SPRINGFIELD, Mass.—The Blue Sox have added three players to the roster, adding catcher Aaron Fritts, infielder Angelo La Bruna, and outfielder Bobby Stahel to the roster from the University of Southern California, Team President Clark Eckhoff announced today.
Blue Sox fans should be familiar with the Trojans not only because of their national reach as a baseball power but also because of last year’s squad, which featured now-sophomore Vahn Bozoian as the team’s starting right fielder and one of six NECBL All-Stars that the team had.
Fritts, currently a freshman, is redshirting for the Trojans, but packs plenty of power, having batted .497 in his senior year at the Brentwood School in his native Los Angeles, earning a Rawlings California Region Honorable Mention All-American nod.
“Fritts is redshirting this year at USC but he has the potential to be their starting catcher in their future, and he will be fresh and ready to bring his skills to our lineup,” Eckhoff said.
Stahel, a redshirt sophomore, hit .273 last season as a redshirt freshman with the Trojans while playing 35 games, starting 30, at shortstop; he was fourth in the Pac-12 in hit-by-pitch, being plunked an astonishing 14 times. Prior to joining the Trojans, he hit 467 with 45 runs, 15 doubles, three triples, six home runs and 24 RBI as a senior at Palos Verdes High School to earn Bay League MVP and his third consecutive All-American selection; he was also a base stealer, with an astounding 93 swipes his junior year.
“Stahel has been a proven starter at the Pac-12 level,” said Eckhoff. “We look forward to having him.”
La Bruna, who is a transfer to USC from Duke, is also redshirting this year, but in three seasons with the Blue Devils he appeared in 136 games, with 121 starts, primarily at shortstop although he did spend some time at second and even a few games at third. A slick fielder, he had a 24-game errorless streak as a rookie in 2011 and was named to the ACC Honor Roll in each of his three years there.
“La Bruna has played the last two summers in the Cape Cod League, and is not just one of the best defensive shortstops but one of the best defensive players in the nation at any position.”
The 2014 season will represent the Blue Sox seventh season in the Pioneer Valley, playing at Mackenzie Stadium in Holyoke. The Blue Sox have been a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL; www.necbl.com) since 2008. The NECBL is funded in part by Major League Baseball and is comprised of 12 teams throughout all six New England states who recruit the elite athletes and premier pro prospects from around the world.