Southern Miss Baseball Inks Sixth Recruit of Spring Signing Period
Hattiesburg, Miss. - Southern Miss Baseball Coach Corky Palmer has announced the signing of Austin Tubb, a 6-4, 210-pound right-handed sophomore pitcher from Shelton State Community College in Birmingham, Ala., to a national letter of intent for the 2002-03 academic year. This marks the sixth signee of the spring signing period and eighth signee of the year for the Golden Eagles.

"Austin will fill one of our biggest needs for next year, a closing pitcher," Palmer said. "He has a underneath delivery, has a sinking fastball and forces a lot of ground-ball outs. He delivers three pitches for strikes, a fastball, curve and changeup. He is the type of pitcher, who can pitch for us in back-to-back games and that is needed as a closer. I am looking forward to him joining us next year, as he will help solidify our pitching staff next season as we attempt to build on what was started this year."

As a sophomore at Shelton State in 2002, Tubb finished with a 2-0 record with three saves in 23 appearances with a 2.10 ERA. An all-conference selection, he helped lead his team to two-straight conference championships.

Tubb was a two-year letterwinner for Coach Rick Davis at Hoover High School in Birmingham, Ala. He finished with an 8-1 record with a 0.88 ERA as a senior, earning all-metro and all-state honorable-mention honors as a senior. He was selected to play in the Alabama East/West All-Star Game and was named to the All Over the Mountain Team selected by the Over the Mountain Journal in Birmingham.

Southern Miss finished 36-22 during the 2002 season and returns six position starters, two starting pitchers and 18 letterwinners.

2002-03 Southern Miss Baseball Signees

Raymond Antonelli, LHP, 5-9, 160, Gulf Coast Community College, Panama City, Fla.

Bryan Bennett, 1B, 6-3, 210, Vidalia High School, Vidalia, La.

Daniel Best, RHP, 6-3, 165, Ruston High School, Ruston, La.

Eddie Burger, C, 6-1, 195, Long Beach High School, Long Beach, Miss.

Ryan Frith, OF, 6-3, 185, Bossier Community College, Bossier City, La.

Marc Maddox, OF/INF, 5-10, 170, Oak Grove High School, Oak Grove, Miss.

Nicholas Valluzzo, LHP, 5-11, 190, Catholic High School, Baton Rouge, La.