MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama baseball head coach Steve Kittrell announced the addition of Jordan Patterson to the 2010-11 roster Friday after he signed scholarship papers with the school.

Patterson, a 6-4, 190-pound left-handed pitcher, went 8-1 last season with a 1.63 earned run average at Baker High School in Mobile. He averaged a strikeout per inning as a senior, finishing with 56 strikeouts in 56 innings. He also batted .439 with four home runs and 20 RBI with 12 doubles, one triple and eight stolen bases for BHS head coach Bill Glover.

“Jordan (Patterson) is a fantastic athlete,” USA associate head coach/coach-in-waiting Mark Calvi said. “We’re very excited about him. He has a chance to be a solid two-way player as a freshman – he’s very athletic. As a pitcher he’s mid-to-upper 80s with a good changeup and breaking ball, so he has a chance to log some significant innings and get some at-bats and playing time as a freshman. He is a very good athlete.”

Patterson was a three-sport standout at BHS where he lettered in football, basketball and baseball. Last year, he helped the Hornets reach the semifinals of the Alabama High School Athletic Association basketball playoffs and led Baker to the quarterfinals of the AHSAA baseball playoffs.

“Jordan is just a very good athlete,” Kittrell said. “He’s not only an outstanding pitcher, he has a chance to play a position here and hit – he’s just a gifted athlete. It’s rare now to see a young man play three sports in high school and star in all three, but he did. We’re extremely happy to keep him at home and playing for the Jaguars. 

“I think he has a chance to come in and see action right away as a freshman. He’ll have to earn that on the field, but Jordan is a very focused individual who has great work habits and comes from a very good program at Baker.”

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).

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