Byron Buxton, who is the nation’s top-rated prospect is one of the latest additions to the baseball recruiting class after each signed a national letter-of-intent to attend UGA, Bulldog coach David Perno announced Wednesday.

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

BYRON BUXTON: A 6-2, 170-pound right-handed hitting outfielder from Baxley, Ga., Byron is the number one ranked high school prospect in the country by Baseball America. The newspaper’s top 100 is based on future pro potential after getting input from dozens of scouts and college coaches. Buxton attends Appling County where he plays for coach Jeremy Smith and summer baseball with Round Trip coached by Braxton Jeffers. Buxton also plays quarterback for the Pirates. He has participated in various showcase events and been named an All-American by Baseball America and Under Armour.

“Byron is a five-tool prospect and the top-rated recruit in the country,” said Perno. “His speed and arm strength are exceptional and his power is developing plus he is throwing 93-94 miles per hour. He will be one to watch in the pro draft.”

JOE DeCARLO: A 6-1, 205-pound right-handed hitting third baseman from Glenn Mills, Penn., Joe is ranked No. 57 on Baseball America’s Top 100 High School Prospects list. A first team All Delco (Delaware County) selection, DeCarlo also made 1st Team All Central as a standout infielder for the Garnett Valley Jaguars and coach Rudy Shiller. He has started since his freshman year when he batted .340 with five home runs. DeCarlo comes from an athletic family featuring his father who played football at the University of Delaware, brothers Nick and Mike played baseball at William & Mary, his sister Alissa played lacrosse at Virginia and his sister Natalie plays Special Olympics basketball.

“Joe is one of the better third baseman we’ve come across in quite some time,” said Perno. “He has a power bat, he’s very strong and one guy we’ll have to battle with when it comes to the professional draft.”

MORGAN BUNTING: A 6-3, 180-pound left-handed hitting first baseman from Atlanta, Ga., Morgan batted a team-best .474 with 10 home runs as a junior for the Woodward Academy War Eagles and coach Jim Minor. Last season, he led them to a 29-5 mark, a 5-AAA region title and the school’s first-ever semifinal appearance in the state playoffs. He was named MVP. He has played summer baseball with the East Cobb Astros and Braves and earned First Team Perfect Game USA All-America honors in 2011.

“The decision to sign with UGA was not hard; Coach Perno and his staff presented a family-oriented environment that really appealed to me,” said Bunting. “I knew that this is where I wanted to spend my college career.”

“Morgan moved to first base from third this summer and has a tall, rangy body and good power from the left side,” said Perno. “He’s got a lot energy and good makeup.”

DAVID GONZALEZ: A 6-1, 200-pound right-handed pitcher from Gainesville, Ga., David is a two-way threat for the Gainesville Elephants and coach Jeremy Kemp. A three-year member of the varsity, he went 7-2 with a 3.48 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 52.1 innings as a junior to earn MVP honors. Also, he batted .369 with eight home runs and 29 RBI. As a sophomore, he posted a 7-1 mark, 3.38 ERA with 67 strikeouts in 47.2 innings plus batted .289-4-26.

“I chose UGA because of the great coaches who are very supportive and the university has a great reputation,” said Gonzalez.

“David is a power right-hander who is throwing around 94 miles per hour,” said Perno. “If he throws strikes consistently, he’s going to be very good.”

MATT TAYLOR: A 6-3, 185-pound right-handed hitting utility player from Fitzgerald, Ga., Matt is a two-sport standout for the Fitzgerald High School Hurricanes, he plays shortstop/pitcher/catcher for coach Jason McDonald. He batted a team-best .462 with four home runs and 32 RBI plus 19 stolen bases as a junior and won five games on the mound with a 2.81 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 69.2 innings pitched. He was named the All-Region utility player, All-Middle Georgia catcher as well as All-Region punter.

“I am excited about the opportunity to play for UGA, and I look forward to representing UGA not only as an athlete but also a student,” said Taylor.

“Matt is an athlete; he can play all over the field, a true utility player,” said Perno. “He has a lot of potential with his bat, and it will be exciting to see him develop as his best baseball is ahead of him as he grows in to his body.”

