July 3, 2013 - Bronx, N.Y. - Fordham head baseball coach Kevin Leighton announced the addition of three student-athletes to this year's recruiting class, as catcher Pat Gardner (Caldwell, N.J./Seton Hall Prep), pitcher Kirk Haynes, Jr. (Linthicum, Md./Mount Saint Joseph), and outfielder Ryan Mahoney (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) will join the Rams in the fall.
These players join six student-athletes from the early period, which included outfielder/catcher Mark Donadio (Mt. Sinai, N.Y./Mt. Sinai), infielder Matthew Kozuch (Glen Rock, N.J./Saint Joseph Regional), outfielder Jason Lundy (Freehold, N.J./Freehold Boro), pitcher Donald May (Buzzards Bay, Mass./Coyle Cassidy), infielder/pitcher Luke Stampfl (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills West), and pitcher/infielder Greg Weissert (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore).
Gardner, a 5-10 catcher from Caldwell, New Jersey, was a varsity starter at Seton Hall Prep, helping the team to a 30-3 record this season, while capturing the county and North A Non-Public State Championships. A First Team All-Essex and All-Conference selection, he hit .300 as a senior with 27 hits, nine doubles, and 22 RBI. He also posted a .407 on-base percentage with 19 walks. Gardner was named to the honor roll in each of his four seasons at Seton Hall Prep, and received the Coaches Award, which is given at graduation to five senior student-athletes for leadership. He also plays summer ball for the North Jersey Cardinals.
Coach Leighton on Gardner: "Pat comes to us from a very strong school and baseball program at Seton Hall Prep. He is a very good defender behind the plate, handles his pitchers well, and has shown a very good bat at various camps and throughout the spring season. We feel that he has the tools to be a solid catcher for us."
Haynes, a 6-1 right-handed pitcher from Linthicum, Maryland, was a three-year varsity player at Mount Saint Joseph High School. He received team MVP honors, playing both third base and pitching, and finished the year as the team leader in wins, while posting a .308 batting average and a .404 on-base-percentage. Selected to the Baltimore Sun Preseason All-State baseball team, Haynes was named to Team Maryland as a junior and received the Coaches Award at Mount Saint Joseph. He also plays summer ball for the Baltimore Rays.
Coach Leighton on Haynes: "We are excited about the addition of Kirk to our pitching staff. He throws strikes and knows how to pitch. We feel that he will be a solid addition to our staff right away."
Mahoney, a 6-1 outfielder from Baldwin, New York, was a two-year varsity baseball and football player at Baldwin High School. He was an All-County and All-Conference baseball player and served as team captain. As a senior, he hit .396 with 12 extra-base hits and 12 RBI to go with a .524 on-base percentage and a .736 slugging percentage. He also plays summer ball for the Freeport Silver Bullets. In the classroom, Mahoney is a member of the National Honor Society and the honor roll.
Coach Leighton on Mahoney: "Ryan is a big, strong, left-handed hitting outfielder that we feel will be a good offensive option for us. His presence in his high school lineup is definitely noticeable and we will look for him to continue to be a guy that can hit for power and average."
