Zach Bowers, Kyle Carter, Sean McLaughlin, Daniel Nichols, J.T. Phillips, Cody Sheedy and Duane Underwood are the first seven members of Georgia’s latest baseball recruiting class after each signed a national letter-of-intent to attend UGA, Bulldog coach David Perno announced Monday.

Here is a brief look at the newest Bulldogs who will be joining the program for the 2013 season:

ZACHARY BOWERS: A 6-0, 190-pound catcher from Acworth, Ga., Zack is a right-handed hitting catcher, he smashed eight home runs for the Harrison Hoyas and coach Mark Elkins in 2011. An Honor Roll student, he was a member of the state championship baseball team as a sophomore including picking up four wins on the mound.

“I have dreamed about playing baseball at Georgia since I was a kid, and now I have the opportunity to do that,” said Bowers.

“Zack is the best high school catcher in the state with a huge upside,” said Perno. “He is capable of making an impact as a freshman, and we’re excited he is joining the program.”

KYLE CARTER: A 6-0, 195-pound pitcher/outfielder from Columbus, Ga., Kyle is a left-handed pitcher/hitter, Kyle attends Columbus High School where he plays for coach Bobby Howard. As a junior, he led the Blue Devils to their second straight state title with 22 home runs and 46 RBI while batting .471 in 36 games. He set the single season and all-time home run record in school history. Also, he went 9-4 on the mound with a team-best 2.33 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 97 innings. As a freshman, he batted .418-12-49 and followed that up by hitting .408-11-42 as a sophomore plus went 10-2 with a 2.14 ERA and 96 strikeouts on the mound. He has been named the AAA Player of the Year and two-time All Bi-City Baseball Player of the Year in his prep career. He has been a key member of the East Cobb Braves summer league team and was the MVP of the 17U Perfect Game World Wood Bat Association (WWBA) Championships and named to the WWBA All-World Tournament Team in helping the Braves win numerous titles. Also as a youngster, he led Columbus to the 2006 Little League World Series title.

“I’ve always liked UGA, and after visiting the campus and talking to the coaches, some of the players and students, I knew my decision was made,” said Carter.

“Kyle is a fierce competitor who can do anything on a baseball field,” said Perno. “He’s one of the best baseball players we’ve signed from his ability to be an everyday position player and also the potential to be an ace on the mound.”

SEAN McLAUGHLIN: A 5-11, 184-pound outfielder/pitcher from Johns Creek, Ga., Sean is a left-handed hitter and right-handed pitcher at Northview High School where he plays for coach Josh Bartlett. A three-year starter for the Titans, he batted .450 with six home runs and 21 RBI as a junior. He earned All-Region honors in 5A and the team’s offensive award. He has been a vital member of the East Cobb Astros summer league team and was named to the 2011 Perfect Game Underclassmen 2nd Team. He has been selected to play in the Area Code Team and the East Coast Professional Showcase. In 2010, he earned the East Cobb Rawlings Defensive Player of the Year award.

I’m very excited that Coach Perno has given me the opportunity of joining one of the top baseball programs in the country, and I’m looking forward to playing in the SEC and having a successful career as a Bulldog,” said McLaughlin.

“Sean is a fine left-handed hitter who has the potential to be a closer too,” said Perno. “He’s throwing 93-94 and just a fun player to watch with a lot of energy.”

DANIEL NICHOLS: A 6-3, 190-pound left-handed hitting infielder/outfielder from Leesburg, Ga., Daniel earned first team All-Region and All-Area honors for the Lee County Trojans and coach Rob Williams. As a junior, he batted .415 with a four home runs and a team-high 27 RBI in 28 games. He has helped the Trojans win two straight Region 1-AAAA championships. He hit .333 with two home runs and nine RBI when he was added to the varsity team as a sophomore.

“I have always wanted to play college baseball at a high level,” said Nichols. “I love competing and playing good teams.”

“Daniel is a left-handed hitting corner infielder and possibly a backup catcher,” said Perno. “He is a big, strong athlete, and his bat is his best tool right now.”

J.T. PHILLIPS: A 6-2, 195-pound right-handed hitting infielder from Midland, Ga., J.T. is a part of back-to-back AAA state championships at Columbus High School and coach Bobby Howard. He helped the Blue Devils go 32-5 in 2010 and 30-9 in 2011.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to play baseball at UGA, and it’s something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid,” said Phillips.

“J.T. can play around the infield and is a capable shortstop although his body-type fits more of a third baseman,” said Perno. “He’s another big, physical talent and is one of the scariest hitters in the state.”

CODY SHEEDY: A 6-2 182-pound right-handed hitting infielder from Cataula, Ga., Cody as a junior, he batted .434 with five home runs and 30 RBI in 24 games for the Tigers and coach Steve Westmoreland. He has earned the Harris County High School Academic Award for the past two years, the Tiger Award in 2011 and the Harris County Player of the Year in baseball in 2010. Also, he was named to the first team All Bi-City.

“My decision was influenced by the outstanding academic and athletic history at UGA, and the opportunity to join the most competitive conference in collegiate sports,” said Sheedy.

