Dec. 7, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Below are profiles on each of Samford's six baseball signees for the early signing period.

Charley Boring (OF/3B, 6-4, 210, Kennesaw Mountain High School, Kennesaw, Ga) is a powerful and versatile athlete from one of the top high school baseball programs in Georgia. Perfect Game Cross Checker has Boring rated as the #3 rated corner prospect/two way player in Georgia. His high school team spent much of last season ranked nationally and 2nd in the state.

Kennesaw Mountain has produced over 30 players in the last five years that have moved on to play college baseball.

Boring has had an outstanding high school career, and has hit over .400 for all three years of high school as he heads into his senior season. He finished his junior season with a .430 batting average with three home runs, 16 runs batted in, 11 doubles and a slugging percentage of .720. To help close out his freshman season, Boring hit a walk-off home run to send his team to the state finals.

Boring is a versatile player that has played a lot of third base with the speed and ability to play outfield as well with arm strength clocked in the low 90's.

"Charley has incredible power potential and is an outstanding athlete," Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. He has played at the highest levels of amateur baseball and comes out of one of the top high school programs anywhere. His versatility makes him a key addition with a great opportunity to contribute significantly right away, both at the plate and on the mound. He can play a variety of positions, has good speed, and great arm strength."

Jeremy Boyd (OF, 6-1, 200, Henry County High School, Marietta, Ga.) is a left-handed hitting outfielder with outstanding speed from Henry County High School in Georgia.

He will be a four-year starter for his varsity team, which he helped lead to a state championship. He just completed his junior season with a .476 batting average with two home runs and over 40 runs batted in. For his outstanding play, he was selected as a first team All-State outfielder last year. He has been an All-County selection after each year of play in his high school career.

Boyd marks the third member of this baseball recruiting class (Charley Boring, Brad Moss) to also come out of the East Cobb organization in the summer playing with the East Cobb Astros. He was also a major part of winning the CABA World Series and World Wood Bat Association (WWBA) World Series last year. He is ranked 15th among outfielders in the state of Georgia.

In addition to being an honor-roll student, Boyd is also an active member of his school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes. On the field in addition to his hitting abilities, he is an outstanding defensive outfielder with a very strong arm and lightning fast speed in the 6.6 sixty range.

Boyd will have an opportunity to contribute early in the Bulldog program.

"Jeremy has a number of great tools," Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. "He can hit, hit for some power, runs well and has a great arm in the outfield. Doing all of that as a left-handed hitter makes him even more valuable. Like most of this class, he has played at the highest level of amateur baseball and been successful personally as well as leading teams to championships. He is a great fit here."

Josh Hall (RHP, 6-5, 220, Woodlands Christian High School, Houston, Texas) is a tall hard-throwing right-hand pitcher from Woodlands Christian Academy in Houston, who will have an opportunity to make key contributions right away for Samford. Hall has competed for one of the top Summer and Fall teams in the country with the Houston Heat, the third-ranked travel team in the country.

Hall was selected as a First Team All-State, All-District, and All-County player for the 2007 season. During his junior season, he finished with a record of 8-2, pitching 61 innings, striking out 76, with an ERA of 1.57 while posting an incredible .180 batting average against. A very highly-recruited player, Hall has been an outstanding hitter for his high school as well.

Hall was also able to use his height and athleticism on the basketball court as an All-State performer in the 2006-07 basketball season. He has been a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for three years.

"I really felt comfortable when I visited and I feel like that's where God wants me to be," Hall said. "I'm extremely excited to start my college career at Samford."

The signing of Hall from the talent rich Houston area is significant as well for the Samford coaching staff.

"Josh is a big, strong, athletic guy that should help significantly right away," Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. "He has outstanding velocity and uses his frame well. The Houston area is one of the best in the country in terms of talent, and being able to get a player of his caliber out of there with his options is great for our program. He and his family are a great fit for the Samford community."

Among Josh's options in recruiting were Clemson, Ole Miss, Baylor and Dallas Baptist.

Brad Moss (C, 5-9, 160, Calhoun High School, Atlanta, Ga.) is a catcher from Georgia who is an outstanding athlete. Moss will be a four-year starter on the varsity baseball team where he started initially as a middle infielder before making the permanent high school move to catching.

