The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Baseball Announces Vice as First to Sign NLI
11/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Nov. 8, 2006
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB head baseball coach Brian Shoop has announced that Westbrook Christian School left-handed pitcher Trey Vice has signed a National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play for the Blazers next season.
Vice, who hails from Wellington, Ala., was rated the 143rd prospect in the country and eighth in the state of Alabama by Baseball America.
"We are thrilled that Trey Vice has decided to join the UAB baseball family," said Shoop. "We thought he was one of the best high school left hand pitchers in our state and he will certainly compete for innings immediately. We expect Trey to win a lot of games as a Blazer."
Vice put up stellar numbers while playing under Matt Kennedy at the Westbrook Christian School. In 2006, he boasted a remarkable 0.83 ERA with 134 strikeouts, earning him a record of 10-2. He pitched eight complete games in just 18 starts, averaging 11.08 strikeouts per game for a team that he has been a starter on since the eighth grade.
Along with his play at Westbrook, Vice was selected play with the Alabama Bombers, which is a team comprised of some of the finest talent in the Southeast. The team draws players from Alabama, Georgia and Florida and had seven former players drafted in the 2006 MLB Draft.
A standout on the field as well as in the classroom, Vice is active in the Ambassadors, a Westbrook Christian School choral project. Shoop says Vice will be a perfect fit with the UAB program.
"Trey is also the student we are looking for as evidenced by his 29 ACT score," Shoop said. "He will succeed in school and earn his UAB degree. Trey is a special young man, the type of character you want to build your program around. We could not be more excited to have Trey joining our freshman class."
The Blazers will continue to announce additional signees in the coming days.
