Nov. 30, 2007

ATHENS, Ohio - Ohio baseball head coach Joe Carbone has announced the addition of four high school recruits to the team next season.

Douglas Holmes, an outfielder from Twinsburg, Ohio, Nick Egan, a pitcher and infielder from Wheaton, Ill., Julian McWilliams, an infielder from New York, and Bobby Martin, an infielder from Crystal Lake, Ill., all signed National Letters of Intent with the Bobcats.

"We've brought in four quality players, two outstanding infielders, one of the best outfielders in Ohio and one of the top pitchers in Illinois," said Carbone. "It's not a big group, but it's a quality group and we are excited about the prospects of them coming to Ohio University and helping us win."

Holmes currently plays for Twinsburg High School and head coach Don Jones while also competing with the Ohio Yard Dogs summer league team. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder has played in numerous baseball all-star games and also plays basketball in high school. He plans to major in business management.

Egan is a member of the starting rotation for Wheaton Warrenville South and head coach Tim Brylka and the Illinois Sparks summer league team. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder also played football (tight end and quarterback) for the powerhouse Tigers. He plans to major in business.

McWilliams plays for the Beacon School and head coach Tom Couotsos and the NY Nine summer league team. The 6-foot-2, 165-pounder was rated the 28th best prospect in the Northeast by pgcrosschecker.com and also competed in the 2002 Little League World Series on the Harlem team that his father, Morris McWilliams, co-managed. McWilliams was batting leadoff for the squad and scored on a wild pitch to beat Pennsylvania and send Harlem to its first LLWS. He plans to major in English or communications.

Martin plays at Prairie Ridge High School for head coach Chuck Lowitzki. The 5-foot-11, 180 pounder playes shortstop, second base and third base and was an all-area honorable mention following his junior season. Martin, who plans to major in business, has also lettered three time in basketball.

The Ohio baseball team begins its 2008 season with a road trip to Charleston Southern and Memphis. Other teams on the Bobcats' schedule include non-conference home games against Purdue, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Xavier and Marshall.