PORTLAND, Ore. --- The Portland Pilots baseball program has received commitments four high school players from four different states, announced head coach Chris Sperry. Ryan Barr (OF/UTL, Mission Viejo, Calif.), Lucas Hunter (INF, Portland, Ore.), Jackson Lockwood (RHP/INF, Broomfield, Colo.) and Billy Sahlinger (RHP, Bellevue, Wash.) have each signed a national letter of intent and will join the program as freshmen next fall.
“We’re very happy to receive the commitments of four excellent players,” said Sperry. “All four guys are perfect fits here at UP, and each brings something special to the table.
“I enjoyed getting to know these guys and most of their families during a very long recruiting process. However, the credit for a successful recruiting season belongs to (assistant coaches) Larry Casian and Tucker Brack for the hard work they put into identifying and attracting these guys to campus. I am very fortunate and proud to work together my assistant coaches.”
Ryan Barr, a 6-foot-2 outfielder and utility player, comes to The Bluff from Mater Dei High School. A three-year letterwinner for the Monarchs, Barr was voted team captain, and he helped the team claim the 2010 CIF Southern Section Championship. As a junior last spring, Barr hit better than .500 during the second half of the season. His Team Rawlings club team was a perfect 9-0 in tournaments entered, and he played for the Tamp Bay Rays scout team in 2011.
“Ryan is just a good athlete,” Sperry said. “He’s got a great frame, and I think time and maturity could turn him into a prospect. He is the third player we have attracted from Mater Dei High School in Southern California, and he follows the path to Portland that was carved by Kevin Armijo and Brian Frattali. He’s got a strong arm and is a good runner that we see primarily in the outfield, while he also has some experience behind the plate.”
Lucas Hunter is 6-foot middle infielder for the Central Catholic Rams. He’ll earn his third varsity letter this spring after helping lead the Rams to a second place finish in the state last season. As a junior, Hunter was voted the team’s player of the game in the state title game, he hit .419 at the plate. He also helped Central Catholic claim the Mt. Hood Conference crown.
“Lucas has strong baseball blood, as his father, Brian, played several years in the big leagues,” said Sperry. “Lucas is a tremendous athlete who can run, and he has good actions in the middle infield. His speed suggests the ability to add outfield play to his toolbox. He plays the game with lots of enthusiasm, which can sometimes be a challenge to find today.”
Jackson Lockwood is a 6-foot-3 right-handed pitcher and third baseman at Broomfield High School. He’s already earned three letters and helped his team win the All-Northern Conference in 2010 and 2011, while the Eagles finished second in the state in 2010. Lockwood earned all-region honors last spring as a junior, and he led the team with a .456 batting average and three home runs. As pitcher, he was 2-0 in 2011 with a save and 15 K’s in 10 innings pitched.
“Jackson is a good example of Coach Casian’s reach into the state of Colorado,” Sperry Said. “Jackson is a two-way player with a nice left-handed stroke. He is tall and lean has a very good upside. As a pitcher/short stop, he is accustomed to being in the middle of the action when the heat is on, and we like that.”
Billy Sahlinger is a 6-foot right-handed pitcher who will earn his fourth varsity for the Newport High School Knights this spring. Sahlinger played mostly in the middle infield for the Knights, while earning several accolades as a pitcher for his club team. With the Knights, he earned all-league recognition twice, while helping lead the team to a fourth-place showing at state in 2009 and to a final eight appearance in 2011. He led the team in RBI’s as a sophomore, while topping the squad in on-base percentage, runs, doubles and extra base hits as a junior.
On the hill, Sahlinger was named first-team all-league twice, earned the Seattle Premier League’s Cy Young Award in 2010 and was named the Most Valuable Player as he helped lead his select team to a 2008 Koufax State Title. He has had a handful of stellar outings at the Area Code Games in 2010 and 2011.
“We stand to lose at least three or four key pitchers from our staff after this season, so Billy became a key piece of pitching that will complement our returning veterans,” noted Sperry. “He is an outstanding competitor who reminds us of Kyle Kraus at the same age. Of course, Kyle quickly became a leader on our pitching staff because of his competitiveness and his ability to throw strikes and change speeds, and to do so with great confidence. We view Billy similarly and look forward to having him join our staff.”
