Temple Baseball Signs Five to National Letters of Intent

Temple baseball head coach Rob Valli announced the signing of five student athletes, RHP Adam Dian, OF Kevin Gilbert, SS Kyle McCrossen, and twin brother starting pitchers Eric and Patrick Peterson, to National Letters of Intent, the Philadelphia Baseball Review reports.

Dian (6’3, 210) went 4-2 with 62 strikeouts in his junior season at the Vincentian Academy in Pittsburgh, PA and was named to the 2010 All-State tournament team.

Gilbert (6’1, 185) is a corner outfielder from Hunterdon Central High School in New Jersey. He was named second team all-West Jersey as a sophomore and first team all-conference as a junior.

McCrossen (5’9, 180) is left-handed hitting shortstop from Archbishop Wood. He is a three-time first team all-catholic, all-county, and all-city selection.

The Peterson brothers are entering their senior years at the Charter School of Wilmington. Eric (6’4, 180) is a right-handed pitcher who tied a Delaware state record with 20 strikeouts in a seven-inning game last year. Patrick (6’3, 190) is a left-handed pitcher who went 5-1 as a junior to go along with a 2.32 ERA. He was named as a second team all-conference player in Delaware.

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

The five players will begin their careers at Temple at the start of the 2012 season.

Sean Barksdale drafted by MLB’s Houston Astros

In case you missed it, the Houston Astros selected senior outfielder Sean Barksdale with the 1,151st pick (that’s in the 38th round for you math whizzes out there) in the 2009 MLB draft last Thursday.

The Glenolden, Pa., native was named this year’s Philadelphia Big 5 Player of the Year and was selected first-team all-Atlantic Ten Conference for the second time in his three years at Temple.

Barksdale finished the season batting .371 with 15 home runs and 56 RBI, breaking Pete Dempsey’s 31-year-old career RBI record and ending his career with 162.

He’s expected to report to either the short season A affiliate Tri-City Valley Cats or the Greenville, Tenn., Astros in the Rookie Appalachian League.

In the meantime, he talked with Ted Silary of the Daily News and Matt Smith of the Delaware County Daily Times.