MANNY RODRIGUEZ Catcher Freshman • 6-1 • 205 • R/R Miami Fla. Mater Academy HS
COACH MELENDEZ ON RODRIGUEZ: “Manny’s a great hitter, a good catcher with a great arm. He will also play first base for us. I think offensively, Manny is going to be a force, not just in this conference but around the nation. We’re hoping he continues to show his strength on the offense.”
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4-year letterman on varsity team
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Earned second-team All-Broward County honors as junior
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Born Manuel Rodriguez Feb. 15, 1993
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Parents are Manuel Sr. and Leonar; has one sister – Carolina, and one brother – Christopher
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Criminal Justice Major
ARMANDO RUIZ Right Handed Pitcher Freshman • 5-9 • 165 • R/R Miami, Fla. Doral Academy
COACH MELENDEZ ON RUIZ: “Armando is one of the freshman pitchers that has worked through soreness during the fall. He’s getting back in the groove and becoming the pitcher we want him to be. He’s probably going to be a reliever right off the bat but we’re looking for a lot of good innings from him. He throws a lot of pitches for strikes.”
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Rookie of the Year as freshman; earned All-Dade County second team honors as senior
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Posted 7-2 record as senior, with 2.15 ERA and 68 strikeouts
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Born Armando Jose Ruiz on July 19, 1993
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Parents are Armando Sr. and Pubia Ruiz; has one brother – Arnold
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Business Management Major
DERRICK SANDERS Outfield Freshman • 6-0 • 205 • L/L Birmingham, Ala. Huffman HS
COACH MELENDEZ ON SANDERS: “We didn’t know what to expect from Derrick when we first got here, but he’s turned out to be a good baseball player. Hopefully he will be a mainstay in the outfield for us for years to come. He really understands how to hit, is a very good outfielder and is a complete player.”
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Was Class Valadictorian and member of National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta and HS Ambassadors
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Team MVP as senior, batting .590 with on-base percentage of .790, hitting 30 doubles, 10 triples and six HRs
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Born Derrick Sanders II on August 13, 1993
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Parents are Derrick and Alice Sanders
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Engineering Major
2012 ASU Baseball Media Guide
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