevada joins junior college transfers Jason Garcia, Sam Fernley, Tyler Dabo, Mike Weingarten and Jake Stubblefield along with prepsters Clayton Carson, Ryan Chambers and Jeff Pugmire.
Weins is newley-returned from a Church mission to Hawai'i and joins seven other Cougars who are also just returning from missions. Those other returned missionaries who have played in the program before include: Kevin Bills (3b-DH), Mike Birchall (C), Rob Itri (RHP/DH), Paul Jacinto (RHP), Dave Jensen (1B), Curt Rodriguez (RHP), and Adam Wilkes (C). Dabo, Weingarten and Stubblefield have also served missions, but played last season in junior college.
Dabo (RHP) and Stubblefield (1B-3B) were All-Region for Dixie College and Ricks College, respectively. Dabo, 6-2, from Hollister, Calif., had a 3-0 record with a 1.53 ERA and eight saves for national JC runnerup champion Dixie. Stubblefield batted .359 with 13 doubles and was also the region's defensive player of the year. Weingarten, a catcher from Orem, batted .337 and hit 14 doubles for Utah Valley State College.
Garcia had a 5-5 record with a 3.09 ERA at Long Beach City College where he had a team-high 84.1 innings and struck out 45. His teammate at LBCC was Sam Fernley, younger brother of Nate who led the nation in wins with BYU last season. Sam Fernley, 6-4, from Long Beach, Calif., posted a 3-1 record with a 1.93 ERA and three saves .
Carson, a 6-0 infielder, from Yucaipa, Calif., is the younger brother of Cougar star Matt Carson. Chambers, a 6-0 left-handed pitcher/outfielder, was Carson's teammate at Yucaipa High. Pugmire is a catcher from Snohomish, Wash.