The Truett McConnell University baseball program announced the signing of eight of the 2016 recruiting class.
The coaching staff is extremely excited about adding this group of young men. We will also be announcing another wave of 2016 recruits shortly. The 2016 class is very solid with a mixture of position players and pitchers. The class includes Fraser Ellard (LHP), Calob Rowland (OF/LHP), Nick Hammonds (RHP), Tyler Spells (UTL), Jay Adair (UTL), Josh Johnston (INF), Matthew Dunaway ( C ), Chandler Hilton (INF).
2016 Signees:
Fraser Ellard is a LHP who was an anchor on the pitching staff at Kings Ridge Christian, who year in and year out competed for State Championships. He is a great athlete that competes well on the mound and has a great work ethic. Ellard was 7-1 with a 1.12 ERA with 81K’s with a WHIP of 1.1 at Kings Ridge Christian. He will look to make an immediate impact on the Bears pitching staff.
Calob Rowland joins the Bears from Berrien County High School. Rowland was a dual player at Berrien and will look to continue to pitch and play outfield for the Bears. He is a great runner and swings the bat well from the left side. He was also the pitcher of the year in his region. He went 6-1 with a 1.84 ERA and with 75K’s in 57 innings. He also hit .339 with 3HR.
Tyler Spells also comes from Berrien County where he played both on the infield and outfield He hit .396 and was the team’s offensive player of the year. He brings some versatility to the Bears being able to contribute in multiple spots on the field.
Nick Hammonds is a RHP from East Paulding who earned First Team All-County, First Team All-Region, Paulding County Pitcher of the Year. He pitched 50.2 innings walking only 12 and striking out 31. Hammonds is a 6’5 submarine pitcher that will impact the Bears on the mound in many different capacities.
Josh Johnston is a middle infielder from North Atlanta High School. Josh has the ability to play both middle infield spots and even contributed behind the plate at North Atlanta when called upon due to some injuries. Johnston is a left-handed hitter and shows solid athleticism. He also is very versatile with the capabilities of playing multiple spots on the field and will provide the Bears with some left-handed hitting.
Matthew Dunaway comes from Eagles Landing Christian where he served as the team’s catcher. Dunaway has a quick release and accurate arm. He is a solid catcher and has competed in a solid high school program during his time at Eagles Landing. He will provide the Bears depth behind the plate and will work well with the pitchers.
Chandler Hilton joins the Bears from Hillgrove High School where he played second base this past year, but is very capable of playing both middle infield positions. Hilton is a solid defender and show good arm strength. He will provide depth on the infield and be able to play a number of different roles for the Bears.
Jay Adair comes from Calhoun High School where he was a solid defender and utility player. He will also add some depth to the Bears position players. Adair was on a very competitive Calhoun club that went 22-10 this past season.
