The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Announce Three More Signees
11/18/2003 | Baseball
Nov. 18, 2003
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss head baseball coach Mike Bianco announced the signings of OF Ryan Hughes, OF Logan Power and RHP Stoney Stone to national letters of intent to play baseball for the Rebels on Tuesday. All three will be eligibile for the 2004-2005 academic year.
Hughes, 6-feet-3, 200 pounds, hit .389 with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs last season at Pearl River (Miss.) Community College. He also earned first team All-State and All-Region honors while helping Pearl River to a 38-13 mark, and was a late-round draft choice of the Pittsburgh Pirates last June. Hughes prepped at Picayune High School, where posted a .473 average as a senior to help his team to the Mississippi 4A state championship. He garnered first team All-State honors at Picayune and participated in the North-South All-Star Game.
"Ryan is a big-time junior college outfielder," Bianco said. "He is someone that we expect to come in next year and make an immediate impact in the middle of our line-up."
Powers, 5-feet-11, 185 pound, batted .420 last year as a junior at Hillcrest Christian High School. He also recorded four home runs, 38 RBIs, 15 doubles and three triples in earning first team All-Metro, All-District and All-MPSA honors. Hillcrest Christian finished as the 3A MPSA state runner-up. Powers also earned All-District honors in football this past fall, playing wide receiver and cornerback. Hillcrest Christian is the same school produced the back-to-back SEC Freshman of the Year in current junior OF Seth Smith and sophomore 1B/LHP Stephen Head.
"Logan is a tremendous baseball player and we look forward to having him on campus and continue the success of the players we've had from Hillcrest Christian."
Stone, 6-feet-5, 195 pounds from Ruston, La., played last spring at Texarkana (Texas) Junior College. He posted a 7-3 mark with a 2.70 ERA, helping his squad tie the conference championship and advance to third round of regional play. He was a first team All-State selection and District MVP as a senior at Ruston High School. Stone was drafted in the 13th round by the Boston Red Sox in the 2002 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft and in the 34th round by the Colorado Rockies last June.
"Stoney is an outstanding junior college pitcher that will add depth to our pitching staff," Bianco said. "We feel Stoney can be like some of our previous junior college signees, J.R. Pickens and T.J. Beam, and come in and make an immediate impact."
Ole Miss finished 35-27 last season and earned its second NCAA Regional berth in three years under Bianco. The Rebels are scheduled to open the 2004 season on Feb. 20 at home against Birmingham Southern.
2003 OLE MISS EARLY FALL BASEBALL SIGNEES
| Player | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown/Current School |
| Ryan Hughes | OF | 6-3 | 200 | Picayune, Miss./Pearl River (Miss.) Community College |
| Van Pope | INF | 6-1 | 200 | Jackson, Miss./Meridian (Miss.) Community College |
| Logan Power | OF | 5-11 | 185 | Jackson, Miss./Hillcrest Christian High School |
| Chris Rayborn | RHP | 6-2 | 210 | Natchez, Miss./Meridian (Miss.) Community College |
| Stoney Stone | RHP | 6-5 | 195 | Ruston, La./Texarkana (Texas) Junior College |
| Jo Jo Tann | INF | 5-11 | 170 | Jackson, Miss./Jackson Prep |
