Cast of RedHawks Soaring to the Swamp
November 18, 2015 - Coastal Plain League (Coastal Plain)
Fayetteville SwampDogs News Release
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The strong tradition of RedHawk baseball in Fayetteville will continue in the 2016 season, as the Fayetteville SwampDogs have announced the signing of three players from Southeast Missouri State University.
Right-handed pitcher Clay Chandler, outfielder Chris Osborne, and left-handed pitcher Adam Pennington will trade RedHawk red and black for SwampDogs blue and green during the summer. The trio represents the first players to join the 'Dogs for their 16th season of play.
Chandler is a junior from LaCenter, Ky., who heads to the RedHawks as a transfer after spending his first two years of school at Wabash Valley College. In his two years with the Warriors, Chandler fanned 97 batters in 90.1 innings pitched. Chandler figures to be a stalwart in the RedHawks' weekend rotation in the spring and the front of the SwampDogs rotation in the summer.
"Clay projects to be a top pitcher for Southeast Missouri [this season]," said SwampDogs manager Anthony Williams. "We are excited to follow his season and look forward to him giving us consistent innings this summer."
Osborne is another junior from Edmonds, Wash., who transferred to Southeast Missouri from Edmonds Community College where he helped lead the program to the 2014 NWAACC Championship. That year he hit .338 and was the MVP of the NWAACC tournament. The lefty-hitting Osborne will provide stellar speed for the SwampDogs, having stolen 18 bases his sophomore year at Edmonds.
"Chris has proven to be a guy who can hit for average, and is starting to develop power," said Williams. "His competitiveness and desire to win make us excited to add a kid with these kinds of intangibles."
Pennington will round out the group headed to The Swamp, and is another junior from Jackson, Mo. Transferring to Southeast Missouri from Three Rivers Community College, Pennington features a solid three-pitch mix and projects to be a go-to guy for RedHawks head coach Steve Bieser. He struck out 12 and did not allow a run in 6.1 innings across three appearances.
"Adam will either slot into the rotation or closer role at Southeast Missouri and we expect him to make an impact on our pitching staff this summer," said Williams.
Southeast Missouri State University is located in Cape Girardeau, Mo. The Southeast Missouri RedHawks compete in the Ohio Valley Conference in Division I of the NCAA. The RedHawks have taken home the OVC regular season championship in each of the last two seasons, winning a combined 75 games. Former SwampDogs who have attended Southeast Missouri State University include Derek Gibson in 2013; Jason Blum in 2014; and Branden Boggetto, Alex Siddle, Joey Lucchesi and Garrett Gandolfo in 2015.
"We're very excited and proud to continue our RedHawk tradition," said SwampDogs general manager Jeremy Aagard. "These guys are true competitors on the field and incredible young men and role models off the field."
The Fayetteville SwampDogs home opener for the 2016 season is Wednesday, June 1st. Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 910-426-5900, or by visiting www.goswampdogs.com/tickets.
• Discuss this story on the Coastal Plain League message board...
Coastal Plain League Stories from November 18, 2015
- Tobs to Celebrate 20th Anniversary - Wilson Tobs
- Cast of RedHawks Soaring to the Swamp - Fayetteville SwampDogs
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
