Cal sprouts Flower

Cal has mined the Northern California region for multiple 2016 prospects early in the recruiting process. The Bears continued their success when Campolindo's Max Flower sprouted his commitment to Berkeley.

"I liked the location and the coaches," said Flower. "I also liked the players committed in my class and the classes in front of me. The academic level of Cal was also a big draw."

The 6-foot-3, 200 pounder was named First Team All-League as a sophomore at Campolindo last season for his hitting ability. Although he didn't pitch for the Cougars, Flower impressed on the mound this summer. He touched 87 MPH at the NorCal World Series and tossed two scoreless innings at the Bay Area World Series. While pitching in the Pac-12 could be a possibility, Flower mentioned that he plans to play in the outfield at the next level.

Flower has good size with a projectable frame that should allow him to add weight to eventually hit for power. He has quick hands and lots of upside. In the field, he's a good athlete with a strong arm. Flower believes his strengths are "hitting the ball all over the field and tracking down fly balls" but is working to improve his speed.

In addition to Cal, Flower held offers from Saint Mary's and Santa Clara while he was also in contact with Cal Poly. He took unofficial visits to all four schools mentioned before making his decision.

Off the diamond, Flower is a wide receiver on the football team. He holds a 3.4 GPA in the classroom and his favorite subject is math. Flower said he'd like to major in engineering or business at Cal.

Flower becomes the fourth commitment from Northern California for Cal's 2016 recruiting class. He joins Vintage right-handed pitcher Jared Horn, Logan right-handed pitcher Rogelio Reyes, and Carrillo infielder Andrew Vaughn as early verbals.

When Flower arrives in Berkeley, he'll be the fourth Campolindo product on the team. Current Cal second baseman and Campolindo product Robbie Tenerowicz is entering his sophomore season with the Bears while Cal also signed incoming freshmen Matt Ladrech and Denis Karas. Cal nabbed another good one with Flower.