Baseball Signs Eight to National Letters of Intent

Bronx, N.Y. – (December 15, 2015) – The Fordham baseball team has eight new additions to its program starting next season, it was announced Tuesday by Head Coach Kevin Leighton. Joining the Rams for the 2017 season are pitcher Marc Bisogno (Staten Island, N.Y./Xavier), outfielder Billy Godrick (Millersville, Md./Archbishop Spalding), pitcher Brandon Martin (Westminster, Md./Westminster), pitcher/infielder Kyle Martin (Oceanside, N.Y./Oceanside), infielder/outfielder Alvin Melendez (Whitestone, N.Y./Cardozo), pitcher Matt Ogozaly (Endicott, N.Y./Seton Catholic Central), infielder Matt Tarabek (Irwin, Pa./Hempfield Area), and pitcher Brian Weissert (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore).
 
"I am very excited to have these players sign NLI's with us this year and feel that each will fit into our program and university well," said Leighton.

 
Bisogno is a 6-0 right-handed pitcher from Staten Island, where he is a member of the varsity baseball team at Xavier High School.  As a junior at Xavier, he was the team MVP and Silver Slugger Award winner at third base, leading the team in most offensive categories, including batting average, slugging percentage, doubles, and triples.  When not at the hot corner, he posted a 1.74 ERA in 48 2/3 innings, while striking out 55 batters and holding opponents to a .185 batting average.  He was named to the CHSAA NYC All-Star Second Team at both third base and pitcher.
 
For summer ball, Bisogno played for the Staten Island Orioles, where in 2014 he was selected to the All-Tournament Team at the Perfect Game WWBA World Underclass Championship, after striking out 11 batters in a complete game.  In 2015, he was named to the Rawlings Top Prospect list, while Perfect Game rated him as the sixth-ranked right-handed pitcher in New York State.
 
Leighton on Bisogno – "Marc is a talented right handed pitcher with a very quick arm, that produces an upper 80's fastball and very good slider.  We are excited to watch him compete on the mound next fall."

 

Godrick, a 5-11 outfielder from Millersville, Maryland, is a member of the varsity baseball team at Archbishop Spalding High School.  In his first year with the varsity in 2014, he led the team in runs scored with 20 and batted over .300, helping Archbishop Spalding to the MIAA A-Conference Championship.  He then exploded to hit a team-best .425 with 31 runs scored and a .557 on-base percentage in 2015 to lead the team and guided the squad to its second straight A-Conference Championship.  Individually, he was named to the 2015 MIAA All-Conference team as well as First Team All-County. In the classroom, Godrick is a member of the National Honor Society and a 2015 Scholar-Athlete Award winner.
 
For summer ball, Godrick played for the Rawlings A's Prospects (MD), where he was a Perfect Game Underclass All-American Honorable Mention, and was selected to the Perfect Game Mid-Atlantic Top Prospect Team, as well as to the Big 26 Team Maryland and the MSABC Maryland Futures team.
 
Leighton on Godrick – "Billy is another speedy outfielder in this recruiting class.  His speed is impressive and a tool that we like to have in our offense.  He is another physical guy with a lot of potential at the plate. "

 
Brandon Martin, a 6-4 right-handed pitcher from Westminster, Maryland, played for both the varsity baseball and basketball teams at Westminster High School.  A three-time All-State honorable mention selection and a 2015 First Team All-County pick, he was rated by Prep Baseball Report as the #4 overall prospect in Maryland and the second-ranked right-handed pitcher.  Like Godrick, he also played for the Big 26 Team Maryland, which won the 2015 championship.
 
Leighton on Martin – "Brandon is a guy that we are thrilled will be joining our pitching staff.  He is one of the top pitchers in the state of Maryland with a fastball that has reached 90 and we feel he will only continue to develop and improve as he gets stronger and more mature."

 

Kyle Martin, a 6-3 pitcher/infielder from Oceanside, N.Y., has been a part of the varsity baseball team at Oceanside High School since his freshman season.  After being named All-Conference as a freshman and All-County as a sophomore, Martin had an outstanding junior season, earning First Team All-New York State honors by the NYSSWA.  He also was named to the All-USA NY Baseball First Team by USA Today High School Sports and was a Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American. He batted .451 with three home runs and 24 RBI as a junior, while on the hill, he was 7-1 with a 1.06 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 51 innings pitched.  Those numbers made him a finalist for the Diamond Award, given to the best player in Nassau County.
 
