Tweet #FiredUp

Lee baseball coach Mark Brew has announced the addition of 12 new players to round out a class that already had six commit in the November early signing period.
 
The Flames rallied late last season and advanced all the way to the GSC Championship game, finishing with an overall record of 27-26 and a 16-13 mark in the GSC.
 
"With the loss of 11 seniors from our 2018 team, we knew going in this would be a large recruiting class.  After signing 6 (5 High School and 1 Transfer) in the November early signing period, the staff has worked extremely hard to continue to fill voids left by graduation.  I am excited to announce 12 new signees to add to our early signing class," said Brew. "This entire class has a nice blend of experience and young talent to keep our program improving in the Gulf South Conference, Regionally, and on the NCAA Division II national scene.  They are all quality young men and will fit well into the culture of our program and Lee University."
 
Brew went on to praise the effort of his coaching staff on the recruiting trail this past year, "I would like to take a moment to recognize Assistant Coaches Barrett Serrato and Richie Goodenow.  Coach Serrato leads our recruiting efforts and in his first year has done an excellent job.  Coach Goodenow has been a tremendous asset as well.  They both have spent long hours on the road, spent lots of time evaluating and communicating with potential recruits, and developed relationships that helped us attract an awesome class of young men."
 
Brew concluded, "It's an exciting time around our program as we open a new stadium and will have a lot of new faces in the dugout.  I can't wait to see it all come together on Feb 2, 2019."
 
The Flames will open up the beautiful new ballpark on Feb. 2 as they host Lindenwood University.
 
Brandon Bolt – Right-Handed Pitcher 
Hometown – League City, Texas
Previous School – Wharton County Junior College (Texas)
6'0" 170 – Bats – R Throws - R
2017 stats:
1-2, 1 SV, 6.41 ERA, 19.1 IP, 4 BB, 21 K (Injured 2018)
Bolt said – "Lee really stood out to me from the other schools that I received offers from because it appears to have a special feel to it and a winning environment.  I want to win a national championship and at Lee I feel that players and the coaches there all have the same goal in mind.  The coaching staff also gave me a feeling that they wanted me and needed me at Lee.  That makes you work hard to keep up your end of the deal.  I am excited and can't wait."
Coach Keith Case (Head Coach at Wharton County JC) said – "Brandon is a guy that controls the zone and throws strikes with three pitches.  The fastball has got sink and when he's going good, he's a ground ball machine.  One of the better guys academically and character wise that I've coached in 35 years.  He was a member of the Presidential Scholars while he was at Wharton County Junior College."
Coach Brew said – "Brandon provides us with another quality arm with experience.  He is a strike thrower with 3 pitch mix.  An injury sidelined him for much of 2018, but we believe once he's healthy he will provide us quality innings."
 
Randall Coxwell – Right-Handed Pitcher  
Hometown: Chatom, Ala.
Previous School – Shelton State Community College (Ala.)
6'5" 215 Bats – R Throws – R
Awards:
2015 Alabama All-State pitcher -2018 ACCC All-North Team -NJCAA All-Academic First Team
2018 stats:
8-2, 2.21 ERA, 69.1 IP, 26 BB, 48 K
Coxwell said – "I am super excited about attending Lee University this fall.  The school and the baseball program are exactly what I was looking for to spend my next two years of college.  All the coaches were very professional about the recruiting process and made me believe that they can further my baseball career, as well as help me excel academically."
Coach Bobby Sprowl (Head Coach at Shelton State CC) said – "Randall is another one who is a great student, as well as person.  He was All-Conference this past year.  At times, he is as dominant as anyone you will see."
Coach Brew said – "Randall was a great sign for us this summer.  He has ability to pitch at the front of our rotation and has a chance to be a top-notched arm in the GSC.  He has power sink on his fastball and will log a lot of innings in 2019." 
 
 
Justin Fragale – Catcher  
Hometown – Katy, Texas
Previous School – Cisco College (Texas)
5'9" 195 – Bats – R Throws – R
2018 Stats:
.387 AVG, .449 OBP, .707 SLG, 7 HR, 29 RBI, .991 FLD %
Fragale said – "After my first serious summer of recruiting, Lee University was the most attentive and persistent school that had been in contact with me. I received weekly calls/updates and a lot of interest from the coaching staff which made my choice easier each and every week. I cannot wait to achieve our goals as a team in the upcoming years and hope to set a great example for the following classes that come through Lee University. Thank you to the university and coaching staff for giving me this opportunity!"
Coach David White (Head Coach Cisco College) – "Justin Fragale is everything you look for in a catcher. He's tough, he grinds and he's a leader.  He's going to go about things the right way and he will get others in line when he needs to.  As a catcher, he's very athletic willing blocker and throws with the best of them.  Hitting he has a lot of pull side power and the ability to catch up to any fastball.  I look for him to have a lot of success at Lee."
Coach Brew said – "Justin is a hard-nosed competitor.  He will be a huge addition behind the plate with his receiving and throwing skills.  He has some power on the offensive side and has the potential to be a middle of the line-up bat.  We need him to provide leadership behind the plate with almost an entirely new pitching staff."
 
