Cal Poly Pomona Baseball Has Strong, Versatile Recruiting Class for 2012

After a baseball season that saw Cal Poly Pomona inch to within one game of an NCAA Division II West Regional title, the Broncos have announced a number of signees that will contribute to Cal Poly’s goal of a national title.

Broncos coach Randy Betten has restocked the roster with plenty of local talent as the Broncos begin preparations for the 2012 season. The seven new players announced this week all grew up within 30 miles of the CPP campus.

Betten described this recruiting class as “versatile,” as four of the seven can play multiple positions.

Brennen Salgado (Glendora High) - Freshman Catcher/Outfielder

A highly-touted catcher from Glendora , Salgado earned Most Valuable Player honors for the Baseline League after the 2011 campaign. He hit .457 with five homeruns and 29 runs batted in. In nearly half of Glendora's games in 2011, Salgado picked up multiple hits. His junior year also finished strong as well, with Salgado hitting .364 to help the Tartans capture a CIF championship.

Betten on Salgado: “Strong left-handed hitting catcher who will bring us added depth at that position. Brennen will contribute early in his collegiate career.”

Nicholas Cooksey (Glendora High) - Freshman Infielder

Cooksey put together a solid high school baseball career in helping the Glendora Tartans to a CIF championship in 2010. Although the 2011 campaign ended in the first round of the postseason, the 5-foot-10 infielder finished his senior season strong with a 15-game hitting streak. An All-Baseline League First Team honoree, Cooksey hit .448 with an .816 slugging percentage this season.

Betten on Cooksey: “Possesses a strong bat and toughness with a grinder-type mentality. He comes from a tremendous baseball background.”

Charles Ball (Citrus College) - Junior Infielder/Outfielder

Ball proved to be a consistent contributor for Citrus College the past two seasons. He earned All-Western State Conference Second Team honors last season, hitting .321 with 42 runs scored and a region’s best 29 stolen bases.

Betten on Ball: “Very athletic and can play multiple positions. Charles will bring added athleticism to our ballclub in 2012.”

J.J. Franklin (Chino High) - Freshman Pitcher/utility

Franklin starred at the plate and on the mound for the Coyboys. En route to All-League First Team and Daily Bulletin All-Valley accolades, he batted .450 with four home runs and 32 runs batted in. Pitching for Chino, Franklin went 7-2 while holding an earned run average of 1.50 and totaling 95 strikeouts. Franklin also earned a spot on the All-CIF Southern Section Second Team after the 2011 season.

Betten on Franklin: “Equally-skilled at two positions and will help us from both sides. J.J. has shown a strong bat with good leverage.”

Michael Johnson (Chino Don Lugo High) - Freshman Outfielder

Johnson put together a solid high school career, academically and athletically, helping the Conquistadores to an overall record of 19-7. He earned All-Mt. Baldy League First Team and All-CIF Second Team honors as a senior after batting .531 and collecting 26 runs batted in. In the classroom, he graduated with honors and was selected for a High Achievement award in social science.

Betten on Johnson: “Michael is a high-quality outfielder and one of the better local players we've seen. He should come in and compete for a job right away.”

Chase Koissian (Univ. of Hawaii, Cypress High) - Senior Outfielder

After playing three seasons at Division I Hawaii in a reserve role, Koissian returns to his home state of California to attend CPP. He helped the Rainbows to a 34-25 record in 2011 en route to a Western Athletic Conference (WAC) co-regular season championship, the first for the program since 1992.

Koissian saw plenty of action as a sophomore, when he appeared in 22 games and batted .200 for the season. During that 2010 campaign, he went 2-for-5 in an elimination game at the NCAA Tempe Regional. Through high school, he guided his Cypress team to Empire League titles in 2006 and 2007. In 2008, Baseball America ranked Koissian as the 147th top draft prospect out of California.

Betten on Koissian: “Strong and athletic. Chase has some power in his bat and we expect him to make significant contributions as a Bronco in 2012.”

Jordan McCraney (Bishop Amat High) - Freshman Pitcher/Outfielder

The freshman from Claremont starred at Bishop Amat in both baseball and academics. While earning scholar-athlete honors in three of his four years there, he also excelled as a pitcher and outfielder. This past season, McCraney was selected as the Most Valuable Pitcher of the National Classic Tournament as he led Bishop Amat to the title of the 16-team event.

Through 2011, he totaled 29.1 innings pitched while maintaining an earned run average of 1.19. In 2009 and 2010, McCraney served as a starting outfielder and as a junior he hit .333 with three homeruns and 21 runs batted in.

Betten on McCraney: “Athletic and carries a strong bat. Aside from pitching, Jordan will also have an opportunity to play the outfield for us.”