Nov. 30, 2010
Bronx, N.Y. -
Fordham Head Baseball Coach Nick Restaino announced the addition of three student-athletes to play baseball at Fordham University, starting with the 2012 season. The three student-athletes are infielder Matthew Duran (New Rochelle, N.Y./New Rochelle), catcher/infielder Sebastian Salvo (Fall River, Mass./Tabor Academy), and right-handed pitcher Joshua Wirsu (Harlem, Ga./Harlem).
"I am really excited to announce the addition of these three young men to our baseball family. Each kid addresses a need and should contribute to our success right away," said Restaino.
Duran, a 6-1 infielder from New Rochelle, New York, is a four-year varsity baseball player at New Rochelle High School. He is a two-time All-League selection, and was named to the All-Section team as a junior, when he also garnered team MVP honors. He was rated by Perfect Game USA as a top national prospect, and was selected Second Team All-Star for Lo-Hud baseball by The Journal News. In addition to playing for New Rochelle, Duran plays for Hank's Yanks, a team sponsored by Hank Steinbrenner, General Partner of the New York Yankees, and the New York Yankees area code team, for which he hit .300 during the Area Code Games in California, which has grown into one of the highest regarded high school talent tournaments in the country. A nominee for the National Honor Society, he also participated in the Empire State Games this past summer, hitting .450 with nine RBI.
"Matthew is one of the best hitters on the east coast. He's participated in two invitation only events in the East Coast Pro Showcase and played for the New York Yankees area code team, which played in the Area Codes Games, one of the top, if not the top, high school talent tournaments in the country," said Restaino. "We are excited about adding his talent to our team."
Salvo, a 6-1 catcher/infielder from Fall River, Massachusetts, is a four-year varsity baseball player at Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts. A two-year baseball captain, he is a multi-sport athlete at Tabor, playing both baseball and football. He earned All-League for the All-Central New England Prep School Baseball League in 2010, after hitting .341 with three home runs, 17 RBI, and a .636 slugging percentage and was an Under Armour Preseason All-American by The Baseball Factory. In summer ball, Salvo has played for the Post 228 Legion Team, in Somerset, Massachusetts, serving as a two-year captain. He helped lead the team through the District playoffs to the State Sectionals in 2010.
"Sebastian has played legion ball, and carries a big stick. He brings left-handed hitting power as a catcher/first baseman, and is a high character kid, and leader on the field," said Restaino.
Wirsu, a 6-0 right-handed pitcher from Harlem, Georgia, is a multi-sport athlete at Harlem High School, where he has played baseball, football, and basketball. In baseball, he was a Second Team All-County and All-Region selection, and was listed among the Georgia Top 100 prospects. He received the team best pitcher award in the 2010 and was an All-Area Honorable Mention selection. After participating at a Florida camp, he was selected to play with the Florida Legends, a Chicago White Sox Scout Team and high-level AAU team. Away from the field, Wirsu is a member of the National Honor Society and the National Beta Club.
"Joshua pitched for the White Sox Scout Team, Florida Legends, which is a major AAU summer team. He has a quick arm with good slider command and knows how to pitch," said Restaino.
