AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Augusta University baseball team has 12 new student-athletes joining the Jaguars for the 2017 spring season. First year head coach Chris Howell returns 21 total letterman from 2016 including three starting position players and 10 in the bullpen.
The young signing class is made of nine freshmen and one senior, junior, and sophomore.
Georgia Southern senior-transfer Cody Lanford joins the Jags as a utility man, junior first baseman Ty Hobbs transferred from Gordon College, and sophomore transfer Patrick Watson from Wingate will assist Augusta in the outfield and at first base.
New to the pitching staff are freshmen Beau Dalton, Noah Fairbairn, Collier Baggett, and Jake Wotell. Position players and freshmen Adam Spurlin, Carrington Evans, José Nogueras, Jake Bogosian, and Davis Murray make up the rest of the new recruits.
Senior Clint Hardy and junior Jim Wagner highlight the returners in the outfield. Wagner led the team and ranked 10th in the Peach Belt Conference last season with a .388 batting average, while Hardy hit .373 and ranked first in the PBC in triples, fourth in runs, and seven in steals and total bases.
Senior Tyler Roberts returns to shortstop as a four-year starter. Roberts hit .312 last season and tied for third on the team with 12 doubles. He started 47 of his 49 games as the starting shortstop and logged 49 hits with 25 RBI.
Seniors Jamal Cummings and Cole Janousek also saw significant playing time as first-year Jaguars last season. Cummings made 27 starts of his 32 games played and batted .340 as a primary designated hitter. Janousek spent time in the middle infield and logged 19 starts in his 31 games played.
Senior starters Tristan Jones, Joey Stillwell, and Will Thompson return to headline the pitching staff, while redshirt senior Matthew Kuhlenberg arrives back from injury along with senior reliever Will Robertson. Also back from the bullpen are juniors David Hagelston, Jordan Kelly, and Casey Lenoch, and sophomores Chase Slone and Tony Jones.
To view the full 2017 Augusta Jags baseball roster click here
2017 Baseball New Signees
| # | NAME | POS. | YEAR | B/T | HT. | WT. | HOMETOWN / PREVIOUS SCHOOL |
| 2 | Beau Dalton | RHP | Fr. | R/R | 6-3 | 200 | Moultrie, Ga. / Colquitt County HS |
| 4 | Noah Fairbairn | RHP | Fr. | R/R | 6-2 | 170 | Athens, Ga. / Clarke Central HS |
| 6 | Adam Spurlin | INF | Fr. | R/R | 6-2 | 180 | Ty Ty, Ga. / Tift County HS |
| 7 | Cody Lanford | UTL | Sr. | R/R | 6-0 | 185 | Macon, Ga. / Georgia Southern |
| 9 | Collier Baggett | RHP | Fr. | R/R | 6-3 | 190 | Whigham, Ga. / Westwood HS |
| 11 | Carrington Evans | OF | Fr. | R/R | 6-2 | 185 | Cartersville, Ga. / Cartersville HS |
| 17 | José Nogueras | C | Fr. | R/R | 5-10 | 180 | Grovetown, Ga. / Grovetown HS |
| 18 | Jake Bogosian | 3B | Fr. | L/R | 5-11 | 215 | Alpharetta, Ga. / Blessed Trinity HS |
| 21 | Patrick Watson | OF/1B | So. | L/R | 5-11 | 230 | Tifton, Ga. / Wingate |
| 27 | Ty Hobbs | 1B | Jr. | R/R | 6-2 | 235 | Waycross, Ga. / Gordon College |
| 31 | Jake Wotell | RHP | Fr. | R/R | 6-2 | 175 | Charlotte, N.C. / Marvin Ridge HS |
| 33 | Davis Murray | C | Fr. | R/R | 6-1 | 185 | Evans, Ga. / Greenbrier HS |
Fans of Jaguar Athletics can subscribe to the email listserve by clicking here. Fans can follow Augusta University at www.augustajags.com and receive short updates on Facebook at Augusta University Athletics and on Twitter at @AugustaJags
-- 30 --