Baseball Adds Transfer From Vanderbilt
July 20, 1999 | Baseball
July 20, 1999
LOS ANGELES - Mark Prior, a righthanded pitcher currently on the U.S. National Baseball Team, is transferring from Vanderbilt to USC, Trojan head coach Mike Gillespie announced today.
"We believe Mark will be an impact player immediately at USC," Gillespie said. "He should be a top-flight pitcher in the Pac-10 next year as a sophomore."
This summer, he is 1-1 with a 3.93 ERA in 18 1/3 innings with the national team. His win came against Mexico. In an outing last weekend against the U.S. Pan-Am team, comprised of professionals, he went four innings in relief with seven strikeouts while giving up one run.
Prior, 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, played one season at Vanderbilt and earned 1999 Baseball America Freshman All- American second team honors. He went 4-8 with a 4.59 earned-run average and had 71 strikeouts in 82 1/3 innings. He also saw time as the designated hitter and batted .260 with four home runs and 28 RBI.
Coming out of high school, he was the 43rd overall pick (a first-round sandwich selection) of the 1998 professional draft by the New York Yankees.
Prior hails from Bonita, Calif., and attended University of San Diego High School, where he was a prep All-American and all-state pick. As a senior, he went 10-5 with a 0.93 ERA and batted .410 with 15 home runs and was named the San Diego County Player of the Year by the San Diego Union-Tribune.
USC went 36-26 in 1999 and placed second in the Pac-10 Conference with a 17-7 mark.
