San Marcos baseball star Riley Moore has made a verbal commitment to the University of Arizona.
Moore, who was selected to play in the prestigious Area Code Games this summer, will make his official recruiting visit to the Tucson campus next week. He made an unofficial visit last spring when San Marcos was in Arizona for a baseball tournament during spring break.
“I really love the city of Tucson. It’s not a small town, but it’s not like Los Angeles or New York,” he said. “It’s got a country feel to it, but it’s still modern.
He said the desert heat isn’t a problem.
“I have always been a fan of hot weather and I like the Arizona heat quite a bit,” he said.
Moore, a 6-3 catcher who batted .493 last spring for the Royals and led them to a CIF playoff berth, is excited about playing in the Pac-10 Conference.
“That was my lifetime dream and it’s finally coming through.”
Moore will play for Andy Lopez, one of the top baseball coaches in the country. He’s coached three teams to the College World Series — Arizona, Florida and Pepperdine — and won a national championship at Pepperdine in 1992.
Lopez has guided Arizona to six NCAA postseason appearances in the last eight years.
Moore said he’s got a good shot at starting for the Wildcats. He will be competing against another incoming freshman for the starting catcher’s job.
