As the preseason has come to a close, the Sharks have gone through a flurry of changes due to injuries and the NCAA College World Series.  While the coaching staff rushes through a slew of part-time additions, we’ll take a quick look at those that are already on the roster and will either be appearing at the start of the season or after their teams return from the World Series.

Mikel Alvarez – Infielder, Florida Gulf Coast.  Alvarez is a native of West Palm Beach, Florida and is a former winner of the Phil Nevin National Championship.  He’s a top-5% graduate in high school and is a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society.

Kyle Deese – Right-Handed Pitcher, Clemson.  Deese was an All-State selection as a high school senior, and also garnered All-Region honors as a junior and senior.  He lettered three times and is a native of Inman, S.C.

Matt Freeman – Right-Handed Pitcher, Nebraska.  Freeman is a former Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year and Louisville Slugger Player of the Year in 2007.  Graduated with honors from Elkhorn High School in Omaha with a 3.8 GPA.

Justice French – Infielder, Mercer.  French is out of Suwanee, GA where he earned three varsity letters at Collins Hill High School.  He also is the recipient of First-Team All-County and First-Team All-Region.  He holds eight school records and made the top 20 Team Georgia.

Bryant Gaines – Right-Handed Pitcher, North Carolina.  A Wilmington Shark in 2007, Gaines earned All-State, All-NCISAA, All-Mecklenburg, and All-Charlotte Observer honors in 2006.  Gaines was the Coastal Plain League Pitcher of the Week during Week 7 and tossed two complete game shutouts for the Sharks.

Dan Gerjets – Left-Handed Pitcher, George Mason.  A native of Mount Airy, MD, Gerjets earned six varsity letters in baseball and basketball at South Carroll High School.  He was an All-Conference selection as a junior and senior and compiled an amazing 0.93 ERA with South Carroll.  He was named Student of the Year as a senior.

Ryan Graepel – Infielder, North Carolina.  Graepel reigns from Greenville, N.C. where he attended J.H. Rose High School.  He’s a two-time All-Conference and All-Area selection and played in the N.C. East-West All-Star Game in 2006.  Graepel played for the CPL’s Wilson Tobs in 2007.

Jason Hagerty – Catcher, Miami (FL).  Hagerty is a St. Louis, MO native where he attended St. John Vianney High School and led them to three conference titles and two Missouri State Championships.  Hagerty was a Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year in 2006 and is a three-time First-Team All-State First selection.

Jarred Jimenez – Outfielder, Rutgers.  Jimenez comes to Wilmington as a two-time First-Team All-County Selection in Monroe Township, NJ.  Jimenez had an outstanding senior season hitting .461 with four home runs and 40 runs scored.  He’s a 2006 Middlesex County Player of the Year.

Ben Kline – Infielder, Nebraska.  A two-time First-Team All-State selection at Omaha Central, he played in thte 2006 USA Baseball Tournament of Stars.  He hit over .400 in all three of his high school seasons and is a Nebraska Perfect Game Player of the Year.  He was rated the #2 prospect in Nebraska for the 2007 MLB Draft.

Bobby Leeper – Outfielder, UNCW.  Leeper is staying in his baseball home this summer joining the Sharks.  A native of Raleigh, N.C., Leeper has played in the N.C. East-West All-Star Game is was All-Region during his junior and senior seasons at Wakefield High School.

Kyle Lewis – Left-Handed Pitcher, UNCW.  Lewis was a redshirt with UNCW in 2007, but during his prep career compiled a solid 24-4 record at Topsail High School north of Wilmington.  During his senior season with Topsail, the Wilmington native had an 8-2 mark with 101 strikeouts.

Jarad Miller – Right-Handed Pitcher, Valparaiso.  Miller is a Fort Wayne, IN native and is a three-year letterwinner at Carroll High School.  He made Honorable Mention All-State as a senior and was the Carroll Chargers team MVP as a senior in 2007.

Brad Mincey – Right-Handed Pitcher, East Carolina.  Mincey is a Wilmington native and a former New Hanover High School standout.  Mincey was part of the Wildcats’ Mid-Eastern Conference Championship team and is a Wilmington Star-News New Hanover County Player of the Year.  He’s also a two-time participant in the N.C. State Games.

John Nester – Catcher, Clemson.  The Greer, S.C. native is a two-time All-State selection at Riverside High School and is a member of the S.C. Select Team.  Rated the #2 prospect in South Carolina by Perfect Game and also carried the #1 catcher rating.  Lettered four times in baseball.

Daniel Parker – Outfielder, Illinois.  Parker is a KABC All-State Second-Team selection from 2007 and a First-Team All-Sunflower League member.  The Lawrence, KA native played in the Premiere League All-Star Game in 2007.  He finished the 2007 season hitting .385 with three homers and 30 RBIs.

Neal Pritchard – Infielder, Elon.  Pritchard is a native out of Asheboro, N.C. and helped lead Asheboro High School to a conference title.  He’s a member of the 2006 Region 5 State Team and was chosen as All-Conference and All-Area during his prep career.

Mike Rudman – Right-Handed Pitcher, Miami (FL).  Once a First-Team All-Dade County and was chosen Third-Team All-State by the Miami Herald.  As a senior at Killian High School, Rudman finished with an 8-2 mark with 99 strikeouts.  Rudman played for the Wilmington Sharks in 2007, making 11 appearances finishing with a 1-0 record and 25 K’s in 24.2 innings pitched.

Brandon Savoca – Infielder, Mars Hill College.  Another area native, Savoca is a three-time All-Conference pick in high school for baseball and basketball and has a lone All-Conference selection in football.  Savoca is a member of the National Honor Society and has also played baseball for Mount Olive College.

David Shambley – Catcher, UNCW.  Originally from Cary, N.C., Shambley is a 4A All-State as senior for Green Hope High School and a three-time All-Tri-8 Conference selection.  He hit .456 during his junior season and set a school hits record with 41.  Shambley played in the N.C. East-West All-Star Game in 2007.

Ryan Vander Tuig – Right-Handed Pitcher, San Jose State.  A native out of Oakdale, CA, Vander Tuig was named MVP of the Valley Oak League while at Oakdale High School.  He led Oakdale to its first Central California Conference championship in school history.  He finished with a 7-0 record with a 3.04 ERA in 2006.