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MOBILE, Ala.  – University of South Alabama baseball signed 10 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent and added four additional student-athletes for 2013-14, head coach Mark Calvi announced Monday.

“We lose a lot [after] this year in the way of 16 seniors, so we have a lot of experience to replace,” Calvi said. “The one thing you can’t have enough of is good pitching. We have tried over the last couple of years to bring in a class balance. That’s really what we’re focusing on, especially from a pitching standpoint, and we achieved success there.
    
“We are trying to develop freshmen into sophomores and sophomores into juniors instead of bringing in so many junior-college guys who will be gone in a couple of years. From a talent standpoint, I feel great with this class. We had to address so many areas, and I think we did that. We have added some team speed and some guys who are solid defenders. We brought in some guys to bolster what I think could be a pretty good pitching staff this year to help strengthen a staff that is getting much stronger.

“The [assistant] coaches have worked tirelessly [in recruiting]. It is a never-ending process, especially where we were at with the program. Those guys have done a wonderful job, and have been relentless in finding kids who want to be here and are good enough to be here. Their commitment to building this program has been phenomenal in the past two years.”


Brock Stevens, 6-3, 185, Fr., RHP, R/R, Trinity Presbyterian School, Montgomery, Ala.
Stevens went 8-1 with a 2.13 ERA as a sophomore for Trinity. The right-hander recorded 75 strikeouts in 49 1/3 innings pitched, while limiting the opposition to a .211 batting average. Stevens had Tommy John surgery following his sophomore campaign, but returned late in the season last year to help Trinity capture the Alabama High School Athletic Association 3A state championship. He was named 1A-4A first-team all-metro by the Montgomery Advertiser in 2011. He went 7-0 on the mound and batted over .400 while helping the Trinity junior-varsity team to an undefeated season in his freshman year of 2010.

Calvi on Stevens – “Brock [Stevens] is a guy who has been a very successful high school pitcher. He had Tommy John [surgery] and missed the bulk of his junior year on the mound, but he is starting to come on right now. He’s a little over a year post-surgery, and he is throwing the ball extremely well. He has been upper 80s, touching 90 to 91, with a real good slider. He is extremely competitive and is part of that class balance where you bring in some good freshmen and you develop a number-one [starter] over the course of time. He is one of those guys who fits that mold.”


Beecher Faust III, 6-0, 200, Fr., RHP/IF, R/R, Fairhope High School, Fairhope, Ala.
Faust went 4-1 with a 1.48 ERA in 28 innings as a junior last year at FHS. He struck out 28 batters against just four walks while helping the Pirates to a runner-up finish in class 6A.

Calvi on Faust III – “Beecher [Faust III] comes from a great high school program with a winning tradition. His head coach [Stu Fuller] is an outstanding pitching coach. Beecher had limited innings last year, but he sat behind two really good senior pitchers. He is an upper 80s [fastball] guy who touches 90 to 91. He is a strong kid who throws strikes and is a very smart, intelligent young man. And he is local. We want to get some of the best local guys. Coach Fuller will lean on him a lot this year; he will be their number one [starter]. We think he will get plenty of experience this year. He is one of those guys who could come in and really develop and be a guy for us. One of the things we tried to do when we first got here was to go after the best local guys, even if they are a little under the radar. And I think that’s what Beecher is; he was a little under the radar. But this will be his year to shine, and we think we got a good one.”


Ashton Fronsoe, 6-2, 175, Jr., RHP, R/R, Brevard (Fla.) CC, Stuart, Fla.
Fronsoe (fraun-SO) went 5-3 with a 3.69 ERA in 48 2/3 innings last year for Brevard Community College in Cocoa, Fla. The right-hander struck out 38 batters and issued 11 walks in 14 appearances. Fronsoe earned all-area honorable mention after going 5-3 with a 1.13 ERA in 53 innings, while recording 66 strikeouts against 13 walks as a senior at Martin County High School in Stuart, Fla.

Calvi on Fronsoe – “[Ashton] Fronsoe put up solid numbers in a tough junior-college conference in southern Florida. He is a steady guy who throws strikes. He is at a vastly improved program, and we’re expecting him to have a big year and step right in and contribute as a junior for us.”


