Jacksonville: Ryan Rieger, 1B

[emkayseven]

Discuss.

[Erick]

http://www.santaclarabroncos.com/spo...120409aaa.html

EDIT: Kinda irrelevant; this is from 2009...

[tjfla]

Conference POY 6'2 200lbs L/L 1B

Went to same school as Stonecipher(Used to be with us)

http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/art...ce-player-year

[Bucklin12]

Going to Long Beach State next year if he doesn't sign.

[emkayseven]

The Central Valley Conference baseball coaches didn't even have to vote.

The selection was unanimous.

College of the Sequoias first baseman Ryan Rieger was named the conference player of the year Wednesday by the conference's coaches.

Rieger had a monster season before having it cut short because of a broken hand.

He hit .365 with seven home runs, 15 doubles, five triples, 31 RBIs, 35 runs scored and 17 walks.

http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/art...ce-player-year
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It is no easy task replacing a hitter with Ryan Rieger's production.

But the College of the Sequoias baseball team is going to have to do just that if it hopes to make a deep run into the postseason.

Rieger, the team's most productive hitter, broke a bone in his hand during a nonconference game against Bakersfield College last week and will miss the rest of the season.

"You start looking at players you've had over the years and he's one of the top players I've had in the last 21 years," COS coach Jody Allen said. "My thoughts are I'd love to have him hitting in the No. 3 hole [today]."

Rieger, a sophomore kickback from Santa Clara, posted a .365 batting average with seven home runs, 15 doubles, five triples, 31 RBIs, 35 runs scored and 17 walks. He was also 11-of-11 on stolen base attempts before the injury.

Rieger broke his hamate bone swinging through a pitch. He finished his at-bat and still recorded a hit, but once he was on first base he told his first-base coach his hand was probably broken.

"I'm bummed because I spent so much time with my team and we accomplished a lot here," Rieger said. "To not be there for the team is hard. I definitely wanted to finish what I started here."

The trick for Allen and the Giants is to overcome not having a game-altering bat in the middle of the lineup.

"A baseball team is not one guy," Allen said. "Obviously, I told the team you won't replace a Ryan Rieger, but what you can do is give other guys opportunities. We have a lot of good players. We're not short on talent to compete for a title or make a run in the playoffs."

After spending two years at Santa Clara — one redshirt year — Rieger decided to transfer to a junior college because he was struggling to stay up on his grades.

"It was a lack of focus on my part," Rieger said. "I was immature. It was my first time away from home and my priorities were mixed up."

Wanting to get back on track, Rieger started looking for a different place to play.

His father played at COS under Bert Holt so he called Allen and asked him if there was room on his team for another player.

http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/art...20/1006/SPORTS
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HIGH SCHOOL: Ranked as one of the nation's Top 50 prospects by Baseball America and Rivals.com as a prep start at Woodcreek High School in Roseville, Calif. ... hit .472 as a senior, with 34 hits and 24 RBI in 27 games ... All-Sierra Foothill League First Team honoree ... 2008 Sacramento Bee All-Metro Team selection ... all-state nominee by CalHiSports.com ... slugged .525 as a junior, leading the Timberwolves in virtually every offensive category ... named Woodcreek's 'Offensive MVP' ... selected to play in the 2007 California Baseball Coaches Association North-South Showcase event ... participated in the Area Codes Games and played for the Colorado Rockies scout team ... also played football.

http://www.santaclarabroncos.com/spo...er_ryan00.html

[LocoMarlinFan]

Marlins take COS' Rieger in seventh round of MLB Draft

The season that Ryan Rieger put together this season for the College of the Sequoias was potent enough to make him one of the more sought-after junior college recruits for the West Coast's top NCAA programs.

Rieger's season also attracted plenty of interest from Major League Baseball, enough to the point now that the thought of playing Minor League Baseball in 2012 is more realistic for Rieger than a return to NCAA baseball.

The Florida Marlins selected Rieger in the seventh round of the 2011 MLB Draft Tuesday. Rieger, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound first baseman, was the No. 223 overall selection.

"I had gotten a few phone calls in the morning during the fourth and fifth rounds, and the Marlins were one of those teams calling. They told me, 'We're going to try to get you real soon,' so I just watched my computer. My name popped up, and I got a phone call right after that. It's a very exciting time," Rieger said.

Rieger began his collegiate career with Santa Clara, but after one year with the Broncos, he transferred to COS for the 2011 season.

The left-handed hitting slugger was a terror to Central Valley Conference pitchers all season. He led COS in batting average (.365), home runs (7), slugging percentage (.701), on-base percentage (.446), extra-base hits (27) and was tied for the team lead in RBIs (31). He was named the CVC player of the year.

"Coming to Visalia is one of the greatest decisions in my life. It was just huge," Rieger said.

Rieger is the first COS player drafted since the St. Louis Cardinals tabbed Beau Riportella in the 10th round of the 2007 draft.

"I'm really happy for him," COS head coach Jody Allen said of Rieger. "I think he's excited about the opportunity that is in front of him. One of the reasons why guys start playing ball when you're a little kid is a chance to play professionally, and he's realized that. You'll still have to work out all the details, but he has to be really excited about what's next for him."

