COLUMBIA, Ky. -- The Lindsey Wilson College baseball team announces the signing of 13 freshmen student-athletes and five transfers to make up the 18-member 2010 recruiting class.

"We are very excited about all of these young men joining the program," Blue Raider head coach Mike Talley said. "They are high-character young men, which is one of the first things we look for in our players. They are also very good baseball players which will make for an interesting fall with a lot of competition at a lot of different positions."

Nick Batts is a junior outfielder who last played at Lambuth (Tenn.) University. Batts played in 36 games for the Eagles in 2009 hitting .333 with nine RBIs and a home run. The Shelbyville, Tenn., native also successfully stole eight bases out of 10 attempts.

Batts graduated from Cascade (Tenn.) High School in 2008 where he was an all-district honoree and was named team MVP after his senior season.

"Nick has a very good attitude on the field and will be a great addition to our team," Talley said. "He's a lefty who can hit to all fields and also possesses top speed as an outfielder."

Sophomore Jeff Kerian has played collegiately at Wabash Valley (Ill.) College and Wayne State (Mich.) University before continuing his career at Lindsey Wilson.

"Jeff has power from both sides of the plate and can scatter the ball all over the field," Talley said. "We look for Jeff to make an immediate impact on our club."

A pitcher who will also compete for the starting job at first base is sophomore Rob Kurtz from Martin Methodist (Tenn.) College.

"Rob really impressed the staff off the mound when he worked out for us," said Talley. "He's a big lefty who is also strong at first base."

Junior Clint Newman is a catcher and first baseman out of Volunteer State (Tenn.) Community College. Newman started 27 games last season, batting .389 with three home runs, 10 RBIs and nine doubles.

"When I saw Clint play I knew he was a guy we needed to add," Talley said. "He's a great competitor and leader who gives us depth defensively."

Junior third baseman Ryan Williams from Jackson State (Tenn.) Community College is a pure hitter who is very smart about the game.

"I saw Ryan in their conference tournament and was really impressed with his ability," said Talley."We are very excited about Ryan continuing to play at Lindsey Wilson."

Added to the list of transfers is a group of freshmen athletes that Talley is excited to bring into the fold.

High School Signees