FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 7-20-00

AASU Baseball Signs Two More From Georgia For 2000

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Armstrong Atlantic State announced today the signing of more Georgia players to national letters of intent to play baseball for the Pirates in the fall of 2000.

Area standout Nicholas Wells, a 6-4, 195-pound righthanded pitcher from nearby Ludowici signs with the Pirates after playing for one season at Middle Georgia College, where he was 1-3 with a 3.94 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 48 innings pitched for the Warriors. At nearby Long County HS, Wells was 29-6 with a 1.90 ERA, recording 396 strikeouts in 225 innings over the previous two seasons. He was selected to play in the Georgia Dugout Club High School All-Star Series and was a teammate of fellow AASU signee Dustin McGowan, who was selected by Toronto with the No. 33 pick overall in the 2000 First-Year Player Draft and eventually signed with the Blue Jays for $930,000.

Matt Easterwood, a 6-2, 215-pound first baseman/outfielder from Lithia Springs signs from Jefferson State CC in Birmingham, Ala., where the Pioneers held the top spot in the NJCAA National Rankings for part of 2000. Easterwood hit .289 before missing over a month with an ankle injury. At Lithia Springs HS, he was selected to play in the Georgia Dugout Club High School All-Star Series after hitting .486 with six home runs as a senior.

These signees bring AASU's total class to nine, with five from the state of Georgia. Eight JuCo transfers and McGowan make up the Pirates' signing class so far.

- Pirates -