UMaine receives letters from 3 baseball recruits

ORONO – University of Maine baseball coach Paul Kostacopoulos announced on Tuesday that the Black Bears have received National Letters of Intent from three prospective student-athletes.

The Bears signees are Moises Rivera of New Paltz, N.Y., John Tesseyman of High Falls, N.Y., and Ray Vallee of Augusta.

Rivera is a 5-foot-11, 170-pound infielder who can play two or three different positions.

“Mo is a tremendous pickup for this program,” Kostacopoulos said in a UMaine press release. “He will be able to help us in a few different ways defensively. Rivera will be battling for time at both shortstop and second base.”

Tesseyman is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound right-handed pitcher who posted a 5-1 record as a junior at Rondout Valley High. He struck out 39 batters and walked only eight in 36 innings. His ERA was 1.75.

“John has a fastball in the mid- to high-80s with very good control,” Kostacopoulos said. “He will be looked upon to help our pitching staff next year.”

Vallee is a 6-foot, 185-pounder who can play third base, shortstop, and may pitch. A finalist for Maine’s Mr. Baseball award as a senior, he is attending The Gunnery, a prep school in Washington, Conn.

“Ray is an outstanding athlete who will be a great addition to our program. His athleticism will enable him to help us in many different ways,” Kostacopoulos said.

All NLI signings are contingent upon admission to the University of Maine and compliance with all NCAA rules, including registration with the NCAA Clearinghouse.