OXFORD, Miss. - The Ole Miss baseball program picked up some of the top baseball talent in the state of Mississippi when four players signed national letters of intent to join the Rebels head coach Mike Bianco announced on Thursday.
Ryan Bolden, Austin Hartzog, Casey Greene and Jimel Judon all signed to compete for the Rebels as a part of the 2010-2011 academic year. The quartet is the first group of signees to be announced as a part of the 2010 recruiting class.
"This group is part of a very talented class that we're bringing to Ole Miss," said assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Rob Reinstetle. "We feel this is one of the best classes ever to sign here. We have several players ranked in the top 100 nationally by publications and have filled our needs with some young talented position players and some top quality arms who will all make an impact early. We feel we are setting ourselves up for future runs to Omaha and the College World Series."
Ryan Bolden, a 6-4 outfielder, comes to the Rebels from Madison Central in Madison, where he helped lead Madison Central to the Class 5A State Championship. He was named a Top 10 Prospect at the 2009 East Coast Professional Showcase where he ran a 6.4 sixty. He is also ranked as one of the Top 100 high school players in the nation by Perfect Fame and Baseball America. Bolden signed with Ole Miss over Mississippi State and LSU.
"Ryan is a super athlete," Reinstetle said. "He is one of the fastest runners in the country and is a talented outfielder with a good arm and great instincts. At the plate he can hit for power and average."
Casey Greene, a 6-2 right-handed pitcher and infielder, comes to the Rebels from Desoto Central in Olive Branch. Greene is a two-way standout at Desoto, playing shortstop and pitching for the Jaguars.
"Casey is another talented player from right here in Mississippi," Reinstetle said. "He is a two-way star at Desoto Central. He throws 86-88 and has a good curveball and changeup. At the plate, he is a solid hitter and can also play three positions in the infield."
Greene signed with Ole Miss over LSU and Mississippi State.
Austin Hartzog, a 6-3 right-hander, comes to Ole Miss from Hillcrest Christian and continues the tradition of a long-line of standouts to play for the Rebels that includes Seth Smith, Stephen Head and Logan Power. Hartzog was an All-MPSA Second Team selection for Hillcrest and also plays quarterback on the football team.
"Austin is a talented pitcher from right here in Mississippi," Reinstetle said. "He is probably the best arm in the state of Mississippi this year. He throws his fastball 89-91 and has a power slider and good change-up."
Jimel Judon, a 6-5 outfielder and pitcher, comes to Ole Miss from Myrtle Attendance Center in Myrtle. Judon was 5-1 on the mound this year for Myrtle and also had a solid season at the plate, hitting .380 for the year. Judon chose Ole Miss over Mississippi State, South Alabama, UAB, Oregon and Vanderbilt.
"Jimel is a big, strong switch hitter from right down the road," Reinstelte said. "He is a great athlete for his size. He is a solid hitter with great power. On the mound, he throws 87-90 with a good curve ball. He will be a big two-way player here at Ole Miss."
