Dec. 3, 2007

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - Marist head baseball coach Dennis Healy announced the signing of four student-athletes on Monday who will attend Marist in the fall of 2008. The class is comprised of infielder George Agostini, pitcher Jake Rifkin, catcher Ben Luderer and infielder Jon Schwind.

"Our coaching staff set out to find the four best players who fit into our plans," Healy said. "There is no doubt these are the guys ready for the next step. Assistant Coach Chris Tracz did a great job identifying and evaluating these individuals."

George Agostini - Rehoboth, Mass. / Dighton-Rehoboth H.S.

Agostini is a 6-foot-1, 200-pound left-handed hitter. He is a high school shortstop who projects as a corner infielder at the collegiate level. In 2007, he hit .429 with six homers for his high school team and .366 in the summer for the New England Ruffnecks. Agostini was named a First Team All-Star by the Sun Chronicle, Tauton Gazette and Attleboro Sun.

Healy on Agostini: "George has a tremendous bat; he will be able to step in and hit in the middle of our order as a freshman. He is a high school shortstop who will make the transition to third base. George has the ability to be a game-changer at the plate. He is a great addition to our program.

Jake Rifkin - West Deptford, N.J. / West Deptford H.S.

Rifkin is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound right-hander who played for Tri-State Arsenal this past summer and has also been involved with the Super 17 program. A terrific junior year enabled him to earn First Team All-Colonial Conference, Second Team All-Group 3 South Jersey and Second Team All-Gloucester County Times honors.

Healy on Rifkin: "Jake brings a great deal to the table for us. He is 86-88 from a low three-quarter slot with feel and command of four pitches. He is a super-aggressive pitcher and we foresee him dominating hitters late in the game. He has a bright future in baseball and we are thrilled he chose Marist."

Luderer is a 6-foot-0, 180-pound right-handed hitting catcher who caught for the Super 17 program this past year. He started for Don Bosco Prep as a junior and projects to starting as a senior. Last season, he hit .450 with 28 RBIs as his squad posted a record of 27-2. He threw out 82 percent of runners attempting to steal and was a member of the Chicago White Sox Scout Team that participated in the Mariner Cup at Safeco Field.

Healy on Luderer: "Ben is a superb catch and throw guy. Of all the guys we saw this summer, we felt he was as good defensively as there was out there. The other thing that stuck out in my mind was I felt as if he is going to make others around him better. We look forward to his arrival."

Jon Schwind - Hilton, N.Y. / Hilton H.S.

Schwind is a 6-foot-0, 175-pound right-handed hitting infielder with a tremendous amount of athleticism. Last season, he hit .405 with 22 stolen bases. Schwind has been a member of the varsity team since his freshman year, earning First Team All-County honors as a sophomore and junior and being named Sixth Team All-State last year. Each of the last two summers, Schwind has competed for Western New York in the Empire State Games. He also is an All-Conference performer in soccer and a member of the school's hockey team.

Healy on Schwind: "Jon is a great athlete; he is a three-sport star. Once Jon puts all his efforts into baseball, we feel he is going to be special. He can play second, short and third, is an above-average runner and he can really swing the bat. He is a very mature young man, and we feel fortunate he chose to further his education here."