FURMAN BASEBALL INKS EIGHT DURING EARLY SIGNING PERIOD

Greenville, S.C.-Head baseball coach Ron Smith announced today the signing of eight high school players to national letters-of-intent to play with the Paladins beginning in 2005.

The eight players include Greenville products Blaine Hart and William Feemster, Aaron Puectas from Spartanburg, S.C., Joel Mailly from Winterhaven, Fla., Ben Hunter from Westchester, Ohio, Benjamin Kitto from Fort Wanye, Ind., Ben Terry from Cincinnati, Ohio, and Michael Rumpke from Lexington, Ken.

Hart, a 6-4, 195-pound left-handed pitcher, plays at Greenville's St. Joseph's High school, while Feemster was prepped under Jim Billings at J.L. Mann High School. Feemster, a 6-1, 165-pound right-handed pitcher posted a 3.23 ERA with 38 strikeouts during his junior season.

Pucetas, who hails from Broome High School in Spartanburg, S.C., is a 6-0, 175-pound left-handed pitcher.

Mailly, a 6-2, 200-pound catcher/right-handed pitcher from Lake Region High School, batted .333 during his junior campaign.

Hunter, a three-sport athlete in basketball, golf and basketball, is a 5-11, 175-pound right-handed pitcher. As a junior, he posted a 2.73 ERA with 26 strikeouts over 29 innings pitched.

Kitto, a 5-11, 175-pound left-handed pitcher, was coached under Keith Potter at Homestead High School.

A two-sport athlete in soccer and baseball, Terry plays in the outfield for Anderson High School. A 5-10, 170-pound centerfielder, he posted a .506 batting average with 11 stolen bases during his junior season.

Rumpke, a product of Lexington Catholic High School, is a 6-3, 195-pound catcher. As a junior he batted .385 with three home runs.

Furman Baseball, coming off its best season in team history with wins over N.C. State, Clemson, and South Carolina, opens its season February 14 against High Point.