Baseball Adds Four to Stellar Recruiting Class

Troy coach Bobby Pierce announced the addition of four players to the 2011 recruiting class on Wednesday.

The four incoming players include three junior college transfers and one high school standout that are joining the eight additions from the November period.

“Each of these players were identified and targeted by our coaching staff in the fall and their recruitment carried over into the spring,” Pierce said. “We believe each of them will fill immediate needs in our program next year and will complete a talented and deep recruiting class for 2011.”

The one high school senior is Peyton Fuller (P/IF, 5'11, 180) from Fairhope (Ala.) High School, where he played for his dad and former South Alabama pitcher Stuart Fuller.

Fuller established himself as the ace of the top ranked team in the state early in his senior year and finished the year with a 5-1 record with 46 strikeouts in 46 innings pitched. He also hit a robust .405 as a second baseman with 13 doubles, eight home runs and 45 runs batted in.

He may be in line to continue the fine tradition of two-way players the Trojans have established the last few years with the likes of Josh Dew, Mike Felix, Chase Whitley and most recently in 2011, Tyson Workman.

Fuller finished his high school career with a record of 17-3 with 132 strikeouts.

“Peyton Fuller has the perfect blend of talent, knowledge and experience to have success at the college level,” Pierce said. “Growing up around the game with his dad as a coach has provided him with a terrific opportunity to learn and grow as a player. I have every belief that he will be a solid contributor to our program as a pitcher and possibly as a two-way player.”

The three junior college transfers include two middle infielders and a catcher that will join the Trojans this fall. They are Blake Barber (5'9, 165, SS/2B) from Shelton State Community College, Austin Golden (5'10, 180, SS/2B) from Northwest Shoals Community College and Brandon Brown (6'4, 190, C) from Middle Georgia College.

Barber is a LaGrange, Georgia native that finished the 2011 regular season hitting .353 with seven doubles and was 12-for-12 in stolen bases while playing both shortstop and second base at Shelton State. Known as a slick-fielding middle infielder, Barber will attempt to help replace the 2011 middle infield combination of seniors Adam Bryant and T. J. Rivera.

Golden is a Cullman, Alabama product that finished the 2011 regular season hitting .328 with 11 doubles and a home run. He also knocked in 27 runs and stole four bases for the Northwest Shoals Patriots, who won the Northern Division title. Golden also will help bolster the middle of the field while replacing the two departed seniors from the 2011 team.

Brandon Brown hails from Dublin, Georgia and is hitting .360 with seven doubles and two triples this season as Middle Georgia College. He has stolen 11 bases and thrown out 50% of the runners attempting to steal against him.

Brown started his college career at Kennesaw State University before moving to Middle Georgia for the 2011 season. He is also a quality student in the classroom, as he was the Valedictorian of his graduating class at Dublin High School.

“We are extremely excited to add these players to our roster next year,” Pierce said. “Anyone who has followed our team this year knows we lose three quality seniors in the middle of the field in Bryant, Rivera and our catcher Todd McRae. Barber, Golden and Brown will provide immediate help in these areas and stabilize the center of the field defensively in the future.

“Those seniors also have played pivotal roles in our offense as well and each of these players has solid offensive ability as well, including good speed and athleticism.”

For more on Troy baseball and all of Troy Athletics stay tuned to TroyTrojans.com. Also be sure to follow @TroyAthletics on Twitter for up-to-the-second updates.

Troy Baseball Recruiting Class

Name	Pos	Ht.	Wt.	B/T	Hometown	High School/Junior College
Blake Barber	SS/2B	5-9	165	S/R	LaGrange, Ga.	Dublin HS/Shelton State CC
Jo-El Bennett	OF	6-2	185	R/R	Midland City, Ala.	Houston Academy
Ryan Brady	RHP	6-0	190	R/R	Trussville, Ala.	Hewitt-Trussville HS/NW Shoals CC
Brandon Brown	C	6-4	190	R/R	Dublin, Ga.	Dublin HS/Middle Georgia College
Danny Collins	3B	6-2	200	R/R	Niceville, Fla.	Niceville HS/Alabama/NW Florida State
Peyton Fuller	P/IF	5-11	180	R/R	Fairhope, Ala.	Fairhope HS
Austin Golden	SS/2B	5-10	180	R/R	Cullman, Ala.	Cullman HS/Northwest Shoals CC
Jake Harrell	C	5-11	190	R/R	Ashford, Ala.	Rehobeth HS
Joseph Hernandez	RHP	5-11	180	R/R	Mobile, Ala.	Baker HS/Faulkner State CC
Chase Mathis	OF	5-11	185	L/R	Cullman, Ala.	Cullman HS/Wallace State CC
Adam Purdy	RHP	6-4	220	R/R	Pell City, Ala.	Pell City HS/Auburn/Gulf Coast CC
Hunter Skipper	LHP/OF	6-4	195	L/L	Rehobeth, Ala.	Rehobeth HS

Troy University Athletics

Baseball Adds Four to Stellar Recruiting Class

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