Moss, who participates with East Cobb baseball, the top-ranked summer and fall amateur program in the country, helped lead a team behind the plate to a finish as the runner-up in the state finals. In showing his abilities to handle top-level pitchers, Moss has regularly caught three high draft picks, including two first-round draftees.

He finished his junior year with a .380 batting average with eight home runs and 36 runs batted in. An outstanding student as well, Moss has nearly a perfect grade point average having taken several advanced placement courses during high school.

"Samford is a place where academics are just as important as athletics," Moss said. "The baseball team maintains a solid record on the field with great future talent, but they also do well in class. Because I hold myself to a high standard in the classroom and on the field, Samford is the best fit for me to excel academically and athletically."

Moss helps fill a need for the program as he comes from a talent-rich area in Atlanta and East Cobb baseball.

"Brad really impressed our staff with his play this summer," Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. "He is an outstanding defensive catcher but also has versatility, being an athlete with middle infield capability as well. He can really swing the bat and has good pop at the plate. He is a great student and young man who will be a great fit for our university and program."

Brad Moss decided on Samford after also being recruited by Navy and UNC Asheville.

Byron Soler (C, 5-11, 190, Belen Jesuit High School, Miami, Fla.) is a four-year starting catcher that helped lead his team to the final four of the state high school tournament at Belen Jesuit High School in Miami.

Soler led his team in total hits, while hitting .450, with three home runs, and 26 runs batted in. A tough player behind the plate and with the bat, he holds the record for most hit by pitches as well.

He was rewarded for his season by being selected to the All-Dade County Team and to the 2007 All-Star Team. He also won his team's Coaches Award. He has been selected twice as an Underarmour High School All-American. During the season he hit a walk-off homerun in the Regional Quarterfinals. As a catcher, Soler threw out an incredible 55 percent of base stealers as a junior and 68 percent as a sophomore.

"I am excited about attending such a prestigious university and playing competitive baseball at the next level," Soler said. "I look forward to the next four years at Samford."

The signing of Soler helps fill a need with an outstanding player, but also keeps the program's success going in recruiting the south Florida area. He is expected to contribute immediately.

"Byron is an outstanding hitter that brings a ton of quality catching experience with him," Samford head coach Casey Dunn said. "We wanted to bring in a couple of guys in this class to help in the catching position. Byron was on the board from day one for us, and he will be a great addition. We have recruited well in that area and he is another good one. He is an outstanding young man and fit for Samford University."

Soler was also recruited by Florida International and Duke.

Tyler Vanderheiden (RHP, 6-1, 170, Oak Grove High School, Hattiesburg, Miss.) is a hard throwing, right-handed pitcher who throws sidearm with his velocity reaching into the 90 mile an hour range at one of the top programs in the state of Mississippi.

Vanderheiden changed from an over the top pitcher to a submarine style delivery and instantly became one of the top pitchers in his state. In leading Oak Grove High School to the 5A State Championship last season as an occasional starter and closer, he finished the year with a 5-1 record, with five saves and a 3.23 ERA in 39 innings. He struck out 45 batters and walked only eight. For his efforts he received the Martin Lowe Pitching Award in 2007.

While dominating much of the year, Vanderheiden took over during Oak Grove's run towards the state title often starting and relieving in the best of three format culminating in the finals. He won the first game of the series in the state finals, then after his team went down in the second game, came on to secure the decisive third game to pick up the save and the championship. Earlier in the playoffs, Vanderheiden ended Madison Central's rally in the bottom of the seventh inning with a one-run lead and a runner at second by closing the door on the team's two best hitters. The game was declared the game of the year by the Clarion Ledger.

"After all these years of hard work, it is exciting to have it pay off to be able to play Division I for a place like Samford," Vanderheiden said.

Head Coach Casey Dunn and his staff are expecting Vanderheiden to make a major impact for the Bulldogs with a chance to take over as the team's closer right away.

"We wanted to go out and get a guy with great stuff and end of the game experience to have a shot to close games," Dunn said. "Tyler definitely fits that bill, performing in state championship games in high school. He is a true submarine-style thrower with outstanding velocity and movement. He instantly fills a major need and comes from an outstanding family."

Very highly recruited this summer, Tyler was also recruited by a number of schools including Mississippi State, LSU, Alabama, Auburn and Vanderbilt.