Nov. 25, 2008
AUBURN, Ala. -
Complete Release in PDF Format 
The Auburn baseball program signed 11 players to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period, head coach John Pawlowski announced on Tuesday. The 11 players come from four different states, eight high schools and three junior colleges and includes two players that have played for USA Baseball and seven players ranked nationally by either Baseball America or PGCrosschecker.com
"I thought recruiting coordinator Scott Foxhall and Matt Heath did an outstanding job of landing future student-athletes that will represent Auburn baseball both on and off the field. We have addressed many of our needs in the early signing period and we will continue to put together a quality class as we progress into the spring season," Pawlowski said.
2009 Auburn Baseball Signees
| Name | Ht. | Wt. | Pos. | B/T | Previous School | Hometown |
| Luke Bailey | 6-0 | 195 | C | R/R | Troup County HS | LaGrange, GA |
| Justin Bryant | 5-11 | 175 | RHP/IF | R/R | Itawamba CC | Oneonta, AL |
| Garrett Bush | 6-5 | 190 | RHP/C | R/R | Stanton Prep HS | Jacksonville, FL |
| Nick Franklin | 6-1 | 175 | IF | S/R | Lake Brantley HS | Longwood, FL |
| Cody Martin | 6-2 | 200 | IF | L/R | Stephens County HS | Toccoa, GA |
| Patrick Merkling | 6-1 | 170 | LHP | L/L | Etowah HS | Woodstock, GA |
| Cole Nelson | 6-7 | 230 | LHP | L/L | Des Moines Area CC | Edina, MN |
| Patrick Savage | 6-2 | 210 | IF/OF | R/R | Greater Atlanta Christian | Suwanee, GA |
| Creede Simpson | 6-2 | 180 | OF/IF | R/R | Northwest Florida State College | Auburn, AL |
| Slade Smith | 6-2 | 185 | RHP | R/R | Fort Payne HS | Fort Payne, AL |
| Ryan Welke | 6-4 | 195 | C | R/R | Rickards HS | Tallahassee, FL |
Luke Bailey, 6-0/195, R/R, C, Troup County HS/LaGrange, GA
• Ranked No. 7 nationally in Baseball America's Top 100 High School Prospects
• Rated No. 11 player in the nation by PGCrosschecker.com
• Member of USA Baseball's 2007 Youth National Team that won a gold medal at the World Youth Championships in Venezuela
• 2008 AFLAC All-American
• 2008 East Coast Pro Showcase invitee
• Plays for Craig Garner at Troup County HS
• Broke five Troup County HS records as a junior, hitting 17 doubles, 13 HR, driving in 61 RBIs, collecting 105 total bases and amassing a 1.082 slugging percentage ... Also hit .505
• Named to Team Georgia in 2008
• 2008 Georgia Dugout Club All-State
• Hit .340 with 12 home runs and 44 RBI at Troupe as a sophomore
Coach Pawlowski on Bailey: Luke is one of the top-rated high school players in the country. He is a special talent defensively and a force as a right-handed hitter. He has a chance to be an impact player in the SEC.
Justin Bryant, 5-11/175, R/R, RHP/IF, Itawamba CC/Oneonta, AL
• Hit .361 with 7 HR and 48 RBI as a freshman at Itawamba Community College
• Plays for Rick Collier at Itawamba CC
• Played for Jason Russell at Oneonta HS
• Hit .455 with 16 HR, 72 RBI and 21 doubles as a senior ... Was also 18-1 with 10 K in 87 IP
• 2007 First Team All-State (P)
• Hit .496 with 9 HR and 28 doubles as a junior
• 2006 First Team All-State (2B)
Coach Pawlowski on Bryant: Justin is a two-way talent who will have an immediate impact on the Plains. He has an explosive breaking ball that complements an above-average fastball. He has been very consistent offensively and defensively as an infielder as well.
Garrett Bush, 6-5/190, R/R, RHP/C, Stanton Prep HS/Jacksonville, FL
• Rated 661st nationally by PGCrosschecker.com
• Plays for Joel Davis at Stanton Prep HS
• All Gateway Conference selection as both a sophomore and junior
• Helped led Stanton Prep to the first regional playoff appearance in school history as a junior
• Went 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA a save in 6 appearances as a junior, striking out 16 and holding opponents to a .159 batting average
• Hit .392 with 14 extra-base hits, scoring 19 runs and driving in 17
• 2008 Diamond Club Showcase participant in Lakeland, Florida
Coach Pawlowski on Bush: Garrett has been one of the best players in the Jacksonville area as a catcher. He has huge potential as a pitcher because of his arm strength and size. He already possesses a sharp breaking ball and heavy sink on his fastball.
Nick Franklin, 6-1/175, S/R, IF, Lake Brantley HS/Longwood, FL
• Ranked No. 32 nationally in Baseball America's Top 100 High School Prospects
• Rated No. 37 player in the nation by PGCrosschecker.com
• Member of USA Baseball's 2007 Youth National Team that won a gold medal at the World Youth Championships in Venezuela ... Member of USA Baseball's 2008 18U National Team that won a silver medal at the International Baseball Federation's XXIII AAA World Junior Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
• 2008 Under Armour All-America Game participant in Chicago
• 2008 Diamond Club Showcase participant in Lakeland, Florida
• 2008 invitee to the East Coast Pro Showcase in North Carolina and the Area Code Games in California
• Plays for Mike Smith at Lake Brantley, winning a 6A State Championship in 2008
• Hit .483 with 6 HR and 8 doubles as a junior
• 2007 and `08 All-State, All-Central Florida and All-Seminole Athletic Conference First Team selection
Coach Pawlowski on Franklin: Nick will step in and solidify our defense on the infield. He is a switch-hitter with outstanding speed and a potent bat. He led Team USA in hitting this summer and he will be an impact player as a freshman. Nick also has the potential to pitch.
