Oct. 10, 2008

LOS ANGELES -- USC's recruiting class for the 2009 season has been rated No. 22 in the nation by Baseball America, which released its annual rankings today. BA featured seven of USC's recruits, including IF/RHP Ricky Oropesa (Etiwanda, Calif.), who was a 24th-round selection of the Boston Red Sox.

Trojan recruiting coordinator Doyle Wilson and the USC coaching staff put together a class of 14 freshmen and one junior college transfer as a total of five Pac-10 schools placed in the rankings (No. 1 Arizona State, No. 7 UCLA, No. 10 Oregon and No. 18 Stanford).

Baseball America highlighted Oropesa along with LHP Danny Coulombe, OF/RHP Brandon Garcia, RHP Chad Smith, 1B/OF Beau Brett, IF Ashton Kent and LHP Alex Levin. Coulombe was a 17th-round selection by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Garcia was drafted in the 28th round by the Milwaukee Brewers and Brett in the 29th round by the Kansas City Royals.

Levin is the lone JC transfer as the 6-3, 220-pounder played last year at Lower Columbia (Wash.) CC.

USC opens the 2009 season on Feb. 20 against Long Beach State at Dedeaux Field.