Nov. 17, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Mason Hutchins, a pitcher from Daphne High School in Daphne, Ala., has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend UAB and compete for the Blazer baseball program.

"As a pitcher, Mason simply knows how to pitch," UAB head coach Brian Shoop said. "He can throw three pitches for strikes and, thus, can keep a hitter off balance. As the ace of the Daphne staff, he will pitch in all of the big games, which will help him prepare for the spotlight of C-USA baseball.

"He is a competitor who will not back away from the challenge, which is a very important quality to succeed in this league. We also believe he has a big upside and will continue to get better during his college years."

Hutchins has helped his Daphne team to the Alabama 6A Area 3 Championship in each of the past two seasons. As a junior in 2008, Hutchins compiled a 7-2 record and a 2.11 ERA on the mound. He struck out 53 batters in 66.1 innings, while pitching eight complete games on his way to all-county utility player honors.

The son of Joe and Tammy Hutchins, he plays for his father at Daphne. He was also a high school teammate of current UAB freshman baseball player Trey Early.

"Every recruiting year, every team in America is trying to add pitching for the future," Shoop said. "We are pleased to announce Mason as our first pitching signee of the year. Being a coach's son, you know Mason is well-schooled in the game of baseball. As a teammate of Trey Early, Mason was already intrigued with coming to UAB. After his visit, it just seemed like a great fit for everyone."

In addition to his high school success, Hutchins has played summer baseball for the Alabama Raw Dogs. In the UAB recruiting class, he joins Charles DiBella (Germantown, Tenn./Houston HS), John Frost (Decatur, Ala./Decatur HS) and Jacob German (Hoschton, Ga./Mill Creek HS), who have also signed with the Blazers during the early signing period.

"We first saw Mason as a junior while recruiting Trey Early, and we are thrilled to add our second player from this prestigious high school program in our state," Shoop said. "Mason scored a 25 on his ACT and is another committed and gifted student. He is also another high quality young man who we expect to do all of the right things off the field."