Locke St. John, 6-2, 190, Jr., LHP, L/L, Southern Union (Ala.) CC, Pell City, Ala.
John went 8-8 with a 3.93 ERA and one save as a freshman last season at SUCC. He led the team in innings pitched (100.2) and strikeouts (88), and tied for the team lead with two complete games. The left-hander prepped at Pell City High School where he went a combined 16-5 in his final two seasons. As a senior at PCHS, St. John recorded 107 strikeouts while posting a 1.12 ERA.

Calvi on St. John – “Locke [St. John] is a very good athlete. We recruited him some out of high school. He is a left-handed starter who is upper 80s with a good breaking ball and changeup. We’re excited to have him.”


Drew LaBounty, 5-7, 155, Fr., IF, R/R, Pensacola Catholic High School, Pensacola, Fla.
LaBounty batted .330 with 28 runs and 22 RBI while posting a .570 on-base percentage to earn first-team all-Northwest Florida honors as a junior last season while helping PCHS capture the class 4A Florida High School Athletic Association state championship. He sat out his sophomore season due to injury after hitting .320 with 29 runs and 18 RBI while posting a .550 on-base percentage en route to second-team all-Northwest Florida honors.

Calvi on LaBounty – “Drew [LaBounty] is just a winner. He’s one of the better shortstops in the country, hands down. We’re thrilled to have him. He’s a leader – a young coach on the field who has a great feel for the game. I don’t know if there will be a better shortstop in the country than him coming out of high school.”


Colton Ord, 5-10, 170, Fr., LHP/OF, S/L, Hartselle High School, Hartselle, Ala.
Ord was named class 5A first-team all-state utility player by the Alabama Sports Writers Association (ASWA) as a junior after helping Hartselle High School to the 2012 Alabama High School Athletic Association semifinals. The left-hander went 6-1 with a 2.02 ERA on the mound, and batted .305 with 24 stolen bases.

Calvi on Ord – “Colton is a good athlete – a two-way player who swings the bat well. He is strong, a solid runner and a good left-handed pitcher as well. He gives us some depth in every area, as well as some class balance. And he is an outstanding student. This is where he wanted to be, and he gives us some depth both on the defensive and pitching side.”


Jordan Touro, 6-2, 190, Fr., RHP, R/R, Geneva Community High School, Geneva, Ill.
Touro earned 2012 Underclass honorable mention from Perfect Game after going 5-2 in a team-leading 55 innings pitched as a junior last season at GCHS. He helped the Vikings to a school-record 26 wins last season, earning the number-one seed in sectionals. He went 5-1 with a team-leading 2.29 ERA, while also leading GCHS in innings pitched (49) to earn second-team all-area selection by The Beacon-News as a sophomore. Touro went 6-0 as a freshman while pitching for the GCHS sophomore squad.

Calvi on Touro – “Jordan Touro played in an outstanding summer and fall program. He is a guy who seems like he could be a solid middle reliever for us. He is mid-80s, three-quarter slot guy with some sink. He has pitched a lot over the summer and fall, and played with Cangelosi baseball so he is coming from a great AAU program. He is one of those freshmen who could come in and develop and be a guy for us.”


Matt Bolger, 5-8, 170, Jr., IF, R/R, Bob Jones High School, Madison, Ala.
Bolger batted .358 with two home runs, 32 RBI and 13 stolen bases as a junior last season at BJHS. He competed in the 2012 Alabama All-Star Sports Week as a member of the North squad. As a sophomore, Bolger hit .335 with 24 RBI and stole 10 bags while helping BJHS advance to the second round of the AHSAA 6A playoffs.

Calvi on Bolger – “Matt [Bolger] is that utility infielder who plays shortstop mostly, but can play anywhere for you. He is another guy who is a plus-academic kid. He played with Excel [Baseball Academy], and his versatility and make-up are what really drew us to him. He really wanted to be here, and the day he committed to us he made this program better just because he can do so many things. He is an offensive infielder – he swings the bat really well. And he has such a great motor as a player. It is a coach’s dream to have him for sure.”


Cameron Cummings, 5-11, 182, Fr., OF/RHP, L/L, Chilton County High School, Clanton, Ala.
Cummings batted .430 with five home runs while helping lead CCHS to the AHSAA 5A semifinals. He hit .395 with three homers as a sophomore, and helped the Tigers reach the quarterfinals of the 5A state playoffs.

