SAN FRANCISCO — University of San Francisco baseball head coach Nino Giarratano has announced the addition of two veteran and versatile right-handed pitchers out of the College of Marin, with Michael Benz and Nick Roth both signing to join the Dons in 2019-20.
 
The duo from the North Bay combined for 76 appearances with the Mariners during their two-year careers there. Benz and Roth both posted Ks-per-nine rates of over 8.2 and come to The Hilltop with strikeouts-to-walks ratios of over 2.5-to-1 for their junior college careers.
 
"We are very excited to have both Benz and Roth in our program here at USF," said Giarratano. "It has always been a goal of ours to do a great job of recruiting locally. Coach (Steve) Berringer has done a wonderful job at College of Marin."
 
Michael Benz | RHP | 6-0 | 200 | Larkspur, Calif./Redwood HS/College of Marin
 
Benz attended College of Marin via Redwood High School in Larkspur, Calif., where he was an all-league pitcher and earned his team's Pitcher of the Year award. He posted a 1.92 ERA with two saves in 18 appearances as a senior in 2017, as he helped the Giants to a California Interscholastic Federation North Coast Section Division II playoffs appearance.
 
Benz was mainly a reliever for the Mariners when he moved to the college ranks in 2018. He recorded six saves in 23 appearances in 2019, tallying 68 strikeouts in 63 innings with a 3.71 ERA. Benz displayed excellent control last spring, walking only 18 while posting a near-4-to-1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio.

"Both Benz and Roth will create strong depth for our pitching staff," added Giarratano. "We see both as great contributors this upcoming spring."
 




Nick Roth | RHP | 5-10 | 205 | Fairfax, Calif./Drake HS/College of Marin
 
Roth was an all-around athlete at Sir Francis Drake High School in San Anselmo, Calif., before attending College of Marin down the road. He was a three-year letterwinner in baseball as a two-way player, and also lettered for the Pirates' football team. On the diamond, he was a multi-time all-league player, including first team as both a pitcher and a third baseman during his senior season of 2017. He hit .347 over his final two years of prep ball while also stealing 19 bases.
 
He was lights out on the mound at Drake High with ERAs of 1.01 and 0.78 as a junior and senior, respectively. He struck out 154 over those two years, including a dominant senior season in which he struck out 92 in 81 innings pitched with only 19 walks, going 9-3 with seven complete games. Roth helped lead the Pirates to a Marin County Athletic League title and a CIF NCS Division III championship in 2017.
 
Once in the college ranks, Roth continued to fire on all cylinders. He recorded 10 saves in 2018 as a freshman for the Bay Valley Conference-champion Mariners. He was moved to the starting rotation last season where he posted a 3.19 ERA and better-than-4-to-1 strikeouts-to-walk ratio with 82 Ks against only 20 walks in 79 innings of work.