Cody Martin, 6-2/200, L/R, IF, Stephens County HS/Toccoa, GA
• Rated 20th in the state of Georgia by PGCrosschecker.com and No. 271 nationally
• Four-year varsity player for Mike Cox at Stephens County HS
• 2009 Perfect Game National Showcase invitee
• 2008 East Coast Pro Showcase invitee
• 2008 First Team All-Region
• Hit .410 with 9 HR as a junior
• 2007 Second Team All-Region
• Three-year varsity letter winner in football, being named All-Region First Team in 2008 and Second Team in 2007, leading Stephens County in receiving yards as a senior
Coach Pawlowski on Martin: Cody is a left-handed-hitting corner infielder who has demonstrated the ability to hit for power and play solid defense. He has a strong throwing arm and is athletic enough to play multiple positions.
Patrick Merkling, 6-1/170, L/L, LHP, Etowah HS/Woodstock, GA
• Rated 33rd in the state of Georgia by PGCrosschecker.com and 470th nationally
• Three-year letter winner for Greg Robinson at Etowah HS
• 2008 AAAAA First Team All-County
• Had a 1.86 ERA with 76 Ks in 56 IP for Etowah in 2008
• Had a 1.68 ERA with 77 Ks in 57 IP for the East Cobb Indians in 2008
• 2007 East Cobb Baseball MVP
Coach Pawlowski on Merkling: Patrick developed into one of the top left-handed pitchers in the southeast over the summer. He has arm strength, an "out pitch" curveball and good movement on all his pitches. He will have a positive impact on our 2010 pitching staff.
Cole Nelson, 6-7/230, L/L, LHP, Des Moines Area CC/Edina, MN
• Went 5-0 with a 3.05 ERA in 10 appearances as a freshman for Dan Fitzgerald at Des Moines Area CC, holding opponents to a .224 batting average
• Struck out 25 in 41.1 IP, making 6 starts with 2 complete games
• Helped lead Edina Legion to the state tournament for the first time in 25 years in 2008
Coach Pawlowski on Nelson: Cole is an imposing figure on the mound with an above-average fastball and a food feel for his offspeed pitches. He is a good athlete who has improved steadily and will add much needed experience to our 2010 pitching staff.
Patrick Savage, 6-2/210, R/R, IF/OF, Greater Atlanta Christian/Suwanee, GA
• Rated 10th in the state of Georgia by PGCrosschecker.com and 107th nationally
• Plays for Cliff Shelton at Greater Atlanta Christian
• Hit .422 with 26 doubles, 11 HR, 92 RBIs and 26 SB over three year career
• Hit .413 with 8 HR and 36 RBIs as a junior
• 2008 All-Region First Team, Gwinnett Dugout Club All-County Second Team and Georgia Dugout Club Preseason All-State
• 2008 Perfect Game National Showcase participant in Minneapolis
• Played for the East Cobb Braves in 2008, hitting .410
• 2007 All-Region Second Team and Gwinnett Dugout Club All-County First Team
• Hit .422 with 8 doubles and 26 RBI as a sophomore
• 2006 Gwinnett Daily Post All-County Second Team, Atlanta Journal Constitution All-County honorable mention and Gwinnett Dugout Club All-County Second Team
• Hit .433 with 15 doubles, 3 HR and 30 RBIs as a freshman
Coach Pawlowski on Savage: Patrick is an advanced right-handed hitter who has a chance to hit for average and power early in his career. He has enough tools to play in the infield and outfield and his versatility will be valuable.
Creede Simpson, 6-2/180, R/R, OF/IF, Northwest Florida State CC/Auburn, AL
• 45th-round pick of the New York Yankees in 2008
• Will play for Doug Martin at NWF State College this spring
• Played for Matt Cimo at Auburn HS before enrolling at NWF State College
• Hit .500 with 23 RBI and 4 HR as a senior
• 2008 Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State selection
• 2008 6A All-State honorable mention
Coach Pawlowski on Simpson: Creede established himself as one of the top junior college players in the Panhandle Conference this fall. We are anxious to have him playing here at home in Auburn in 2010. He will be one of our best athletes with a unique combination of speed and power.
Slade Smith, 6-2/185, R/R, RHP, Fort Payne HS/Fort Payne, AL
• Rated 308th nationally by PGCrosschecker.com
• Plays for Johnny Johnson at Fort Payne HS
• 2008 First Team All-State, All-Area 14 Pitcher of the Year and DeKalb County Pitcher of the Year
• Was 8-1 with a 1.53 ERA in 59 IP with 99 K and 13 BB, throwing 4 shutouts as a junior
• Also hit .362 with 9 HR, 29 RBI and 10 SB
• 2007 All-County selection
• Also played football and was the starting quarterback, being named 2007 All-State, All-County Offensive Player of the Year and All-Region, leading the team to a 21-1 mark from 2006-07
Coach Pawlowski on Smith: Slade is a polished pitcher who throws three pitches to the bottom of the strike zone. He's mentally tough and athletically gifted, which will allow him to compete for SEC innings as a freshman.
Ryan Welke, 6-4/195, R/R, C, Rickards HS/Tallahassee, FL
• Three-year varsity letter winner for Brian Kelley at Rickards
• Three-time All-State honorable mention
• Two-time Florida Diamond Club participant
• Career .370 hitter with 16 HR and 82 RBIs
• Has thrown out 69 percent of baserunners over a three-year span (50-of-72)
• 2008 First Team All-Big Ben and 2007 Second Team All-Big Bend
Coach Pawlowski on Welke: Ryan impressed our staff with his strong arm and defensive abilities in camp. He also had a great fall offensively and showed that he could hit with authority.
