NEWARK, Del. – The University of Delaware baseball team has announced the addition of 11 new players, including two junior college transfers, as part of the class of 2012 that will begin competing for the Blue Hens next spring.

The Blue Hens focused on adding depth to the pitching staff, brining in eight new pitchers, including five southpaws. A catcher and two infielders round out the promising group of newcomers.

“We are excited about our incoming class,” said head coach Jim Sherman (at right). “We have added much more depth to the pitching staff, especially from the left-side. We’re looking forward to seeing this group come in and compete immediately for playing time as we head into the new season.”

Will Blackmon and Carlos Alonso both join the Blue Hen program having played their first two seasons at junior colleges. Blackman played at Mercer Community College in New Jersey, while Alonso competed with the Santa Barbara City College team in California.

At Mercer, Blackman was a two-time All-Region selection as a left-handed pitcher. Last year, he led the team to the Regional Championship as a sophomore. Prior to enrolling in college, the southpaw was a standout at Hunterdon Central where he earned first-team All-County, All-Area, and All-Region honors as a senior.

Alonso, who starred for two years at Santa Barbara, made 82 consecutive starts as a third baseman. In 2006, he helped lead the team to the SWC Championship. Before his college days, he was a two-year letterwinner as a second baseman at Los Gatos High School where he led the squad to the 2006 Central Coast Section championship and set the school-record for hit-by-pitches.

Headlining the freshman class will be two members of the powerful Don Bosco Prep team, which finished last year ranked as the second best team in the nation by USA Today.

Sam Cerbo, a four-year starter at Don Bosco, led the team to a combined 105-14 record during his tenure. As a senior, he helped the team go 33-0 and capture the state championship. During his sophomore campaign, he also earned the Bergen County Tournament Most Valuable Player award while leading the team to the county title.

Michael O’Keeffe, a three-year standout at Don Bosco, saw action as a third baseman for the IronMen. He helped lead the team to three straight county titles and the state championship last season. Also a three-year member of the basketball team, he was a member of the National Honor Society and a Big Brother for incoming freshmen students.

Delaware continued to sign some of the top local talent as well, keeping several of the First State’s top players at home while also picking up two standouts from Pennsylvania.

Rich O’Donald, a 47th round selection of the Seattle Mariners in last year’s draft, chose to forego his professional career and pitch for the Hens. A four-year member of the Dickinson High School team, he was a first-team All-State selection as both a pitcher and designated hitter. He also was the Blue Team’s Most Valuable Player during the 2008 Blue/Gold All-Star Game.

Michael Grano, a four-year standout at St. Mark’s, also chose to stay in Delaware. While excelling as both a pitcher and first baseman, he led his team to the 2007 DIAA State Championship. During the title bout, he earned the win after striking out seven in seven strong innings of work.

Devon Pearson, who earned three letters at Indian Valley High School in Pennsylvania, garnered first-team All-League honors in 2008 as a pitcher and first baseman. Also an All-League selection as a designated hitter during his sophomore campaign, he was honored as a Tri-Valley Scholar Athlete.

Kyle Thomas, a left-handed pitcher and first baseman at Steel Valley High School, earned All-Section honors for his performance on the diamond. An all-around gifted athlete, he was also an All-State soccer player and earned All-Section honors for basketball as well. For his work, he was named the 2007-08 Post-Gazette South Athlete of the Year.

Delaware also welcomes two DeMatha High School products into the fray as catcher Nick Rivers and pitcher Herman Scholtz join the Blue Hen family.

Rivers, who was a four-year letterwinner as a catcher and leftfielder, led the Stags to the 2008 WCAC Championship. Named the co-conference player of the year, he was also a 2008 first-team All-American selection by Collegiate Baseball. A standout linebacker and defensive end for the football team as well, he led DeMatha to four conference championships and a 44-4 record during his four seasons.

Scholtz, a three-year letterwinner at DeMatha, spent last year at Air Force Prep. Prior to graduating in 2007, he was a first-team All-WCAC selection as a right-handed pitcher. He also earned second-team nods as a junior and third-team honors as a sophomore.

Casey Cannon, a two-year member of the St. Rose High School team after playing at Wall High during his first two seasons, rounds out Delaware’s impressive incoming class. An outstanding pitcher and first baseman, he led St. Rose to the county and state championship. During his senior season, he was a first-team All-Division and a second-team All-Conference and All-Country selection. During his two seasons at St. Rose, he posted an 11-1 mark on the mound while leading the team to a 46-7 overall record.

The 11 incoming players will join a strong corps of veterans who helped the program reach the Colonial Athletic Association championship game just two years ago.