College signings: Hobson chooses Texas A&M
| Thursday, Nov 20 2008 01:30 AM
Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 02:07 PM
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Stockdale's K.C. Hobson signed a letter-of-intent to play baseball at Texas A&M.
Centennial's Ensley Gammel signed with University of Florida.
Mica Guzman of Garces has signed with Cal State Fullerton.
Three of last year's CalifornianAll-Area players of the year have booked their college destinations.
Stockdale baseball player K.C. Hobson confirmed Wednesday that he signed last week with Texas A&M, choosing the Aggies over nearly every other big-name program in the country. Meanwhile, Garces golfer Mica Guzman signed to play with Cal State Fullerton's rejuvenated program and Centennial softball pitcher Ensley Gammel inked with powerhouse Florida.
Hobson, a first baseman and left-handed pitcher who hit .505 with seven home runs and 57 RBI last season for the Central Section champion Mustangs, picked A&M over his other finalist, USC. But he also had offers from Oregon State, Oregon, Arizona, Arizona State, UNLV and Alabama, and he previously eliminated any school that was recruiting him exclusively as a pitcher. That list included national power Louisiana State, Baylor and West Virginia.
"At Texas A&M, the atmosphere is amazing," Hobson said. "Five thousand people go to every baseball game, and USC averages a few hundred. I love coach (Chad) Kreuter at SC, and I'm friends with his son, but ... I get to do stuff in Texas I can't really do in California. Hunting, fishing, stuff like that."
There is no guarantee, though, that Hobson will ever make a stop at Texas A&M.
He is projected by Baseball America as a second-round pick in next June's Major League Baseball draft, and likely will face a decision between college and the pros.
"I've been around professional baseball my entire life," said Hobson, whose father, Butch, played and managed in the major leagues for 11 years and has spent many more in the minors. "I don't know anything about college ball, so if I go to college, it's going to be a different adjustment. I've been raised the professional baseball way, but college would be a new, fun experience."
Hobson was reluctant to say how high he would need to be drafted or how much money it would take to lure him out of college. Players who saddle themselves with a price tag often hurt their draft position.
"I don't even talk to my adviser about that," he said. "That's for June. I would love to play professional baseball, but I don't know. ... Now that college (signing) is out of the way, I'm going to be happy either way."
GUZMAN SIGNS ON WITH TITANS
Mica Guzman was looking around the state for a college where she could continue her golf career when she stumbled upon Cal State Fullerton.
One problem: The Titans canceled their women's program in 1986 and their men's program two years later.
So imagine Guzman's surprise when Fullerton contacted her with a scholarship offer earlier this month — the school reinstated its men's and women's teams Nov. 3 and wanted the Garces senior to help build the women's program back to the powerhouse it once was.
"I had looked into Cal State Fullerton before, and they didn't have a golf team, so that was kind of a bummer," said Guzman, who was The Californian's All-Area Golfer of the Year as a junior. "But then I found out they were when they were trying to make contact."
Guzman, who finished tied second in the Central Section championships last week with a 74 and was the highest section finisher at the Southern Cal regionals on Monday, joins a program that fielded a 1972 team that finished third nationally before axing the program.
"It's a great experience for me," Guzman said. "I'm just going to be in with probably a lot of other freshmen. It's kind of like making history, because they're starting all over."
GAMMEL FOLLOWS THROUGH WITH VERBAL
Centennial's Ensley Gammel, who led the Golden Hawks to the Division I section championship last spring, had long known she was going to play for the University of Florida.
But to actually put pen to paper last week and finalize the verbal commitment she made early in her junior year felt pretty good, anyway.
"It was really fun," Gammel said. "It's huge. It means all of my hard work has finally paid off. I'm really excited, and I'm glad they're brining me in."
Florida set an NCAA record with 70 victories last season (against just five losses), won the Southeastern Conference and reached the national semifinals.
Gammel will be honored at Centennial in a ceremony that will also feature infielder McKenzie Joseph, who signed with Division II Colorado State-Pueblo.
LOCAL ATHLETES SIGNING EARLY WITH DIVISION I COLLEGES
Cassidy Bell, Liberty softball (Penn State)
Stephon Carter, Garces boys basketball (Cal St. Bakersfield)
Jonah Cruz, Bakersfield wrestling (Cal St. Fullerton)
Ensley Gammel, Centennial softball (Florida)
Mica Guzman, Garces golf (Cal St. Fullerton)
K.C. Hobson, Stockdale baseball (Texas A&M)
Carly Hummel, Ridgeview softball (Memphis)
Shelby Staab, Garces volleyball (San Diego)
