Dec. 9, 2005

GREENVILLE, South Carolina - Furman baseball coach Ron Smith signed five pitchers and one center fielder to National Letters of Intent during the recent NCAA early signing period.

"We are very excited about this 2007 freshman class," said Smith at the time of the signings. "We will lose six pitchers to graduation this year so we wanted to address some needs on the mound and this class does that. In addition, we are extremely happy with the student athletes we got and think they fit Furman well both academically and athletically. The talent in this class will help us compete in the very tough Southern Conference and get us back to the NCAA Regionals."

Barry Benton, a 6-2, 190 pound left handed pitcher out of Jacksonville High School in Jacksonville, Ala., is the only southpaw among the group. Benton led his squad to a 29-8 record and the state 4A finals in 2005, while posting a 1.08 earned run average. In addition, he hit .333 and was selected to the Alabama High School All-Star Game. He was also considering Vanderbilt, Birmingham Southern, Berry College, and Georgia.

"Barry is a crafty left hander that just knows how to pitch," said Smith. "One of his biggest strengths is his mental approach to the game. He has an approach and a mound presence that is mature beyond his years. He already throws three pitches for strikes and has command of the zone."

Ian Parry is a 6-0 right handed pitcher out of Barron Collier High School in Naples, Fla. As a junior, he led the BCHS pitching staff with a 7-1 record, a 0.89 ERA, and four complete game shutouts. In addition, he was selected to the class 5A all-state second team and was first team all-county and all-area. He was also considering Virginia, Cornell, Penn State, and Vanderbilt.

Regarding Parry, Smith said, "Ian not only had a great spring season, where he earned all-state honors, but also a tremendous summer and fall. He really impressed us with the way he competes. If the game is on the line, you want the ball in Ian's hands. He is already a polished pitcher and we expect great things from him."

Right handed pitcher Richard McGrath is the only Palmetto State product in the signing class and was also considering a commitment to The Citadel. A 6-3, 185 pounder out of Conway High School in Conway, S.C., McGrath's high school team posted a 21-10 record last season, advancing to the second round of the playoffs.

"We are always happy to get quality baseball players from South Carolina, and we have one in Richard," said Smith. "He had a great summer pitching for the South Carolina Diamond Devils and is a highly recognized player. We are excited that he chose to play his next four years at Furman, and we expect him to be a special pitcher for us."

Rounding out the pitching corps will be a pair of Georgia right handers in James Quinn and Kevin Gaid. Quinn is a 6-0, 170 pounder from Walton High School in Marietta, Ga., while Gaid is a 6-4, 180 pound product of Pope High School in Roswell, Ga. Gaid was a 2005 second team All-Cobb County selection and team Most Valuable Player who batted .472 with a 2.67 earned run average as a junior. He was also considering Army, Elon, Vanderbilt, and Georgia Tech.

"James reminds us of former Paladin pitcher Sam Perry," said Smith. "He is a little raw right now, but with more innings under his belt he can be a solid pitcher for us. James has a good arm slot that will allow him to get movement on the ball and keep the hitters off balance. while Kevin is a big right hander with a very high ceiling. He played last summer for the East Cobb Braves and helped them win the U-17 National Baseball Federation World Series. We like his makeup and think he is going to be a very good Southern Conference pitcher."

Center fielder Chris Cowart completes Smith's early signing class. A 5-11, 170-pound switch hitter out of Cardinal Mooney High School in Bradenton, Fla., Cowart hit .386 as a sophomore and was also considering South Florida, Florida Atlantic, Mississippi State, and Tulane.

According to Smith, "Chris played last summer for the nationally renowned Central Florida Renegades. He also came to our camp and impressed us with his speed and athleticism. We always look for good athletes to improve our program and his athleticism, combined with his bat and ability to run the bases, with be a big help to us offensively."

Furman's six signees are joining a program that posted a 30-29 overall record last year, and swept through the Southern Conference Tournament to earn the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Regionals.