Jacksonville State has signed four players to play baseball for the Gamecocks for the 2012 season, head coach
Jim Case announced today.
Pitchers Kurt Lipscomb and Jake Bray join infielder Kyle Stone and catcher Adam Miller as the 2012 signing class.
“Because we only graduate four players in 2011, we knew this would be a small recruiting class, but we feel like the four players that we have signed will be able to help us immediately,” said Case. “We feel very confident that we addressed our needs and we expect these young men to all have an impact within our program.”
Bray, a 6-2, 180-pound pitcher who also plays infield, batted .528 with 15 home runs and 46 RBI as a junior at Spanish Springs High School. The Sparks, Nev., native also had 16 doubles to earn first-team All-State honors in 2009. He played summer ball for Kenny Camel and he led the Reno Muckdogs to the Joe DiMaggo World Series Championship in the summer of 2010.
“We are very excited to have Jake join our program,” Case said. “He is a legitimate two-way player and should be able to contribute very early in his career.”
Lipscomb is a local product from Ragland High School, where he was named the Class 1A Pitcher of the Year in 2009. As a junior, he recorded 62 strikeouts and posted a 5-0 record in limited innings. He was the St. Clair County Most Valuable Player, and he was also an honorable-mention All-American by Perfect Game.
“Kurt is a powerful, right-handed pitcher," said Case. "We've had the opportunity to spend time with him through our camps and we feel like he is a great fit for the JSU baseball program.
Stone, a native of Carson City, Nev., batted .508 last season, which ranked third among all junior college players in California. He helped Feather River to the best record in the state with a 31-7 mark, and to the Bay Valley Conference Championship. Stone played summer baseball in 2009 and 2010 for the Renio Muckdogs.
“Going into this recruiting season, we were looking for a left handed bat to play in the middle of the infield and we feel like Kyle fills that role,” said Case. “Kyle is a plus-runner that adds another dimension to our offense. We feel like he has a chance to make an immediate impact on the 2012 squad.”
Miller, a left-handed catcher from College of the Siskiyous in northern California, batted .301 with 11 doubles and 18 RBI to earn second-team All-Conference honors in the Golden Valley Conference in 2010. Miller also played summer baseball with the Reno Muckdogs in 2009.
“Again, we went looking for a left-handed bat to help us behind the plate. He is a very athletic player that brings experience to that position. We feel like he will have a chance to compete for a starting job right away.
Jacksonville State, which has claimed five Ohio Valley Conference Championships over the last seven years, opens the 2011 baseball season on Feb. 22 at Auburn in a rematch of the NCAA Regionals.
2012 GAMECOCK SIGNEES
Jake Bray, RHP/SS, 6-2, 180, R/R, Spanish Springs HS
Kurt Lipscomb, RHP, 6-2, 225, R/R, Ragland HS
Adam Miller, C/1B/OF, 6-3, 205, L/R, College of the Siskiyous
Kyle Stone, 2B/SS, 5-9, 170, L/R, Feather River College