Michael Hendricks – Right-Handed Pitcher  
Hometown – Defiance, Ohio
Previous school – Miami University (Ohio)
6'3" 235 Bats – R Throws – R
2018 Stats:
1-2, 17 G, 15 K, 7.07 ERA/Coastal Plains League 2-2, 35 IP, 24 K, 3.34 ERA
Hendricks said – "I'm really excited for the opportunity for a fresh start at Lee with Coach Brew and his staff.  With the guys that we already have and the ones coming in it should be a really fun year."
Coach Tom Held (Head Coach Defiance HS) said – "You got a good one in Michael. Michael has a great arm and has a passion to pitch.   Michael worked the process as well as anyone we ever had at Defiance.  Michael has the ability to be a frontline starter or work the backend of the pen."
Coach Brew said – "Michael was a huge sign for us in the late summer.  He has a chance to be an elite arm in our program in 2019.  We are looking for him to spring board off his stellar summer performance in the Coastal Plains League and compete for a rotation spot."
 
 
Alan Rickman – Right-Handed Pitcher   
Hometown - Adamsville, Tenn.
Previous school – UT-Martin and Jackson State Community College (Tenn.)
6'3" 195 Bats – R Throws – R
Awards:
All-District and All-Region at McNairy Central HS in 2015
2018 Stats:
6.17 ERA, 54 IP, 24 BB, 55K
Rickman said – "I'm really excited about joining a program with such an established track record.  Can't wait to get started with the boys and be a part of something special."
Coach Tyson Malik (Jackson State CC) said – "Alan is a hard working kid with a desire to want to continue getting better.  He has three pitches that he can locate and has high pitchability.  He is a great young man on and off the field. I think Lee will be happy to have him as a part of their program."
Coach Brew said – "Alan brings much needed experience to the mound for us.  He has pitched at the division I level and at a really good junior college program at Jackson State.  He has really good stuff on the mound and his strike throwing ability will make him a key piece to our pitching staff in 2019."


Landon Silver – Outfielder  
Hometown – Huntington Beach, Calif.
Previous Schools – University of California-Santa Barbara and Orange Coast College (Calif.)
6'1 200 Bats – R Throws – R
Awards:
Maxpreps underclassman All-American at Huntington Beach High School, 1^st team All-State, All Orange County, LA Times High School All-Star, and named Pre-Season Big West Freshman of the year by Perfect Game
2018 Stats:
.295 AVG, .382 OBP, 12 2B, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 6 SB
Silver said – "I am very grateful and excited about signing with Lee University. I am thankful to coaching staff for the opportunity. I am ready to contribute all I have to offer to the team."
Coach John Altobelli (Head Coach Orange Coast College) said – "Glad you got him!  Big, physical outfielder who is a diamond in the rough.  If he figures it out...watch out.  Speed, power…big team guy."
Coach Brew said – "Landon has great tools and the ability to be a lock down centerfielder.  He has good power and speed and he has a middle of the line-up bat and should be a big contributor to the offense."
 
Alan Smith – INF  
Hometown: Fort Payne, Ala.
Previous School – Auburn University and Shelton State Community College (Ala.)
6'0" 205 Bats – R Throws – R
2018 awards:
2018 NJCAA All-Region, 2018 ACCC All-Conference Team
2018 stats:
.377 AVG, .462 OBP, .578 SLG, 13 2B, 7 HR, 58 RBI, 11 SB
Smith said – "I'm very excited to be coming to Lee.  It's always a joy to be able to keep playing this awesome game. I can't wait to get there and win a championship as a Flame!"
Coach Bobby Sprowl (Head Coach at Shelton St CC) said - Alan is not just a good player, he's a great student and person as well.  Offensively, he's a middle of the lineup type player who was All-Region.  As a defender, he's very versatile and can help you out at multiple positions."
Coach Brew said – "Alan will make a major impact on our line-up.  He has ability to blend hitting for average and power and can be a game changer at the plate.  He also is a very versatile player defensively and we may use him in multiple places throughout 2019. " 
 
Cody Smith – Catcher   
Hometown – Indianapolis, Ind.
Previous School – Danville Area Community College
5'10 215 Bats – R Throws – R
Awards:
2018 Team Captain
2018 Stats:
.270 AVG, .401 OBP, 7 2B, 1 HR, 20 RBI
Smith said – "I was very impressed with the first class baseball program along with the University. I am very eager and excited to be a part of this team over these next two years. Leading up to choosing a college, I had many mentors and peers tell me that you'll get a feeling that just says "I'm home." I felt that feeling from the first moment I stepped on campus for my visit and knew it was the school for me."
Coach Tim Bunton (Head Coach Danville Area CC) said – "Cody is a very responsible young man – both on and off the field.  He was voted captain by his teammates during his sophomore year. He is a hard worker who loves to compete and will be a great asset to Lee University."
Coach Brew said – "Cody provides us another quality experience catcher.  He caught a talented pitching staff at Danville Area and we need him to help lead a lot of new faces on the mound.  He is a contact, high on base percentage guy at the plate.  He is a great addition to an entirely new catching group."


