The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Recapping The Early Signing Period For UAB Baseball
11/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Nov. 29, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB baseball team recently inked seven players to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. These student-athletes will enroll next fall and compete for the Blazers starting with the 2012 season.
"I would like to thank Perry Roth and Josh Hopper, our two assistant coaches, for the amazing job they did in putting together this outstanding recruiting class," UAB head coach Brian Shoop said.
"We have a great university at UAB, and I believe the baseball program will continue to improve with the addition of seven very special players that have committed to join the Blazer baseball family next fall."
Here is a complete recap of the entire class:
Tanner Bryant, RHP/INF, Fairburn, Ga. (Southern Union State CC)
A dual-position player ... posted a .295 batting average as a freshman at Southern Union in 2010 ... had 18 RBI and 16 runs scored in just 88 at-bats ... also saved three games and worked 22 innings on the mound ... a two-time all-state selection at Landmark Christian School in Georgia ... had a career record of 24-8 with a 2.97 ERA and hit .387 with 29 home runs and 127 RBI.
Chase Davis, RHP/INF, Montgomery, Ala. (Alabama Christian Academy)
Another two-way player ... named to the Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State Team as a sophomore in 2009 ... his 11 triples that year are tied for the fourth-most in a single season in Alabama High School Athletic Association history ... earned honorable mention all-state honors as a junior this past spring after hitting .455 with seven home runs and 55 RBI.
Renaldo Jenkins, INF, Fayetteville, Ga. (Whitewater HS)
A three-sport athlete ... selected by the Baseball Factory player development program as the top prospect at its Greenville, S.C., Under Armour Tryout Event earlier this year ... posted a .515 on-base percentage, scored 84 runs and stole 48 bases in 73 games over the summer and fall seasons ... also smacked 22 doubles, seven triples and drove in 67 runs.
Alex Luna, RHP/1B, Huntsville, Ala. (Grissom HS)
Missed junior season on the mound due to injury but still helped Grissom to a state runner-up finish with his bat ... back for a healthy 2011 campaign ... went 7-0 on the mound as a sophomore in 2009 and hit .315 at the plate with 30 runs scored on his way to Huntsville Coaches All-City Team recognition ... also a starter for Grissom's basketball team.
Dylan Munger, LHP, Muscle Shoals, Ala. (Muscle Shoals HS)
A first-team all-state selection by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a junior in 2010 ... posted a 7-1 record with a 1.29 ERA ... also a first-team all-area selection by The (Florence) Times Daily ... tossed six complete games, including one shutout, in eight starts ... struck out 88 of the 231 batters he faced and walked just 27 while holding opponents to a .159 batting average.
Jeff Schalk, OF, Wheaton, Ill. (Wheaton North HS)
Listed by the Perfect Game USA scouting service as the sixth-best player in Illinois in this year's signing class and the No. 138 recruit nationally ... ranked as the No. 31 outfielder but also plays both corner infield positions ... a two-time all-conference selection ... hit .344 with eight home runs, seven doubles and 41 RBI as a junior ... also scored 37 runs and stole 16 bases.
Todd Wilkinson, INF, Hazel Green, Ala. (Hazel Green HS)
Owns a career high school batting average of better than .350 with more than 25 home runs and 70 stolen bases ... led Hazel Green in homers and steals as a junior this past spring ... also a reliable defender, earning his team's Gold Glove award ... made just three errors in 40 games at shortstop in his junior campaign ... allowed just one run in 12 appearances as his team's closer.
