University of Tennessee Athletics
Baseball Vols Ink Three More
June 05, 2002 | Baseball
June 5, 2002
Tennessee head baseball coach Rod Delmonico announced the signing of three more student-athletes for the 2003 season. They include two pitchers and one infielder, bringing the total number of newcomers to 13 since the early signing period last November.
Infielder Michael Rivera hails from Miami Senior High School in Miami, Fla., while joining an already well-stocked pitching staff are a junior college transfer in Steve Wesley from Brevard (Fla.) Community College, and Derek Tharpe from Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.
Rivera, a native of Managua, Nicaragua, was named All-Dade County this past season after batting .485 with four home runs and 38 RBI in 29 games. The 5-11, 165-pound middle infielder led his team in batting three consecutive years, batting .438 as a sophomore and .449 during his junior campaign when he was named MVP.
Wesley, the top reliever in the state, was named the Florida Junior College Fireman of the Year after posting eight saves and 7-1 mark on the hill this last season. The 5-11, 170-pound right-hander notched seven saves as a freshman in 2001, while being a two-time All-Conference honoree.
Tharpe, who was the co-Knoxville Interscholastic League Player of the Year at Karns High School in 2000, compiled a two-year record of 5-15 with a 5.35 ERA and one save. As the No. 1 starter for the Bulldogs this past season, the 5-11, 190-pound left-hander was 4-7 in 14 starts while leading the team in strikeouts with 66 in 76.1 innings.
