Valparaiso has landed its first recruit since Matt Lottich became coach.
Jaume Sorolla has signed a national letter of intent after verbally committing over the weekend. The 6-foot-11, 240-pound center will be the Crusaders’ first player from Spain after spending this season at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas.
“Jay is a fantastic talent,” Lottich said. “He’s big, mobile and skilled offensively. He’s really long defensively. He’s not as long as Vashil (Fernandez), but he has a 7-5 wingspan. He can really protect the rim. He’s a classic five.”
In the future, Lottich envisions playing Sorolla and 7-1 Derrik Smits in tandem.
“Having two five-men as talented as Derrik and Jay, you can really think about a two-post offense,” he said. “You have to evaluate the talent you have, but you can build around that.”
Sorolla visited Valparaiso in March before Bryce Drew left for Vanderbilt. He delayed committing until the coaching situation was settled, Sunrise coach Kyle Bankhead said. Sorolla also visited UNC Greensboro, with Tulsa and Pacific in the mix.
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Sorolla has represented Spain in several international competitions, including the U16 and 18 European Championships. He averaged 7.3 points and 4.6 rebounds for Spain’s fourth-place team in the 2014 U17 World Championships.
“Valpo’s done so well with international kids, and he’s right up their alley,” said Bankhead, an assistant at San Diego for eight seasons who played at Gonzaga. “He’s a great kid, low maintenance. It’s a great fit for both sides.”
Valparaiso has two recruits in the class of 2016, with Bradley-Bourbonnais guard Micah Bradford signing in November. The Crusaders have two open scholarships, pending whether Keith Carter and Alec Peters return.
“We’re looking for the best available talent at all positions, whether that’s high school kids, junior colleges or transfers,” Lottich said.
Illinois All-Stater picks Irish: Neuqua Valley junior Isaiah Robertson originally planned on verbally committing in the summer.
But after talking through the process with his parents, he changed course Friday and announced his intentions to play football at Notre Dame.
“At the end of the day, my decision came down to who could develop me not only as a football player but as a successful man without the game of football,” Robertson wrote on Twitter. “So, it is with great honor to say that I am verbally committing to the University of Notre Dame.”
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound receiver/defensive back earned All-State honors at safety last season. He is a four-star recruit, according to Rivals.com. The site ranks him third among all class of 2017 players in Illinois.
Illinois, Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa and Vanderbilt were also in the mix.
RailCats make moves: It was a busy Friday for the RailCats.
They announced the San Francisco Giants purchased the contract of right-hander Matt Solter. In his rookie season, Solter had two stints with the RailCats, going 2-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 25 1/2 innings.
The RailCats also signed righty Ryan Richardson. He spent last season with the Lake Erie Crushers in the Frontier League, posting a 0.63 ERA in 14 games, and the Alpine Cowboys of the Pecos League, going 2-1 with a 2.27 ERA and a league-high 17 saves.
Also, the RailCats announced their tryout camp will start at 10 a.m. May 1 at the Steel Yard for both position players and pitchers. Previously, two separate sessions had been scheduled. Registration remains at 9:30 a.m., with a $50 fee.
The Post-Tribune’s LaMond Pope contributed.
Twitter @MichaelOsipoff