Nov. 20, 2007

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma baseball head coach Sunny Golloway announced the signing of nine players for the 2009 season to national letters of intent on Tuesday. 

The OU coaching staff inked six high school players including two Oklahoma products, Daniel Meeley from Midwest City H.S. and Chris Ellison from Norman North H.S., and three of the top junior college players in the country. The signing class features four pitchers (two lefties), three outfielders and two infielders.

"The coaching staff is extremely excited about this group of talented athletes," said Golloway.  "This was a combined effort by our recruiting coordinator Tim Tadlock, our pitching coach Mike Bell and our coordinator of operations Ryan Gaines." 

In addition to Ellison (OF) and Meeley (OF), prep stars Clayton Cook (RHP - Amarillo High School), Jordan Imhoff (OF - Arlington Martin High School), Teddy Nowell (LHP - Poteet High School) and Cameron Seitzer (INF - Blue Valley West) will join the Sooners in the fall of 2008.  Seitzer is the son of former Major Leaguer Kevin Seitzer.

Also suiting up for Oklahoma for the 2009 season are Tyler Ladendorf (INF - Howard J.C.), the No. 1 ranked JUCO player in Texas, J.R. Robinson (LHP - New Mexico J.C.), the No. 2 rated JUCO player in New Mexico and Jason Chowning (RHP - Texarkana J.C.), a 2007 MLB Draft pick.

Seven of the nine signees are projected as selections in the 2008 MLB Draft by Perfect Game Cross Checker, and both Ellison and Ladendorf are predicted to be drafted in rounds 4-10.

"We continue to land some of the best recruits in the country and have several pro prospects that we will have to be concerned about holding onto next June," added Golloway.  "This class gives us an outstanding blend of players at various positions that will step in right away for the 2009 season."

Ellison, who hit .352 with 35 RBIs at Norman North, is rated the 110th best player nationally by Perfect Game. The same publication rated Nowell (16-1, 108 strikeouts in 2007) 385th and Imhoff (.444, 16 HRs and 61 RBIs in 2007) 430th.  Imhoff and Ellison were both ranked by Baseball America at No. 169 and No. 238, respectively, for the top 300 list of the 2008 class.

Perfect Game also took notice of the Sooners' junior college players.  Ladendorf is rated the No. 1 junior college prospect in the state of Texas by the publication after he led the nation with 65 stolen bases on 65 attempts for Howard J.C.  Ladendorf also hit .425 with 32 RBIs en route to collecting NJCAA All-Star honors.  He was drafted in 2007 in the 34th round by the San Francisco Giants and in 2006 out of Maine West High School (Illinois) in the 34th round by the New York Yankees.

Robinson was tabbed the No. 2 junior college player in the state of New Mexico by PG after he helped lead New Mexico J.C. to a national runner-up finish in 2007.  Robinson was 12-1 in 12 starts and struck out 90 batters in 86 1/3 innings pitched. 

2009 RECRUITING CLASS (Signee Bios)

Clayton Cook      
RHP | 6-2 | 165 | R/R      
Amarillo H.S.               
2007: 8-6, 1.80 ERA/first team all-district

Jason Chowning
RHP | 6-4 | 180 | R/R      
Texarkana J.C.            
2007: 4-2, 2.82 ERA, 51 IP, 69 K's/NJCAA All-Star

Chris Ellison        
OF | 6-1 | 185 | R/L      
Norman North H.S.    
2007: .352 BA, 13 2B, 13 SB, 35 RBI/all-conference

Jordan Imhoff     
OF | 6-1 | 200 | R/L      
Arlington Martin H.S.  
2007: .444 BA, 16 HR, 61 RBIs/first team all-state

Tyler Ladendorf  
INF | 6-1 | 185 | R/R      
Howard J.C.                 
2007: .425 BA, 32 RBIs, 65 SB/NJCAA All-Star, led nation in SB

Daniel Meeley    
OF | 5-11 | 178 | L/L       
Midwest City H.S.       
2007: .440 BA, 5 HR/conference player of the year

Teddy Nowell      
LHP | 6-1 | 185 | L/L       
Poteet H.S.                   
2007: 16-1, 1.20 ERA, 118 K's in 99 IP/all-state, district MVP

J.R. Robinson      
LHP | 5-10 | 170 | L/L       
New Mexico J.C.         
2007: 12-1, 86.2 IP, 90 K's/World Series All-Tourney team

Cameron Seitzer
INF | 6-4 | 205 | L/R      
Blue Valley West H.S.
2007: .492, 13 2B in 25 games/first team all-state