Rutgers Baseball Signs Nine New Jersey Standouts
Nov 28 | Baseball
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers head baseball coach Fred Hill announced the signing of nine New Jersey scholastic standouts to his 2007 recruiting class. First basemen Jaren Matthews (Teaneck, N.J.) and DJ Anderson (Randolph, N.J.), second baseman Brandon Boykin (Teaneck, N.J.), shortstop Russell Hopkins (Piscataway, N.J.), third baseman Danny Perrine (Scotch Plains, N.J.), catcher Nick Gaeta (Montville, N.J.), outfielder Pat Biserta (Point Pleasant, N.J.), and right-handed pitchers Billy Murphy (Cranford, N.J.) and Willie Beard (Spotswood, N.J.) each signed a National Letter of Intent with the Scarlet Knights and will enroll at Rutgers next fall.
"We are happy with the fine young men we have signed this season," said Hill. "Each member of this class comes in with winning backgrounds and loads of potential. This class will help us continue our long-term success."
A product of Don Bosco Prep, Matthews earned All-North Jersey and All-Bergen County First Team honors from the Star Ledger and Bergen Record after hitting .385 with four home runs and 18 RBI. He was a force on the base paths with 19 stolen bases to go along with 28 runs scored. Matthews' father, Leon, is the head coach at Don Bosco Prep, which enjoyed a 23-5 overall record last spring. He is ranked 11th in the Northeast Region and 127th nationally by Perfect Game.
Boykin, a four-year varsity member, played alongside Matthews at Don Bosco Prep as the team's starting second baseman. He earned Third Team All-Bergen County honors by the Star Ledger, hitting .440 last season with four home runs, six doubles and 20 stolen bases. He was ranked as the 78th best player in the northeast region by Perfect Game. He was the recipient of the Doug Davis Baseball Award, given annually to a member of the baseball team who shows the most heart and dedication to the game. Boykin is also a standout football player and three-year varsity letterman for powerhouse Don Bosco Prep as a wide receiver where he recorded 25 receptions for 410 yards and three touchdowns.
Both Matthews and Boykin combined for home runs in the Bergen County Tournament title game to lift Don Bosco Prep to a 14-1 victory over Westwood for its second county championship in school history. Boykin finished 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and six RBI - breaking tournament single game records in both categories - to guide the Ironmen.
Murphy served a dual role at Roselle Catholic High School, starting at shortstop, while also appearing as a relief pitcher for the Lions. Murphy will come to Rutgers as a right-handed pitcher where he compiled a 3-1 record with four shutouts and a save last season. He registered 38 strikeouts with just eight walks in 31 innings of work for Roselle Catholic. Murphy finished the year with a 2.56 ERA, earning All-Conference and All-Union County honors as a junior. Offensively, he hit .384 last spring with nine doubles and three home runs, totaling 24 RBI. Murphy guided his team to a 19-5 record and the Mountain Valley Conference Mountain Division title. Roselle Catholic lost in the finals of the Union County tournament.
Beard, a right-handed pitcher, earned second team All-Area honors from the Home News Tribune after recording a 1.94 ERA with 92 strikeouts in 61.3 innings pitched for Spotswood High School last spring. He allowed just 17 earned runs all season en route to an 8-1 overall record. Spotswood finished 19-5-1 atop the Greater Middlesex Conference Blue Division.
Hopkins, a four-year varsity member, hit .461 with six doubles and five triples for Piscataway High School. He drove in 35 runs for the Chiefs while scoring another 25. The 6-5, 205-pound shortstop was a perfect 13-for-13 on stolen base attempts last season. Piscataway finished 11-10 on the season reaching the semifinals of the county tournament. He earned second team All-Area accolades for the second-straight season from the Home News Tribune. Hopkins is also a member of the Piscataway football team, playing defensive end, while also serving as the Chiefs' placekicker.
Gaeta, a catcher for Montville High School, hit .405 his junior season with 28 RBI. He tallied 42 hits on the season, including 10 doubles and three triples. Defensively, Gaeta threw out 12 of 14 would-be base stealers last spring. A four-year varsity player and three-year starter, he earned First Team All-Conference and All-Area laurels last season. Gaeta was also selected to the Area Code Games, representing the top 120 prospects in the nation last spring. Montville finished 27-8 overall, advancing to the state finals. In the state title game, Gaeta threw out a pair of base runners. He is also a four-year letterman in wrestling and a three-year varsity letterman in football.
Perrine, a four-year varsity member, primarily plays third base for Oratory Prep. The 6-0, 175-pound infielder led the school to its first conference championship in 50 years last season. He is a three-time All-Conference selection (first team the last two seasons) and a three-time All-Area pick. Perrine was also named to the All-State Prep team last season. He hit .484 with six home runs as a junior.
Biserta earned All-State, All-Division, All-County and All-Shore honors as a junior last season after hitting .520 with 53 hits, including 10 doubles, two triples and 10 home runs for Point Pleasant Boro High School. He drove in 41 runs, while scoring 40 more. On the base paths, Biserta tallied 10 stolen bases. The outfielder led Point Pleasant Boro to a 27-3 record and a Shore Conference title last spring. Biserta is the all-time school record holder in hits (110), doubles (23), home runs (12), runs batted in (77) and runs scored (75) through just three seasons. Last spring, the 6-0, 185-pound junior established new single-season records in hits, runs and slugging percentage. In the South Jersey Group II state title contest, he hit a ground slam to lead Point Pleasant Boro to a 9-0 victory over Delran. Biserta, a four-year varsity starter, also earned All-County and All-Division laurels as a freshman and sophomore.
Rutgers will open its 2007 season with a three-game series at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va. beginning Feb. 16.
