HAYWARD, Calif. -- Cal State East Bay head baseball coach Mike Cummins has announced the signing of five student-athletes to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. This incoming quintet with join the Pioneers for the 2019-20 academic year.

The class includes two infielders, an outfielder, a catcher, and two right-handed pitchers. Two of the six will be junior college transfers, with the other four entering CSUEB as freshmen. Five of the signees hail from the state of California and one is a native of  Nevada.

Garret Damico (Reno, Nev.) plays prep ball at Reno High School, the same school of which assistant coach Grant Kukuk is a graduate. Damico earned All-High Desert League honors as a junior after batting .320 and leading the High Desert region with 20 stolen bases. In the offseason, the infielder plays for the Reno Knights, an American Legion Team.

"Garret is a hard-nose, tough kid who will have a chance to be an impact on our program at East Bay," coach Çummins commented. "His ability to play the short game, situationally hit, and play great defense makes him a great addition to our program."

Another infielder, Samuel Esparza (San Pablo, Calif.), will join the Pioneers from Laney College in Oakland. A graduate of Pinole Valley High School, Esparza hit .297 in 34 games last Spring as a freshman at Laney and captured Second Team All-Bay Valley Conference recognition.

"Samuel is a pure shortstop, he has a great feel for the game, impressive tools, and the ability to be a vocal leader on and off the field," Cummins praised. "Samuel will impact the culture of our program in a big way. Being a junior college transfer, we will look to him to add maturity and experience to our infield core." 

CSUEB will add an East Bay native to its roster of catchers Matt Mandeville (Danville, Calif.). A senior at San Ramon Valley High School, Mandeville spent last summer competing for the Danville Hoots, one of the most prestigious travel academies in the area. He posted a .301 average and .418 on-base percentage for the Hoots, striking out just 12 times in 35 games.

"Matt is a hard-working kid who plays for a very respected high school and travel program," said Cummins. "He's a local product with a lot of talent, and it's our mission to keep the best athletes from the East Bay in the East Bay. Matt has a chance to learn from our veteran catching core, and he can also play the outfield and some corner infield, adding to his versatility for our program." 

The first Southern California native in this class, Ryan Robinson (Murrieta, Calif.) will join CSUEB's pitching staff after playing two seasons at Los Angeles Harbor College. The 6'0" right-hander pitched in 19 games for the Seahawks last year as a freshman, posting a 2-0 record with a 1.74 ERA. 

"Ryan portrays the image of what East Bay pitching stands for," noted pitching coach Grant Kukuk. "He has a great feel for pitching, is athletic, pounds the zone, and is a great competitor. Ryan has a great chance to come in right away and be a top-of-the-rotation guy for us." 

Jacob Schmutzler (Vacaville, Calif.) is a 6'2" outfielder completing his senior season at Vacaville High School. In 2018, he helped lead the Bulldogs to Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship, and he spent this past summer and fall competing foe Game Day Baseball.

"Jacob is a player with a tremendous work ethic and athletic build," said Cummins. "He has some rawness to him and room for improvement, which is exciting, and he plays the game with intensity."

Finally, the Pioneers will add a talented two-way prep player in Tristian Tatum (Bakersfield, Calif.). He was named Second Team All-League as a pitcher and infielder his junior year, posting a .253 batting average in 31 games for Frontier High School. Tatum also competed for the Bakersfield Dodgers during the offseason.  

"Tristian is a player who has the ability to help us out in the field as well as on the mound," Cummins added. "He's a physical kid who will add size and variability to our roster. I believe he will have a chance to help us out in many ways."