Calvi on Cummings – “Cameron [Cummings] is a guy who made a name for himself early in his career as a pitcher, but has made his name as an outfielder and hitter in the last year. I have known him since I got here, and he just kept impressing me with the way he hit. He works extremely hard, has great makeup and is a terrific student. He has a great personality, and I think he can step right in and be a great hitter here from his freshman season on. He can really swing the bat.”


Tripp Hobbs, 6-2, 155, Fr., LHP, L/L, Chelsea High School, Chelsea, Ala.
Hobbs went 9-2 with a 2.07 ERA and 58 strikeouts as a junior while helping CHS to a 5A playoff appearance. He set new school records for wins (9) and pickoffs (16). As a sophomore, he went 8-2 with a 2.68 ERA and 54 strikeouts, while recording 12 pickoffs. Hobbs went a perfect 7-0 with a 1.89 ERA as a freshman on the junior-varsity squad.

Calvi on Hobbs – “Tripp [Hobbs] is that typical lefty who doesn’t throw hard but can pitch. He is a terrific student, and he is just a winner on the mound. He keeps hitters off-balance, and he is good to add to any pitching staff.”


Adam Ballew, 6-0, 185, Jr., OF, L/R, Southern Union (Ala.) CC, Oxford, Ala.
Ballew earned Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) first-team all-Central League and second-team all-region as a freshman last year after hitting .352 with seven doubles, two triples, one homer and 21 RBI while going a perfect 10-for-10 in stolen bases and posting an .876 OPS.

Calvi on Ballew – “[Adam] Ballew adds the speed dimension which we have been lacking a little bit. He is a 6.5-6.6 runner who put up really good numbers at Southern Union. He is a hard-nosed kid who adds speed to our lineup and to the outfield. He is an older presence in the lineup hitting leadoff who can run and set the table for you, and that’s what he is doing at Southern Union.”


Ben Taylor, 6-4, 225, Jr., RHP, R/R, Chattahoochee Valley (Ala.) CC, Montgomery, Ala.
Taylor went 4-3 with a 3.03 ERA as a freshman last season at CVCC. He recorded 29 strikeouts against 11 walks, and limited the opposition to a .202 batting average.

Calvi on Taylor – “Ben Taylor is an upper 80s to 91 guy with a good changeup and slider who throws a lot of strikes and has great command. He is a solid pitcher. He will be Chattahoochee Valley’s number-one [starter]. He had a very good freshman year, and we’re looking for big things out of him. We are looking for him to come in and be a rotation guy. If he continues to develop, he could really be a guy in the future.”


Erik Hindmon, 6-2, 205, Jr., Catcher, R/R, Polk State (Fla.) JC, Ocala, Fla.
Hindmon batted .299 with 12 doubles, one homer, 44 RBI, 25 runs and nine stolen bases in 56 games as a freshman at PSJC. He was named an National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) after an errorless season behind the dish, and finished with 303 putouts and 36 assists which also earned him Suncoast Conference Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-Suncoast Conference honors. Hindmon also helped PSJC to a 2012 NJCAA JUCO World Series appearance after leading the Eagles to a school-record 46 wins.

Calvi on Hindmon – “Erik was the national Gold Glove winner behind the plate. You have to be solid at every position, but especially in the infield. And the catcher to me is an infielder who is part of the pitching staff. We got the best one in the country. He hits in the four-hole for Polk State. We beat out some SEC schools for him, and we’re thrilled to have Erik. He is a leader, plus-defender and a very clutch hitter. We’re thrilled to have him.”


Connor Hawthorne, 6-1, 185, Jr., IF, L/R, Houston (Tenn.) HS, Memphis, Tenn.
Hawthorne batted .402, which ranks 11th on the HHS single-season records list, with four home runs.

Calvi on Hawthorne – “Connor [Hawthorne] is a highly-touted left-handed hitter, and we feel really fortunate to have signed him. He is versatile, and we think he is really going to hit for us. He has power and he can hit for average. He is a big, strong kid. It wouldn’t shock me if he is hitting in the heart of the lineup as a freshman. He is a heart-of-the-order type-hitter and he is versatile, so we’re thrilled with the addition of Connor Hawthorne.”

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