Tribe Baseball Signs Six To National Letters of Intent

All Will Begin Play in 2006

11/16/04

WILLIAMSBURG, VA - William and Mary baseball coach Jim Farr announced today the signing of six high school student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. The six athletes will begin play in 2006, and they are Ben Guez, an outfielder from Lamar High School in Houston, TX; Jeff Jones, an outfielder from Stafford High in Colonial Forge, VA; Robbie Nichols, an outfielder from Clover Hill High School in Midlothian, VA; John Phelps, a lefthanded pitcher from Deep Creek High in Chesapeake, VA; Michael Sheridan, a first baseman from Gonzaga Prep in Washington, D.C and Lanny Stanfield, a shortstop from Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia.

“One of our keys to this recruiting season was to bring in some outfield help because we could potentially lose our entire starting outfield to graduation and the draft,” Farr said. “As a group this class brings good foot speed, and defensively, we improved up the middle. We also signed some positional players who have power potential at the plate. This class is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our coaching staff, headed up by assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Ryan Wheeler.”

Guez (5-11, 165) prepped at the same high school as current Tribe players John and Will Rhymes, Lamar High School in Houston, TX. He is a switch-hitting centerfielder who is a solid defender with a plus throwing arm.

“Ben has an above-average arm and good speed and has the potential to be a solid centerfielder and leadoff hitter,” Farr said. “He will be the guy at the top of the lineup that makes things happen. With the potential of losing our entire starting outfield, he will compete for the centerfield job as a freshman.”

Jones (6-3, 180) is a three-sport star at Stafford High, excelling in Track, Basketball and Baseball. Last season, he batted .426 eight runs batted in, and recorded a .532 slugging percentage and a .522 on base percentage to earn second-team All-District honors.

“Jeff is a strong, athletic player who can really run,” Farr said. “We project him to bolster our outfield depth.”

Nichols (6-2, 215) is a two-sport star at Clover Hill High School, where he is also a standout running back on the football team. A corner outfield prospect, Nichols has power potential to go along with good speed.

“Robbie gives us a power hitting threat as well as a guy who can run very well,” Farr said. “As a fielder, he has an above-average arm and uses his speed to track down balls in the gap. We are projecting him to play rightfield.”

Phelps (5-11, 180) hails from Deep Creek High School in Chesapeake, where he finished his junior season with a 6-4 record and a 1.36 ERA and one save. He struck out 81 batters and walked just 17 in 62 innings of work.

“John was a highly-sought after player from schools in Virginia as well as programs along the east coast,” Farr said. “He has the ability to come in and pitch as a freshman, either as a starter or at the end of the game, and has three workable pitches and is very competitive. With the signing of John, we have continued to sign one of the most talented players out of the Tidewater area.”

Sheridan (6-2, 180) is a lefthanded hitting first baseman from Gonzaga High in Washington, D.C. He batted .438 with 10 doubles and three home runs to earn first-team Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and Washington Post All-Met honors.

“Michael is very good around the bag and projects to be a middle-of-the-lineup type hitter for us,” Farr said. “He is a line-drive type lefthanded hitter with gap power. He brings a left-handed first baseman that we have not had recently.”

Stanfield (5-11, 175) is a right-handed hitting shortstop from Hargrave Military Academy and will compete for a starting infield spot. He batted .5600 with two home runs and 38 runs batted in as a junior to earn VISBA first-team All-State honors as his team finished 19-2. He recorded 37 hits, 13 of which were doubles, and was 16-17 in stolen bases.

“Lanny will give us added depth in the middle infield and will compete for a job at either shortstop or second base, where we will lose Kyle Padgett and Will Rhymes to graduation,” Farr said. “He has good hands, can move well to either side and has good baserunning instincts.”