Georgia is close to wrapping up its early recruiting class as the signing period comes to an end.

KENNETH ANDERSON: A 6-1, 200-pound left-handed pitcher from Loganville, Ga., Kenneth is a freshman at Gordon Junior College where he plays for Travis McClanahan following a standout career at Loganville High School. He set school records for career wins (27) and strikeouts (220) plus wins in a season with 11 as a senior for the Red Devils and coach Jeff Segars. In 2011, they went 29-5-1 and advanced to the semifinals of the state playoffs in Class-AAAA plus won the Region 8-AAAA title. Anderson went 11-0 with a 1.20 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched plus batted .426 with 10 home runs and 38 RBI. He was named the 8-AAAA Pitcher of the Year along with All-Region. In his junior year, he posted a 7-2 mark with a 2.04 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 53 innings pitched. Also, he batted .494-7-25 as the team went 25-6 to win the region. He has played for Junior Team Georgia, made the All-Tournament Team at the Sunbelt Classic and the Georgia Dugout Club Top 100.

“I have always wanted to play against great competition at a Division I school,” said Anderson. “I am excited to have this opportunity at Georgia.”

“Kenneth is an experienced left-handed pitcher who can make an immediate impact in our weekend rotation,” said Perno. “He is a product of Loganville High School where he had success and now is at Gordon Junior College.”

PALMER BETTS: A 6-3, 180-pound right-handed pitcher from Adel, Ga., Palmer is a three-year starter and Honor student, he is an ace of the Cook High School Hornets and coach Cleve Edwards. Betts has tallied 13 wins the past two seasons and owns a .403 career batting average. As a junior, he went 6-3 with a 4.74 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 49 innings pitched plus batted .414 with seven home runs and 33 RBI. The Hornets have gone 38-1 in region play the past three years. He has earned All-Region honors throughout his career and was named the region’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2011 plus the team’s Scholar Athlete Award recipient. As a sophomore, he posted a 7-2 record with a 1.24 ERA and 62 strikeouts and hit .406-5-31. The Hornets went 31-5 and finished runner-up in the state playoff. Additionally, he has been a standout in summer baseball for the East Cobb Astros including winning three national titles.

“I really like the Georgia coaches and the school,” said Betts.

“Palmer has a very repeatable delivery with a good sinker,” said Perno. “He is a young senior, and we know his best days are ahead of him.”

CODY KREMER: A 6-0, 210-pound right-handed pitcher from Adairsville, Ga., Cody is a three-year starter for the Tigers and coach Eric Bishop, he went 6-2 with a team-best 1.34 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 56.2 innings pitched as a junior. Also as a third baseman, he batted .428 with nine home runs, 31 RBI and 17 stolen bases as the team went 27-4. He was named the Northwest Georgia Player of the Year, first team All-Region, All Bartow County and All Rome Area. He pitched mostly in relief in his first two seasons. He went 7-0 with 12 saves and 74 strikeouts in 51.2 innings pitched. A solid student, he earned Top Honors in English. He has excelled in summer baseball for the East Cobb Astros and Alabama Heat. Also, he is a quarterback on the Tigers football team coached by his father, who played collegiately for Troy.

“Georgia is a great academic school with a great baseball tradition,” said Kremer.

“Cody is a two-sport star with excellent leadership qualities,” said Perno. “He has great character and has all the tools to develop in to a fine pitcher.”

Overall, Georgia’s early recruiting class featured 18 Bulldogs including 17 from the high school ranks.

“The key to this class was getting help in every area and to be balanced,” said Perno. “We’re going to have a large departure of juniors and seniors from the 2012 team. I’m pleased with our incoming class and for the most part it’s all guys within the state. It is one of the most talented and versatile classes we hope to see in August, and that’s a credit to the entire staff and the effort they put in to bring this group together.”

Tiaria Griffin Signs With Lady Bulldogs

The Georgia Lady Bulldogs put a bow on an already solid recruiting class when Tiaria Griffin, a 5-9, guard from Hattiesburg (Miss.) High School, signed a letter of intent on Wednesday as Georgia’s fifth prospect of the NCAA early signing period.

