Oct. 1, 2001

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The University of Missouri baseball had one of the nation's top recruiting classes this past year, according to Collegiate Baseball newspaper in its annual compilation of top recruiting classes across the USA.

This year's recruiting class features five freshmen and five junior college transfers. Of those 10 incoming players, four have been drafted. Highlighting the incoming class is freshman Justin James, a sixth-round selection by the Boston Red Sox in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft.

Here's a brief rundown on the Tigers' newcomers:
*James, a right-handed pitcher from Yukon, Okla., went 10-5 with 102 strikeouts and a 1.87 earned-run average as a senior. He was listed as one of Baseball America's top 100 high school players. James was a member of the AAU 17 and under national championship team.
*Grant Hansen, a right-handed pitcher, Edmond, Okla., went 8-2 with 49 strikeouts and a 1.40 ERA as a prep senior.
*Brent Lacy, a catcher/infielder, Ellisville, Mo., was a two-time all-conference pick at Lafayette High. He was named first-team all-state after hitting .497 with 11 doubles and seven home runs last season.
*Abel Newton, a right-handed pitcher, Russellville, Ark., went 11-0 with 126 strikeouts and a 0.80 ERA last season. He was named the 2001 Arkansas Player of the Year and was named the 1999 National High School Baseball Coaches Association Sophomore of the Year.
*Travis Wendte, a right-handed pitcher from Moore, Okla., won 24 games in his high school career. He posted a 10-0 mark with 70 strikeouts and a 1.64 ERA last season.

The junior college players on the 2002 roster are:
*Dan Bria, a right-handed pitcher from Reno, Nev., comes to MU from after spending the past two seasons at Lassen (Calif.) Community College. A 2000 draft choice by the Colorado Rockies' organization, Bria posted a 5-1 mark last season with nine saves. He struck out 58 batters and allowed only 18 walks in 50 innings.
*Chris Julo, an infielder/pitcher from Lee's Summit, Mo., played the past two seasons at Maple Woods (Mo.) Community College. He earned NJCAA All-American honors after hitting .390 with 22 home runs and 78 runs batted in in 2001. He could also see action on the pitching mound as a closer.
*Derek Roper, a right-handed pitcher from Elk City, Okla., will be a sophomore this season for the Tigers. A 2000 draft choice by the St. Louis Cardinals, Roper played the 2000 season at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College but sat out last season due to an injury. He went 6-2 with 53 strikeouts in 2000.
*Ryan Rothford, a sophomore catcher from Fresno, Calif., played last season at Fresno City College. He hit .350 in 33 games last season and drove in 31 runs.
*Jody Roughton, a junior infielder from Carthage, Mo., spent the past two seasons at Maple Woods (Mo.) Community College. A 2000 NJCAA All-American, Roughton was drafted by the New York Mets in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft. He never hit below .378 and added 19 home runs and 30 doubles in his career at Maple Woods.