North Georgia baseball completes 2014 signing class with local standouts

DAHLONEGA -- University of North Georgia head baseball coach Tom Cantrell and his staff have put the finishing touches on their recruiting class by announcing six players that have signed on as Nighthawks for the 2014-25 season. The group, which includes three high school standouts and three transfers, joins UNG's seven-player early signing class. <br /> <br /> The spring 2014 signees include three decorated local high school products in Logan Burt (Dawsonville/Dawson County), Daniel McCrary (Dahlonega/Lumpkin County) and Steven Tomlinson (Lawrenceville/Peachtree Ridge). <br /> <br /> Burt was a first team All-Region and All-Area selection as a left-handed pitcher. He tallied 131 strikeouts while holding opposing batters to a slim .106 batting average for the Tigers.<br /> <br /> McCrary will not have to travel far as he was a multi-sport standout at local Lumpkin County where the left-hander was the region Pitcher of the Year for the Indians. He also collected All-Region honors in football and basketball. <br /> <br /> Tomlinson was 2014 Male Athlete of the Year at PRHS after being named All-County (Gwinnett) and All-Region. He batted .395 from the plate while carrying a .500 on base percentage. <br /> <br /> Three players will also bring previous collegiate experience with them to Dahlonega to round out a balanced signing class. Ryan Tomita (Phoenix, Ariz.) spent time at both Grand Canyon University and Gateway Community College as a shortstop while pitcher Zach Verner (Venetia, Pa.) played at John Carroll and catcher Sam Tidaback (Plainfild, Ill.) spent time at Division I Ball State. <br /> <br /> Tomita batted .272 from the shortstop position for GCC. He spent his freshman year at Grand Canyon where he appeared in 16 games. Tomita hails from Horizon High School in Phoenix, Ariz. where he was a member of the Huskies' 2010 Arizona state championship team.<br /> <br /> Verner spent two seasons at NCAA Division III power John Carroll where he was a back-end stopper in the Blue Streak bullpen. In his freshman year he appeared in 15 games and led the team with three saves. <br /> <br /> Tidaback played a pair of seasons behind the plate for Ball State. He was named to the Mid-American Conference All-Tournament team in 2013. He started 25 games in 2014 and belted a pair of homeruns. <br /> <br /> "Our staff put in countless hours evaluating these players ability, but even more hours making sure these players were perfect fits for North Georgia academically, socially, as well as from a baseball standpoint," said Cantrell. "These players will all be fine representatives of our university. We can't wait to get them on campus to begin working with them."<br /> <br /> The group joins Jack Fleming (Dacula/Mill Creek), Brice Harrison (Evans/Evans), Connor Hoover (Evans/Greenbrier), Dylan Peppers (Madison/Morgan County/Gordon State), Bobby Tippett (Atlanta/Lakeside), Taylor Turner (Fayetteville/Whitewater) and Nick Williams (Canton/Creekview).

http://accesswdun.com/article/2014/7/277184