Griffin was named first-team All-State for Class 4A last season as a junior at Lawrence County High. She averaged 30.1 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals while leading the Lady Cougars to a 26-9 record and a runner-up finish in the 4A State Tournament. As a sophomore, Griffin averaged 13.9 points per game while helping Lawrence County to a 25-7 finish.

“Tiaria has skills and attributes that our basketball program definitely can use,” head coach Andy Landers said. “She has terrific quickness and she utilizes that quickness well on both ends of the floor, offensively and defensively. She can play anywhere on the perimeter and can score it in a variety of ways. Tiaria has great range, but she can also pull-up and drive it all the way to the hoop.”

Griffin is rated as a four-star prospect by ESPN HoopGurlz and was recently named to the Jackson Clarion Ledger’s Dandy Dozen preseason list of the top 12 prospects in the state of Mississippi.

Swimming Team Adds Four Signees

Matt Ellis, Brittany MacLean, Ty Stewart and Chantal VanLandeghem have signed national letters of intent with the Georgia swimming teams, according to an announcement Wednesday by Coach Jack Bauerle.

Ellis is from Austin, Texas, where he attends Westlake High School and trains with former Bulldog Tim O’Brien at Nitro Swimming. He was a member of the Youth National Team in 2010 and 2011. He competed in the Junior Pan Pacifics in 2010. Ellis was the national 18-and-under champion in the 100 freestyle in 2011. He won a gold medal on the 4×100 freestyle relay at the 2011 Junior FINA World Championships and has four Olympic Trials cuts. He also claimed Florida state titles in the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly and as a member of the 200 freestyle relay.

“Matt is a talented young guy,” Bauerle said. “We’re fortunate to get him. He’s multi-talented and multi-faceted. He’s going to be great for us in anything short, freestyle or butterfly, and he probably has some capabilities elsewhere too.”

MacLean is from Ontario, Canada, where she attends at Silverthorne Collegiate Institute. She swims for Etobicoke Swimming under Coach Kevin Thorburn. She competed in the 2011 World Championships for Canada. She also represented Canada in the 2011 World Youth Games in Peru where she won the gold medal in the 200 and 800 freestyle. For her age group, she is ranked second in the world in the 800 freestyle, third in the 200 and 400 freestyle, seventh in the 200 backstroke and 11th in the 100 freestyle.

“MacLean is a tough kid,” Bauerle said. “She has great range, anywhere from the 200 to the 800 freestyle. She’s a tough competitor. Being good in freestyle is important because it covers a lot of events.”

Stewart, a homeschooled student, swims for Coach Steve Panzram and the YMCA Hub Fins in Hattiesburg, Miss. He competed for the NCSA All-Star Team in Japan in 2011, claiming first place in the 200 and 400 individual medley and was the top United States finisher in the 100 butterfly and 200 backstroke. The Mississippi Most Outstanding Swimmer holds 24 short course and 35 long course state records. He is a National Merit semifinalist, an AP Scholar and a two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American. Stewart has qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 200 and 400 individual medley as well as the 200 backstroke. He is also hoping to obtain his black belt before coming to Georgia.

“Ty is an extremely talented young man in the pool and in the classroom,” Bauerle said. “We are excited about having him. He’s a very versatile swimmer, and he has a lot of great swimming ahead of him. We view him as a swimmer who will be scoring big at the NCAAs down the road. He’s a swimmer with a big future ahead of him.”

VanLandeghem attends Vincent Massey Collegiate in Winnipeg, Canada. She swims for Manta Swim Club under Coach Tom Hainey. VanLandeghem represented Canada in the 2011 World Championships and she competed in the 2011 World Youth Championships in Peru. For her age group, she is the No. 1-ranked 50 freestyle swimmer in the world. She is fifth in the 100 freestyle and seventh in the 100 butterfly.

“Chantal is really, really good,” Bauerle said. “She’s a great swimmer already, but I think she’s just scratching the surface. She’s one of the bright stars right now for Canadian swimming. She was very successful over at the World Championships. She’s going to help us tremendously on all the relays. I believe she has the capabilities to be not only an Olympian for Canada, but also an NCAA champion here.”