A two-time league and team MVP, Martin was ranked in the top 100 players on Long Island by Newsday and Baseball Player Magazine, while Blue Chip Prospects rated him as the third-best prospect on Long Island.  In the classroom, he has been named to the honor roll every quarter of high school and was the recipient of the Golden Key for his participation in athletics and work in the classroom.
 
Leighton on Martin – "Kyle has shown that he can be dominant on the mound with an upper 80's running fastball, that has touched 90, to go along with a tight slider.  He is a competitor and wants the ball."

 
Melendez is a 6-0 utility player from Whitestone, N.Y., who has seen action in both the infield and outfield at Cardozo High School.  A four-year varsity baseball player and two-time captain, he has earned All-League honors in each of his first three seasons at Cardozo and been named team MVP and the school's Athlete of the Spring twice each.  He batted .421 with four home runs as a sophomore, and followed that season with three home runs and a .430 batting average as a junior.
 
Melendez played summer ball for the Long Island Whalers and was rated #2 on Blue Chip Prospects' list of best players on Long Island.
 
Leighton on Melendez – "Alvin is an exciting player that has the potential to play the outfield, infield, and pitch for us.  He has a tremendous skill set, which we envision hitting towards the top of the line-up and being able to steal bases."

 

A 5-11 left-handed pitcher from Endicott, N.Y., Ogozaly is a four-year varsity baseball player at Seton Catholic Central High School in Binghamton.  He is the team captain for his senior season, after being named a STAC All-Division pitcher the past two seasons and helping Seton Catholic Central to the 2013 State Class C Championship.  A Perfect Game Preseason All-American Honorable Mention, he ranked as the fourth-best left-handed pitcher in New York by Perfect Game.
 
For summer ball, Ogozaly played for Chandler World Gold, which ranked 24^th in the country at the 16U level in 2014 and 32^nd for the 17U level in 2015.  As a part of the WWBA Perfect Game Tournament, he helped Chandler World Gold reach the Sweet 16 in 2014 with the 16U team.  In the classroom, Ogolazy is a member of the honor roll and the National Society of High School Scholars.
 
Leighton on Ogozaly  – "Matt is a left-hander that relies on his command and changing speeds.  He is that lefty that is very frustrating to face and we look forward to seeing what he can bring to our pitching staff."

 
Tarabek is a 6-1 infielder from Irwin, Pennsylvania, where he is a four-year member of the varsity baseball team at Hempfield Area High School.  A three-time Under Armour Preseason All-American (2014-16) and a Perfect Game Preseason All-American Honorable Mention in 2015, he has helped Hempfield Area to three WPIAL AAAA Section 2 Championships (2013-15) and been named to the All-Section team twice.   He was listed as a high school player to watch by Collegiate Baseball in 2015 and named one of the Greensburg Tribune Review's "Terrific 10".
 
For summer ball, Tarabek played for Team All American (2012-15), where he hit .414 in 2015, as well as for the Allegheny Pirates (2014-15), where he batted .446 with eight doubles, five triples, and 26 RBI.  While playing for Team All-American, he was twice named to the Perfect Game WWBA National Championship All-Tournament Team (2013 & 2015), and was a two-time invitee to the South Atlantic Border Battle, participating in 2014.  In the classroom, Tarabek is a four-year member of the high honor roll.

 

Leighton on Tarabek – "Matt is a strong, athletic middle infielder, that we are looking forward to seeing on campus.  He has shown a very good arm, acts well defensively, and has pop in his bat."
 
Weissert, a 6-3 right-handed pitcher from Bay Shore, N.Y., is the brother of current Ram Greg Weissert and a four-year member of the varsity baseball and volleyball teams at Bay Shore High School.  A three-year starter on the diamond, he was named the team MVP and All-League as a junior after posting a 2.02 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 52 innings pitched.  He was listed among the 2016 Top Prospects List by both Blue Chip Prospects and Baseball Player Magazine.  In addition to his baseball accolades, he was a three-time All-County selection for volleyball and served as team captain as a senior.
 
Weissert played summer ball with fellow recruit Alvin Melendez on the Long Island Whalers, which won the U18 Blue Chip Prospect Team Championship.  In the classroom, he was a four-year member of the high honor roll at Bay Shore High School.
 
Leighton on Weissert – "Brian is a big kid with a very projectable frame.  He has a mid-80's fastball, and a very good breaking ball, that should fit nicely with our pitching staff."