“Cody is a very young senior who just turned 17, and we liked what we saw from him in one of our camps” said Perno. “He’s a good runner and growing in to his body, and we’re looking forward to seeing him develop because his best baseball is ahead of him.”

DUANE UNDERWOOD: A 6-3, 210-pound right-handed pitcher/outfielder from Marietta, Ga., Duane is a 2011 Under Armour All-American, he attends Pope High School where he plays for coach Jeff Rowland. As a junior, he went 6-1 with a 1.57 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 53.1 innings. Also, he batted .361 with five home runs, 20 RBI and 20 stolen bases in helping Pope post an 18-9 record. He earned MVP honors for the Greyhounds as they captured the region title and advanced to the Elite Eight of the state playoffs. Additionally, Underwood earned All-Region honors in Class 5AAAA, the Outstanding Season Award from the Georgia Dugout Club and was named to the Marietta Daily Journal Cobb County All-County Team. He has been a key member of the East Cobb Astros summer league team and was named to the 2011 WWBA World All-Tournament team, a Perfect Game Jackie Robinson Award finalist and Perfect Game Underclassmen 1st Team.

“When I signed to become a Georgia Bulldog, it was one of the best moments of my life,” said Underwood. “The excitement of playing baseball in the SEC as a Bulldog will be awesome.”

“Duane is one of the most versatile baseball players we’ve signed and is a legitimate two-way talent,” said Perno. “He is throwing 97-98 on the mound and swings a good bat too. He is primarily a pitcher and could help in the outfield and provide a power bat.”

The early signing period continues through Wednesday, and the Bulldogs are expected to add several more members to this latest class.

Georgia Lady Bulldogs Ink Merritt Hempe

Merritt Hempe, a 6-3, forward from Stafford High School in Fredericksburg, Va., has signed a letter-of-intent to attend the University of Georgia on a basketball scholarship, Andy Landers announced on Monday.

“It’s rare when you find a player with Merritt’s size who also possesses a skill set that allows her to playing facing the basket as well as with her back to the basket,” Landers said. “She’s extremely versatile at 6-3 and very well developed on the offensive end. We’re very excited about her future at Georgia.”

Hempe (pronounced Hemp-ee) was an honorable mention All-State selection for Class AAA a year ago after averaging a double-double of 20.1 points and 10.8 points per game while helping Stafford to a 17-7 finish. She was named first-team All-Area by the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star, as well as honorable mention All-Met by the Washington Post.

As a sophomore, Hempe averaged 12.6 point per game.

“Merritt has a tremendous skill set for her size,” Stafford coach Carl Harris said. “She can play inside or outside, she handles the ball well, she can get her own shot off relatively easy and she can also play with her back to the basket low. Merritt’s very dynamic offensively, and she’s developing her leadership skills. This will be my second season at Stafford and her second season as our captain. The effort and attitude Merritt plays with is always very good.”

Hempe is Georgia’s fourth prospect this fall. Last Wednesday, the Lady Bulldogs announced the signing of Shacobia Barbee, a 5-11, guard/forward from Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Marjorie Buter, a 5-7, guard from the Webb School in Knoxville, Tenn. Barbee and Butler are the reigning Miss Tennessee Basketball winners for Class AAA and Division I Class A, respectively. On Friday, Georgia signed Kaelyn Causwell, a 6-4, forward from the Wesleyan School in Norcross, Ga., who helped the Lady Wolves to their third straight Georgia Class A state title as a junior.

Georgia Men’s Tennis Signs Four For 2012-13

Georgia head men’s tennis coach Manuel Diaz announced on Monday that four prospects have signed national letters of intent to attend UGA and play for the Bulldogs.

The group includes Casey Kay of Atlanta, Marco Nunez of Monterey, Mexico, Austin Smith of Atlanta, and Ben Wagland of New South Wales, Australia.

“I’m really excited about this group of players and what they will add to our great tradition,” Diaz said. “It’s one of the top – if not the top – recruiting classes we’ve brought in based on the level of talent and the number of quality kids coming in. We are really looking forward to getting the guys on campus and begin to develop them into better players.”

Kay is the No. 3 prospect in Georgia, according to tennis reruiting.net and was ranked as high as No. 24 nationally earlier this year. He has reached the semifinals of two USTA National Opens this year.

Nunez, a left-hander, is currently ranked No. 51 in ITF Juniors, and was ranked as high as No. 42. Earlier this year he reached the semifinals of the Pan American ITF Championships and won the USTA International Hard Court title.

Smith is the top-ranked player in Georgia, according to tennisrecruiting.net, and No. 7 nationally. In April, he reached the quarterfinals of the USTA International Spring Championships. Smith won a pair of national junior championships including the 14s Hard Court Championships and Clay Court Championships.

Wagland broke into the top-50 of the Junior ITF world rankings in 2010, and the left-hander was ranked as high as No. 10 this past January. In March, Wagland reached the singles quarterfinals of the Mitsubishi-Lancer International Juniors Championships, and he was runner-up in the doubles of the Australian Open Junior Championships.