Eagles Add Three in Early Signing Period
Dec. 12, 2008
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - The Carson-Newman Eagle baseball team has signed three players for the 2010 season during the early signing period, Head Coach Tom Griffin announced today.
Three east-Tennessee products, catcher Lance Reed (Johnson City, Tenn.), third baseman Walker Bullington (Morristown, Tenn.), and pitcher Lucas Watson (Gatlinburg, Tenn.) have all signed National Letters to join the Eagles as a student-athlete.
"These student-athletes fit our program very well, Griffin said of his early signing class. "They are each very familiar with our philosophy and what we expect from our players on and off the field. They each are quality students, with high character and integrity, and competitive-hard working baseball players. We are excited about their future at Carson Newman College"
Reed, a Science Hill High School product, .380 with 16 doubles and 26 RBIs as a junior, earning honorable mention All-Northeast Tennessee honors.
"Lance is a smart player and has good instincts for the game," Griffin said. "He's developing as a catcher, but has all the natural skills to become very good defensively. He plays for a very competitive high school program and has been around baseball fields his whole life. Both his father and grandfather are coaches, so he understands how to play the game the right way. I like his mentality and makeup for our program"
Bullington, a Morristown East product, batted .429 with 18 RBIs for the Hurricanes last season. He finished with a slugging percentage of .617 and a .515 on-base percentage. Playing under former-Eagle Chris Gillies, Bullington was named All-District and All- Northeast Tennessee as a junior.
"Walker is a solid hitter with the potential to be a middle-of-the-order type hitter," Grffin said. "He is a versatile player who can play either corner infield position, and is also a good enough athlete to play in the outfield. He also shows good leadership skills on the field."
Watson, the only pitcher in the early signing class, finished with a 2.37 ERA and 72 strikeouts last spring in 56 innings, earning All- District honors.
"Lucas has loose body and arm, with great three-quarters arm action," Griffin said of his third signee. "He has good sink on fastball and also showcases an effective slider. He is a quality student-athlete who has a big upside in our program"
The Carson-Newman Eagles finished 43-18 last season, advancing to the NCAA South Regional.
-C-N-
