The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Merritt Signs Free Agent Contract With Houston Astros
6/11/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
June 11, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- UAB senior shortstop Jonathan Merritt, the all-time runs scored leader in the history of the Blazer baseball program, signed a free agent contract Thursday to continue his playing career with the Houston Astros organization.
Merritt will travel to Florida this weekend for a mini camp and then be assigned to one of the Astros' minor league clubs.
The Douglasville, Ga., product was a four-year starter at UAB and finished his career this spring with a second-team all-conference season. He led the Blazers with 15 doubles while also hitting six home runs, scoring 47 runs, driving in 45 and stealing 13 bases in 13 attempts.
A career .309 hitter, Merritt scored more runs (194) and recorded more at-bats (851) than any player in UAB history. He also ranks in the top five in the Blazers' career record book for hits (263, 3rd), doubles (54, 3rd), RBI (137, 5th) and stolen bases (61, 5th).
Defensively, Merritt logged a .959 fielding percentage from his shortstop position as a senior. He was even better in league play, committing just three errors over 24 Conference USA games for a .975 percentage.
Merritt becomes the fourth player from UAB's 2010 team to earn a professional playing opportunity, joining first baseman Luke Stewart and pitchers Nick Graffeo and Ryan Woolley, who were selected earlier this week in the Major League Baseball draft.