Keyshaun Smith - Outfielder  
Hometown – Elk City, Okla.
Previous School – Redlands Community College (Okla.)
5'11" 180 - Bats – R Throws - R
2018 Stats:
.287 AVG, .362 OBP, .552 SLG, 9 HR, 28 RBI, 8 SB
Smith said – "I believe Lee is the right fit for me in helping me grow and become the player I want to be. After talking with the coaching staff, I know they are going to push me and I'm ready to get to work."
Coach Kyle Koehler (Head Coach Redlands CC) said - "Keyshaun is one of the most physically gifted players I have ever coached and is a high character person.  He is special kid who possess a rare speed and power combination.  We were very fortunate to have had Keyshaun here at Redlands for two years as an outstanding student-athlete."
Coach Brew said – "Keyshaun is an explosive player. He can change the game defensively, at the plate, and on the bases with his elite athleticism.  He reminds me a lot of former Flame Jordan Howard.  We are excited to see his athleticism on display at Olympic Field over the next few years."
 
Brandon Thompson – Right-Handed Pitcher  
Hometown – Cleveland, Tenn.
Previous School – Cleveland State Community College (Tenn.)
6'3" 190 – Bats – R Throws – R
Awards:
All State at Bradley Central High School
2016 HS stats:
10-1, 0.78 ERA
Thompson said – "It's a privilege to be playing for Lee and it's something I've always strived for. This is an opportunity that will make me a better player and person and I will give my all to be the best teammate possible and do whatever necessary to make the team better."
Coach Travis Adams (Head Coach Bradley Central HS) said – "Excited to see Brandon return to the mound.  Brandon was an extreme competitor here at Bradley and I look forward to see what the future holds for him.  His work ethic is second to none and I'm very proud to see him back out there!"
Brew said – "Brandon has been out of baseball for a little while, but after watching him throw this summer he has shown great improvement over what we had previously seen.  His arm strength has improved dramatically and his velocity has spiked as a result.  We are excited to see what he looks like once he gets fully back into mid-season shape."
 
Dillon Toms – Catcher   
Hometown – Warner Robins, Ga.
High School – Houston County High School
6'0" 170 – Bats – R Throws – R
Awards:
2016 Georgia State Champion 5-A, 2018 2^nd Team All Region 6-A
Toms said – "I chose to sign with Lee University because it has been such a successful program and I want to be a part of the future growth of the program.  I felt like it was home during my visit and I knew that it was a place I wanted to be.  I'm more than excited to be able to put on the Lee jersey and represent the program in the future."
Coach Jason Brett (Head Coach Houston Co HS) said – "Dillon is a hard working young man who does a great job on the baseball field and in the classroom. He handles a pitching staff really well. Great young man in addition to his baseball talent."
Coach Brew said – "Dillon is our only high school signee over the summer.  He will be added to 5 freshmen who signed in the early signing period.  He is one of 4 brand new catchers to the Flame program.  He will provide depth as a freshman while learning our system and developing his solid skill set into a top notch collegiate backstop."
 
Ian Turner – Left-Handed Pitcher  
Hometown: Maple Valley, Wash.
Previous School – Mt. Hood Community College (Ore.)
6'3" 180 Bats – L Throws - L
2018 stats:
4-3, 4 SV, 1.70 ERA, 37 IP, 22H, 12 BB, 42 K
Tuner said – "I'm just extremely excited to get started at a program with such a good history as Lee. The goal is to help win a national championship and I'll give whatever it takes to make that a reality."
Coach Bryan Donahue (Head Coach Mt. Hood CC) – "Ian is one of the biggest competitors on the mound I've ever coached. His development has been fun to watch and his success is 100% due to his work ethic. He has done a great job of developing his pitches and does a great job mixing speeds to hitters. I'm excited to see him continue to develop and become a leader as he completes his college career."
Coach Brew said – "We have made a concerted effort to attract and sign more left-handed pitching moving forward.  Ian is a huge step in that direction.  He has good stuff and had a great year at Mt. Hood in 2018.  We believe his stuff will be equally successful in the GSC."