LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Baseball America announced its annual list of the top-25 recruiting classes in the country on Tuesday, as well a list of sleeper classes for each region – a group which included the Trojans. Head coach Scott Norwood’s incoming class of 26 newcomers was already recognized by Collegiate Baseball newspaper last month as one of the nation’s additional top recruiting classes outside of the top-40.

UALR’s incoming class consists of 20 junior-college players and six freshmen, including NJCAA All-Americans Cody Gilles (Bloomington, Ill./Heartland CC) and Ryan Juris (Bloomington, Ill./Heartland CC). Third baseman Casey McCollum received the national Rawlings Gold Glove award as a sophomore at Eastern Oklahoma Community College.

UALR’s 26 newcomers will be expected to contribute immediately, as the Trojans return just 12 lettermen from a year ago. Offensively, the Trojans return four of their top seven hitters from 2009 led by senior Nate Brown, who started all 50 games in 2009 and hit .306 with a team-high 13 stolen bases.

UALR returns three starting pitchers from last year’s squad, as well as senior reliever JR Boling, who led the Trojans with a 3.53 earned run average while racking up 48 strikeouts in 43.1 innings pitched.

Left-handed starter Adam Champion returns for his senior year despite having been selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 23rd round of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft. The 6-7 Champion made 13 starts as a junior, ranking second on the team with 69 strikeouts while holding opposing hitters to a .264 batting average.

UALR opens the 2010 season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Feb. 19 at Gary Hogan Field.

A link to Baseball America’s story is below:

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/recruiting/2010/269028.html