MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama baseball head coach Steve Kittrell announced the signing of three student-athletes to National Letters of Intent Thursday. The Jags signed two right-handed pitchers and an outfielder for the 2010 season. The early signing class is now complete with six junior college players and one high school senior.

“We got a lot of experience with the junior college players. We signed a lot of freshmen last year, so we think this group will mix well with the guys we already have here,” Kittrell said. “This recruiting class has a great mixture of speed, power, and some good arms. Coach (Scot) Sealy and coach (Seth) Von Behren have done a great job of getting together a class that can help us get back to the very top of the Sun Belt Conference.”

USA’s most recent signees are RHP Lance Brown (Mount Ayr, Iowa/Iowa Western CC), RHP Caleb Strickland (Tallahassee, Fla./Northwest Florida State College) and OF Nolan Earley (Anderson, Ind./Anderson HS).

Earley (6-1, 185), the lone high school player in the group, has been a four-year starter at quarterback on the Anderson High School football team. He was one of only three juniors to be named to the 2008 Class 4A All-State first team in baseball after hitting .488 with 47 RBI and 40 runs scored. He’s also from the same hometown that produced former Jag and current Toronto Blue Jay Adam Lind.

“He has the opportunity to have a rare combination of speed and above average power as he matures,” assistant coach Seth Von Behren said. “Right now he’s a doubles hitter who is going to be a very high batting average guy in college baseball. The best part is that he works. He works out four days a week, and I expect Nolan Earley to be a big-time baseball player at South Alabama.”

Brown (6-2, 180) played for coach Marc Rardin at Iowa Western Community College in 2008 after spending his high school days at Mount Ayr High School. He posted a 7-2 record and helped the Reivers to a 55-10 record and an ICCAC Championship in his freshman season at IWCC. In high school, Brown was twice named first-team All-State.

“He’s pitched on a big stage. He pitched in the Junior College World Series in front of 15,000 people last year,” assistant coach Scot Sealy said. “He’s been in the limelight, pitched on the big stage, and coming to Division I is not going to be a big shock to him. He’s a guy that we expect is going to come in here and pitch on the weekends.”

Strickland (6-5, 210) pitched his freshman season at Lake City Community College, but the program disbanded, so he transferred to Northwest Florida State College for the 2009 season. He earned first-team all-conference honors at Lake City in 2008. Additionally, he threw a perfect inning in Northwest Florida State’s fall exhibition game against USA.

“He’s a tall, rangy guy, he throws downhill well, and he commands three pitches for strikes,” Sealy said. “He’s got a good chance to be drafted after this year, but if he makes it to South Alabama he’s going to be a front-end guy for us.”

Earley, Brown and Strickland join Taylor White, Tyler Vick, Brent Tanner and Garrett Harris to comprise the Jags’ 2008 early signing class. Each is scheduled to join the USA baseball program for the 2010 season.

“The coaches did an outstanding job of getting some good hitters with power and some very experienced pitchers who should be able to move right into the rotation,” Kittrell said. “We needed a lot of experience, especially on the mound, because we feel like we could lose a few guys to the draft this year.”

Each of the 2010 signees will be profiled individually on the baseball page at www.usajaguars.com over the next week. The Jags open the 2009 season Feb. 20-22 when they host the 19th-annual Coca-Cola Classic at Stanky Field. 

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com.  Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).