University of Memphis Athletics
Baseball Adds Three For Upcoming Season
Jan 25, 2002 | Baseball
Jan. 25, 2002
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - University of Memphis baseball coach Dave Anderson announced today the enrollment of three transfers that have officially joined his 2002 Tigers this spring.
The headliner of the group is junior Joel Posey, a right-handed pitcher from Northwest Mississippi Community College. Joining Posey are Michael Noavrese, a transfer from Mississippi State and 2000 graduate of Germantown High, and Ryan Leach, a 2001 graduate of Christian Brothers High.
Joel Posey, Junior, Pitcher, Northwest Mississippi CC
Posey is Memphis' most anticipated transfer of the spring semester. The 6-1, 185-pound right-hander possesses a lively fastball that touches the high 80s and is a leading candidate to become the Tigers' number-one starter.
As a sophomore at Northwest, Posey carried a 1.33 ERA and held opponents to a .189 batting average en route to a first-team all-America selection. He was also named all-state, all-region and was voted team MVP at Northwest. His 152 career strikeouts and 14 strikeouts in a game are NWCC school records.
As a prep, Posey led Covington High to a 31-7 record and the Tennessee Class-AA State Championship in 1999. As a senior, he was 11-2 with a 0.91 ERA with 125 strikeouts and was named all-state, all-metro and all-district.
Michael Novarese, R-Freshman, Mississippi State
Novarese is a 5-11, 170-pound right-hander from Holly Springs, Miss. He sat out last season at Mississippi State as a redshirt after signing with the Bulldogs out of Germantown High.
Novarese posted a 2-0 record with a 1.24 ERA as a senior with the Red Devils before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. Prior to enrolling at Germantown High, Novarese was a standout at Marshall Acamdey (Holly Springs, Miss.). He was named second-team MPSA all-state as a junior at MA after batting .450 with 14 doubles, six triples, six home runs and 32 RBI. He held a 2.40 ERA with 60 strikeouts as a junior and was a two-time all-conference selection as a centerfielder and pitcher. Novarese also lettered two years in football and basketball.
Ryan Leach, Freshman, Christian Brothers
Leach, a native Memphian, is a 6-1, 175-pound graduate of Christian Brothers High. The middle infielder joins the Tigers after spending the fall semester at the University of Georgia.
Leach was a three-year letter winner at CBHS, where he helped lead the Purple Wave to consecutive Division II Tennessee State Championships in 2000 and 2001. He was a two-time all-region selection and was named all-metro after batting .390 with a home run, 45 RBI and 20 stolen bases as a senior. Leach also set the CBHS single-season record for sacrifices with seven.
