Oct. 2, 2001

VILLANOVA, PA. - On Friday, Sept. 28, Collegiate Baseball released their annual list of the nation's top recruiting classes. The list includes the nation's top 30, as well as the next 50 best classes. The Villanova baseball team and head coach Joe Godri's Wildcat recruiting class was rated as the 67th best recruiting class in the nation by Collegiate Baseball. It was also rated as the third best in the Big East, behind only Notre Dame and Connecticut.

Godri's 2002 Wildcats will include 10 newcomers. Included among those newcomers are Alan Day (RHP/OF, Lakeridge, Va./ Woodbridge Senior), Mark Cardillo (IF, Naples, Fla./ Barron Collier), Peter Riccio (IF/OF, Warren, N.J./ Watchung Hills), Matt Derr (OF, Pennsburg, Pa./ Upper Perkioman), Nick Allen (RHP, Green Lane, Pa./ Boyertown), Michael Grodecki (RHP, Northbrook, Ill./ Loyola Academy), Joe McCoy (RHP, Dallas, Texas/ Highland Park), Patrick Krieg (OF, West Chester, Pa./ West Chester East), James Baxter (LHP, Toms River, N.J./ Monsignor Donovan) and junior transfer Dustin Downs (SS/2B) from Manhattan College.

For the second time in three years, the University of Southern California has captured the NCAA Division I baseball recruiting championship, according to Collegiate Baseball newspaper in its annual compilation of top recruiting classes across the USA.

For full details on the top 10 recruiting classes, see the October 5th issue of Collegiate Baseball.

1. Southern California2. Louisiana St.3. Notre Dame4. Miami, Fla.5. Stanford6. Mississippi7. Clemson8. Arizona St.9. Florida St.10. South Carolina11. Oklahoma12. Texas13. Cal. St. Fullerton14. Georgia Tech.15. Oklahoma St.16. Texas Tech.17. San Jose St.18. Mississippi St.19. Vanderbilt20. Cal. St. Northridge21. Tennessee22. Arkansas23. Alabama24. Rice25. Baylor26. UCLA27. Wichita St.28. California29. Long Beach St.30. Texas A&M

Other Top Recruiting Classes: Ohio St., Illinois, Tulane, Pepperdine, Cal Poly, Nebraska, Texas Christian, Washington St., Houston, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, U.C.-Irvine, Texas-Arlington, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada, U.C. Santa Barbara, Washington, Georgia, Middle Tennessee St., Minnesota, South Alabama, Purdue, North Carolina St., Winthrop, Stetson, Alabama-Birmingham, The Citadel, San Diego, San Diego St., Louisiana-Lafayette, Central Michigan, Ohio, Connecticut, Georgia Southern, Duke, 67. Villanova, Indiana St., Mississippi Valley St., East Tennessee St., Manhattan, Richmond, N.C. Greensboro, Florida International, Arkansas-Little Rock, West Virginia, Missouri, San Francisco.