June 19, 2006

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Justin Keadle, a redshirt senior pitcher on the Wake Forest baseball team in 2006, signed a free agent contract with the New York Yankees last week.

Keadle will report to the Yankees' spring training facility in Tampa, Florida for mini-camp. Keadle will most likely debut with the Gulf Coast Yankees (Rookie) in the Gulf Coast League.

Keadle, drafted by the Yankees in 2002 and 2005, battled injuries over much of his Demon Deacon career. The right-handed hurler missed the entire 2005 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery that fall. He returned this season and served as a weekend starter for Wake Forest. Keadle went 5-4 with a 5.23 earned run average. The co-captain struck out 46 in 51.2 innings of work. He picked up victories against a pair of opponents that reached the NCAA Super Regionals -- Missouri and Miami. In those two starts, Keadle went posted a 3.75 ERA in 12.0 innings and fanned eight.

Over his two-year career on the mound for Wake Forest, Keadle made 25 appearances, all starts, and logged 140.0 innings. He fanned 112, walked 51 and tossed two complete games -- including a five-hit, 10 strikeout masterpiece at NC State in 2004.

-- WakeForestSports.com --