Recruiting pitch a hit at Steward

Steward School doesn't have a baseball field, but the western Henrico campus is oozing with talented baseball players.

Three players off last year's 21-2 club recently signed scholarship offers with Division I programs.

Pitcher J.T. Wauford (Clemson), outfielder Drew Coker (Old Dominion) and first baseman/outfielder Ryan Burgess (Radford), all seniors, made it official during the NCAA's November signing period.

"I think that's pretty good for a little school that's only had baseball four years," coach Bruce Secrest said. "In fact, that would be good for a big school."

Steward will continue to practice and play home games at Tuckahoe Little League. Secrest is hopeful the school, located on Gayton Road, will have an on-campus facility by 2010.

"We've got the [building] permits," he said. "It's going to be gorgeous. We're real excited."

Wauford, who has attended Steward since seventh grade, was 6-2 with an 0.61 earned run average and 82 strikeouts in 46 innings last spring.

The right-hander pitched this past summer/fall with the Tidewater Orioles travel team -- an outfit that has produced major leaguers Ryan Zimmerman and the Upton brothers, B.J. and Justin.

Left-handed Burgess, who traveled with the Virginia Hurricanes, hit .439 with seven doubles, seven home runs and 34 runs batted in.

Another lefty, Coker -- who also plays with Richmond Baseball Academy -- hit .494 with 12 doubles, 12 stolen bases and 26 RBI.

Burgess, a western Henrico resident, and Coker, who lives in Chester, enrolled at Steward as juniors.

Steward's first Division I signee was center fielder Cameron Scales, now a freshman at Elon University.

"We've got some good, younger ones coming along, too," Secrest said. "We're just getting started. We're hoping this will be start of a long list."