Allen said he believes that Rieger is the highest-drafted COS player since he became the Giants' head coach in 1994.

"I'm just a proud member of the Giants, and I'm definitely proud that I got the chance to represent the school, the program, and what coach Allen instilled in us," Rieger said.

Rieger now has a decision to make: Sign with the Marlins or continue his collegiate baseball career at Long Beach State.

Rieger is considered the center-piece player of Long Beach State's 2012 recruiting class.

As far as signing bonuses go for seventh-round picks, Rieger is looking at something in the $125-150,000 range.

There were eight 2010 seventh-round picks that received a $125,000 signing bonus, and five who signed for $150,000. The Marlins reached an agreement with California outfielder Mark Canha, their 2010 seventh-round pick, for $300,000.

There were four 2010 seventh-round picks who did not sign with the teams that drafted them.

"I'm kind of leaning towards [signing with] the Marlins," Rieger said. "I want to take a look at both sides. I'll probably make my decision in the next month, but I definitely want to look at both sides."

http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/art...ORTS/106080301

[Flasportsfan88]

Really curious to see what this kids got, hope we sign him.

[Emperor]

Really curious to see what this kids got, hope we sign him.

I agree he sounds like one of the most interesting ones we've picked so far.

[Bucklin12]

The 2011 Long Beach State season is over, but the time between the end of one season and the start of the next is often negligible, which explains why Troy Buckley and his assistants are so busy even with the official start of the 2012 campaign seven months away.

Buckley is first waiting to see how the recent amateur draft settles as far as the Dirtbag players are involved; will keep tabs on the 25-plus returning players as they play summer ball; and then prep for the start of fall camp when more than 40 players may be in camp leading up to mid-January.

Whoever said summer is for vacations obviously never was a college baseball coach.

"Everyone who played extensively last season is returning other than the drafted guys who sign pro," Buckley said while traveling to a summer all-star game in Northern California. "There have been some developments that give us a real good chance to be better than we were last season."

The Dirtbags went 29-27 with some giddy highs and some head-shaking lows, but Buckley was happiest that there was a better sense of competition much of the season and that the team finished well (5-2 in its last seven) after two seasons of May meltdowns.

Buckley expects three of the four players drafted last week to sign, Drew Gagnon (third round, Milwaukee), Branden Pinder (16th, Yankees) and Kirk Singer (29th, St. Louis). Center fielder Brennan Metzger was not drafted and will return as a senior, and Mike Marjamawas a 23rd-round pick by the White Sox.

Buckley made it clear he wants Marjama, who hit .290 with 27 RBIs, to return. But he understands the situation the catcher/third baseman is in - he was drafted lower than expected and now must balance how much higher he can raise his draft status if he returns to college as a senior.

"From our perspective, we want quality seniors on the team who can provide leadership," he said. "I also understand where he is, and I don't want to put him in a position where all he hears from us is: `We want you back.' That can turn a kid off."

Marjama is already in a summer league, Buckley having guided him to Orleans in the prestigious Cape Cod League, where he will work on his catching skills. "For his best interests, the more he develops his talents will make him more valuable, and he needs the chance to play in a quality league day in and day out." Buckley said. "I want what's best for him, and that's what's best for him whether he signs or comes back."

If Marjama returns, the Dirtbags will have eight returning starters in 2012, plus 2010 starter Kellen Hoime, as well as 13 returning pitchers.

Of the newcomers who were draft eligible, Buckley expects to lose just one, College of the Sequoias first baseman/outfielder Ryan Rieger, who was a seventh-round pick. "I always believe that if a (pro) team takes someone in the first 10 rounds, they plan to sign him, so I'd expect he'll get a good offer," Buckley said.

Freshman first baseman Richard Prigatano, who played on a Mountain View High team that had four players drafted, lasted to the 16th round and Buckley believes he's leaning to college. "He still has conversations set with Toronto but he and his family indicated they're committed to college and view Long Beach as a great opportunity," Buckley said. "I think we'll know more by the end of the summer."

The other key signees who will join the program in the fall include Corona/Centennial first baseman/outfielder Daniel Arellano, Cypress outfielder Zack Belanger, and JC pitchers Matt Anderson (Chaffey) and Mike Botelho (Chabot). Buckley also has received a commitment from a JC pitcher from Central California but can't announce it until the paperwork has cleared.

Buckley tentatively has as many as 42 players who will be in fall camp, including Marjama for the moment. Eight are returnees who started at least 27 games in 2012, plus two pitchers with 22 combined starts in '11 and eight who appeared in 10 or more games.

http://www.presstelegram.com/sports/ci_18257495

[LocoMarlinFan]

7th-rounder Ryan Rieger, a 1B at JC of the Sequoias (Calif.), has agreed to terms w/ #Marlins. Ex-Santa Clara player was committed to #LBSU

http://twitter.com/#!/aaronfitt

Signed for 200K according to Ba

[daygo223]

great player

I went to school with him at college of the sequoias and watched him play there. He's really great to watch, you see the potential right away. Marlins got a great player.

[HUGG]

Can you get an autographed baseball and send it to a member here: flamarlins21?

He's in a wheelchair and likes signed stuff from players. Just PM him and get his info.

Thanks.