The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Completes Early Fall Signees
11/18/2004 | Baseball
Nov. 18, 2004
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss signed infielder Evan Button, right-handed pitcher Lance Lynn and outfielder Scott Van Slyke to national letters of intent to play baseball for the Rebels, head coach Mike Bianco announced Thursday. All three will be eligible for the 2005-2006 academic year.
The Rebels signed a total of 13 players during the early fall signing period -- seven pitchers and six position players.
Button, 6-feet-0, 175 pounds from Lake St. Louis, Mo., batted .350 with two home runs, and recorded 15 stolen bases and 24 runs scored last spring for DeSmet Jesuit High School. He was rated by Team One Baseball as one of the nation's top 20 middle infielders. Button also played on the Midwest Prospects summer team that won the USSSA World Series, and earned the league's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award.
Lance Lynn, 6-feet-6, 250 pounds, attends Brownsburg High School in Brownsburg, Ind., and is a two-time all-state selection. He has a three-year record of 23-4 with five saves and a 1.43 ERA. Lynn has also recorded 294 strikeouts in 205 innings pitched. Last spring, Lynn went 10-3, with three saves, and a 1.26 ERA, while striking out 160 in 100 innings pitched during 19 appearances.
Van Slyke, 6-feet-5 1/2 , 210 pounds, from Ladue, Mo., is the son of former Major Leaguer Andy Van Slyke, who played 13 years in the Major Leagues from 1983-1995 with St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Philadelphia. Van Slyke is an all-state performer at John Burroughs High School, and hit .507 with 11 home runs and 32 RBI last spring. He's also been an all-league performer in both football and basketball.
Button, Lynn and Van Slyke also played together at the Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif., one of the top showcases in the country for high school prospects.
Ole Miss went 39-21 last season and played host to its first NCAA Regional. The 2005 campaign will mark Bianco's fifth season with the Rebels and has recorded a 150-90-1 record at Ole Miss.
2004 OLE MISS BASEBALL EARLY SIGNEES
| Player | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown/High School (Junior College) |
| Brett Basham | C | 6-2 | 185 | Knoxville, Tenn./Bearden High School |
| Wade Broyles | RHP | 6-3 | 195 | Madison, Miss./Madison Central |
| Evan Button | INF | 6-0 | 175 | Lake St. Louis, Mo./DeSmet Jesuit |
| Wes Grilliette | RHP | 6-2 | 190 | Oxford, Miss./Oxford |
| Devin Hicks | 3B | 6-3 | 215 | Bartlett, Tenn./Bartlett |
| Cullan Kight | 1B | 6-3 | 225 | Magee, Miss./Simpson Academy |
| Lance Lynn | RHP | 6-6 | 250 | Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg |
| Rory McKean | RHP | 6-3 | 195 | Montgomery, Ala./Trinity Presbyterian School |
| Zach Miller | INF | 5-7 | 170 | Germantown, Tenn./Houston |
| Craig Rodriguez | LHP | 6-5 | 210 | Sugar Land, Texas/St. Pius X (Pearl River C.C.) |
| Cody Satterwhite | RHP | 6-4 | 192 | Byram, Miss./Hillcrest Christian |
| Scott Van Slyke | OF | 6-5 ½ | 210 | Ladue, Mo./John Burroughs |
| Chase Ware | RHP | 6-4 | 190 | Olive Branch, Miss./Olive Branch |
