Baseball Signees Cobie Vance and Dylan Duarte
11/19/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Last week, Alabama baseball inked 11 recruits to add to the 2015-16 roster. Throughout the week all 11 players from this year's recruiting class will be featured on RollTide.com. Today's featured signees are infielder Cobie Vance from Fayetteville, N.C., and left-handed pitcher Dylan Duarte from Corpus Christi, Texas.
Cobie Vance Infielder
5-9, 185
Fayetteville, N.C. (Pine Forest HS)
Cobie Vance joins the Alabama Baseball team ranked as the ninth-best player in North Carolina and the No. 2-ranked second baseman in the state. A 2013 and 2014 Underclass Honorable Mention honoree by Perfect Game USA, Vance comes to Tuscaloosa with numerous high school accolades. Over his first three years at Pine Forest High School, he was named to the Mid-South All-Conference team each year while also being named All-Region in 2012 and 2013. He was voted MVP of the PFHS Trojans in 2012 and 2014. During his junior campaign, the versatile Vance batted a stout .405 while tallying 30 runs and 30 hits. His father, Randy, is a U.S. Army Sergeant Major.
Coach Andy Phillips on Vance:
"Cobie Vance is a middle infielder out of North Carolina who can just flat-out play the game. He is a great defender who swings the bat well. This kid plays with a lot of confidence and energy. I love his makeup and what he's going to bring to The University of Alabama."
Coach Dax Norris on Vance:
"Cobie Vance is going to bring a lot of energy. These Alabama fans are going to love seeing him play and so are we as a coach staff. He's just an all-around player that has everything you need. He can run, he's a good hitter and he's a great defensive player that can make a big impact."
Dylan Duarte
LHP 6-1 210
Corpus Christi, Texas (Calallen HS)
Dylan Duarte comes from the talent-rich state of Texas ranked as the 13th-best Southpaw in the state. His efforts on the mound earned him Underclass Honorable Mention from Perfect Game USA in his sophomore and junior seasons. He also helped lead Calallen High School to the regional finals in each of those two seasons. Duarte excelled in his junior year, compiling an 8-1 record while striking out 101 batters in just 74 total innings pitched on his way to All-South Texas Baseball First team honors from the Corpus Christi Caller Times. In his sophomore season, Duarte was the 30-4A All-District Newcomer of the Year by the Victoria Advocate while also being named to Max Prep's 2013 Baseball Underclass All-American Team. His sophomore season saw the lefty work his way to a 9-1 record with a 1.03 ERA and 90 strikeouts over 74.2 innings, including nine complete games and two shutouts across 11 starts.
Coach Dax Norris on Duarte:
"Dylan Duarte is a big kid with some room to grow. He's got good stuff. He shows a lot of poise on the mound and is going to be an asset to our staff. He's going to help our pitching and is another guy the staff is excited to get in here and see play."
